5th Annual Legends of The Fall Montana Maniacs Ride - 09/08/13

[woodsguy]

Come on man, don't stop! lol great reading

 

[Has Been]

The report and the picts along with Ulybrads videos REALLY give any dirtbiker a good feeling of just what we experienced. Great job fearless leader. Gonna go to REI on Monday to buy one of those "HOT Zoot" camping chairs. Best Regards--- David

 

[Viethorse]

Well... which one should be "slower"?

 

[Tourmeister]

Day 4 - Continued again...

If you have ever engaged in strenuous activity over a long period of time, relatively speaking..., then you know what it is to "hit the wall". Some times you can feel it coming on, sometimes it hits you like a ton of bricks. A few minutes after that last drop as I am picking my way down through the rocks, I hit that wall, or I should say, it hit me... like a ton of bricks!

I have been feeling winded, but up until this moment strength has not been an issue in terms of it fading. Nor has my ability to focus and concentrate been a problem. Yet in the space of maybe twenty feet, I now find myself feeling like my limbs suddenly weigh three times the normal, my mind has gone to mush and I can't pick a decent line to save my life...

A quick glance at the GPS shows that we still have a pretty good way to go before we hit the next highway where we might bail off the route and make for camp. I now seriously begin to wonder if Roger and I might be making camp somewhere out here instead, which we are prepared to do, but I don't like the thought of leaving the other guys wondering what has happened to us.

Roger is leading. His pace has slowed as well. He doesn't look like I feel, but no doubt he is starting to tire as well. I muster all the mental focus I can and just ride through the wall. Once again I find myself deep in audible conversation with myself.

"We are having fun!"

"Are you sure about that? I mean, I could really get hurt if I'm not careful..."

"You've been in worse situations, we'll be fine! It can't stay like this forever..."

"Okay, but at the first opportunity, I am bailing and heading for civilization!"

"We have no problem with that."

And down we go, crawling between and over rocks, sliding in the loose dirt, the front end snapping to the side as the wheel catches on a downed tree branch or another rock.

"Steady... steady... breathe... focus..."

"We're still alive. This is fun. Look around and soak it in! It is beautiful out here!"

Indeed it is beautiful out here. There is just something about the color of the trees, the feeling of the breeze, the look of the rocks, the sunlight finding its way through the flickering leaves and the shimmering patterns of light as it hits the ground, the sound of the 530 happily doing its thing, and the POUNDING of my heartbeat in my ears. Sure, I could be in a better mental/physical condition at the moment, but overall, I am happy to be here, in this moment doing what I am doing.

We've been steadily descending for a while now. As I round a curve and dodge some rocks, I roll out into a short level section of the road that has railroad tracks going across it. Has to be a mine, which means I should stop for a picture and a breather.

Fairly old trees are standing in what used to be the tailings pile. No doubt it has been a LONG time since an ore cart last rolled along these tracks.

It has to take a special (read insane) kind of person to work in such environs over 100 years ago...

After snapping my pictures, I just sit for a few moments, looking around and just absorbing the moment. Then I roll on, heading around the corner and take off to catch up with Roger. I am starting to feel better now. I am still tired and don't have quite the strength as normal, but mentally things are improving. Also, the road seems to be finally easing up in terms of the roughness. I can now just roll right over most of the rocks in the road at speed rather than having to crawl over them or ride around them. Now the bike is doing much more of the work and I can relax a bit.

I catch up to Roger, but once again the road is climbing...

It is only a short climb around the side of a peak, and then we are dropping down into what looks like a high valley. We're up around 8000 feet, give or take a few hundred as we run along what seems like some kind of ridge or series of peaks. Down in the trough we come upon what is left of a lake.

I think this is Racetrack Lake - right around 7700 ft elevation.

I pull away from the lake and almost immediately the road begins climbing again, rapidly reaching 8200 ft as it climbs up into another high saddle between two peaks.

Is the worst finally over...?

Still rocky, but not BIG rocks!

We finally pass through Fred Burr Pass. If you like cool history stuff and want to know who Fred Burr is, read here. All I care about in this moment is that from here on out, the riding seems to be getting MUCH easier and we seem to be consistently heading down. Somewhere along the line, just after the lake stop, we missed a turn to continue heading East to the town of Racetrack on I-90. I don't recall even seeing the turn, but once I realize the road we are on makes pretty much a straight shot down to US 10A at Georgetown Lake, I figure it is time to bail on the intended route. We can hit the highway and just run pavement all the way into Butte and call it a day. Roger is happily on board with this plan. Moreover, we both see a Dodge truck parked off to the side of the road in the woods and figure that if he could make it up here, then the road between here and the highway can't be anything like what we've been riding!

The road is soon following North Fork Flint Creek down out of the mountains. It straightens out considerably and wastes no time descending down into the valley below. Georgetown Lake and the main highway are indeed a welcome site when we reach them! Butte is still 40 miles to the East of us, but it is not real late yet and we have plenty of day light to make it. Running the bikes at 70+ for a while won't be thrilling, but I am okay with that. It has been a FULL day!

The highway run is actually not bad. The town of Anaconda has the LONGEST main drag of any town I think I have ever seen and it is posted at 25mph! THAT is hard to do!! However, once past Anaconda, it is smooth sailing all the way into Butte on the freeway. We pull into a gas station to fill up the bikes and to take stock of where we are and what we want to do. I pull up to a pump and try to park a little further away than normal to allow the bike to lean further in light of the missing foot on my kickstand. As I slowly and carefully dismount, the bike just starts coming right over on top of me as I try to swing my right leg away from it and the suspension starts to unload

I manage NOT to get myself pinned between the bike and the pump, get the bike stable and upright, and proceed to fill the tank. Then I join Roger over on the side of the parking lot.

