Home from Inzane - Photo link added

[..]

Yesterday afternoon.

Sandra and Joey both happy to see me.

I need to process all the photos and stuff and then I'll post them.

Nice and cool here in Maggie Valley.

[henry 008]

 

[hubcapsc]

I got back on Wednesday. No riding hundreds of miles in the
hard wind today for us  ...

-Mike

[Ropestart]

I would like to hear the story about how were you able to rescue your bike and escape Red Lodge. I have relatives locally, and haven't been able to contact them yet. And next time I go to visit them I want to thank the new owners of Top of The World store for going the extra mile to help.

[..]

I would like to hear the story about how were you able to rescue your bike and escape Red Lodge. I have relatives locally, and haven't been able to contact them yet. And next time I go to visit them I want to thank the new owners of Top of The World store for going the extra mile to help.

That was a cut and paste from Facebook. Not me.

[Ropestart]

Ok, my bad. Thanks for responding. Glad you had a great trip. It's a beautiful area.

[carolinarider09]

Yesterday afternoon.

Sandra and Joey both happy to see me.

I need to process all the photos and stuff and then I'll post them.

Nice and cool here in Maggie Valley.

 

[Pappy!]

It was a pleasure to meet you up there, Britman!

"Wanna' go camping?"
Lordy that was funny!!

[..]

It was a pleasure to meet you up there, Britman!

"Wanna' go camping?"
Lordy that was funny!!

I stole it from Binkie.

[..]

I wear a small camera hanging form my neck on a lanyard.

These are the photos I too on the homeward leg of my trip. The 5th photo is at  Bighorn River Canyon near Lovell, WY.

Too many to post individually.

https://postimg.cc/gallery/sV3nNn5

[..]

Ride report to Billings MT June 5 to June 23, 2022

5,856 miles
Gallons 139
Average mpg 42
Total gas cost $641.14
Average gallon cost $4.61
Highest gas price. $5.18 somewhere in UT

The mileage total for each day using my trip meter and the Relive app did vary. A 500 mile Relive day was a 520 mile trip meter day. I put this down to my bike having a Goldwing rim and a slightly lower profile tire.

June 5, 2022
Maggie Valley to Franklin KY
https://www.relive.cc/view/vXOnZ2XMpBO

Six small birds executed close to death flights across the front on my bike on the BRP and a frickin chikin! What's a chicken doing on the side of the BRP miles from any homes. A survivor.

It took 3 hours to ride from home to Wear Valley, TN. Tourist traffic up and over the Smokies National Park early on a Sunday morning was terrible. I did make a side trip up Clingmans Dome but 3 hours for about 60 miles. It's going to be a long ride time wise to Billings at this rate.

I did get rained on for about 4 hours. But it was “good” rain. The kind that isn't a nuisance where you have to constantly wipe the face shield so you can see the road ahead nor the frog choker where you can't see because of the deluge. I was able to rain suit up under an awning of a used car lot. A pretty uneventful first days ride.

Clingmans Dome, TN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8U_WKFZBRw

https://www.clingmansdome.com/

[..]

June 6
Franklin KY to St. James, MO

https://www.relive.cc/view/vevYo9WYoy6

The area west of Franklin is beautiful. Horse ranches and farms and roads that weave across them. The Shaker village was closed darn it. I visited another location in Massachusetts back in 1993 shortly after I arrived in the USA.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/south-union-shaker-village

Right next door is the Fathers of Mercy.
https://fathersofmercy.com/our-chapel/

I would have liked to take a look inside but the road was calling and it looked like they were setting up for an event.

Lunch





The Economy Inn was cheap and cheerful as were most of the motels I used during this ride. Just up the road was Country Bob's Cafe offering a buffet dinner which had some of the best catfish I've ever eaten.

[..]

