July 21 - Idaho Falls to Jackson

Flash Slideshow

Another very hot day for the final day of travel back to Jackson. We agreed to a direct route to Jackson after reviewing an alternate route back through Yellowstone that was over 230 miles. Dan and Paula decided to be hardcore and get their money's worth - and they headed on the long route. The rest of us set out on Route 26 towards the Teton Pass. About 2/3 of the way through my forgetfulness struck again. At a stop for a drink at a health food store I went looking for my ibuprofin for a backache. I found the Ibuprofin, but realized the rest of my medicine was not there. I could not do without it, so I bid everyone goodbye and headed 65 miles back to Idaho Falls. As I was doubly forgetful, I had my room key still in my pocket, and I went into my previous night's room at 11:55 AM - the maids had not been there yet. The bag o' medicine was right there on the table in plain view. I took it, went downstairs and checked out and then headed to the Idaho Falls mall to cool off and get a CD. I found the mall and relaxedly used the facilities at Barnes and Noble, got a CD and got a 10 minute Oriental Accupressure massage. Very nice. I then went back out into the near 100 degree, worst heat yet and sat in traffic for 15 minutes before getting to a China Buffet for lunch. The restaurant was so-so, but it was cool, and for that I was grateful.

Getting out of Idaho Falls took a while. The traffic is bad at midday, and the lights seem timed so that you stop at each one. At the last drive thru leaving town I stopped at the Burger King for a jumbo Diet Coke. It was very difficult balancing the bike, paying the cashier, taking my soda and driving off. I dumped the soda on my lap and nearly dumped the bike trying the leave the drive thru with one hand. Thankfully the lid held, and only a few drops spilled on me and the bike. Once underway I set the cruise control and enjoyed my drink.

The rest of the crew (except for Dan and Paula) stopped at Teton Village and took a gondola ride to the summit. They saw paragliders all around.













When I finally pulled into town and got settled, John and Jim McCann saw my back pain discomfort and went to work. Jim is a chiroprator back in Springfield, MA and John is a message/energy healing therapist (click here for his website). Jim had me lay on my back, assessed the alignment of my feet to each other and then did a series of cracks on my neck and back. John then had me do some streches (ouch - I am so tight!) and did some cranio-sacral and energy work on me. Jim said I would probably feel worse that night but better the next day - he was right!

That night Steve and Dennis turned in their bikes as they were headed out early in the AM. John asked if I wanted to try his Electra-Glide and we switched bikes for a ride up the Teton Pass. Both bikes were nearly empty. The Harley felt suprisingly nimble and peppy compared to the BMW. I passed a truck going up the pass and learned the negative side of its low-end peppiness. For passing it had much less pull than the BMW, despite it's feel. About 1/2 way up the pass the low fuel light came on. 2 minutes later, 3/4 of the way up - the bike konked out - kaput. I managed to swing it around on momentum. I told John I was going to coast back down the pass to save gas and fire it up again at the bottom. I was having fun coasting until 2 slow trucks appeared in front of us. Were it not for them my momentum would have allowed me to coast most of the way back to Jackson! As it was the bike fired up again just fine on the flat roads and made it back to Jackson. I was intrigued by my short ride on the Electra Glide and would like a longer trial in the future. I can see why people like the 'feel' as the response at "cruising" speeds is very gratifying. Just don't try 100 MPH uphill through sweeping mountain corners (unless you're John McCann).


Final note: Sturday was the day almost everybody left Jackson. Jim G. and Cindy headed off for the Wisconsin Dells and then home on their motorcycle, Dennis and Colleen Ryder, Jim, John and Steve McCann for home via the airport.

The rest of Saturday July 22nd I mostly hung around town trying to 1.) Find an air conditioned place with 2:) A wireless connection and 3:) a power outlet. I was only partially successful, spending until 4 PM at the hippy bakery with the 'Swamp Cooler' providing a little heat relief and the hotel across the street graciously allowing me to borrow a connection to the internet for updating this blog.

