Right! It’s the only sensible answer when friends invite you on an eight-day motorcycle ride through the mountains of Montana (including the legendary Beartooth Pass), Wyoming, Idaho, and Alberta, Canada.
We started our trip in Billings, Montana, on a pair of Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Classics rented from EagleRider, and headed south to Laurel, where we picked up US Route 212. We continued south. to the Red Lodge, where the road becomes the Beartooth Highway and crosses Wyoming on the way to Beartooth Pass (10,947 ft). This is one of the best motorcycle trails in America, and it’s easy to see why, even when it’s raining.
Scan the QR code above or click here for a route on REVER
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West of the pass, we turned south along Wyoming Road 296, also known as the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. The path features excellent sweepers as well as picturesque views of the Absaroka Mountains as it climbs and passes the Dead Indian Pass (8,071 ft).
We arrived at Cody just in time to visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, a wonderful showcase of Old West life. The center has five museums: the Buffalo Bill Museum, which talks about his life and times; Indian Plains Museum, which showcases art and heritage; Draper Museum of Natural History, highlighting the ecosystems of Yellowstone; Whitney Museum of Western Art; and the Cody Gun Museum.
We awoke to a light rain that lasted until we reached the mountains west of Cody, and then heaven opened to what my grandfather used to call “a real frog strangler.” Looking through and around the windshield, I could barely make out the taillights of the bike in front of me, and I don’t know how he managed to follow our path on the way back to the Road. Beartooth Highway. The clouds parted as we entered Cooke City, Montana, a Wild West town where motorcycles have replaced horses at hitchhiking pegs.
Our adventurous trek through Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park includes a wide variety of wildlife; a large RV decides to stop, unannounced, in the middle of the road to take pictures; and a herd of bison crossing the highway one or two at a time, backing up for a mile. When it was our turn to run the bison glove, a particularly large bull was ready to cross the road. We’re right behind a pickup, so I suggest to our driving partners that when the truck starts moving we should stay close to its rear bumper so it looks like we are being pulled.
After spending the night in Jackson, Wyoming, we drove West on State Route 22 through Teton Pass (8,432 ft) and into Idaho. The winding roads, views of the Tetons to the east, and river crossings with trout fisherman in fly-molded planes make for an enjoyable and scenic ride. We continue north on a section of US 20th Route called the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway.
We headed back to Montana and ended the day in Butte, once a wealthy copper mining town and more recently home to the late Evel Knievel, the legendary motorcycle daredevil. In the morning, we ride through the city center to see the mansions signifying a bygone era, and then head west through the mining country. It was Saturday morning and we were running out of gas, so we stopped in the small town of Phillipsburg to fill up. The gas station also serves as a general store, casino and bar, all packed with customers.
We turned north from Missoula in 100-degree heat, finally feeling some relief along the shady streets on the east shore of Flathead Lake. Heading back west over the top of the lake, we encountered the largest flock of eagles we had ever seen.
We spent the night at Hidden Moose Lodge in Whitefish, an exquisite place that serves a delicious breakfast every morning. With full bellies, the bike felt noticeably heavier as we climbed the Path to the Sun through Glacier National Park, one of the few trails that could give the Beartooth Highway a way to make money. We traveled through Alberta, Canada, and visited Waterton Lakes National Park, the northern part of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.
Coming from the flatlands of Florida, we were overwhelmed by the peaks and endless landscape of the Rocky Mountains. We stayed at the quaint Kilmorey Lodge, overlooking the Waterton Lakes Emerald Bay. Relaxing by the gazebo with a refreshing drink, we joined countless white-tailed deer consuming any vegetation not covered by chicken wire.
Going south the next morning brings us back to the border through the towns of St. Mary and Browning in northern Montana. A sign on the outskirts of Browning warned of strong gusts of wind, but nothing more than a light gust. More than ten miles south on U.S. Route 89, the breeze turned into a 60 mph crosswind we fought for the better part of 40 miles.
The town of Dupuyer, Montana, has a population of 93 and doesn’t have a general store or gas station, but it does have two bars. We chose Ranch House of Dupuyer for lunch and were pleasantly surprised when the owner/bartender/chef cooked up an amazing pulled pork. It is served by his children, aged four and seven, who provide better service than those serving at many fine restaurants.
After passing through the thick smoke of the forest fire, we spent the night in Great Falls. The last leg of our journey took us across flat land to the small town of Ryegate, where we were disappointed to discover that we had missed the annual Testicle Festival.
We went back to Billings and returned the Harleys to EagleRider. Over eight days and more than 1,500 miles, I can say there isn’t a road that I can’t cycle again in an instant. Great roads, beautiful country.
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