June 7
James, MO TO Emporia KS
https://www.relive.cc/view/vevYo9wxoy6

A long downhill 4 lane curving to the left and then up with a central grassy medium. The 18 wheeler I'm overtaking starts to drift into my lane as i'm about half way past. Accelerating more I'm getting pushed further and further to the left and am nearly on the yellow line as I squeeze past it. I let the driver know he's number 1 and I ride on.

A couple of bridges out in KS leave me on a section of road that looks like it is used for road crews to come dump whatever road laying / patching material they have left over.



The stalag motel looked very “dodgy” from the outside but the room was fine and the bonus was the bar just across the parking lot.







Cold beer and a chefs salad, ya gotta try to eat healthy on road trips. Followed by a piece of warm $4.75 cheesecake. I've never had warm cheesecake and asked the server why it was so. She went off to the kitchen and came back to tell me that the cheesecake had been frozen and they warmed it up. I declined it and asked for it to be removed from my bill.

[hubcapsc]

-Mike

[Valkorado]

 

[..]

I missed this from the earlier post

Nevada, MO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUwdbgnoA_8

[..]

June 8
Emporia KS to Lexington, NE
https://www.relive.cc/view/vNOPodmnQ2v

I had planned to make an early start but audible thunder and sideways rain dictated otherwise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LMt46YGDHA
Uh Oh where's my bike cover? It was hanging off the right foot peg and not visible from the motel door. I got wet untangling it and bringing it into the motel to dry off. Also dropped my phone in the standing water. That delayed me a few hours.

Once the roads had dried out a bit I strode resolutely to my bike prepared for KANSAS. I've ridden across KS a few times before and it gets worse with every cross state passage. Flat, straight, mind numbing. The transition into the grasslands of NE is quite noticeable. The roads might still be straight but the grasslands undulate and there are more sweeping curves. I like the grasslands.

[..]

youtube on my phone has decided I can't write a title to my videos when I'm trying to upload them.

Aint tech great.  

And I can't uninstall / reinstall the app.

Grrrrrr.

[..]

June 9
Lexington, NE to Rapid City, NE
https://www.relive.cc/view/vPv4eoM24RO

https://postimg.cc/gallery/fbPPrQV

A fine motel breakfast and on we go. The straight and narrow stretches interminably ahead. South of Valentine NE there's a BIG thunderstorm to my left and Valentine is ahead about 25 miles. Even though it's not raining looking at the radar shows me the storm is going to bisect my route a few miles ahead. Rainsuit on and away I go again. I do like trying to out run a storm. Sometimes I win, sometimes I don't. There's audible thunder and lightning flashing along the leading esge of the storm.

OK let's go a little faster. I can see swathes of rain falling so let's go a little faster. The leading edge of the storm is nearly overhead and a few rain drops are hitting the windshield so let's go a little bit faster. More raindrops and I'm going faster. Triple digits.

The road is wet and I'm covered by the heavy black cloud above me and I'm waiting for the black cloud to slump down, open up and swallow me.

Hah! Today I win. A bit damp around the edges but I can take shelter at the first gas station. Time to fill up, some lunch and shelter. Sandwiche to order and a bench outside where I can watch the storm live and on radar. It takes about 40 minutes to pass.




Construction




Here it comes




It's not form fitting. It's not stylish. IT DOES KEEP ME DRY.







Roads have dried out a little but I keep my rainsuit on just in case. there are some dark clouds on the horizon ahead of me.

Welcome to South Dakota.




A hint of what's ahead.



Badlands was pretty cool to see.







https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulukm7438kI


Approaching Rapid City another big, fat sausage roll shaped cloud is hanging over the city and the road leading into the gas station is damp. It seems the cloud is moving away from me but in the direction I need to go to get to the Motel 6 I'll be sleeping at.

Gas tank full and rain is falling on one side of the canopy but not the side I want to use to get back on the interstate to the other side of town.

Hah! This time I lose and riding into the setting sun the concrete road is reflecting bright sunshine into my eyes. That coupled with the silver gray clouds ahead is blinding and I can't see any road marking due to the surface water shining a bright silver.Other traffic is still traveling at high speed and I can't. 50 is about it. I'm crawling along and then my guardian angel appears. A large pickup pulls in behind me and follows me at a safe distance until I exit. Thank you.

