The Joy of the Open Road

Mostly people associate motorcycles with sinuous tarmac winding through mountain passes. Not wide open roads with barely a corner in sight. The two just don’t seem to go together. I know many riders who refuse to ride open roads and will trailer bikes rather than ride. But they underestimate what the open road offers.
There is something special about just rolling through a big country as the scenery washes over you allowing time to retreat into your own head space and just sit in your thoughts as the miles pass beneath your wheels.

When you just need more miles – Pikes Peak

Before handing the bike back I had planned on doing an IBA ride in the US. However, after discovering that Pikes Peak (America’s Mountain) was so close the opportunity to ride up Pikes Peak was just too great. And what a fantastic ride and an amazing mountain. Certainly one of the many highlights from the trip.

Steamboat Springs to Denver 370km – Day 14 Here Moosey Moosey

Today was our last day on our Eaglerider Canada Yellowstone tour. Two weeks of great riding, great scenery and meeting new friends. But it wasn’t over yet. Today we spent time in Rocky Mountain NP which was sensational before we rode into Denver where our tour finishes.

Green River to Steamboat Springs 480km – Day 13 Flaming Gorge

Today was also another three State day – Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado, consisting of lots of open roads with long flats and rolling hills with low sage bush. A highlight today was Flaming gorge in Utah, before pulling into Steamboat Springs.

Jackson to Green River 490km – Day 12 Three State Day

Today we had breakfast in Wyoming, coffee in Idaho, lunch in Utah, and dinner back in Wyoming.
It was nice to get on the road before it got hot today and get some miles under our belts. Today was very much about covering miles and we used a combination of high speed freeways with 80 mph speed limits and slower secondary roads that followed rivers or through open farmland.

Cody to Jackson 390km – Day 11 Yellowstone

The scenery leaving Cody today was dramatic and such a contrast to where we have been. Today our Eaglerider tour takes us through Yellowstone NP and we really only have time to scratch the surface, before teh Grand Tetons and onto Jackson Hole.

Rest day – Day 10

Today we only really had one activity pre-planned and that was a rafting trip down the Shoshone river on the edge of Cody in the morning. After that we just chilled and took in the Buffalo Bill Museum and wandered the streets of Cody.

Red Lodge to Cody 200km – Day 9 Bugger!

Don’t you hate that feeling when it all goes to custard and all you can do is slide and watch it unfold. Today we were bitten by Beartooth Pass as we found the limit of the big Harley’s ground clearance.
Luckily we were able to pick the bike up and continue. Tomorrow is a day off in Cody which is good timing as Deb is a bit sore from our slide.

Fairmont to Red Lodge 520km – Day 8 Damn it’s hot

Another longer day with temps over 100F taking in Butte Montana and paying homage to Evil Knieval, open farmland, and the cool old westen Virgina City. Today’s destination is Red Lodge Montana.

Whitefish to Fairmont 380km – Day 7 Rolling through Montana

It is really noticeable that we are moving out of the mountains as the temperature today rose quickly to over 30 degrees. Today we enjoyed just being out there and rolling through big sky Montana soaking in the landscape changes as the big Harley burbles underneath us.