Crazyjeeper
NickGyver
Another summer, time for another bike trip. This year it was time for one side of my family to have it's reunion and we settled on all heading to see Grandma up in Williston, North Dakota. Since my job also requires me to travel there fairly regularly, I figured I'd kill 3 birds with one stone. I'd get to see my extended family, get some work done, and pile another bunch of miles onto the Super Tenere.
Day -1:
I usually try and bust out as many miles as possible on the first day, but the timing was such that instead I had to go watch some middle aged men from England play some music the night before leaving.
One of the bets shows I've ever seen. Only thing that would have made it better is if you could actually see the drummer.
Day 1: Dallas Texas to Hasting Nebraska
After Kansas tried to kill me last year I was hoping the weather would be a little better. Mercifully it was only hot, and not thunderstormy. I was taking a route I'd never taken before and happened across this little monument.
They had a little pavillion, chapel, bench, and a flag. Really it's all the stuff you need for the center of a country.
Shortly thereafter I entered Nebraska
600 miles down, 750 to go to Williston.
Day 2: Hastings Nebraska to Williston North Dakota
Nebraska is a much taller state than it looks. Seemed like it took me forever to get to this sign.
I had a quick lunch in the state capital of Pierre and then took some very back roads the rest of the way up to NoDak.
At this point the wind was really coming up out of the West and North, the two directions I was headed. I generally don't mind fighting the wind but when loaded down with bags it has a catastrophic effect on my fuel economy. Due to the scarcity of fuel stations in this part of the country I had to stop basically every 80 miles to make sure I didn't run dry. Very annoying but after about 12.5 hours and 750 miles I rolled into town.
Days 3-6
Did some work, hung out with people, went to this weird museum in Parshall North Dakota.
This farmer started picking rocks out of his field and polishing them into perfect spheres. He then built a museum and put them all on display. It's called the Paul Broste Rock Museum.
My Grandma's neighbor also came by and let me take his Harley around the block.
I have to say, I liked it a lot more than the Road King I rented 5 years ago. A counterbalanced engine makes such a huge difference.
Day 7: Williston North Dakota to Cody Wyoming
Some of you may recall I had a little difficulty with brown gravy on my last trip which caused me to cut off a bunch of miles. This year I avoid the ooze of intestinal death and decided to ride that route that I had to cut last time.
Entering Montana
Cool sculpture at a gas station in Glendive
End of the pavement on the Tongue River Road
Wide open spaces
Some birds and the Tongue River
40,000 miles!
Old and new irrigation systems
The road became this really loose scoria for the last 10 miles before pavement resumed. It was extremely squirrely.
And back into pavement after 70 miles or so.
Entering Wyoming
Climbing up the east side of the Bighorns
High alpine meadow
The wildflowers were in full bloom
It's over 9000!
Looking west into the Bighorn basin
My little point and shoot doesn't give this view justice
I had always heard that US 14-Alt across the Bighorns was spectacular and it did not disappoint at all.
Day 8: Cody Wyoming to Salt Lake City Utah
This morning started quite cold heading down the valley towards Yellowstone. I had bolted early so I could hopefully get through the park before the traffic started.
Relatively low pass for this part of the world
Yellowstone Lake
Grand Tetons in the distance
Some geologic stuff happening here
Really a stunning place. I've been to the park numerous times and it never gets old.
Entering Idaho
Then back into Wyoming
And finally into Utah
Even though I was doing some big miles I wanted to hit up a road I'd never done before in the Wasatch mountains.
It quickly got into the 90s as I decended into the Valley and I rolled into my friends place just in time for a beer infusion followed by dinner and a night in a proper non motel bed.
Day 9: Salt Lake City Utah to Grand Junction Colorado
After years of visting, I'd finally convinced Blind and Kiki to come with me on a leg of one of my trips. We decided to head for Grand Junction Colorado and meet up with Der Stig and then the four of us would all ride down to Pagosa Springs where we would go our seperate ways.
Hanging out at the gas station
They had never ridden in Colorado before...
The pass headed into Grand Junction
This should be their christmas card
A wild Der Stig has appeared with his noise pump
Day 10: Grand Junction Colorado to Pagosa Springs Colorado
Our original plan had been to head down through Telluride on 141 and hit this big canyon south of Grand Junction on the way. Unfortunantly CODOT decided to chipseal that road so we had to reroute. Luckily it just so happened there was CO hwy 149 which I had been eyeing on the map for years but hadn't yet worked up an excuse to ride it. With our new route in my head we headed up the Grand Mesa.
A rare picture of me
Hanging out at yet another gas station
Black Canyon of the Gunnison river
CO-92. A truly spectacular road
Next we headed into Gunnison for lunch and then down 149 through Lake City
There wasn't a place to stop at the top of the 11,500ft pass so this will have to do
Into the valley headed towards South Fork
Other than a guy nearly backing over me in a Tahoe in the parking lot of the resturant, it was a great day.
Day 11: Pagosa Springs Colorado to Dallas Texas
Time to yet again break my personal record for longest road day, and this won't just be droning on the slab.
Sunrise
Into New Mexico
Lunch was truck stop Carl's Jr in Santa Rosa, NM. We just pounded the miles away and our last gas stop was in Bowie Texas, 100 miles from home.
Home!