I am spent. Roger quickly confirms that he is pretty much in the same condition. I ask if he wants to just get a hotel and catch the other guys tomorrow and without hesitation he says, "Sure!"

We toy with the idea of riding out to where the other guys are camped to let them know and then ride back into town. Then I check the GPS and realize they are another 20 miles or so out of town and we quickly decide to scrap that idea. We'll just get the hotel and call it a day.

Right across the street is a nice Hampton Inn. It might be a wee bit more than I would generally want to pay, but it is RIGHT across the street! We head over and I go inside. No dice, they are booked. In fact, the lady informs me that every place in town is booked, something about an Economic Conference... Sounds like a bunch of bureaucrats and academics will sit around pontificating about how to solve all the problems of our whacky economy... Yeah... I want to be FAR away from here

She does mention another hotel, the Hotel Finlen on the North side of town that is older, but still "nice". She graciously calls them to see if they have any rooms. They have two. So we hop back on the bikes and head North.

The Finlen is easy to find. It is in the old down town with a lot of other cool historic buildings erected in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It has also had a "motel" added to the side of it, which is basically a two story motel where you park right outside the rooms. The main building however is a nine story tower. We pull up outside, park, and I head inside to see about a room. The hotel has apparently been heavily renovated back to the period style. The main lobby is VERY cool. If I had more energy and a better camera, I could spend a LOT of time in here taking pictures. I'll let you Google it instead

They have a room, actually two rooms joined, but it rents as one room. It is only around $75 a night. "We'll take it!!" I get us checked in and head back outside. My feet feel like they are made of lead weights. We quickly get the bikes unpacked and settle into our room. Roger showers and I collapse on my bed. After I shower we decide we need food, real food. Rather than order out for pizza, we walk a few blocks away to a really cool place. I forgot my camera though. Anyway, the food is excellent, as is the beer. On the verge of pure physical exhaustion, I manage to trudge back the few blocks to the hotel and in short order head to bed.

My head hits the pillow and I am out like a light...

 

[Tourmeister]

Day 5

Morning arrives impossibly fast. I don't recall falling asleep, waking up and tossing around as is my normal routine, or even dreaming. It was just lights out... alarm...

Before heading to bed last night, I did manage to find out that there is in fact a KTM dealership here in Butte. Roger and I decided to sleep in a bit this morning and then head to the dealership to see about my kickstand and perhaps getting my front tire balanced. After another hot shower, I start packing up my gear and get ready to check out of the hotel.

The bikes packed and ready to go. Another BEAUTIFUL morning!!

Cool old Salvation Army building across the street

Everything is brick... Note the "NEW" on the Tait Hotel sign...

We quickly find the KTM dealer and they are open. Unfortunately, they are of little help. They won't sell me a kickstand and claim they are simply too busy to balance a front tire, even if the tire is already off the bike. About the only help they do provide is to call a fabrication shop on the far South side of town to see if they can weld something on the end of the kickstand for me. Not real pleased with their level of "service" we head South through town. The main drag is a long one and we do eventually reach the outskirts of town where we find a big fabrication shop. They look like their guys are busy, but they drop what they are doing to help us out.

The owner, a real nice guy.

The welder, also a real nice guy

It is decided that a 2" long piece of 1" round stock will work as a new foot pad for the kickstand. However, when he starts trying to weld it, the plastic still inside the end of the kickstand from the foot melts and messes up the weld. The remains of the foot are threaded into the bottom of the kickstand. He tries twisting it out like a screw, which doesn't work. I suggest they just drill it out. I am not worried about trashing the threads as I will likely just get a whole new kickstand. This does the trick and they are able to weld without any problems.

Patiently waiting to get back to business...

The other fab guy comes over to hold it and make sure it is properly aligned for welding

The owner takes us around for a quick tour of the place. As far as fab shops go, this one is pretty good sized and has several large overhead cranes. We walk through a door in a wall and he has another entire section, almost as large as the first. Then he takes us through a door in the back and there is yet another huge area. This one is full of personal water crafts, ATVs, and some motorcycles. Apparently he warehouses some of the inventory for the dealer we visited earlier. After seeing the place, we head back up to the bike to find the guys finishing. I quickly mount the stand back on the bike and we are good to go!!

Total time has been maybe 15-20 minutes since we arrived. I ask the owner how much, he pauses... "How about forty bucks?" "DEAL!" I can see in his face a moment of, "Dang, I should have asked for more!" But, he's cool with it and wishes us well. I thank him for making the rest of my trip much easier and then head back outside to gear up and get riding. I was happy to pay

I'm just thrilled they were willing to stop what they were doing and help us!!

IF you need welding help in Butte, look up these guys!

Back in business...

By now, it is almost noon and we haven't even had breakfast. We head back into town looking for anything that seems good and end up at a Wendys. While eating we decide that since it is already late in the day, we'll lop off part of the original route that starts up where the others camped last night and just pick up the section South of I-90. This means running a short stretch of I-90 East out of town, but that shouldn't be a problem.

We are soon running down the freeway. Traffic is moderate and flowing pretty fast. With the 14-49 gearing on my KTM, running 75-80mph is not a problem. The highway runs South along the side of some mountains and then turns East and climbs up through a pass at about 6200 feet. Here is where we would have picked up Delmoe Lake Road to run up to Delmoe Lake where the guys camped out last night. It is also where the scenery gets really cool. The rock formations are big and fantastic looking. I know I should be stopping to get pics and will likely regret not doing so, but the traffic is moving pretty good and there is no real good place along the freeway to stop. After cresting the pass, the highway gently snakes down the East side of the mountains and eventually runs into a big open valley at about 4400 feet. Here we get on the frontage road for a few miles until we reach the spot where I-90 and US-10S split. We turn South and head off into the country side along side the Boulder River.

Images like this make my mind go back in time to try to imagine what must have happened here when it was all new...

