captainryder
New member
July 10th
Another sunny morning, already warming up in Sheridan, no wind 65 degrees
Weather was sunny with few clouds forming later that day. By the time we left the Bighorn Mtns, we could see some thundershowers developing over them, but the plains was literally a very hot drive across the arid desert landscape. There are dinosaur fossil beds in the rocks on this plain, and a few sugar beet farms (irrigated of course) Temperature at arrival to Cody, 80 degrees.
Travelled 174 miles today, only 4.6 engine hours……. Easy ride, but very diverse changes in terrain experienced.
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July 11th
A great sunny morning ( this is the 7th day without any rain!).
We had gathered a lot of comments about taking a less direct route today to Yellowstone Nat. Park. Everyone said we should not miss an opportunity to go north from Cody to Red Lodge,MT and take the Beartooth Pass Hwy. Definitely there would be snow on the highway and the most scenic and highest pass yet we would travel. But despite this information, there was more recent, first-hand knowledge that the pass road was in the middle of it’s summer re-construction. “A lot of road repairs with a lot of gravel and dirt only mileage.” In the end we opted to stick with our plan to enter from the east entrance straight east from Cody. The detour to Beartooth would have taken us 150 miles extra today and with construction delays, perhaps make first day in Yellowstone long and short on sightseeing.
Another sunny morning, already warming up in Sheridan, no wind 65 degrees
- There is a parade this Friday morning for the “WYO” activities. Our hotel on main street already has viewers from city and countryside placing there portable chairs on the sidewalks. We decide to leave before the 10:00 am start, however our route of exit is via side streets as all of the main road is shut down.
- Before we able to leave a couple of policemen on horses stop by to admire the Spyder.
- Once on I-25/I-90 we head up about 15 miles to Ranchester, WY and exit onto Hwy 14 and the pass over the Bighorn Mountains.
- We start our climb from 4100 feet and climb quickly the to 10,000+ feet. At Burgess Junction we decide to take the more direct route ( Hwy 14 ) instead of ( Hwy 14 Alt ) that takes us down past Shell Canyon and Falls before bottoming at the town of Greybull on the high arid plains of Wyoming heading west to Cody.
- Up on top of the Big Horn Mountains was highway construction, but only 20 minute delay. Saw our first moose and more mule deer. Met another motorcycle group from Minnesota, heading same way as us. Stopping in Cody like us tonight.
- Other group took Hwy 14 Alt which goes via Medicine Wheel down into Cody from Lovell. We opted quicker route to get to Cody early and visit the Buffalo Bill Museums ( 5 museums in all ).
- Shell Falls quite a treat. Drier western slopes so much different than eastern slopes.
- At Greybull, stopped at “Dirty Annie’s” for lunch, instead of picnic. Good food. Place is the only store, tourist trap, café in town. Lots of funny t-shirts here, like the one that said, “ It’s best to carry a GPS when hiking in the woods, because it’s kinda embarrassing to report eating your friends when lost”
- Cody, nice town. The museums, well 2 hours not enough let alone 2 days. The firearms museum has serial numbered authentic rifles from Revolutionary War till present. 2500 weapons of all periods, and some Boone & Crockett trophies, (like the 4th largest moose). It’s paddle antlers were 8 feet across! Also a 14’6” Grizzly and 17’ Polar Bear. Native American Indian museum fantastic, and life and times of Buffalo Bill and Calamity Jane were very interesting.
- Ate at the Wyoming Sirloin and Chop House…. Got the 12 ounce Baseball Sirloin… literally a round and large as a baseball hunk of tender meat grilled to perfection.
Weather was sunny with few clouds forming later that day. By the time we left the Bighorn Mtns, we could see some thundershowers developing over them, but the plains was literally a very hot drive across the arid desert landscape. There are dinosaur fossil beds in the rocks on this plain, and a few sugar beet farms (irrigated of course) Temperature at arrival to Cody, 80 degrees.
Travelled 174 miles today, only 4.6 engine hours……. Easy ride, but very diverse changes in terrain experienced.
View attachment 3249
View attachment 3252
July 11th
A great sunny morning ( this is the 7th day without any rain!).
We had gathered a lot of comments about taking a less direct route today to Yellowstone Nat. Park. Everyone said we should not miss an opportunity to go north from Cody to Red Lodge,MT and take the Beartooth Pass Hwy. Definitely there would be snow on the highway and the most scenic and highest pass yet we would travel. But despite this information, there was more recent, first-hand knowledge that the pass road was in the middle of it’s summer re-construction. “A lot of road repairs with a lot of gravel and dirt only mileage.” In the end we opted to stick with our plan to enter from the east entrance straight east from Cody. The detour to Beartooth would have taken us 150 miles extra today and with construction delays, perhaps make first day in Yellowstone long and short on sightseeing.
- First stop, just 10 miles east, the Buffalo Bill Cody Reservoir and Dam. The dam was the first prototype design of many dams similar to the Hoover Dam. The narrow canyon walls were a perfect place to make a dam and hydroelectric plant. Watched the documentary, and it took 3 companies, 2 bankruptcies, and several peoples lives to finish the work with a 5 year delay. Interestingly, the original 270 feet of the dam is made without any reinforced concrete just concrete and rocks as aggregate. ( They added another 50 feet later using reinforced steel) Unlike Hoover Dam that has 10 times the concrete but tens of thousands of miles of reinforced steel! Work could only be done on the dam in winter, when water level was lowest, thus all the concrete work had to be enclosed by large canvas tents that had a steam heated atmosphere man-made to cure and keep workers warm in the below zero weather.
- Sylvan Pass into Yellowstone Park is a great way to enter. The road follows along the river and opens out on a vista that looks south to Tetons, west across Yellowstone Lake and North into Upper Yellowstone.
- Our first encounter with tourists just stopping alongside the road, ( a scene played out over and over in this park and other national parks..) was for a large black bear. He was eating an early morning meal of mushrooms and wildflowers as he pushed log after log over to get to the succulent plants. Then, (there’s one in every crowd…) a guy jumps from his car and moves within 20 feet of the bear for a close-up phone camera picture. Mind you the bear is only 50 feet from all of us on the road. As the bear raises up on his haunches, the guy runs, his second mistake, as we had just watched a video about bears and what not to do about 15 miles back down the road at the National Forest Pavilion before entering the park. Bear sightings are not so rare but this one was pretty close.
- First stop was Yellowstone Canyon and Falls. You just have to see this scenery to believe it. And my pictures on can’t do it justice….
- Nest we decide to take the loop road up to Tower Falls meeting up with the North East Entrance we would have used if taken the Beartooth Pass, crossing west to Mammoth Hot Springs, then back to Yellowstone Lake and Grant Village (our next 2 day rest stop) via Canyon Village. By the time we did this riding, we have travelled 120 miles in the park alone today.
- Arrival at Grant Village was late, the temperature was dropping fast towards high 50’s and we were hungry. Limited places to eat in park, lots needs reservations, so tonight we just went to the lake house pizzeria at Grant Village.
- Did I mention that the mosquitos are very numerous and large and biting! No air conditioning at our rooms, no television, limited phone service. WE openend the window, started the fan and after a refreshing shower, read a little and drifted off to sleep. Despite the fact that the park has a lot of campgrounds and 4 lodges, the design of the facilities still makes you feel that you are only one of a few people in the park. However, there were over 100,000 of us sleeping in the park today!