The motel is very convenient very near a Perkins restaurant.

The motel is populated by long term residents and I have a disturbed night with people banging on metal room doors. It was a long night.






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulukm7438kI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qSd-IlAUMM

[..]

I forgot to add when leaving Zt. James, MO

I was packing my bike ready to leave and an older gentleman walked by. We each wished each other a good morning. A few minutes later he came over and asked if I was a gun owner. Hmmmmm. Well I'll play along. Yes I told him.Would I be interested in some ammo he asked. Hmmmmmmm. Well I'll play along. Yes I told him.

Ed then proceeded to tell me he was visiting family and whilst in Missouri he had received divorce papers from his wife back in Tampa, Florida. I commiserated with him and he then told me he had shipped his firearms from MO back to Tampa but couldn't ship the ammo he had and neither could he check it in as luggage when he flew. I suggested going to local gun stores and asking if they wanted to buy it. He'd tried that but had no takers.

I asked him what calibers he had. Quite a variety of handgun and long rifle. Including .357. I told him I had a .357 and we went over to his car where he opened the trunk and showed me what he had. There must have been close to a thousand rounds  including 2 boxes of 50 .357.

I asked how much he wanted for them and he told me I'm just happy to give it to someone who can use it.

I walked away with 100 rounds. Thanks Ed.

[Willow]

I forgot to add when leaving Emporia, MO
...

Uh, Paul, there's no Emporia in Missouri.  There is such a city in Kansas, Virginia, Florida, or Indiana.   

[..]

I forgot to add when leaving Emporia, MO
...

Uh, Paul, there's no Emporia in Missouri.  There is such a city in Kansas, Virginia, Florida, or Indiana.   

Whoops. Wrong  city. St. James MO

[Oss]

Nice Paul 

I use my radar. It really pops with the lightning

[..]

June 10
Rapid City, NE to Sundance, WY

https://www.relive.cc/view/vxOQoejmw2q

After a broken nights sleep thanks to the residents of this Motel 6 I was happy to be on the road again.

Off to Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Needles highway.

That's a bummer my National Parks Lifetime geezer pass doesn't cover the $10 parking fee at Rushmore. That plus it's obvious that there are A LOT of visitors.

I found this.

The mountain and the area around it belonged to the Lakota and other nations or tribes of Native Americans whose rights were recognized by U.S. treaty made soon after the Civil War. But like many other domestic treaties in the long history of U.S. expansion at the expense of American Indians, this one was beaten down by demographic (mainly white) migration into the area of western South Dakota,, corporate motivations, and governmental (federal and eventually South Dakota state) actions. The area of the granite presidential figures lies within the province of the U.S. Park Service. The parking area is kept up and maintained by a profit-taking private firm in an arrangement with the Park Service.






On to Crazy Horse. It's a private enterprise and well worth the $10 entry fee.

The bus driver that drove us nearer to the carving was very knowledgeable and entertaining.





On to the Needles Highway anddddddddddddddd I'll pass on the $20 state entry fee. Ridden it before.

I see a parking space outside the Bakers Bakery and Cafe in Custer SD. A good place to eat. I had the ground bison salad. 2 thumbs up. The bakery counter was calling me name but just looking at the sweet offerings added a couple of ounces to me. Hearing my English accent one of the ladies baking asked me what I knew about German bread. I told her “It comes from Germany”. She wasn't too amused but some of the other ladies baking were.

https://www.bakersbakery.biz/breakfast-menu/










I ended up in Sundance WY at the Arrowhead Motel. A little price at $109 but very clean. The owner insisted on walking to the room to open it up and make sure everything was OK and to make sure I knew which parking space I was to use.

Mixed media art hanging in the room. I like it.



I ask where I can get a beer and am pointed in the direction of the bar just across and down the street. There's also a diner opposite and a steak house behind that.