Not much here to break the winter winds and snow...

It's hard to imagine this place keeping you warm in the deep of winter...

We eventually reach a little town called "Pony". It has A stop sign. I can't help but wonder what it must be like to grow up out here... even now, much less 100+ years ago!

Biggest and fanciest building I see in the town

Next door to this one, which appears to be a new addition to the school system...

Ever see a door on the second floor that opens to the porch roof...? Yeah, the snow can get that deep here!!

A beautifully manicured yard, and this caboose in the middle of nowhere...

We continue heading East and once again drop down into a valley where we hit US 287, the same 287 that runs through Fort Worth back in Texas. We head South on 287 a short way to Norris and then West back up into the mountains. We are getting close to the camp site for this evening, so this will be a short day.

We quickly reach the spot on the GPS map where it says we should be camping. I can see that we are indeed in a camping area and there are some folks camped here and there, but I am not seeing our group. The road continues and starts climbing up the side of a pretty good hill. I come around a corner where I can see back down over the whole camp site and down below I see Brad and one of the other guys waving their arms at us. DOH! I must have missed a turn. We head back down and find our way to the site. They are already set up, drinking beer, and telling lies...

Stovey informs us that we might be in for some nasty weather this evening, so set up camp appropriately. After getting all my stuff squared away, I join the group and fill them in on our adventures. This is when I notice we are missing David. It seems they left him in some town where he could get a hotel and he agreed to meet everyone back at the Lucky Dog cabin in a day or so. Nothing to do now but relax and see what the weather does...

Ron's hammock setup

My spot

Lanny enjoying a tall cool one

Cool because they have been soaking in a nearby creek!

Val has become one with the chair and unlikely to move for the rest of the evening

Keith and Roger

Trail leading down to the creek from the camp site

A bridge across the creek

A nice little creek, making perfect beddy time gurgling sounds...

Looks like a nice hiking trail on the far side, but I am tired...

The suburban belongs to some hunters that left for a day or so. They left the keys and told us we could use it if we needed. We stored our food in it at night. If they weather were to turn ugly... it might get crowded in there

Ron - I think that chair belongs to the hunter guys

Keith and Brad, Brad is getting around pretty good on the bum leg and it doesn't look real nasty, which is encouraging.

Val, Stovey and Lanny

We had a nice fire!

- It was getting cold again...

Val and Stovey

Brad and Roger

The story telling went well on into the evening. I messed around with fixing some dinner using my new JetBoil camp stove, whose piezoelectric starter wasn't starting...

Ron came to my rescue with a pocket lighter. Not wanting to mess with another of the dinners, I went instead for the bacon and eggs breakfast meal. I could do breakfast for every meal of the day!

I don't know what time it is when we finally call it a day, but the wind was blowing a bit and it has been sprinkling off and on throughout the evening. The temperature has really dropped and it looks like it will be another chilly night for sleeping. Roger had mentioned earlier in the week that he had some of those chemical hand warmers and I could use one if I like. He puts one down by his feet and said it keeps him nice and toasty. So I readily accept.

Somewhere in the wee hours of the night, I finally get tired of the cold and decide to activate the hand warmer. My hands are freezing. I crunch it and shake it, then cling tightly as I wait eagerly for the heavenly warmth to flow into my hands... and I wait... and wait... and crunch it a few more times just to be sure... and I wait... Dang. It's gonna be a long cold night...

 

[Tourmeister]

Two more days to go... Hopefully, I will be able to get it done this week!

 

[cdk]

Great report..having spent some time in that country the photos take me back.That hay contraption you referred to is called a beaver slide, used to stack loose hay...commonly used in those valleys (holes) before square and round baling .

 

[Tourmeister]

Day Six

Some time during the night I wake and notice that the fire has been resurrected and is burning brightly. I am tempted to go out and sit by it to warm up but decide the effort to get out of the sleeping bag and tent just isn't worth it. It's probably one or two of the other guys or maybe the hunters have come back. I squeeze my failed hand warmer a bit tighter... nothing... then I drift back off to a fitful sleep.

Morning arrives with the sun climbing over the top of the nearby hill. Its rays light up my tent like a gas light filament. I am STIFF and COLD. I quickly roll out, dress and head for the fire which has already been stoked again. It turns out that Stovey got cold last night and was the one that got up for some alone time with the fire. I stand by the fire eagerly waiting for the sun to climb higher into the sky. We never got the forecast rain last night. We got some light drizzle and low clouds, but that has blown through and it looks to be another incredible day of riding. I grab a quick bite to eat and start packing up my gear. The best way to warm up is to get on the bike and get riding.

Cal gets a last shot of the camp site as we prepare to depart

The plan is to do a short ride into nearby Ennis for breakfast before starting the main part of the ride down into Gravelly Range. Roger and I will be staying with the group today. We start out by heading South as the worm wiggles, gently climbing the East side of some low mountains that afford some beautiful views of the lands below.

Cal again

Ron

Roger

and a typical view...

We soon begin dropping back down along a "road" that continues to be really twisty. It runs alongside Fletcher Creek and then Moores Creek before eventually coming out on the highway. As is usual, I am a bit clumsy when first starting out in the morning. At one point the tracks in the road become more like ruts running alongside each other. They are sandy and grassy. Before I even realize what is happening, the front tire grabs the side of a rut and I am in a slow motion tumble toward the ground and the bike just sort of falls out from under me. I roll off into the weeds without incident. I stand the bike back up, give it a quick once over to be sure nothing it amiss, and then take off again. Of course, after the shot of adrenalin, I am a little more awake now...

Roger, lower down on a non rutted and more level section of the road

Not sure what was going on here as I arrived at the back

Cal's left bag hanging a bit crooked. I did not realize he had an "off" earlier in the week.

