One end of the line to the other, Key West to Deadhorse on a Versys

[WillDieSoon]

Love the RR!

3 of us leave for Deadhorse on July 2nd from Kamloops, BC so maybe we will cross paths at some point.

Ride safe!

[LewisNClark]

Did not know many of those roads were there. Evans Riceville Road certainly looks like a challenge for Versys.

I think there are a number of good campsites south of Great Falls, near White Bear Island area. As you approach Malmstrom Airforce Base you're crossing the L & C Portage trail. They drug 8 two thousand pound dugout canoes right across the prairie 21 miles from Portage, MT to south of Great Falls, and right across where the Malmstrom runway is today. Without doubt of the best of the 100+ Lewis and Clark Museum in the USA, the one in Great Falls is the best of the bunch, if you have time tomorrow, it's worth an hour break.

Anxious to see Evans Riceville Road pictures.

Edit: And your pictures of the Gulch's.

[NDTransplant]

Very nice! Takes a lot of time to put all this together in a ride report while enroute....thanks for your efforts.

[7cells]

Salut Denis, as soon as I get up I can't wait to get on your RR. I keep your SPOT Tracker as one of my quick (easy access) links and follow the bread crump in real time. Be careful out there, I don't remember if I've told you but please ride with all 4 eyes opened. Great report! I wish I was there riding with you, and I believe there are many others thinking the same. Be safe, and have fun.

[XC Rider]

In Helena, MT for the night. It's a long story of how I got here, but a funny one as well. Gonna try and get yesterday's and today's update put together and online tonight. LewisNClark, you're gonna get a good laugh; you're partly responsible for today's mishap/serendipitous discovery!

Originally Posted by Kiwi Dave

I'm so glad to see I'm not the only Florida Boy that craves a bit of the mountain air in his lungs. When I moved from Florida out to Colorado I knew I had made the right decision by throwing in the neck tie and suits and trading for a down jacket and gum boots.

Boy oh boy does reading tour RR bring back some great memories of when I lived in the Rockies. This Florida Boy moved there in '96 and moved on in 2001 but living in the high country and exploring the Rocky Mountains every summer was amazing. No I spend my summers exploring the Southern Alps here in New Zealand but I am planning a trip to do the TAT very soon. I too have been reading your TAT RR as well.

Thank you for taking the time to share your adventures with the rest of us.

Kiwi Dave

Well technically I'm a Virginia boy, I just happened to have been living in Key West for the last year and a half. But regardless of where you're from, this area is simply amazing; I wish there were better words to describe it, and I'm sure there are, but I'm no English teacher. New Zealand huh!? Some day, maybe I'll be lucky enough to travel there are well. Good luck with your TAT planning, you'll have a blast. In my opinion, the TAT is a magnificent adventure. I can't wait to get back to it again this year!

Originally Posted by WillDieSoon

Love the RR!

3 of us leave for Deadhorse on July 2nd from Kamloops, BC so maybe we will cross paths at some point.

Ride safe!

Right on! I'd love to meet up if our paths cross. Keep an eye on my SPOT tracker and give me a shout if it looks like we're close. Obviously from reading this RR you know what I and my bike look like; what will you be riding?

Originally Posted by LewisNClark

Did not know many of those roads were there. Evans Riceville Road certainly looks like a challenge for Versys.

I think there are a number of good campsites south of Great Falls, near White Bear Island area. As you approach Malmstrom Airforce Base you're crossing the L & C Portage trail. They drug 8 two thousand pound dugout canoes right across the prairie 21 miles from Portage, MT to south of Great Falls, and right across where the Malmstrom runway is today. Without doubt of the best of the 100+ Lewis and Clark Museum in the USA, the one in Great Falls is the best of the bunch, if you have time tomorrow, it's worth an hour break.

Anxious to see Evans Riceville Road pictures.

Edit: And your pictures of the Gulch's.

Hehehehehe.......you're partly responsible for my little mishap/divine discovery today (primarily the Evans Riceville road). You'll see what I mean when I get today's post up, but all I've got to say is that days like today is what it's all about! Thanks for the suggestions, and keep them coming; can't say I'll be able to swing by and see everything you suggest (i.e. I've already left Great Falls, so no cool Lewis & Clark museum) but if it reaches me in time, I really appreciate it. At a minimum, it gives me more things to add to my bucket list for future trips!

Originally Posted by NDTransplant

Very nice! Takes a lot of time to put all this together in a ride report while enroute....thanks for your efforts.

My pleasure my friend. Yes it's a lot of work, but I get a lot of enjoyment out of reading everyone's positive feedback; it's kinda like y'all are my own, personal cheering squad giving me that extra boost of energy I need from time to time to keep going. That and by doing this, when all is said and done, I have for myself a more detailed account of my trip than if I were to try and go through all my pictures and remember where each was taken after I get back home. So as you can see, it's a win win situation.

Originally Posted by 7cells

Salut Denis, as soon as I get up I can't wait to get on your RR. I keep your SPOT Tracker as one of my quick (easy access) links and follow the bread crump in real time. Be careful out there, I don't remember if I've told you but please ride with all 4 eyes opened. Great report! I wish I was there riding with you, and I believe there are many others thinking the same. Be safe, and have fun.