As I finish my shower I'm certain I hear the rumble of a Valkyrie outside. Quickly dressing I open the room door and there's a gaggle of bikes parking. After everyone had cleaned up and eaten there was a little gathering at a couple of picnic tables and some blue shine was drunk and some edibles consumed.

They're getting the band back together!

[..]

An aside.

I had ridden nearly 900 miles before i saw my first windmills.

I had ridden past a variety of manufacturing plants and mining operations. Not one windmill near them. I saw one aluminum plant. How much power does that use every hour?

https://www.edpr.com/north-america/waverly-wind-farm

25 acres with 95 turbines supplying some electricity to 54,000 Kansas homes.

According to the 2019 census there are approximately 139,684,244 housing units in the USA.

You do the math about how much land could be needed and let's not forget that wouldn't include the power for all the transport,industry etc.................

How much energy is lost as it's transmitted down power lines?

[Jess from VA]

The bigger question may be where does the wind even blow enough year round to justify the tremendous expense of these big windmill farms (which all end up in a dump after a period of time).

The answer is.... not that many places.

Here's an idea, mine coal, drill oil, refine gasoline, build nuclear.

[carolinarider09]

Here's an idea, mine coal, drill oil, refine gasoline, build nuclear.

Truth.  The technology exists.   The plans exist.   But there are two issues.

One:  Environmental "people" do everything they can to block fossil and nuclear.  Everything!!!!!!!  That takes money and delays the project.

Two:   You have to get the major steel things (reactor vessel for instance) for Korea.  We don't make them here any longer.   That increases the lead time.

[..]

My bike is a couple of pounds lighter after a through bags off washing and waxing.

My mesh jacket is about half a pound lighter after a washing to get rid of all the bugs and dust. It was so dirty it felt tacky. The bright yellow parts now look bright yellow again.

[Oss]

 

great report

yeah washing the jacket every year or so helps

[..]

June 11
Sundance, WY to Billings, MT
https://www.relive.cc/view/v8qkBEE3X36

The others are staying over at the motel and I am off to Devils Tower and wherever else my front wheel takes me. Having no fixed plan for the entire day I make a leisurely departure.

Then I go to the eastern end of town to fill my gas tank where I meet a rider about my age. We exchange the usual pleasantries and I find he's headed home to Sheridan at the end of a round trip to New Jersey riding his bike of 15 years. A Harley Sportster!

We wish each other a safe ride and Devils Tower here I come. I rode to it years ago but didn't go into the park. Armed with my lifetime geezer pass I hope to get a little closer this time.

There's an overlook en-route and the others are parked taking in the view.











Allen, Allen, Allen



Leaving the park I head on my way to Belle-Fourchere the geographical center of the USA. Just so I can say I have. This decision brings me to Hulett, WY. As I enter the town there are a couple of fine looking horses trotting down the road with riders in full cowboy / girl regalia. That's an interesting sight but I am in Wyoming so maybe not unexpected. Hmmm here's another cowgirl bu wearing a sash with words I can't decipher. Now I'm in traffic and I see many more horses and riders and old tractors and custom cars and a marching band and spectators on the side of the road. It's a parade. I find out later it was the weekend Hulett holds its annual rodeo and this was the parade on the way to the Rodeo grounds.

Once past the parade I pull over to check my map and to determine how many miles to Bell-Fouchere. 42 miles. Well that's easy enough. I plan on visiting the Little Big Horn National Monument during my stay in Billings so maybe I can do this today as well. That's a further 200 miles from Belle-Fourchere and I can get there without riding the interstate highway. I was also planning in on arriving at the rally hotel in Billings MT tomorrow, June 12th so I need to find a motel nearby I can stay at tonight. Doing a quick Google search and a search on Hotels.com I see that all the motels with an internet presence are over $100 a night. I call the rally motel and they tell me that I can arrive early and that they will honor the same rate as for the rally. That's a decision made and Off I ride knowing I have roughly another 300 miles to ride.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_Fourche,_South_Dakota

A quick stop at the Black Hills diner in Belle-Fourchere for an lunchtime omlette and on I ride with a full gas tank.