I am looking forward to next year's ride. Perhaps next time rates will be favorable for shipping our own bikes, rather than spending $1K to rent for a week (ouch!). Rates and times will have to be vary favorable for me, as I just found out I will be a daddy for the second time!

July 20 - Dillon to Idaho Falls via a dirt road and the Longest, Hottest, Staightest Road Imaginable

Flash Slideshow

Waking up and getting going in Dillon was tough for me this morning. I just knew my foggy state of mind was going to cause me to forget something. After stopping at our first scenic vista, I realized what it was - my camera. I resolved to call the hotel and restaurant that we ate breakfast at when we stopped in Idaho Falls *(I did so several times - they claim they have not found it). The pictures included here are due to the kindness of Jim McCann, Colleen Ryder and Steve McCann who allowed me to copy theirs for this blog.

We took a route out of Dillon that Colleen recommended in order to avoid the Interstate 15 South ride that was on the pre-planned itinerary. We all agreed that it looked fine, although my computer map did not at first diplay a connection between two roads that she was suggesting. I was able to zoom close in and see that there was indeed a connection and we went for it.

The road at first was scenic and wonderful, passing by a reservoir over the dam spillway. As we rode by the dam I smelled some bad chemical odor and wondered what it was. It became apparent moments later when a reservoir employee on an ATV turned into a parking lot on the side of the road. His ATV contained a large plastic spray cannister. I imagine he was spraying the weeds on the side of the road or something. I don't understand why you would do that so near a reservoir that I presume is for drinking/irrigation and/or recreation.

The road climbed up past some farms and along a riverbank until finally - it ended, sort of. It turned into a dirt/gravel road through cattle ranches for the last 10-15 miles. It was slow going through the herds of cattle and over very dusty gravel.






When we arrived at the Bannock Pass sign we stopped and discussed the going so far. The opinions of riding on the dirt/gravel were mixed among our group. A passing truck told us that there were 8 + miles left of this type of riding. We got on with it and soon made it to Rt. 28 South. The road started as a nice valley ride through semi-wooded low mountain ranges.



After 30 miles it turned into a ride through desert scrubland through a nuclear test area on a road that seemed to strech on forever. On a very hot day where you could see mirages on the horizon and nothing else when you looked 20 miles down the road. No cars and very few animals. One interesting sight was two horses standing "ass to nose" with each other and using their tales to swat the flies from each other's faces. Nothing beats teamwork!

After the hottest riding yet we reached our hotel in Idaho Falls. Most of us went swimming soon after check-in. We went to supper at a restaurant across the street where Colleen and Dennis Ryder celebrated their 27th (I hope I remembered that number correctly!) wedding anniversary. They were given a huge slice of ice cream cake on the house.

July 19 - Bozeman to Dillon via the Old West town of Virginia City

Flash Slideshow

In order to prevent getting lost on today's trip we agreed to the following rules:

1. We would discuss the next stop and agree to wait for everyone at unmistakeable road junctions.

2. A rider is responsible for keeping track of the rider behind him.

3. Maps with the day's route - fully discussed - will be held by each rider.

Following these rules, I printed out maps with the day's route outlined on them. The manager at the Best Western was nice enough to print enough copies for me to pass one out to each rider. We agreed to not try to bunch together too closely on the first 8 mile leg due to crazy traffic in Bozeman itself. I had witnessed three accidents in a short trip the day before on Bozeman's streets, and I wanted everyone to look out for themselves rather than try to stay with the group. It worked well and we met up at the 1st road junction outside of town.

The next agreed upon stop was Ennis Lake. Unfortunately John was doing his yoga and in a deep meditative state as he rode by the turn-off for the lake while he was leading, and no amount of horn-honking and arm waving could disturb his inner peace. So we rode on past.

At the next scenic vista turn off we took a photo and pee break. We were surprised to note that this area a few miles outside of Virginia City was a burial spot for a woman. Her marker was right there 30 feet or so from the parking lot! Be careful where you pee there!





As we prepared to leave, two gals from South Carolina pulled up to take pictures with us. One was missing her Harley as they were driving cross country together and wanted to chat with some bikers. Before you know it Jim G. had suggested that since they were also going to Virginia City that she should ride on the back of Steve's bike to get there. In no time flat she was up for it and away we went.

