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Beartooth run

Just got back from a tour with an old Canadian Bud that I have been touring with since we met by chance on the road to Sturgis in 1988. Through the years he has been showing me places in Canada and I have taken him to places of interest in the US. We take about 3 or 4 runs a year from 1 to 2 weeks over backroads and scenic byways. This time we headed from Boise to the Craters of the Moon (where the astronauts trained for the moon landing). This year we were pretty well shrouded in smoke from all the wildfires which obscured many of our photo taking opportunities. From the Craters we headed to Jackson Hole, Wy, then north through Grand Teton National Park which was so smoke covered from the Idaho fires we could only see the ragged peaks in a haze, so no photo ops. After crossing the Continental Divide several times we ran on up to Yellowstone National Park where we arrived just minutes before the eruption of Old Faithful Geyser. The first time I had seen it in full glory. In past visits it was just a burble while we were there. Lots of Bison in the north end of the park and few tourists in the way but it was still hot slow travel through the Park. We rode out the North Gate into Montana for a butt break and a beer, then back into the Park so we could take Hiway 212 which meanders back and forth from Wyoming to Montana then over 1,100' high Beartooth Pass to Red Lodge, MT. I've never seen so many 15 and 20 MPH Uturns in such a short distance as in the run to the top of Beartooth. Beautiful road otherwise. At the top you are looking down at lakes and glaciers. On to Billings, MT.
After a shower to get the soot off, a dip in the pool at the Great Western, a great meal that was half the price of the tourist fare crap they fed us in Jackson Hole and a good nights rest we were off for the Missouri Breaks for a look see then to St. Marys, MT at the west portal of Glacier National Park. We hit the Road to the Sun from the sun end this time. Over the Continental Divide for the last time at Logan Pass then into the Park where I was awarded a $105.00 citation from a Ranger for exceeding the 45mph speed limit (money well spent, since Obama has stripped funds from the National Park Service they need all they can get).
Coincidently the amount of the ticket matched the highest speed I obtained on the run with my rig on the Montana highway, 105 mph.
Out of the Park and down through Kalispell and Missoula to the Days Inn in Lolo, MT where we often stay. Coming through Missoula there was a thunderstorm with big drops of water that lasted just a few minutes. The only rain on the whole run (for a change). Didn't even really get wet.
We split up the next morning at Lolo with my Bud (and his new prospect) heading back north to Vancouver, BC while I took a smoky trip down through the Clearwater River scenic byway to Lewiston, ID then down over White Bird on Hiway 55 toward home.
In Eagle, ID rush hour traffic I ran out of gas in the 3rd (fast) lane and as luck would have it I was able to coast into a Chevron Station without having to push the rig. That's only happened twice in 67 years of riding. The other time was on the PCH in California about 5 years ago.

I'm posting some pix of the tour (Beartooth Run) in Albums.

Lonnie

On 7/5/11 the wife and I left Tx gulf coast on a Harley Ultra without a third wheel - 9 days and 1800 miles later about 40 miles from Denver, we took a fall - no injuries except to pride. We continued on to Denver and 2 days later we continued on to the million dollar hiway, Yellowstone and Beartooth Pass on my son's Honda S-2000 sports car. All the trip was more than great with Beartooth Pass being the highlight of the trip - snow in July was great -- don't even get snow in Jan here on the GC .

Actually Beartooth was tied with driving the s-2000 -- little car ran great - it red lines at 9000 RPM - has 6 gears