Longest day ever in the bag
Total trip mileage
And on our 5 year anniversary, 42,000 on the Super Tenere.
Thanks for reading, it was great to be able to share part of this journey with some friends. Looking forward to the next one!
Day -1:
I usually try and bust out as many miles as possible on the first day, but the timing was such that instead I had to go watch some middle aged men from England play some music the night before leaving.
One of the bets shows I've ever seen. Only thing that would have made it better is if you could actually see the drummer.
Day 1: Dallas Texas to Hasting Nebraska
After Kansas tried to kill me last year I was hoping the weather would be a little better. Mercifully it was only hot, and not thunderstormy. I was taking a route I'd never taken before and happened across this little monument.
They had a little pavillion, chapel, bench, and a flag. Really it's all the stuff you need for the center of a country.
Shortly thereafter I entered Nebraska
600 miles down, 750 to go to Williston.
Day 2: Hastings Nebraska to Williston North Dakota
Nebraska is a much taller state than it looks. Seemed like it took me forever to get to this sign.
I had a quick lunch in the state capital of Pierre and then took some very back roads the rest of the way up to NoDak.
At this point the wind was really coming up out of the West and North, the two directions I was headed. I generally don't mind fighting the wind but when loaded down with bags it has a catastrophic effect on my fuel economy. Due to the scarcity of fuel stations in this part of the country I had to stop basically every 80 miles to make sure I didn't run dry. Very annoying but after about 12.5 hours and 750 miles I rolled into town.
Days 3-6
Did some work, hung out with people, went to this weird museum in Parshall North Dakota.
This farmer started picking rocks out of his field and polishing them into perfect spheres. He then built a museum and put them all on display. It's called the Paul Broste Rock Museum.
My Grandma's neighbor also came by and let me take his Harley around the block.
I have to say, I liked it a lot more than the Road King I rented 5 years ago. A counterbalanced engine makes such a huge difference.
Day 7: Williston North Dakota to Cody Wyoming
Some of you may recall I had a little difficulty with brown gravy on my last trip which caused me to cut off a bunch of miles. This year I avoid the ooze of intestinal death and decided to ride that route that I had to cut last time.
Entering Montana
Cool sculpture at a gas station in Glendive
End of the pavement on the Tongue River Road
Wide open spaces
Some birds and the Tongue River
40,000 miles!
Old and new irrigation systems
The road became this really loose scoria for the last 10 miles before pavement resumed. It was extremely squirrely.
And back into pavement after 70 miles or so.
Entering Wyoming
Climbing up the east side of the Bighorns
High alpine meadow
The wildflowers were in full bloom
It's over 9000!
Looking west into the Bighorn basin
My little point and shoot doesn't give this view justice
I had always heard that US 14-Alt across the Bighorns was spectacular and it did not disappoint at all.
Day 8: Cody Wyoming to Salt Lake City Utah
This morning started quite cold heading down the valley towards Yellowstone. I had bolted early so I could hopefully get through the park before the traffic started.
Relatively low pass for this part of the world
Yellowstone Lake
Grand Tetons in the distance
Some geologic stuff happening here
Really a stunning place. I've been to the park numerous times and it never gets old.
Entering Idaho
Then back into Wyoming
And finally into Utah
Even though I was doing some big miles I wanted to hit up a road I'd never done before in the Wasatch mountains.
It quickly got into the 90s as I decended into the Valley and I rolled into my friends place just in time for a beer infusion followed by dinner and a night in a proper non motel bed.
Day 9: Salt Lake City Utah to Grand Junction Colorado
After years of visting, I'd finally convinced Blind and Kiki to come with me on a leg of one of my trips. We decided to head for Grand Junction Colorado and meet up with Der Stig and then the four of us would all ride down to Pagosa Springs where we would go our seperate ways.
Hanging out at the gas station
They had never ridden in Colorado before...
The pass headed into Grand Junction
This should be their christmas card
A wild Der Stig has appeared with his noise pump
Day 10: Grand Junction Colorado to Pagosa Springs Colorado
Our original plan had been to head down through Telluride on 141 and hit this big canyon south of Grand Junction on the way. Unfortunantly CODOT decided to chipseal that road so we had to reroute. Luckily it just so happened there was CO hwy 149 which I had been eyeing on the map for years but hadn't yet worked up an excuse to ride it. With our new route in my head we headed up the Grand Mesa.
A rare picture of me
Hanging out at yet another gas station
Black Canyon of the Gunnison river
CO-92. A truly spectacular road
Next we headed into Gunnison for lunch and then down 149 through Lake City
There wasn't a place to stop at the top of the 11,500ft pass so this will have to do
Into the valley headed towards South Fork
Other than a guy nearly backing over me in a Tahoe in the parking lot of the resturant, it was a great day.
Day 11: Pagosa Springs Colorado to Dallas Texas
Time to yet again break my personal record for longest road day, and this won't just be droning on the slab.
Sunrise
Into New Mexico
Lunch was truck stop Carl's Jr in Santa Rosa, NM. We just pounded the miles away and our last gas stop was in Bowie Texas, 100 miles from home.
Home!
Longest day ever in the bag
Total trip mileage
And on our 5 year anniversary, 42,000 on the Super Tenere.
Thanks for reading, it was great to be able to share part of this journey with some friends. Looking forward to the next one!
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