We arrived in Virginia City 15 minutes later and parked for an afternoon of eating, shopping and sightseeing.

Colleen and I decided on a name for the South Carolina gals while we were taking the open-air bus tour of the sites in town - "Thelma and Loise." There was an uncanny resemblance with age, dress and personalities.

After leaving the historic old mining town and ex-capital of the Montana Territory, we rode on to Dillon. With straight roads and no traffic, I became posessed when I heard Meatloaf's "Bat Out of Hell" on the Sirius radio. I took the BMW up to a new personal record for me, and probably for that bike. Somewhere between an indicated 132 and 133 MPH. At that speed the wind on the outside of my bare legs was burning more than the engine heat from the inside of my legs. Must've been friction on my leg hairs or something. I then pulled into the Best Western and waited for the crew.

That night we ate together at a steakhouse downtown. After dinner we explored a historic railyard and boardwalk before heading back for shut-eye.

July 18 - Gardiner to Bozeman

Flash Slideshow

Today will be forever known as the day we lost Steve. Our plan was to head south through Yellowstone and head out the West Entrance, then head north through Idaho to Bozeman, Montana. This would give us some time to see some more Yellowstone sights before leaving the park.

We started out ok as a group and all stopped to take pictures of "Roaring Mountain." We then headed further south and started running into a large number of tourists in buses, motorhomes and cars stopping to take pictures. In the confusion, I rode ahead with Dennis and Colleen, Jim and Cindy, Jim McCann, and John. We turned at the first right out to West Yellowstone.



We waited up the road at the first turnout on the right and took pictures of elk in the river.









After a while Dan and Paula showed up and we asked where Steve was. They had not seen him. They returned to look for him where he was last seen taking pictures, and could not find him. John asked me to go look for Steve. I took off on the BMW and headed on south down the road on the presumption that he missed the right turn. I got as far as Old Faithful before deciding to call him while cell service was good. I left a message. I then called my Dad and left a message letting him know of my plan to wait for Steve at Old Faithful. Steve then returned my call and let me know he was almost back into The Grand Tetons! He was riding fast away from the group on the presumption that he was trying to catch us! Lesson learned - agree on contigencies when riding in a group. Steve came back to Old Faithful, bought a drink and we called the group. We told them to complete their ride as planned, and we would head back to Gardiner and directly to Bozeman.

Steve and I gassed up in Gardiner and headed on up the road (Rt. 89). I asked him if he was comfortable riding at 80 MPH and he said no problem. On the open road I started to stretch the Beemer's legs a bit and Steve always hung back. I was wondering if he was uncomfortable riding fast. Although I was concerned for Steve, I couldn't resist the urge to see what she had. I opened it up and in short order the BMW was doing 120. A personal new land speed record for me.

I waited for Steve to catch up and while we were riding together we saw a fire in the mountains to our right. This fire had just started by a mini-thunderstorm that just passed in front of us. As we rode by this fire - it mushroomed into a major fire that was quickly spreading from the top of the mountains down a valley. The other riders later said they were watching the same smoke while they were separated by another mountain range to the west!

Steve and I pulled into Bozeman in the late afternoon. He told me his Harley did not want to go faster than 75-80, and that is the reason why he was lagging behind. Bummer - glad I rented a bike with some cahones! (In all fairness, John McCann later said his would go to 110 if you wound out 4th gear - Steve was trying in 5th gear).

Around 6:00 everyone else pulled in. I heard descriptions of the day's riding on their route ranging from, "God-awful boring" to "Beautiful." Just goes to show that one person's tastes can vary drastically from another's! We then went out to eat at various places because we could not agree on a place as a group. My dad and I did find a great coffee shop for desert. He had a chocolate w/cherries brownie and I had an apple/peach pie with a dollop of butter creme. We both agreed they were excellent.

July 17 - Cody to Gardiner via Beartooth Pass

Flash Slideshow

Today we rode out of Cody via the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway. The road was a wonderful surprise - with incredible views and many switchbacks down into a wooded valley and back up to the Beartooth Highway.