Salut Papa! Y'all probably don't know this but 7cells is my dad; yall just wait 'till after I return from Alaska to VA, we'll be taking off together on a pair of DRZs to tackle the TAT in its entirety! Or at least that is the plan as of right now! Of course I'll be doing my best to keep a live RR going on that one as well (shameless plug! ), so keep your eyes open on the Ride report thread. Wish you were here as well, you'd be having a blast! P.S. have you been riding your DRZ!?!?!? Just remember, the TAT is no little 4 day trip in WVA like we did last summer!


Alright, gonna try and put up some riding updates now that I've answered all the newest posts.

[XC Rider]

Alright, day 11, attempted to go over Bear tooth pass (closed), back tracked to Belfry, Chief Joseph HWY, into Yellowstone, Old Faithful, camped out for the night in Indian Creek campground south of Mammoth Springs.

Woke up to a beautiful morning; I was full of energy, excited to go up and over Bear Tooth pass as I'd heard that the snow banks were near 20' tall at the top!!!

Leaving my campsite this morning, this roads leads me back to pavement! Does it get any better than this!?!?



On the road, headed up to Bear Tooth pass.











Got to the top and what do I see but this!



Talked to a nice lady there who was maning the gate. She said that there were 3' snow drifts on the pass and that she doubted that it would be clear before Monday. Oh well, such is life; I'll just have to keep Bear Tooth pass on my 'Must Ride' list.

Back down we go, and back to Belfry to take the turn off towards Cody.







Shortly before getting to Cody, what do I see but:



I thought that the Chief Joseph HWY was on the other side of Bear Tooth!? I must have misunderstood Ron (TooTall) when he gave me directions. Either, what great luck! And Ron, you were right! Chief Joseph HWY was a blast!





















Somewhere's up on Chief Joseph HWY, right at a scenic overlook.



Ohhhhh.....look at that scrumptious asphalt layed out below!







Eventually I wind back up to the road coming down from Bear Tooth pass. I look to see what kind of signage they have up on the WY side of the pass.





They don't say anything about the road being closed!? Hmmmm.....I wait for a minute and eventually see 2 bikes coming down, so I flag them down and ask them what's up? Like I thought, they confirm that the pass is closed down. Way to go for being accurate there WY!

Oh well, onwards and upwards to Yellowstone!









Entering the park! I was glad that I bought the National parks pass when at Devil's tower; if I remember correctly the entry cost for Yellowstone was $25!?



The riding in the park is fantastic. Don't expect to go fast because of the speed limits and all the RVs, but it really is worth seeing.

Stopped by this field where there were a few bisons hanging out and had a little lunch myself!



And now for tons of Yellowstone pictures!





Tower falls.










The Yellowstone river.





Thermal activity!

















Cruised on over the CD.



Kepler cascades. Last time I was here was several years ago when I went out to Sturgis with my dad; that and we met another guy from Belgium here! What are the chances!?



And now for Old Faithful. Got here with a full 45 minutes to sit and wait on the next eruption.





She's starting!









Well......wasn't that exciting!?

Some other falls, farther down the road.





Another random thermal thingy.



My Yellowstone wildlife pictures.











And last but not least!!!! What I believe is my best yet wildlife picture!



Reached Indian Creek campground in a light drizzle. Kind of annoying but I got the tent up and inside before getting soaked. Tonight's dinner is brought to you by Chef Boyardee!



Cooking inside the vestibule.



STATS for the day.

[Ponix]

i love the ride report

[XC Rider]

Alright, here it is, day 12! This will once again put me up to date!

Seeing as how everyone always wants the inside scoop, here's a little inside view of what I do when I'm stuck in my tent due to the rain outside (yesterday evening between dinner and going to bed.



That's right, on any long trip I take, I always take a book with me. This time it's Glen Heggstad's 'One more day everywhere'. Some of you guys on here might now him as he goes by the username Striking Viking. While I've never met the guy in person, I've got to say that 1: I admire the guy (for many reasons) and 2: I'm deeply jealous! (of almost all his adventures ) I first heard about Glen when I saw one of the early "Locked up abroad" episodes on the Nat. Geo channel about his captivity with ELN rebels in Columbia while on a solo motorcycle trip from CA to the tip of South America. I then picked up his book 'Two wheels through terror', loved it, and of course had to get this one when it came out. I will point out that Glen donates all proceeds from his books to charity. What did I tell you; he's a stand up kind of guy! Good on ya Glen!

Alright, back to this morning. It was a cold, wet, and dreary WY morning; yes it was still raining! So I sat in the tent for a while, and when the rain just about petered out, I packed up everything as quickly as I could, geared up, and hit the road. I really hate packing up a wet tent.

These guys really didn't seem to mind the weather. I guess they're used to it.







Heading towards Mammoth Hot Springs and outa the park.









On the outskirts of Mammoth.



I probably should have stopped and checked out Mammoth, but it was cold and rainy, and I just didn't feel like stopping.