A little further on down the hill side the road begins to level out and the surface changes... We pass through a gate into what is obviously a pen for handling a large number of cattle.

You DO NOT want to go down on this road!

Thank God it is dry...

The road gets wide and smooth after the cattle pens

We are soon in town parking across the street from the Ennis Cafe.

Ron's collapsible walking stick keeps Brad going with the bum leg/ankle

The food in the cafe is great. We stuff ourselves with biscuits, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, eggs, and coffee. About the time I am thinking a post breakfast nap would be nice, it is time to start the main portion of the day's riding. As we head outside I confirm with Stovey that Roger and I will indeed be riding with the group today. The route through the Gravelly Range is supposed to be a highlight of the trip and we do not want to miss it.

Folks begin to ride off, but not all in one group. Apparently some are headed back to the gas station where we stopped before breakfast. So the group gets broken up right away. I head on out of town on the highway a few miles to where the route picks up and heads South. No one else is there so I stop to wait. While waiting I check the oil level in the bike and once again, it is low. Seeing no one in site, I dig out my bottle of spare oil and top off the reservoir. It is a good thing we are getting down to the end of the trip because I am running out of spare oil! A few minutes later it becomes apparent that either I am not where I should be, something has happened, or there has been another on the fly route change that I missed, so I head back toward town.

And find this... a common site on most any good dual sport adventure. Keith picked up a nail somewhere.

Anything will do in a pinch for use as a jack stand

Roger acts like he hates changing tires, but he's always the first guy in there getting dirty and helping out

It would seem that I missed another on the fly route change. The original plan was to head back West from Ennis to just beyond the place where we dropped out onto the highway this morning, then run South along the top of the mountains. Instead, we will be heading down a road roughly paralleling the Madison River and then later cutting back West into the Mountains. There are time and weather concerns of which I was not aware. Anyway, we get Keith's bike back together and head South.

We run down Varney Road to Call Road and then cut back into the mountains. What started out as a clear pretty day is quickly turning into an overcast day with ominous looking clouds gathering. It is still a nice day though.

The group climbing back into the mountains

You can see here that we space out pretty far to avoid the dust

We run through the woods on a nicely maintained road

Climbing more and more, crossing some small high plains as we go

Smooth road, but LOTS of loose and small gravel. It's like riding on marbles!

Call Road climbs to about 8200 feet where it meets Devils Road, which then turns South and runs along a high ridge line of mountains a short distance to Johnny Ridge Road. An even shorter distance South this puts us on Gravelly Range Rd.

Brad climbing back on the KLR (turn up the volume a bit for the full effect!)
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db_Gt8E-UZk"]Brad Mounting KLR - YouTube[/ame]

The clouds are getting bigger and closer together...

Beautiful country!!

Miles and miles of this...

and this... (look closely and you can see Roger lower left on the road).

There he goes

[Work is REALLY getting in the way of me working on my ride report lately! - more soon, I promise!]

 

[The Bruce]

That all looks like some awesome country. Love it!

 

[Tourmeister]

Day Six - Continued...

The run down Gravelly Range road is superb. We cross many high saddles between peaks. The views in every direction are expansive and really call out to that place deep down inside me that has an almost irresistible urge to go explore just over the horizon. Parts of Texas have "big skies", but there is just something different about it here. In Texas there are places where the sky meets a horizon so distant that the distance is hard to judge. In Montana, there are WIDE valleys between the mountain ranges and the sky/ground meeting is bounded by the distant mountains, giving a better perspective of distance and I think this actually makes the sky seem bigger because it keeps it in the realm of what the brain can deal with. Looking out from this high vantage point, it is readily obvious that I could spend a LOT of time exploring in every direction. If only it weren't so far from home...

The clouds are getting darker and darker, closer and closer, yet still no rain. The wind is blowing pretty good up on the ridge, which helps to keep the dust from the riders ahead out of my eyes. The bike is running fantastic and the miles just slip away. I am so far removed from the cares of my normal day to day world that it almost feels like a dream, but one of those kind where you know you are dreaming and will eventually have to awaken... For now though, I simply enjoy it while it lasts.

Black Butte in the distance

This is a LONG climb. You can barely see the other guys on the road near the top.

We stop just beyond the Butte to take in the views

Big skies!

and BIG fires!

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETCuAKrdHVY"]MVI 8939 - YouTube[/ame]

Further on down the road. This looks and smells quite recent.

Rain in the distance...

Rain coming from behind us too...?

The road starts to descend and the surface has become a very white/dusty gravel. There is an SUV ahead of us and it is kicking up quite the cloud. Having stopped to take pics, I've dropped back quite a bit from the group and have had some fun catching up to them. However, I round a corner and see a cloud of dust clearing from the road and a bike is down. I pull up and see that Ron has lowsided in the loose gravel. He's fine. The bike seems fine but in need of some minor "tweaking" to get it going again. Ron is well prepared with his stash of tweaking supplies!

Ron's KLR facing the wrong direction

Ron is up and going in a few minutes. The road begins to follow the edge of a small valley that feeds out into the larger valley below, twisting its way down lower and lower. The ground now becomes more dirt than rock and does not look as heavily traveled or as well maintained as before.

Definitely rain in the distance!

Roger

Time to zip up vents in the pants and jackets...

As we get nearer to the valley floor below, there are a few places where the road is a bit rough and narrow, affording few line choices. I come around the side of one hill, look ahead across to the side of another hill just in time to see Brad going down on a rocky climb... We catch up to him and get the bike righted. He's fine. It was a low speed tip over. He hops back on the bike and continues up around the side of the hill. Then the road starts to run down and straighten out a bit, leveling out as it hits the valley floor. It runs a short way and comes to a gate, where Val is waiting for everyone to pass through. As I come through and look ahead just beyond the gate, I see bikes stopped in the road...

