The Beartooth Bonanza

Several months ago, my buddy Steve and I talked about flying to Spain in September to watch a MotoGP race. The Iberian peninsula has always been of particular interest to us and motorcycle racing is manically popular there, so the venue seemed perfectly natural. However, life gets in the way, opportunities rise and our plans never got past the "dreaming" stage. Come September, Steve still had vacation to use, so I invited him out to Montana... for a motorcycle adventure.

Steve's flight touched down in Helena on Tuesday about 6:45pm and we immediately dropped in at The Windbag for dinner and beers. Catching up on the "good 'ol days" tends to pass the time quickly and before we could say "pour me another pint" it was time to get some rest for the next days ride.

Near White Sulphur Springs, MT

Steve's only agenda for the trip was rest and relaxation, so he left the plans to me. We packed up and headed east on US Highway 12, over the Big Belt Mountains, headed toward Wilsall for lunch. But in a last minute decision, I altered our route to scenic Highway 294 with the destination of Wade's Cafe in Harlowton, MT.

Wade's Cafe in Harlowton, MT

After a hardy meal and friendly service, we rode south on Highway 191 towards the city of Big Timber. I had never traveled on this stretch of Highway 191 and found it to be very scenic with wide open prairie to the east, the eastern slope of the Crazy Mountains to the west and the dominating Beartooth Plateau to the south. Our delicious meal started to take a toll and made us sleepy; not a great feeling while riding a motorcycle. A quick rest stop at The Fort in Big Timber revived our senses for the next leg of our journey.

Brumfield Rd between Reed Point and Columbus, MT

Our destination for today was Red Lodge and one of the roads leading there is Highway 78, arguably one of the nicest in Montana. Always one for avoiding Interstate Highways and exploring new roads, I decided to take a short cut on Brumfield Rd. This road was surprisingly more paved than expected and offered a beautiful vantage point in which to overlook the Yellowstone Valley to the north. Once we reached Highway 78, we quickly moved thru the town of Absarokee on our way to the Grizzly Bar.
"Where IS the Grizzly Bar?"
"In Roscoe, MT!"
"Where the hell is Roscoe, MT?"
"Right here...."

Grizzly Bar in Roscoe, MT.

After a refreshment, we had to be getting on the road. The sun was dropping and the temperature with it. The last leg of our days ride was only 20 miles and was filled with sweeping corners and smooth pavement, but at dusk you must stay vigilant for wildlife crossing the road, especially in the rolling grasslands.

Red Lodge is a small resort town at the eastern entrance to the Beartooth Highway. It's a vibrant city, full of saloons, hotels and restaurants and active year round. Nearby Red Lodge Mountain Resort draws skiers and snowboarders in the winter; Yellowstone Park and the many fishing streams draw tourists in the summer. There is even a motorbike rally in July.

We decided to stay at the historic Pollard Hotel on the main drag. Rooms were affordable and included a full breakfast. New to the Pollard was their Irish Pub that offered a nice selection of beers and delicious food. We must recommend the Fish & Chips; they also have a tasty Gazpacho.

Starting up the Beartooth Highway

The next morning we anticipated cool weather and dressed appropriately. However, to our delight the morning temperatures were in the 50's. Perfect! After a quick stop at the famous Montana Candy Emporium, we made our way out of town and up the switchbacks to the Beartooth Plateau.

Normally this 65 mile road is about a two and a half hour ride to Cooke City, but today we took six hours traversing this winding ribbon of alpine asphalt. Every ten miles we would stop, take in the scenery and chat with other travelers. Our BMW motorcycles seemed to get attention at every stop, drawing out questions like: "Where ya goin?" or "Looks like fun.." and "Those bikes are beasts!"

One of the more interesting spots we stopped at was the Top of the World Store. Roughly halfway between Cooke City and Red Lodge, the store sits at 9400 ft elevation and is only accessible by snowmobile in the winter; though the Beartooth Highway closes to vehicle traffic in October, the store stays open year round.

Looking back... we should have camped here.

By the time we made it to Cooke City, it was getting late in the afternoon. Our goal had been to ride thru the park and end the day in West Yellowstone. Although possible, we decided it would be best to find lodging in Cooke City and drive into Yellowstone in the morning for a full day of sightseeing.