At the scenic vista stop at the highest point, Steve, Jim McCann and Colleen fed a tame chipmunk some trail mix.









A few miles before the turn for Route 212 (the Beartooth) there was a 8-mile or so stretch of road grevelling and oiling that we had to stop for. After 10 minutes a pace car came to lead us through. The riding was slow but manageable through the gravel. As we were mostly on rented bikes, we did not worry too much over the oily rocks hitting our bikes. Jim and Cindy did have a problem, however, as the rocks were pitting the front fenders of their trailer.

Right after the Chief Joseph came the Beartooth Highway. The ride was a wonderful side trip to Red Lodge, MT and lunch at the outdoor cafe in a converted caboose. Rt. 212 climbs to 10,967 feet through places where you ride above the snowline. The riding was incredible. Not much traffic and no police, and lots of other bikes. Needless to say we sharpened our cornering skills on the hairpin turns ;) I took this video (click here) of the return trip up the north side. I tried to video the way down too, during which I taped the whole group for a while and then Jim McCann, John and I rode at warp speed, but the tape malfunctioned after our stop at the top.

After riding the Beartooth we headed west back into Yellowstone. The road was under construction through Cooke City and provided more dusty and tricky riding. While waiting for everybody to get back into the Northeast Gate to Yellowstone, we were attached by many biting horseflys. Several people rode ahead. At that point Jim McCann was getting off his bike at the ranger hut and forgot his kickstand (it had been another long,hot day of riding). He pulled his hamstring trying the prevent the bike from falling totally over. He was OK except for a big bruise on his leg.

We rode through the valley in the northern part of the park and saw some buffalo in the Lamar Valley.











A rest stop was needed at Tower Falls lodge in which we were treated to a dance routine by two pre-teen sisters singing Blondie's "The Tide is High."









We arrived at Mammoth Hot Springs as our last stop. Colleen, always the one to find a way around the rules, was the first one of us to reach through the railings and touch the material making up the rock of the springs. Paula and I followed suit and we agreed that the material feels like chaulk.

We rode into Gardiner to stay at the Travelodge for the night. As we were checking in a quick storm blew through, and was followed by a wonderful double rainbow! From my vantage point, the end of the rainbow pointed to a sign for CiCi's Fine Goods.





We ate a decent meal at the Yellowstone Mine Restaurant and I moseyed out early and got an ice cream across the street. As I was unable to get an internet connection from my room, I turned in early. I suspect that everyone else had an early night too.

July 16 - Signal Mountain to Cody

Flash Slideshow

Today we woke up and moseyed down to the Signal Mountain Lodge to eat breakfast. John and Jim (Steve too, perhaps?) did some sunrise yoga by Jackson Lake before getting packed up to go.

At this point I should say who was with who and on what bike. Dan Galway, who is cousins with Jim, John and Steve McCann (who are brothers) and his wife Paula were on a rented burgandy Harley Electra Glide. Dennis and Colleen Ryder were on a rented Black Cherry Electra Glide. John McCann was on a blue and silver 2003 Electra Glide, which had a broken stereo. hat was fine with him, as he likes to ride without music. Steve McCann had a blue and silver Electra Glide as well. Jim McCann had a 2006 BMW R1200RT. Jim and Cindy Gorski rode their 2003 Honda Goldwing with trailer attached. They were generous in getting drinks for everyone and keeping them chilled in the cooler attached to the trailer. I was riding a 2003 BMW K1200LT, the most "used" bike in the bunch, with over 25,000 miles on it, but the stereo worked great and it still handled well with good power.

After breakfast, we rode up through the remainder of the Grand Teton National Park and into Yellowstone. Our first stop in Yellowstone was at the Lewis River Falls. We were awed by the depth of the canyon, and Jim G. just had to go out onto a precipice to pose.




After this stop, we headed on up to Old Faithful..
The place was packed and we were 1 hour early for the eruption. Most of the group stopped at the lodge to relax and wait, while Steve, Jim McCann and I took the boardwalk trail around the Old Faithful Geyser Basin. The trail was full of beautiful and interesting geothermal features. I highly recommend it to anyone with an hour or two to spare.