Highway 50 in Arizona  is titled “the loneliest road”. There have been a few roads on this ride that cold share the title. Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota have a few.

The ride up Hwy 212 from Belle-Fourchere to Little Big Horn could also share the title. It's flat. It's straight, it's windy, it's boring, it's flat, it's straight, it's hot, it's windy.....................................

There's a moment of relief in Broadus WY where I have to make a sharp left turn to keep on Hwy 212. Apart from that tt's flat. It's straight, it's windy, it's boring, it's flat, it's straight, it's hot, it's windy.....................................

OK OK there are a few changes in elevation but all that does is show me the road arrow straight across the valley to the distant horizon.

A little tripe digit speeding helps shorten the ride time to where I I can at last turn left onto the Monument entrance road.

I park at the visitors center near the rows of short white headstones inscribed with the names of the fallen cavalry men.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTRzULv7yns

Further into the park there are markers scattered across the grassy plain showing where each soldier fell.

https://www.history.com/news/little-bighorn-battle-facts-causes

Leaving the Monument I pull into the gas station next to the interstate. This has a parking lot that looks like all the local gophers had a festival and dug a million holes. It's impossible to thread a way through them with out getting nearly bounced off the bike.

My plan is to fill up and just zoom to the rally hotel 70 miles away. However I check the weather radar first because I had seen some large black thunder clouds whilst at the Monument.



Oh boy. Itsa big one and coming my way. I don't think I can out run this and I need to find shelter. The earlier cross winds were bad enough and this storm will certainly amplify them.

Back up the hill towards the Monument was a gift shop and I park dead center in front of the building  hoping that will protect my bike.

Quite a few people are leaving the building and running to their cars. Entering I find no lights on and am told that power cut started a few minutes ago and the power was out all the way to Hardin 17 miles away. I'm told There's a storm coming and I reply that's why I'm here.

The people who left are headed to their nearby homes to secure them before the storm arrives.

The only food available is some home made turkey soup and I take it outside to sit under the roof of the outside porch. And the wind starts. And it's blowing through the small trees making a howling, whistling sound it's so strong. Looking at the radar again I can see the storm front is moving quickly and I estimate I might have to wait it out for an hour or so. I was completely wrong. The storm blows through just north of me in about 15 or 20 minutes. My bike is unscathed, nothing blew off the building although there was a lot of debris coming around each end of the building.

Sheltering at the Crow Agency gift shop / restaurant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly4eXGVGw8Y

Around Hardin I see billboards folded over as if the steel structure holding them up was made of warm toffee. A couple of 18 wheelers are on their side and there are fire and police vehicles zooming along the highway. A couple of big wreckers are attending to some travel trailers that have also been blow off the highway.

I'm very pleased I took shelter and  stopped for lunch in Belle-Fourchere otherwise I'd have been on the road and fully exposed to the danger and power of the storm.
 Coming into Billings I can see rain clouds at the far side of town but I get to the hotel without getting wet.

Later that evening I meet a couple at the hotel bar taking refuge because the power was still out in Hardin. They also told me that there was a confirmed tornado sighting and some property had been damaged in Hardin.

The hotel room was spacious and comfortable and it was satisfying to go to sleep knowing I had no plans for the morning.  

It's a big one

[..]

June 12
Laundry day and high wind day. Enough with the high wind already. Sheesh.

Little did I know that the high winds had brought torrential rain and flooding to the Beartooth Highway and Yellowstone National Park.

[..]

