Going to the Sun Road, Glacier National Park

Aug 1/2014  Hot 90 +, cool at night 60
We are staying in West Glacier so we have easy access to Glacier National Park and the road Billy has been wanting to ride on the motorcycle.   The road has a short open life every year from about mid June to Oct pending on the weather.  This year it was not open till about July 2 due to the heavy snowfall.   It had hundreds of feet of snow and takes 10 weeks to dig it out. 

Digging out the road

This is also our 3rd National Park and when we started this trip we purchased a pass for the year, $80.  So far we are $50 into the price so I think it will be a good purchase.  The West entrance to Logan's Pass where the Continental Divide is has to be the prettiest ride on our bike so far.   Years ago there were 25 glaciers in the Park and with global warming they are all shrinking so that in a few years there may only be about 10.   

Because of all the Glaciers and the melting every season there are hundreds of rivers and lakes in the park.  Water is running every where.  Crystal  clear with a tinge of blue. 

And then ........

after leaving Logan's Pass there is 25 miles to St. Mary's the east entrance.  It starts nice then we encounter 9 miles of construction on the side of the mountain range which has been going on for a few years.  Each mile...... along the gravel and dirt and dust and wet spray Billy grew more miserable!!!!  If you know him, you know he must be going crazy, he hates getting his bike dirty.

It did clear and we stopped in St. Mary's for a bite to eat than did the ride again east to west.  Actually it was good we did because once you get to Logan's Pass and beyond you forget about the construction.  The view just takes you away.  Stunning.

Missoula to West Glacier, Montana

July 29, 30/2014  Hot 95 plus.... still about 15 degrees above normal, nights 62
We could have easily drove from Butte to West Glacier in a day but with it being so hot we thought we would just make both days shorter and be off the road by 1ish.  That way we are parked and camped and having a refreshment by 2 pm.   The first day we stopped in a very nice spacious sites park; Missoula KOA which seems weird when you drive to it.   You think are we driving into a shopping mall???  Actually it is right behind a mall.   Later we walked over and did a few errands, including a quick haircut. 

migration overpasses on hwy 93 montana

 Next morning we left the Interstate and motored north on Hwy 93.  It is a scenic route but also a truck route, which turned out to be a fine drive in the RV.  (Thanks Don for the tip on this route).   Half of the ride towards Flathead Lake is an Indian Reservation and the first overpass we found for Wildlife.  That is so fantastic for their preservation and migrating.

Coffee Brew Drivethru

Gotta Hava Java Drivethru

 As you wander the countryside you will notice all these little coffee drive through stands, only as big as a shed.   Everyone is an independent with catchy shop names, like "Cowgirl Coffee", "Country Brew", "Gotta Hava Java"!   We find it comical spotting these coffee huts since we are inundated with Tim Horton's at home.  Love it!!!

patio, bbq, fire pit, table & chairs, umbrella

 Our campground in West Glacier is the KOA.  The price per night is all about location, location, location and the season is very short from June to Sept 1 - but our site was so pretty.  Just have to let you know $85 per night, yikes.   Oh and the entire campground is full every night.
Did you know that huckleberries in Montana cannot be domesticated?   The stands to sell wild huckleberries are everywhere.  Jam, pies, fresh, syrup, ice cream.  Mmmm mmm.  Had to sample a few things.   To me they are like blueberries, only smaller and a sharper or sourer taste.   Excellent.

Hucks,,,, or Huckleberries

Ghost Town Trail, Montana

July 28, 2014 Hot day, overcast 92, 65 night
It's another hot day in the West.

Nevada City

If you head south from Butte and follow the roads around Tobacco Root Mountains you will find a concentration of old Ghost Towns.    You will pass through the long lost towns of Pony, Laurin, Alder, Nevada City and Virginia City.   Along the way you will see signs of different named Gulches.   Do you know what a Gulch is?  We were thinking is it a canyon, or ravine where they found gold??? 

Hangman's Barn - diorama of a real hanging of 5 by the Vigilante

 Starting in 1863 the Alder Gulch diggings were the richest gold placer deposits ever discovered, and in three years $30,000,000 was taken from them.  In 1863 that is unbelievable wealth. Within 3 months of the strike, the pioneer gold camp swelled to over 10,000 people.  Years later it dried up and the railway line never came to Virginia City so the total population in this day and age is 132.  Many of the buildings have been refurbished and preserved to the era.  It's a great stop to imagine and dream up stories in your mind of the wild, wild west :)

Fancy dress of the ladies of the west in 1863

Nevada and Virginia have buildings and tours you can take or just take the time to walk around and look into the ones that are free, that's what we did. 

