BEEP BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP BEEP! I've never been so happy to hear my alarm clock. It was 5am on Saturday and time to get ready for work. I only had to operate one flight back to Denver and then I'd be off work until Wednesday. I just recently bought a 2008 DL650, and had been looking forward to riding it all week. A quick flight to Denver later I was off duty and sprinting to catch an 8am flight to Bozeman. From there I drove to Dillon, my hometown and where I had stashed my new bike. I plan to bring it down to Denver, but there's just too much good riding in Montana to be in any hurry for that trip. By early afternoon I was on the V-strom and headed to see my brother and his wife in Lolo, MT. I only got one picture on Saturday because I was having too much fun riding! From Dillon I rode highway 278 through Jackson and Wisdom and up to Lost Trail Pass. Lost Trail Pass On Sunday we spent the day on the Bitterroot River. The weather was beautiful, the fishing was great, but the catching sucked. Bitterroot River Rowsie Dog When Monday rolled around I took off early for Dillon via roads less traveled. It was a brisk morning as I rolled southbound down highway 93 and up Lost Trail Pass. I continued on 93 from Lost Trail Pass down the North Fork of the Salmon. Not a cloud in the sky... Salmon River From Salmon, ID I continued to the little town of Tendoy and the start of the Lewis and Clark Backcountry Byway. Just a couple miles up a well maintained gravel road lies Sharkley Hot Springs. For a mere $3 you can soak in these 104F hot tubs. Since it had warmed up nicely to about 85 degrees, I elected to ride on and head for the cooler temps of Lemhi Pass. Beautiful View! Lemhi Pass looking towards Idaho ...and towards Montana Old Horse Prairie Homestead Just a short ride down highway 324 and I was nearing home When I made it home Monday afternoon my trip meter showed 440 miles, not a bad weekend and it's not over yet! On Tuesday, I rode up the Pioneer Scenic Byway to my secret fishing spot. Maverick Mountain I hiked into one of my favorite spots to fish, but it was super windy in the meadows. After catching a few fish and myself several times I gave up! Oh well, it was a good hike and I did manage to find some elk. I decided to ride into Coolidge, an old ghost town, but found a tree in the way so I hiked instead! School's Out! This cabin probably won't be standing many more seasons Slight Drizzle Near Crystal Park As I rode home, I caught the tail end of a thunderstorm that had just passed through Dillon. I got a little wet but nothing serious. As I sit here typing this I'm back in Denver and heading to work soon. Thanks for reading, and I hope you guys enjoyed it!
Montana indoor plumbing! Yeah, that sounds about right! Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it. After a year of lurking and enjoying other ride reports it's nice to be able to give a little back.
Thanks for the RR. Love the rolly bag strapped on the bike. What are ya flying? I'm on a Falcon 2000LX.
Yeah my drybag hadn't shown up yet, so I was forced to strap my luggage works to the bike. Not the best option as it weighs about 20 pounds empty! I'm jealous of your Falcon. I'm on a Beech 1900. GPS, what's that?!
I hear ya man, I flew a Shorts 360 for years, vor to vor, and the dreaded NDB approach. The Strom is a great bike, and you get to ride in a beautiful place.