Keith's back tire is flat again. He doesn't have another rear tube, so he decides to run a front tube in it in the hopes of making it back to the Lucky Dog Cabin, hopefully not to many more miles from here.

Short on stuff to pile up for use as a jack, they use the ditch to get the bike high and wheel low

It's been a long week of riding on a bum leg...

Ron takes advantage of the stop to wire his foot peg to the bike. KLR peg bolts are BAD about stripping out (mine did the same thing on my 02 KLR)

Stovey and Roger hold the bike steady while Cal and Keith remove the tire under the watchful eye of Lanny

Waiting patiently and hoping to NOT get rained on...

Roger holds down the log on which the bike is precariously balanced

Thunderheads in the distance... with the occasional sprinkle and rumble...

Brad can't watch quietly... and he starts to "supervise" and "consult"

Once again Roger is helping with the tire

Supervising just wasn't enough... now he's helping

The smile typical of Brad all week long

Stovey puts air in the front tube to make it more manageable during the install
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlPFIMQb9DI"]MVI 8964 - YouTube[/ame]

Keith and Roger inserting the front tube

Still waiting patiently...

These KLR guys always seem to have electric pumps

(I always had one on my KLR!)

 

[Tourmeister]

We are getting hammered at work! I don't know if it because of the holidays or what, but it is really cutting into my time for surfing the net and doing ride reports

 

[Tourmeister]

Day Six - Continued again...

Because Keith will be running a front tube in his rear tire, it is decided that we should do something to keep the tire on the rim in case the tube goes flat. BIG zip ties are used as improvised rim locks in the hopes that Keith will be able to continue long enough to get back to the cabin.

Stovey installing the "rim locks"

New tube and zip ties in place, Keith remounts the tire while everyone else stabilizes the bike

Keith's bike is soon back together and we are once again rolling. Now we are down in a wide flat valley and the road opens up before us. The pace picks up as the sky grows menacingly darker. We make a short run to the West on Northside Centennial road, roughly paralleling Red Rock River, until we reach Brundage Lane and cut South across the river.

The river snakes back and forth across the valley floor

I love old steel bridges, big or small

After crossing the river, the road becomes flat and FAST. I think everybody has shifted into "get there" mode and they are no longer really thinking about the ride, about taking pictures, and about taking in the scenery. They are ready to be off the bikes and working on some cold beers. Not far beyond the river we reach Hwy 509, a smooth graded road that is nice and wide. The pace quickens even more. Along the South edge of the road there is a range of mountains running East/West. I believe these are the Centennial Mountains and they form the border between Montana and Idaho. Most of the peaks are around 9500-10000 feet. The clouds are now almost touching the peaks and I can see numerous rain showers scattered about in all directions.

Since the stop to fix Keith's flat tire, I have been running at the back of the pack and staying pretty far back since I have been stopping for pictures. Even though the weather is getting "iffy" I still find the landscape mesmerizing. The gloomy clouds only accentuate the mountains, lakes and forests.

Even with all my stops, it is not long before I catch up to Keith, Brad and Roger. Riding behind Keith I can see that his tube has long since ruptured and the zip tie rim locks are long gone. The tire is flopping all around and Keith looks like he is struggling to keep the bike under control. We've still a good way to go and this just isn't going to work, especially with the weather getting worse. I decide to pull ahead and flag him over to the side of the road. Roger stops with us. By now, we are getting some heavy sprinkles, lightning and thunder. The thought of stopping out here exposed to the lightning is not appealing, but I'm thinking a quick stop to get us running safely is better than floundering. To get us going, I'll give Keith my rear tube and play the odds that we won't ALL get rear flats before reaching the cabin. Worst case, I have a front tube that I can use like he did.

Keith and Roger set about removing the old tube while Brad makes like a jack stand again

A possibility that we might ride out of the nasty weather...?

The culprit of our tire woes!! A nail missed during the first tire change this morning

With the nail removed and after checking extra carefully to make sure there are no others, we get the new tube installed, the tire remounted, and the bikes moving again. Now it is actually raining and getting colder. Now even I am slipping into the "get there" mode and forget about taking more pictures. We run the last thirty miles or so back into the NE corner of Idaho to Mack's Inn without any problems.

Once at Mack's Inn, the group breaks up as some head to the cabin, some to the nearby public showers, and others to get something to eat. Roger and I decide to stop for dinner before heading to the cabin. The local cafe is closed except for serving pizza and ice cream. So we grab some pizza, forgo the ice cream and eventually make it back out to the Lucky Dog Cabin. I claim my spot in the barn loft again and start unpacking the bike before heading inside to scope out the beer selection. Then I head back outside to snap a few shots of the place before it gets dark.

The map house

Inside the map house

Know where that is?

Wildlife and Geography info on the area

Pics of each of us submitted before the ride began (that's me with the upside down GS on the right...)

The main cabin, small but cozy

The barn with a large tub and cooler of ice cold drinks

The bar

The reading lounge

Backside of the bar

Team Ruptured Buzzard Racing mascot

The bar again

For those that spend too much time at the bar...

I need to send Stovy some TWT stickers...

Darkness soon arrives and we settle into an evening of telling stories, watching On Any Sunday, and generally decompressing after a great week of riding. Lanny has already left for home as he has other matters to attend to. Ron is still with us but will be leaving in the morning. Dave "Has Been" was here waiting when the group arrived. He found his way here without issue after separating from the group a few days ago. Brad's leg/ankle is looking... well... ewww... He's talking about stopping off somewhere around Denver on the way home to do a few days of fishing. After seeing his foot, we tell him he'd best get on home and get to a Doc. Stovey will be staying here tomorrow. Most of us will be riding one more day, backtracking most of Day One to get us back to Jackson Hole. I last until maybe 10:00-10:30pm and then start to turn into a pumpkin. There's one more night on the not so comfy cot and one more day of great riding. Already I feel like a dreamer that is sensing the dream is about to end and a reluctant awakening is looming in the not too distant future...