No rain today so I ride. The wind has dropped slightly so riding isn't as uncomfortable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qwOWKn_Axw&feature=youtu.be

News of the flooding is the biggest local story. Red Lodge on the Beartooth Hwy is terribly affected by the flooding.

https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/red-lodge-streets-flooded----with-flood-assistance/article_1e732a18-11b9-5f5d-8ba7-7fdabf124c2f.html

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=red+lodge+flooding&t=newext&atb=v320-1&ia=web

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=yellowstone+flooding&t=newext&atb=v320-1&ia=web

Yellowstone River under one of the main bridges into Billings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoeE8nZIkj0&feature=youtu.be

Dinner is at the "Mongolian Grill"

https://www.huhot.com/menu/






Been there, done that. No need to do it again.

Each evening the courtyard at the hotel has a magnetic attraction for a few of us.

[..]

June 14
Chief Joseph Highway
https://www.relive.cc/view/vevYojXmDy6

I can't spend another day hanging out at the motel so windy or not I'm going to ride down Hwy 310 and 72 which runs parallel to the Beartooth Hwy and see if there's any access up into the mountains without getting in the way of any emergency services helping with the flooding around Red Lodge.

Back over the Yellowstone River and the flood water looks to be about the same level as yesterday. The wind isn't too bad. Riding through Fromberg there's a single track railway to my left and beyond that fields are flooded in places. Just beyond the flooded fields is the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River. This snakes alongside the road for about 12 miles and some of the side roads are closed due to flooding.

In Belfry the road up to Red Lodge is close as expected.

I keep riding south crossing the Wyoming state line to the southern end of the Chief Joseph Highway. I last rode this years ago after a visit to Sturgis and on my way to the Canadian Rockies. At that time Beartooth Hwy was blanketed in low cloud and I couldn't see any of the views.

The road is open but there's some construction guys at the junction with hwy 72 and I hope they aren't there to close the road.

So upwards I ride wondering how far I might be able to go before being turned back.

A few of the overlooks are recorded for posterity.

At the last stop it starts sleeting / snowing and I can see the snow clouds above me covering the mountain tops. Ah well I've nothing to prove to myself so I turn back towards the main road below me.

Snow clouds on the Beartooth Mountains




A quick run into Cody for a fuel top off and back to the hotel.



Now I have to deal with cross winds. Stopped at the road construction I have to have both feet firmly planted and I'm braced against the wind which is trying to push the bike over.

North through the construction zone our side of the road is covered in loose gravel whilst the hard shoulder is nearly clear so I move over and the driver behind me doesn't overtake me. Thank you.

Riding back through Belfry and Bridger I realize that the flood water on the other side of the single track rail line is higher than the road I'm on and that it's only the ground work beneath the rail track that is stopping the road from being flooded in a couple of places.

Safely back to the motel and I give the bike a quick wash to remove some of the dirt and bugs picked up since leaving home.



Windy on Chief Joseph Hwy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTpM_A6E2OY

Red rocks Chief Joseph Hwy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9OZ5QPu8PI

[..]

June 15
High wind day
https://www.relive.cc/view/vrqokEwyKyq

The Relive video says it all.

[..]

More from June 14th

North of Cody the wind is so strong I can feel the front wheel sliding about on the road as if I was on a greasy surface.

Passing over a bridge with tall concrete walls the air pressure immediately changes and the bike is forced down and to the left, towards oncoming traffic. I'm able to keep in my lane.

Having a hill or rise to my left doesn't help in reducing the wind and I still get wildly buffeted.

The riverside park I visited 2 days ago has entrance barriers in place and some of the parking lots are flooded by the waters of the Yellowstone River.

[..]

June 16 Thursday

Pictograph Cave Ride
https://www.relive.cc/view/vMv8Jn1LwP6





Quite a few seemed to be pretty restless Wednesday evening and we agreed to go to the local pictograph caves.
Unfortunately
https://www.nps.gov/places/pompeys-pillar-national-monument.htm
 was closed to to encroaching flood waters.

The other was only about 12 miles from the motel.

https://fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/pictograph-cave

Leaving the motel Robin told me my horizontal LED brake light strips had fallen off (so much for me doing a bike check before riding  ).

I pulled over and tucked them under a bungee cord across my passenger seat.

