| Author | Message | ||
     Estresco |
I'm getting ready to come home from my current deployment and I have a friend in Greybull, WY whom I'm planning on visiting while on R&R. Any suggestions from you salty road warriors on the best m/c route to get there and any must see sites or roads to roll through? While I'm in the area I plan on hitting up Yellowstone and seeing about riding around there and working my way down to the Grand Teton National Park. | ||
| Smokey3644 |
When are you planning your trip? This year especially the timing will determine what roads will be passable in the mountains like Chief Joseph, Beartooth etc. We are having a really crummy Spring in Montana and I know N. Wyoming is having some late snow also. | ||
| Estresco |
I am planning on heading out sometime after the 4th of July. | ||
| Smokey3644 |
You should be in luck, the long range forecast for this part of the world is hot and dry. The month of July is peak tourist season in Yellowstone but what the heck you can only go 45 mph anyway. The Bear Tooth/ Chief Joseph highway loop (with a stop for lunch in Cook City)from Cody is a must then you could take the East entrance into the park also from Cody Wyo. Almost any route from Portland to Greybull will go through some great country, the only restraint is time. | ||
| Idaho_buelly |
How much time do you have? | ||
| Crusty |
If you can arrange it so that your route includes U.S. route 12 from Lewiston, ID to Lolo, MT(also known as Lolo Pass), you'll be a happier man for having done it. | ||
| Estresco |
I'll have 5 days total. I plan on riding the Bear Tooth/ Chief Joseph highway loop and the Yellowstone Upper or Lower Loop so far while I'm visiting my friend in Greybull, WY. | ||
| Zac4mac |
If you can make it to Jackson Hole, WY the Tetons are amazing. | ||
| Calamari_kid |
How many miles are you wanting to do per day? Out of P-town I'd prolly take the old columbia river hwy as far east as it goes, then 84 to Biggs, then cut down through Condon, through Fossil, Spray, Monument, Long Creek, Ukiah, La Grande, and on to Enterprise. From there hit the rattlesnake grade up to Lewiston/Clarkston, then 12 over Lolo pass, 93 to Hamilton, 38 to Anaconda (well maintained dirt road through the pass), 274 down to 43 then over to 15, down to Melrose then east to Ennis through Twin Bridges, 287 south to 191 and down to West Yellowstone. I did most of this run last summer on a ride from Seattle to Denver last summer. Let me know if you want any more details. I can throw together a google map of the route pretty easily for ya. (Message edited by calamari kid on May 21, 2011) | ||
| Estresco |
Im gonna try and make it all the way to Greybull in a day, at just under 1000 miles if I use the 84 over to the 90, it'll be my longest stint on the Buell!. Once Im there I have 2 days to hang out with my friend and one of those days we are going to ride over to Yellowstone and do one of the loop rides. I looked a map and thought of doing my return opposite of the way I went but I really would like to do the Lolo Pass route as it seems to be a better ride then going through Twin Falls and Boise on the way back. If I need to make it a 6 day trip I can that way I can get the really good routes in. That way I can spend 2 days to get there, 2 days to play in WY, and then 2 days to get back. But Im open to suggestions for the best rides going and coming back. I'll ride easily for 10-12 hours a day...the Buell makes the time fly by when you twist that throttle and put her into a corner! Calamari_kid, a map would be awesome. Thanks! | ||
| Calamari_kid |
Here ya go. Total mileage is ~1200. If you find yourself crunched for time you can hop on 84 in La Grande and slab it the rest of the way home. The highlights of the route are Lolo Pass and Rattlesnake Grade, so you won't miss anything really spectacular. That said the roads from La Grande to Condon are nice and twisty, and worth a trip on their own. -117.138977&spn=0.278146,0.617294&z=11,http://maps .google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&doflg=ptm&ie=UTF8&msa=0& msid=215447783652664183193.0004a3ce86bf9358d6ec3&l l=46.363041,-117.138977&spn=0.278146,0.617294&z=11 | ||
| Itileman |
Drink lots of water. The altitude and dry climate will dehydrate you faster than you might think. | ||
| Idaho_buelly |
Calamari kid, great ride,I rode pretty close to that same track last year as well..Awesome country!  | ||
| Estresco |
Thats a great route and Im going to use it going or coming thats for sure. Thanks for all the advice! | ||
| Itileman |
Plan for a huge amount of time in Yellowstone in that time period. It will be azzhole to elbow with RV's, cages and bison. Stay far away from them on the bike. They will stand on the roads and block traffic for long periods of time.  | ||
| Calamari_kid |
Oh, I should note, you'll want to top up in Ukiah if you're running east to west, Condon if you're heading the other way. There's not much in the way of gas stations through that chunk of the route, and what's there didn't have premium last time I was out that way. | ||
| Estresco |
I rode out to the Hells Canyon M/C Rally in Baker City last year and I went through Paulina and that areas is just like Ukiah. Not many gas stations and if there are they didnt have premium at the time. So now I carry OctanBoost along with two 2 litter bottles of premium in my tubes under my side cases. Havent needed them yet but a few HD riders sure did that weekend!  |