 

[bigdon55]

Looks like Brad has found his calling

 

[DoctorXRR]

Awesome stuff! I really appreciate that you take the time to see the sights and stop for a lot of good pictures. Its always a balancing act, when riding with a group to not slow folks down, yet still ride your own ride. I find that too often a lot of great sights, views, and images roll by in a blur and that its worth stopping to get some great shots. I always tell myself to stop and get the pictures I want, because I may never return and regret not doing it.

These kinds of trips are few and far between, and you have captured a lot of great memories here. Thanks for the great report and taking us along.

So, now my wife is famous in Stovey's camp, far away where the bears roam and the snow piles high! Thats UlyBrad teaching her how to ride for the first time ever in his dirt bike class!

 

[Tourmeister]

Still one more day to go... Dad is out of town all week, so I don't know if I will be able to get it done, but I will try!!

 

[Tourmeister]

Day Seven... The end of the dream.

Well... It was another cold night full of tossing and turning. I awake, glad in the knowledge that this will be my last night on my cot. I don't think my back and hips can take any more of it. I think I'll be looking for a good air mattress for my next adventure. I roll out and start dressing as fast as I can. The others are already up and about, sipping coffee and warming their tired bones. I pack quickly and start loading the bike. Before everyone starts riding off in different directions, we decide to do some group shots.

Roger, Cal (back), Val, Stovey (kneeling), Brad, Keith, Dave and Ron (not pictured, me and Lanny)

Yours truly kneeling next to Stovey

Dave, Brad and Keith

It is decided that we will all run back into Mack's Inn for breakfast at the cafe on the river before going our separate ways. Not everyone will be going back to Jackson today.

The Cafe

The river

Breakfast is great. Everyone is in good spirits even though we all know our adventure is coming to a close. We rehash memories from the week over hash browns and flapjacks. I finally start to warm up a bit and my muscles begin relaxing. I hate starting a ride while I am still stiff and not quite awake. The inevitable adrenaline shots that follow are hard on my system!

After breakfast we make sure everyone going in our group back to Jackson is gassed and ready to roll. The plan is to just backtrack the route from day one, but cut over to run a road near the Snake River once we get back into the Teton Park. Our group is Roger, Val, Keith, and Cal. Keith takes lead. The clouds are low and thick, a drizzle is already falling. I snug my neck collar as we leave.

The road is wide and graded, smooth with sweeping turns. One could easily drive any sedan down this road without worry. Occasionally there is broken pavement or short stretches of nice pavement. There is nothing but wet woods. The pace is mellow and relaxed. It is almost as if we are trying to delay the inevitable by going slower. I just try to soak in everything because I know it is likely to be a LONG time before I am ever able to get back out here to ride... if ever...

Keith waiting while we stop for a "potty break"

Looking back North along a paved section, gloomy and damp

The required potty break picture to make this an official dualsport ride report

Roger waiting patiently

So many creeks and rivers out here, I have no idea which one this is

It is not long before we reach Ashton-Flagg Ranch Road, which runs East back to the Tetons. Not long after we turn East, we spot another group of DS riders heading the same way and we fall in with them, playing leap frog as we stop at different spots for pictures and/or taking a break. The road is wet and a bit muddy, but is basically a hard pack surface. I hang back to avoid getting sprayed by the rider in front of me. The road is wide and relatively smooth, so we run a nice quick pace.

Indian Lake on the North side of Ashton-Flagg... I think

Looking East on Ashton-Flagg

As soon as we cross into Wyoming, the road gets a LOT more interesting. It narrows a bit. There are more elevation changes. In general, it is just a lot more fun. I eventually work my way up through the group to the front and then just settle into a nice groove of slow in, fast out, but not racing to the next corner. I really like pace or rhythm riding, where the focus is on being smooth. Somewhere along the way I catch up to and eventually pass the other group of riders, waiting for each to see me behind and wave me on by. At some point I realize Val is running behind me and we just run together for a while, enjoying the road.

Then it happens...

It is said that when everything is going great, that is when we should be the most worried about something going wrong. Things can go from good to bad REAL fast! All it takes is a split second. I am entering a right hand corner, looking through and getting ready to get back on the gas, when for a split second... I look to the outside of the corner and for some inexplicable reason... I target fixate on the edge of the road

There is another saying among riders. You go where you look! Indeed, before I realize what is happening I am going off the edge of the road and into some tall bushes. I can't see a thing, other than more tall bushes. They are whacking on my hand guards and I can feel them hitting on my legs. Then, almost as soon as it started, it's over. The bike comes to a stop and slowly leans over to the right into more bushes and gently lays down. I step off and marvel at my incredibly good luck. It is almost as if I had run into some kind of runaway ramp intended to slow a runaway vehicle. But... I can't see in any direction and the bushes behind me have stood right back up and I can't even tell I just came through them.

Well, I pick up the bike. I am trying to get my footing but every where I want to put a foot there seems to be another bush, constantly pushing back against me. I push one down to try to clear a place to move the bike and as soon as I take my arm or foot away, it stands right back up again. Hmmm... It is quickly becoming obvious that I will NOT be getting out of here without some help. About the time this realization sets in, I spot Val working his way through the bushes to me, "What the heck happened!?"

"Well..."

We survey the situation. The bike is fine. I am fine. But how on Earth are we going to get out of here? A few moments later Roger comes wading into the bushes. "What in the world happened!?"

"Well..."