Billy walking the back road in Nevada City

Back on the bike we headed to a quaint little town along the loop called Ennis.   So many fellows in town with the fly fishing gear on.  Stores and even the towns statue enveloping the hobby into their livelihood.   The town is near the Madison River which is renowned for Blue Ribbon Fly Fishing - the best in the USA!   We keep stumbling upon these things we never knew.

check out the huge Fly bait on the top of the store

Fly Fishing statue greeting visitors into town

Butte, Montana

July 27/2014  Weather still hot up to 90, but overcast all day to ride, night 63
After our week in Cody we moved west to the KOA in Butte, Montana for a couple of nights.  It was the Evel Knievel Days.  The lady camping next to us was from the town and just back to visit.  She went to school with Evil.  She told us the story of his name was true. Bobby was quite a terror growing up and in the local jail enough.  One time he was in there after a motorcycle crash for reckless driving and the fellow in the next cell was a familiar fellow known as Awful Knofel.  That night the jailer dubbed him his nick name.  Said he had "Awful Knofel and Evil Knievel".  Bobby kept it but spelled it Evel not wanting to be know as evil! 

Historic District Downtown

Butte is an old mining town, in fact much of the town is built on the side of the Berkeley Pit which is an open copper mine.

Mine Shaft in the middle of town

 Another interesting landmark is Our Lady of the Rockies, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and all mothers.  A man in the town promised to make a statue after his wife lived through a terrible cancer illness.  It started out as a 5 foot endeavour and ended up in reality a 90 foot statue.  It is the 2nd tallest statue in the USA behind the Statue of Liberty.   You can see it for miles sitting on top of the Continental Divide and it lights up at night!

Our Lady of the Rockies

Yellowstone National Park - Worlds First National Park

July 24/2014  Weather was 90+ at Cody and 72 in Yellowstone (due to the elevation it is much cooler than the basin).

We left Cody on the motorcycle at 7:30 am knowing it would be an endeavour to ride the Grand Loop around the entire park, the loop is 150 miles + 54 miles from the East entrance return+ return from Cody is 104 = a super long day, back at 7:30 pm at 308 miles.  We stopped a dozen times and had a great lunch at the lodge in Mammoth.  Every mile is beautiful and different.

Grand Loop around or Crazy Eight

1930's Touring buses back in YNP after refurbishment

Fact Sheet: It has mountains, valleys, meadows, grasslands, forests, lakes, rivers, creeks, geysers, an active volcano, the worlds largest caldera(collapse of land following a volcanic eruption), wildlife, campgrounds, lodges, flora and the list goes on.

Grizzly Bear a few hundred yards from the road

Yellowstones Grand Canyon - bright yellow

Old Faithful Geyser

Firehole 

Firehole Spring

Mammoth Hot Spring

It is one of those places that you dream about since a child.
We are lucky to have spent the whole day and it makes you want to come back as soon as you leave.  Once again the camera was maxed out as we returned to camp.  Overwhelmed by the VASTNESS and glad it felt as good now as if we were kids!

The Bear & The Chief

July 23/2014  Hot at base camp 95, Mountains low 60's (all our leathers on)

"Warning this is NOT for Motorhomes." 

It is known as one of the most scenic rides in America - Bear Tooth Highway.
Located in Wyoming & Montana it runs across Absaroka and Bear Tooth Mountain ranges.  It takes you on a 68 mile ride with over 20 peaks above 12,000 feet in elevation.  We have never traversed the Alps but imagine it might feel like this.   Incredibly the 47 mile ride connecting you to Bear Tooth hwy is Chief Joseph Scenic Byway.

only 19 more peaks to go ...... ahhh

another peak on Bear Tooth

Top of the World

Serious Snow Removal

In itself is one of the most beautiful trips and has a heart wrenching story for it's namesake.  The Nez Perce Indian tribe fled through Yellowstone and on this mountain trail after a battle in Idaho.  They were being forced into reservations and to give up their lands for US ranchers.   After 6 days they surrendered to the US Calvary only 30 miles short of the Canadian border, a 1800 mile trek.  While riding the majestic peaks you can't help imagine what a tragedy that must have been. 

Nez Perce Creek

riding Chief Joseph

on top of Chief Joseph - that is our road down there