Heading out of the park and towards Livingston. My GPS tells me there's a McD's there. Coffee and update time!







Made it to Livingston around 9:30 am and spent the next 3 hours there updating the ride report! See, it really does take time; and I only posted 2 days worth of stuff. But it was time well spent, as while the weather kept threatening for the rest of the day (on and off), I didn't have to put my rain gear back on for the rest of the day!

While in Livingston, I went by to see the Sacajawea monument that LewisNClark suggested I go see.





From there I decided to head to see the Three Forks that he mentioned, and eventually end up in Helena for the night. Or at least I thought I was going to see the Three Forks he mentioned. I just typed in Three Forks in my GPS, and away I went! Here's a screen shot showing the Three Forks that my GPS took me to:



Obviously not the same Three Forks that LewisNClark was talking about and had I looked a little closer, I would have noticed that there weren't 3 rivers converging on that spot! But as it turns out, I was a VERY worth while mistake!

So off to Three Forks I go!







Along the way, I went through the Lewis & Clark national forest. (To me this seemed to reinforce the idea that I was going the right way)











Sitting above Riceville, and about to turn off the HWY, I stopped at this scenic overlook and had a little snack, took this pictures, and made some phone calls. Wow, what a view! See the road above the cliffs to the right? That's the Evans Riceville road!



I eventually made it to Riceville, where my GPS directed me to turn off the HWY and onto the Evans Riceville road. This was the highlight of today. Going through this valley was the best part of the trip so far! It was simply enchanting. I hate to put up pictures, as pictures never do it justice, but here goes any way. Just take what you see, and multiply by about 1 billion!













As I was pulling up to what my GPS said was Three Forks, I noticed I was simply in the middle of farming fields at a roads intersection!? As if by divine intervention though, I had just caught up to a couple riding on a pair of Yamaha Serow! So I hailed them and started asking them about this Three Forks place that my GPS said was right here. Well, turns out I was only about 100 miles off! Anyways, we had a great conversation, and they kindly pointed out the way to get to the correct Three Forks! Here I am with Mitch and Kristy (I hope I remembered the names correctly). Hi guys!



From here it was back towards the HWY, to Great Falls, and then down to Helena for the night. Three Forks will have to wait 'till tomorrow morning.





From Great Falls to Helena was another great ride. I spent most of the time on the Frontage road and Recreation road, and only got on I-15 when I had no other choice. The route wound through a great canyon!



Going under the interstate. Hahahahaha!!!! Suckers!





I followed the Missouri river most of the way.









I eventually reached Helena and found a hotel room at my price range. At first I was told the price was $59.95 plus tax. I said thanks but no thanks and walked out and proceeded to put my helmet back on to go check out another place. As I was about to hop on the bike and take off the lady came out and asked if I need a TV? I said no, so back inside I went. Turns out the rate for a room with a non-working TV is only $40! Deal! Once I had all my gear up in the room, I proceeded to have a total gear explosion to dry everything out that was wet from this morning!



After a much needed shower I went grocery shopping, and came back with this for dinner:



And last but not least, the STATS for the day.

[WillDieSoon]

Originally Posted by XC Rider

Right on! I'd love to meet up if our paths cross. Keep an eye on my SPOT tracker and give me a shout if it looks like we're close. Obviously from reading this RR you know what I and my bike look like; what will you be riding?

We will be riding a grey Wee, 950 Adventure and 640 Adventure.

Here is hoping we see you somewhere in the North!

[rep550]

I am sure everyone has told you how great Beartooth Pass is maybe on your way home you can swing back through. Coming from Red Lodge is the better side if you ask me 14 miles of switchbacks. Heading towards Yellowstone after you summit is amazing. I lived in Cooke City about 100 years ago actually worked on a bridge on the highway to the Pass. Great little town Cooke City there were campsites right in town not sure if they still offer them. I won't send pics but however or whenever you get there you won't be disappointed. And everyone is right it is a great ride.
Keep the RR coming
Tom in Thailand

[BOBaloo22]

[kitesurfer]

loving this RR...your pictures tell a story and i love your writing style that goes with them. thanks for taking the time and effort to put this report together.

[Michhub]

Great stuff Denis

[FLARider1]

Great Job Denis!!! Awesome pics! Keep a good check on the weather, Dave has been hitting some yucky stuff so far.

I think that I am gonna shoot for Beartooth Pass on my way home, give the road and the weather a chance to get a bit better!! 11 days till departure!

[bash3r]

Yes.. I'm following along as well.

Love this time of year, many people are into baseball, follow the teams and all.. but I'd rather follow others SPOT trackers and Ride Reports. I'm following three others as well.. love it!

Denis, glad to see you on the Versys, I really love mine, it really eats up the miles.. as for off-road I ride my WR250R, but seems the Versys has seen more and more light off-road work, it handles very well. Easy to stand up and ride too..

Great RR, buddy.. be safe!!! Sorry I missed you at the arch in St. Louis, MO, or I would of met you for a photo and wish you luck on your way. Show you a few must ride roads here in Missouri..