We soon realize that it will take a team effort to get the bike out of here. Some guys will have to hold the bushes down and out of the way while the rest of us literally lift the bike and move it where we want it. The limbs of the bushes are like boney hands reaching out of the ground, grasping and holding, in an attempt to keep the bike in place. With much coordinated grunting and huffing, we finally manage to get the bike pointed at the road, lifted over a downed tree trunk, and back on the road. Surveying the scene, I realize that had I rolled about another 15 feet or so, I would have dropped into water that is several feet deep... Whew!

I left the road and entered the bushes just to the left of Val and Keith (standing in road).

Standing in the corner I look where I had gone. The bushes show no evidence of anyone having ridding right through them. In fact, Val said the only reason he knew to come back was because a truck coming the other way stopped him and asked him what happened to his buddy. Val asked what he was talking about and he said that he saw my helmet coming into the corner and then I just disappeared!!

If you look closely at the picture above, I stopped just inside the part of the bushes that turn brown, to the left of the big brown hump. We came back out onto the road just to the right and before the big brown hump. Overall, no harm no foul. Still... It is one of those things that just eats at my thoughts and gets rerun over and over in my head. A week of riding flawlessly and in one instant it could have gone horribly wrong. I got REAL lucky. But I would rather rely on skill than luck because luck tends to be far less consistent and is a fickle friend.

Here's a close up of the bushes, perhaps 6-8 feet tall on average.

I came to rest just on the left edge of the image - Glade Creek I think

After a short break to catch our breath, we resume the ride. I settle in back at the rear of the pack so I can focus on getting back into a rhythm. I have learned that if I try to ride slower than my natural pace, I tend to make more mistakes than normal because it throws off my sense of timing. We run slower anyway because the road gets tighter and twistier. Also, the surface has more loose gravel on it, as if it has recently received a new layer of gravel. It doesn't take long to reach the main highway, US 191. We stop for a short break and then head South toward Jackson Lake.

The lake level is VERY low.

Everywhere, there are thousands of animal tracks running from the woods out to the water (you can't see them in this pic, but can see some in the next one).

The drizzle and rain stopped earlier, probably about the time we got on Ashton-Flagg and started heading East to US 191. However, it looks like that nastiness is still coming behind us. The clouds are starting to look dark and ominous. I can see a few rain showers in the distance. Hopefully we can stay ahead of it all the way back to Jackson and not have to ride in any more cold rain. We run down US 191 to Teton Park Road and turn away from 191. A few more miles South and we turn East away from Jackson Lake on Bar B C road, which heads toward the Snake River. Here we say good bye to Cal. He needs to be getting on back and will stick to the highway. We have some time and still want to do some more dirt, so we will be taking the scenic route!

Bar B C Road is fun. It is a two track road of rocks and gravel. There are numerous places where LARGE puddles have formed in the road. They are so large, people have started driving around them, creating new tracks off to the side. The puddles are empty and on the far side there is usually a large hump... A hump to jump...

But it does not last long. Soon the road turns to the South and the surface changes again.

We are running along a high ledge up above the river, maybe a few hundred feet high. It affords great views of the river and of the Tetons.

Roger with the Tetons on the background

The Snake River

The road surface changes a lot. One minute it is loose round rocks, many of which are 2-5 inches in diameter. Then it will change to a nice dirt surface, then sand, then a combination of all the above. The terrain is mostly flat with scrub brush, but the road still has some fun short elevation changes and it wiggles back and forth quite a bit. Soon we come to the base of a long climb and stop to evaluate. There some nasty looking whoops in a corner about mid way up the hill.

Keith goes first, chugging and bouncing all the way

Keith​

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bswgy8iIDw"]MVI 9033 - YouTube[/ame]

Val and then Roger​

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUZQ0F2xa2o"]MVI 9034 - YouTube[/ame]

[Can anyone tell me why the videos repeat? YouTube doubles my video in length by simply repeating it.]

When the others are out of view, I stuff the camera away and grab a fist full of throttle so I can get my momentum up before I hit the climb. I take an outside line around most of the whoops. The bike is chugging hard and spitting out loose rocks behind me. I bounce through the outer edges of a few of the whoops and make the turn. What I could not see from the bottom is that there is still a good bit of the climb after the turn. I lean forward and roll on the throttle. As I near the top I see that there is a sharp upward left turn right at the end of the climb. As I roll into the turn I roll off the gas so as to come to a stop right at the top. I find the guys stopped and waiting.

 

[Tourmeister]

Day Seven... continued

At the top of the hill I find the guys waiting. It seems Keith had a mild tip over or something...? He's up now and everything seems fine. So Val and I take point for a while and have a bit of fun weaving back and forth through the rocks and dust. As we are coming across a flat area, much like a terrace between the river and the mountains, I spot a herd of Elk running across our path toward the next terrace step. I am not fast enough to get a good shot of the big bull that is leading the charge, but there look to be about 25-30 in all.

Shortly after seeing the Elk, we pull into an overlook and meet this guy (who's name I have totally forgotten

). He's a local to Jackson.

The view to the East from the overlook

We've almost reached the Southern end of the road and are soon back on pavement (Teton Park Rd.) for a short while. Then we continue South on Moose-Wilson Rd, which runs along the West side of the park. It is unpaved and a mix of dirt and gravel. This is the way we came the first morning. However, it is now FULL of slow moving tourist traffic. Val makes a quick pass and is soon out of sight. I make a few strategic passes, but it soon becomes clear that it is easier to just go with the flow. We are in no special hurry and it is not late in the day. The only thing on my mind is the looming darkness in the sky that has been stalking us all day. It is getting closer.

