Forth and back TOR '20

[RBMann]

Originally Posted by ckcarr

Excellent imagery RBMann!
Combo of Nikon and iPhone, or what?.....



More like spreaders of the plague. In March and April it was great here, completely deserted, which I haven't seen in like 20 years. But then they started coming, from California, Idaho, Colorado... Like gathering in the desert for an alien arrival. Seemed they were coming from states with the most restrictive lockdowns... Now they still haven't left.......

Yes, Nikon and iPhone. On vacation a year ago I only took my phone. The wife says I take too many pictures with the camera. When we got back I had 3,000 pics on the phone then I checked hers and she had shot 5,500. Guess we won't be having that camera discussion again.

In Sept. I talked to a couple riders from Boseman, MT. They said the same thing. RVs lined up along the roads up in the mountains where no one usually camps. All of them had out-of-state plates and it didn't look like they were leaving soon.

I just stay home most of the time and work in the yard or shop.

[ckcarr]

They do it because it's what they have to do.

You can live on $2 a week if you have to.

Originally Posted by signit98

I'm not sure how people do it...

[RBMann]

Day 11 - Scofield to Bear Lake 286 miles



One of those rare days where I didn't feel like taking photos. Most of the day was overcast with threatening rain. I have tried a couple times to show Ralf the beauty of Hwy 150 from Kamas, UT to Evanston,WY through the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Whenever he is along it rains or is really cold and cloudy. When we arrived at Bear Lake all the state parks were full. We feel lucky in finding a private camp ground but it was $42, it did included a killer view and shelter. Not a horrible day of riding but out of six photos the only one worth showing is our camp site on Bear Lake. Very stormy and rain ended the day-

[signit98]

That was the one where our neighbors learned that an easy up is anything but easy (although it will go up), when the wind starts howling...

[flatbutt]

Which one of you gentlemen offered up alternative lodging?

[RBMann]

Day 12 - Bear Lake to Colter Bay 222 miles



Somewhere in the early part of this trip Ralf learned that an old friend was staying near Red Lodge, MT. We decided to do a couple days detour and pop up for a visit.

The morning was bright and clear after a stormy night in the tent. As we drove along the eastern shore there was a resort that uses tractors to launch boats. Someone thought their truck would work instead but they were wrong-



The north end of Bear Lake is really shallow but the water is gorgeous-



My token tabernacle shot in Paris, ID-



Again it was another day that didn't I use the camera much. We arrived at Colter Bay in time to set up camp, have showers, eat pizza and go for a sunset walk. We also avoided getting wet from some passing thunder storms. Waiting for dinner while having access to the internet-





We used the Colter Bay Lakeshore Trail to get from the marina to the west side of an island for an incredible sunset over the Grand Tetons-







The end of another day I feel lucky I got to be there.

[Droptarotter]

Thanks again Rick/Ralph, glad you guys are having fun. It's nice to see this area again as I cycled a lot of the same roads you are on.

Cheers

[signit98]

Ricky, waiting for the rain to subside at Bear Lake:



Taking the pizza-shot posted above:



And the Tetons in profie:

[ckcarr]

That pizza taking shot almost reminds me of the park in Paonia....

Hopefully, next year...

[RBMann]

Day 13 - Colter Bay to Red Lodge, MT 236 miles



The day started out sunny after some rain during the night. At least the clothes were clean-



This was the second night that some seams gave out on my air mattress-



As we left the campground the line of cars waiting to get in was two wide and about 1/2 mile long, amazing. We spent the morning sight seeing through the park-









After lunch we found out the road to Tower Junction was closed so we had to backtrack and loop west then up to Mammoth Hot Springs before going east to Beartooth Pass. Traffic was horrid but finally opened up when we left the park. Since we didn't get out of Yellowstone until almost 4:00 the dash over Beartooth happened without photos. At the end of the day we had a nice camp site on the river just south of Red Lodge-

[Droptarotter]

Thanks RB, and I can tell you going over Beartooth on a bicycle was hard work but so rewarding. We did it in the other direction from Red Lodge to Cook City.

I'm enjoying this!
Cheers

[signit98]

Originally Posted by Droptarotter

Thanks RB, and I can tell you going over Beartooth on a bicycle was hard work but so rewarding. We did it in the other direction from Red Lodge to Cook City.

I'm enjoying this!
Cheers

We had pole-position after a construction site, so it was swift and fun.... but it was also cold and windy up on the ridge.

Beartooth is special, I don't get tired of it. EVER.

[ckcarr]

The bison reminds me of the bull slapping in Wild Hogs for some reason.

[RBMann]

Day 14 - Red Lodge to The Ranch 58 miles round trip

No map today, secret place.



Ralf's friend was staying on a ranch with her husband. The husband is a private pilot for someone with a bigger budget than I have for travel. The boss owns five ranches in the area and we were going to a small pond by some guest housing. We learned his holding covered an area 30 miles X 50 miles. Don't know if that was this ranch or all five together. A really wonderful couple with lunch and drinks in a picnic basket for lovely afternoon at the pond.

I don't know what Ralf was explaining as he is always going on about something-





What a wonderful day for a picnic and relaxing-





Ralf had a chance to practice his fly fishing cast at the stocked pond-



I think they were happy to see us since they had been at the ranch since early spring, as the boss was afraid of COVID back in NYC-

[RBMann]

Day 14 - Continued

The pilot's house is in a very scenic spot. We never saw the main house compound-







We looked around a little bit before heading into town for dinner. The small plane the pilot uses to go get the corporate jet for the long trips-



Of course is you have planes you need your own airstrip. When we left for dinner Ralf and I could not help having a drag race down the strip. Bessie(Africa Twin) and Ms. Piggy(R1200GS) were really an equal match-



A big thank you to Ralf's friends for hosting us. Another lucky-to-be-alive day in the books.

[Droptarotter]

Wow! What a special place!!

Cheers

[signit98]

The top of Beartooth is always a sight to behold.



Well, we couldn't leave without test sitting in the Tocano...



Rick and Eric, relaxing

[tomvv11]

Another thoroughly enviable trip. Glad you had a good time, and thanks for sharing these pockets of the West many of us have never seen.

[RBMann]

Day 15 - Red Lodge back to Colter bay 255 miles



In the night a couple more seams completely let loose. Ralf called it my deluxe lumbar support mattress. Luckily I found a new one at Sierra Trading Post in Cody, WY-



Time to pack up camp again-



Unfortunately we had to ride over Beartooth Pass again. The hardships we must endure-





This time after Beartooth we would head towards Cody on 296 Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. This would bring us into Yellowstone with less driving in the tourist traffic of the park-



Back at Jackson Lake and camping again at Colter Bay with my new mattress-

[ckcarr]

I love that road to Cody...