After seeing Old Faithful do its thing, we rode the western road past Norris to Canyon Village for lunch. I should mention at this point that it was hot. Very hot and so dry you could not drink enough water. Lunch was a welcome break although the lodge was not air-conditioned. They seem to use lots of "swamp coolers" in the area which moisten the air but do little to lower the temperature. (Note the fatigued faces due to the heat - Jim McCann on left, Dennis Ryder in back, Jim and Cindy Gorski on right.)

Lunch was near the "Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone" which we also stopped at. The eroded rocks were beautiful and steep. It looked like if you tried to climb some of the slopes of eroded rock slides you would just keep slipping backwards.





From there we agreed to boogy on to our night's destination of Cody, Wyoming. We rode the northern shore of Yellowstone Lake and started encountering our first nice corners. The road to the Eastern Entrance turned into a dirt construction road with steep cliffs for the last 10 miles of the park. Despite being hair-raising, it was beautiful and twisted down through the densest forests we had yet encountered.

Between Yellowstone and Cody, we had more beautiful sweepers and views that looked straight out of the nighttime stop in the desert scene in Thelma and Louise. Most of the group stopped at the Buffalo Bill State Park Reservoir to basically cool off. Jim McCann, John McCann and I had the same idea, but further up the road. We turned around and rejoined the group and jumped into the reservoir. The temperature was perfect!

Down the road at the end of the reservoir there was a dam, and the road went through a series of tunnels. The tunnels were an unexpected delight, with the bike's thermometer registering a drop from the high 90's to 85 degrees in the tunnels. I even took a brief movie from my camera going throug the tunnels. Click here to view


In Cody, a city bigger than we all expected for Wyoming, we went to our accomidations for the night - the Carraige House. Being that they were simple little huts, most of the folks decided to go back up the road to the Amerisuites while the Gorskis stayed there at the Carraige House. The original plan to attend the rodeo was dropped due to our level of fatigue from riding in the hot weather.

Playing in the Grand Tetons

Flash Slideshow

Saturday was our day to meet as a group, as we came in on different flights on different days. Dan, Paula, John McCann and his brother Jim McCann flew in to Jackson shortly after noon on Saturday. Dennis and Colleen Ryder, Steve McCann and me rented our bikes at 9:30 AM and we headed up to the Moran gate to Grand Tetons National Park with my dad and Cindy on their Goldwing.
















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As soon as we entered the park access road, Dennis Ryder motioned us over to a pull-off before the entrance gate. His new Harley Electra-Glide had the pivot ball come loose from the shift linkage - so no shifting. Jim Gorski pulled out the old duct-tape and did a nice temp job.




We called the rental service and they said they would sent up a technician. While we waited, I decided to install my 12V accessory plug into the 2003 BMW K1200LT I had rented. I was quite bummed that I had a 2003 model, which has less space, less accessories and less power than the 2006 I was expecting, but I decided to make the best of it and at least have good tunes. I had brought along my satellite radio and I was determined to use it. It needs 12v power and the stock BMW plugs are too small. So I lifted up the seat and tried to wire my adapter plug to the battery. I was trying to do this quickly before the tech arrived and I got in trouble for messing with the bike. Lo and behold, I dropped the nut that holds the negative battery wires on. It got stuck under the battery tray. While removing the battery to try to get to it, I discovered that the security alarm does not like to have the power cut to the bike. The extra-loud horm started blaring. Reconnecting the power did not help, as it now seemed to be on a timer that made it go off every few minutes. It continued to do this as the ultra-cool tech, Devin showed up and proceeded to bailing-wire fix Dennis' Harley. He could not disarm the alarm, nor would the bike start. He needed to go back to Jackson and get the remote transmitter to disable the alarm. Another hour wasted. He eventually showed up, the transmitter worked, the bike started and I had satellite radio - yeah!

Dennis, Colleen, Jim, Cindy, Steve and I drove to our destination of Signal Mountain Lodge on Jackson Lake and ate a great lunch and checked in while we waited for the rest to catch up. When they got there, we rented two 5-seater boats and rode around Jackson Lake. Dennis drove the 40hp boat and my dad, Jim drove the 30hp one.