Beartooth Cafe in Cooke City, MT

During a late lunch at the world famous Beartooth Cafe, we inquired about accommodations with our server; she seemed skeptical that we'd find a room as most hotels already turned on their "no vacancy" signs. However, the cafe next door advertised cabins for rent.
"I have one left..." said the woman behind the counter. "You wanna take a look?"
After a quick inspection we decided to take what could have been the last room in town.

Cozy Cabin Lodging

A cool morning and breakfast at the Bistro followed the great nights rest. We packed up our gear, headed down the road and passed through the northeast gate of Yellowstone at about ten o'clock eager to see the Worlds First National Park. Our first stop was to view the Buffalo herd lounging about in the Lamar Valley; popular for anglers too.

Lamar Valley, Yellowstone NP

Second stop was along the Yellowstone River just south of Roosevelt Lodge. There we met Brian Ross, a 23 year old fellow from Queensland, Australia who had been riding his Suzuki DR650 through South America. I gave him a business card and offered any support I could give if he was going to be in Helena (the next day, took me up on my offer and I helped him change a set of tires and gave him a place to rest for the evening).  

Our third stop was Tower Fall. We mistakenly stopped here, but used this time to go to the restrooms. While shedding layers of clothes and suiting back up, our bikes garnered more attention from passers-by. I noticed a young woman taking a photograph of my motorbike from the front seat of her car, I also noticed she had a "Triumph" motorcycle sticker in her window. I struck up a conversation and she introduced herself as Amanda, a writer on a soul-searching trip through America who was headed toward California. We shared some stories and I suggested places to visit while in Montana (I would meet up with her again as she passed through Helena).

Lower Yellowstone Falls, YNP

Our fourth stop was at the Lower Yellowstone Falls, one of the best features in YNP. We walked to an overlook to take photos, but ended up taking more photos for other visitors. Hiking down to a closer vantage point seemed like a good idea until we started our accent back up the trail; 25 extra pounds of gear makes a big difference. 

Don't Drink That!

After lunch at near by Canyon Village, it was time to head towards West Yellowstone and beyond. We made a couple short stops along the Gibbon River and saw a large bull Elk along the Madison. By the time we made it to the west gate it was 4:30 pm. I called ahead to reserve a room at my favorite Montana Hotel; I'd been bragging about the Sacajawea for days, and thought it was time Steve experience it. 

Not happy to leave YNP

We were about two and a half hours away from the hotel, so that meant we had to race the sun if we were to make Three Forks by dark. Our route followed the Gallatin River along Highway 191 until Bozeman Hot Springs; there we headed west along Highway 84 to the "surprise" road of the trip, Highway 288. Sometimes called Churchill Road, Highway 288 rolls through the country side on its way to Manhattan. The views of the surrounding mountains behind golden fields lit by the fading sun was postcard perfect. I should have stopped to take a photo...

By the time we reached Three Forks the sun had descended behind the Tobacco Roots. The hotel was buzzing with activity; live music, a rehearsal dinner and a full restaurant. After unloading the bikes, we found an empty spot at the bar and enjoyed Montana craft beers from the tap and a tasty meal, then retired to the massive front porch to talk about the days ride. Steve was impressed!

The Sacajawea Hotel inThree Forks, MT

The last day of riding would be brief as Steve had a flight to catch that afternoon. Three Forks is a short distance from Helena so we had time to do a bit of sight seeing. The Headwaters State Park is located just minutes from the hotel and since Steve grew up near the Missouri River near Rocheport, MO, I thought it would be perfect to show him where that grand river begun. We stood on the banks of the Madison River where it joins with the Jefferson and wondered how Lewis and Clark decided which route to take.

The Headwaters of the Missouri River

Soon we were on the road again, but our route was to take us to Helena. I chose a gravel road, short cut to Highway 69 and the city of Boulder. When we reached Helena, we had a few minutes to spare and I decided to take a route through the South Hills section of town. There, a road leads to a vista that overlooks the entire valley and an opportunity for one final photo.

Overlooking Helena

Steve made his flight but I sensed that he wanted to stay and continue to ride. Montana is hard to leave behind; we met some great folks and saw some beautiful country. Good to see you in my rear-view mirrors for a few days, ol' buddy. Come out again soon!