A zoom down the interstate and I catch the group as they make the turn heading towards the park.

Once parked I look at the sloped pathway leading up to the caves and realize my post Covid lungs would be better off going into the visitors center and enjoying the sunshine  seated on one of the benches out of the wind.

The visitors center had some artistic reproductions of the pictographs.






After we left I pulled over to take a photo of some dishes that had been blown off some transmitter towers.



Then I did the same route back to the motel I had ridden a couple of days earlier.

Thursday night was the attendees banquet and it was also time to show appreciation to the staff for putting on another fine Inzane.







Steak spiked on a pitchfork and deep fried.

https://www.food.com/recipe/pitchfork-fondue-steak-fry-159767

[..]

Reading DDT's post about the flipped pickup in another thread reminded me of the Buick SUV that decided it was going to merge left into my lane to occupy the same space I was in as I was following Joe, Mitch and Punisher to lunch in Billings.

My 2 loud horns had no effect on the drivers determination to accomplish what he set out to do.

The vehicle had Montana plates and the elderly male driver made sure he didn't make eye contact with me as we were stopped at the next traffic light.

[..]

June 17

Billings MT to Riverton WY

https://www.relive.cc/view/vMv8JnXywN6

https://postimg.cc/gallery/sQrSXqy

The rally over everyone disperses to the 4 corners of the USA.

My plan is to head down to Zion National Park with a round trip from there to the north Rim of the grand Canyon and then homewards on a far from straight line route heading up to the Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction and down Hwy 149 from Gunnison to South Fork over Slumgullion Pass.

I have rooms for the next couple of nights booked in advance in Riverton, WY and Green River UT.

Whilst at the rally Jersey Nick had mentioned he rode to the Bighorn River Canyon. Looking at my proposed route south I see it's a short detour and so once packed that's where I head. Even with this detour it's only about a 288 mile day. I'd planned

South on Hwy 310 I see the floodwaters have receded a little but the crosswinds haven't. Grrr.

At times when there's no protection it's enough to make me clench my teeth and think bad words. Streams of them.

Bighorn Canyon keeps its secret until the road north crosses back from WY into MT. Then red rocks start to reveal themselves as elevation increases.







I make a right urn down to the Horseshoe Bend Marina. As I approach the main parking lot and boat ramp a woman driving a large pickup towing about day cruiser doesn't look my way and pulls out from the left. I'm only doing about 15 m.p.h. I didn't SUDDENLY appear. Her husband and young son are standing in the boat and he yells sorry loudly enough for me to hear. I pull into the first parking so the driver doesn't thinks I'm following with malice. Assuming she evens knows I'm behind the boat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro-SRCYgJ9Y

https://www.hiddentreasurecharters.com/

Riding north again my next stop is Devil Canyon overlook

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/montana/devils-canyon-overlook-mt/

The overlook is right where the Bighorn and Devil canyons meet and it's about a 1,000 ft drop down to the water below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKZg2lH_KFI

Not as impressive as standing tip toes at the edge of the Grand Canyon as I've done previously but still a sight to see.






I continue southwards. Crossing into WY once more and the crosswind picks up once I'm away from the shelter of hills.

There's not much to mention about the ride south. The landscape each side is arid with a strip of green following what few waterways there are.

Here's a few photos of the ride south to Thermopolis













A side trip into the park in Thermopolis.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermopolis,_Wyoming

Thermopolis WY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTITmJOofQ4

At last there's another break in the flat arid scenery as I enter the Wind River Canyon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_River_Canyon

























Dam to the right



Boysen reservoir and dam to the right at the end of the video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIcCRGZMF7A

Then more flat farmland and scrubland to the Paintbrush Motel in Riverton where the room is clean, the ice plentiful and the bed comfortable.



Did I mention it was about 102F during a large part of the ride?

[carolinarider09]

Great job on the photos.   Really!

[henry 008]

Great job on the photos.   Really!

Thanks for sharing