As the road exits the park, it becomes paved once again and the pace picks up once more. Here we are able to make a few passes and then run a little faster. I even spot Val up ahead of us a ways. We soon reach Hwy 22 and turn West to head back over the mountains into Idaho. As we begin to climb, the heavy clouds roll in from the North and it begins to drizzle. There is still a good bit of traffic and it is climbing the pass slowly. There is nothing to do but sit in line and run a painfully slow pace. It is probably for the best as we are on full knobbies and the pavement is getting wet. As we near the top of the pass, the wind begins to rise and the rain begins to fall in earnest. We follow the cars down the pass, tip-toeing through some of the sharper corners and riding a low gear to keep our speed down to avoid braking. We eventually near the bottom and the skies begin to clear a bit and the rain lessens and finally stops. We spot Val starting to load up his truck and stop to say a final good bye, then we head on into Victor and turn North toward Driggs, where the truck has spent the week at our hotel from the first night.

As we get to the North edge of the storm, we see a beautiful rainbow

At one point, the rainbow becomes two full rainbows stretching from the low lying ground up into the mountains above. Very cool, but short lived and I miss getting a picture. Soon we pull into the parking lot of the hotel. Roger is relieved to see his truck is still here. As I step off the bike for the last time, there is just an overwhelming sense of finality. That's it. The adventure is done. It is always such a let down, but the dream cannot last forever. Eventually we have to wake and get back to the business of living our daily lives. I feel the cumulative wear of a week of riding and not so great sleeping, but it is a good tiredness. It has been a good week and I'll remember the dream for a long time!

A dirty bike is a happy bike...

Fantastic steeds for a week of superb riding!!

The only "damage" from my off road "explorations"

It is starting to sprinkle lightly so we decide to go ahead and load the bikes in the truck now rather than later or in the morning. Then it is off to take a shower and grab some dinner. After dinner we enjoy the hot tub and a cool swim at the hotel. We'll be leaving early in the AM, so it is off to bed before it gets late.

I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow...

 

[Rsquared]

Great Ride Report and photos as usual Scott!

 

[kickstand~prophet]

Where did everyone get all those red wool hats at? Was that one of the places you visited?

 

[Tourmeister]

Epilogue

Roger and I get an early start on the drive back. The weather is gloomy and it rains off and on all day. Things are good until we hit the North side of Denver, which has been hammered with rain and is flooding. We get caught up in some real slow traffic because of water on the interstate. I exchange some text messages with a friend whose folks live in the area and whose house has been damaged by the flooding. He's on his way to Denver from Texas and is updating us on the weather in New Mexico. In the middle of the day he says it is dark as night and hailing intensely near Raton. So we decide to run West out of Denver and cut South on US 287. We encounter lots of rain and fog, but never any hail. We make it to Amarillo and stop for the night. More rain. We reach Dallas by early afternoon. Temps are in the mid 90's... Quite a difference from yesterday morning in Idaho! Welcome back to Texas!! We make Huntsville by early evening, unload my bike and gear, and Roger is quickly on his way home. It is good to be home, to see Beth and the kids, and to sleep in my own bed (as horrible as the mattress is...).

When Roger first contacted me about this trip, I really didn't know what to expect in terms of the riders, the riding and the camping. I was pleasantly surprised by all three. It always amazes me how quickly a group of riders, many meeting for the first time, can come together to share an adventure and form bonds of friendship. I think I enjoy this aspect of these trips as much or more than the riding itself... almost...

We had a great time all week long, even when things were not always going as planned.

Stovey did a great job of organizing and hosting the event. I really can't think of anything else he could or should have done to make things better. The routes were great, well planned for a group of our size with varying riding skills. The camp spots were fantastic. There were a few times where some of us got "off" in terms of navigation, but those instances were non issues in my mind. Roger and I had a great time on our few side excursions. As a result of Stovey's recommendations, I was well setup in terms of preparation for the bike, riding gear, and camping gear. I just wish I had thought to bring some of those hand warmers like Roger did because my feet get COLD real easy and that makes it hard to stay asleep.

I am thrilled with the performance of my 530 KTM and the luggage setup I used. The bike ran flawlessly and handled the extra weight of the luggage and over sized gas tank without issue, with the sole exception of my kickstand foot pad snapping off

As is the case with many places I get to visit, I wish I had the time to do a great deal more riding and exploring in the area. This particular area is rich in history, incredible scenery, and an almost inexhaustible supply of little roads and trails to explore. We barely scratched the surface. I don't know when or if I will ever be able to visit the area again, but if I do, I would sure enjoy doing it with a such great group of riders again. It just makes the trip all that more special and memorable.

 

[Tourmeister]

Where did everyone get all those red wool hats at? Was that one of the places you visited?

I believe this was technically a "RideDualsport.com" event. Some of the guys on the ride are not TWT members and only post on RDS. Anyway, those hats are the RDS hats which you can buy from the guys that run the site.

 

[Tourmeister]

Whew!!! I managed to get it done before 2014!! Nice to have that no longer hanging over me

 

[kickstand~prophet]

Do you have your next great adventure already planned?

 

[Tourmeister]

Do you have your next great adventure already planned?

Not at all. However, I am thinking I would like to get back over to Arizona again because Roger has never been there. I did a trip there back in 2007 that was quite the adventure and I know he'd like the riding there. But I think this would have to be a small group trip, ideally four but no more than six riders.

I've also thought about exploring the West side of New Mexico around Silver City and North of there. I've ridden through on pavement, but have not had the chance to explore and it is a nice place.

I enjoy the Eastern U.S., like North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, etc,... but the population is very dense in those areas and the number of dual sport roads is low compared to Western states, especially if you are leaning towards the more technical riding.

I would LOVE to get even further out West into the mountains running all the way from Southern California to the Canadian border, but I simply cannot get that kind of time off from work or away from the family. With three small kids, that kind of time off is real hard on Beth.

 

[kickstand~prophet]

Have not been in that part of NM in forever. I remember at that time Silver City being a big mining town. Do plan on getting to Northern forest area of New Mexico in 2014. AZ will have to wait till 2015 it looks like. Then Arkansas.