The competition began immediately, going far back to the pre-teen years of these two. Wakes from the boats rocked and splashed all of us, until eventually they were crashing hulls, James Band Moonraker-style. We rode to the other side of the lake, parked under the tallest glaciated peak of the Tetons, and all of the men got out and swam in the maybe 58 degree water. Very cold, but clear and nice. Dennis jumped in first with no shoes, misjudged the depth and gave himself a nice bruise on the sole of his foot.






In order to get the boats off of the rocky beach, we had to push/swim them out. John McCann and I were the last to get into our boat, and we had to haul ourselves over the bow, rescued sailor-style . I hadn't felt those same abdominal muscles since getting out of pools via the side as a teen.







After our boat ride, the earlier arriving group headed out to look for the elusive Moose Village that my Dad had heard was excellent and not to be missed by his friendly Honda parts lady. We had an excellent twilight ride under the Tetons, saw some elk, and only saw Doonan's landing as a potential place to eat. Feeling dejected, my Dad led our group back to the Signal Mountain Lodge for dinner.

Arrival in Jackson Hole

Flash Slideshow

Yesterday was a good day for flying. At Bradley airport I was surprised to see Dennis and Colleen Ryder waiting for the same flight. I also met up with Steve McCann. We had a bumpy flight to Minneapolis, but once at the airport all was well. The Minneapolis Airport is beautiful, and the crowds were minimal. We ate a snack at the Fridays there and then headed to the flight to Jackson Hole.

The Jackson Hole flight was beautiful. We flew over South Dakota and the Badlands and the co-pilot pointed out a large wildfire. The views were amazing as we came into the rockies and saw many peaks with snow.



The Jacksole Hole Airport was small, and we were welcomed by towering peaks all around and an arch of antlers at the airport entrance.











That evening Dennis and Colleen Ryder, Steve McCann, Jim and Cindy Gorski and I ate at a pizza joint in Jackson. The pizza was very good and the prices were reasonable. My folks had scoped the town out for a few days already and they knew where the good cheap eats were.




Last evening I spent a good 2 hours cleaning out my PC from the Zlob and associated Trojan Horse viruses, hence the latness of this post. I also recieved some sad news of the death of a best friend's father. Kat's dad, Chuck was always kind to me and was a very cheerful man. This comes at a particularly bad time for Kat and I wish her strength through this difficult time.

2 days till we ride

I just finished talking to my dad, Jim Gorski. He is with Cindy shopping in the town of Jackson. He reports Wi-Fi all over the place, so I should have no problem sending an update tomorrow. They were resting from their ride and said the hotel they are at - that Steve and I will be getting to tomorrow - has an 18-person hot tub! Nice! It is the Quality Inn 49er on 330 West Pearl. However they thought the whole group was taking off tomorrow (Friday) and neglected to book a room for Friday night. Good luck on booking another night! The road will make your sense of time distorted - as well as the big skies and fresh air. Jim reports 83 degrees and pure blue skies.

To all of our participants - bring your digital cameras and use them like silly! I will have my laptop and can download your pictures and store them - even burn them to a CD for you so that your memory cards will be cleared up and you can take more.

Also - there is a shuttle service from the airport to your hotel that you can reserve round trip - http://www.jacksonholealltrans.com/

See you all soon!

3 days to go

In three days our group of annual motorcycle adventure tourers will be departing from Jackson Hole, Wyoming to go on an Eagle Rider "Magificent Jackson Run." We will be riding an assortment of rented Harleys, BMW's and Honda touring and sport-touring bikes. Our tour will takes us on leisurely daily rides of no more than 200 miles daily in and around Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. We will take a side trip, weather permitting, up and over the Beartooth Pass, the highest paved road in North America at 10,974 feet.

This blog will attempt to chronicle the trip. I will update as "real-time" as possible with my laptop when connectivity is available during lodging stays. Video and other labor and bandwidth-intensive items may need to be updated post-trip when I return home.