Friday, June 19 – Day 3: Big Horns, Beartooth, Chief Joseph, Yellow Stone, Tetons, Oh My!

I have so much to share today, but first I need to give you an update on last night.

Last night wasn't the peaceful night camping under the stars I had hoped for:

1. KOA's have their benefits such as the amenities like shower, laundry, WiFi, etc but I find that their locations have pros and cons.  Yes they are usually easy to find with good access, unfortunately, it often means they are so close to freeways you get to hear the traffic all night long.  Not ideal for quiet camping.  Such was the case last night. Note: See semi on freeway behind my tent to see what I mean.
2. I got to hear a music concert from 3/4 mile away.  There is a large country music festival in town all week-end long. Now I must admit I like country music, but having to listen to it while trying to sleep in my tent was the very conducive to good sleep.  I ended up putting in my ear plugs so I could get some sleep.
3. About 11:45 a major wind storm came through the campground.  No damage but I thought the tent was going to blow away with me in it.  Fortunately the wind did not stick around very long.

Within 30 minutes of leaving camp, I was on some great motorcycling roads.  The first Was Route 14 and 14A through the Big Horn Mountains.  On this route, I stopped at the Medicine Wheel.  It is a 3 mile round trip walk but I decided to spend the time and check it out.  This is a place where Native Americans are thought to have been coming for thousands of years and placing rocks in the form of a wheel with spokes.  There is a lot of mystery regarding this place as some of the rocks are not even from North America.  The wheel is approximately 80 feet in diameter.  There are also special places around the wheel where more rocks are placed.  The exact meaning is unknown. This is still a sacred place for many Native Americans and they come here often for various ceremonies.  

The next route was Beartooth Pass which climbs to over 10,000 feet and has many switchbacks.  For those who are not familiar with this road, here is a small sample from Google Earth.

Right after you are over Beartooth Pass, Chief Joseph scenic Byway awaits.  While not as technical and curvy as Beartooth, it provides many great views.

The next part of the journey brought me through Yellowstone National Park.  This was just a drive through as I have been to Yellowstone before and to be honest, I don’t find it that exciting.  Maybe if I was more into hiking I would feel differently as there are many trails and it is a very large park so there is much to be explored. On the east side of the park, the roads are actually very fun to ride, but at times, the traffic can be an issue as the speed limit is 45 in most places. One of the things about Yellowstone is there are large areas where the trees are dead.  I am not sure how much is from fire and how much is from disease.

I am spending the evening in the Tetons at the National Park.  I am hoping tonight will be a little quieter (actually a lot quieter) than last night!

The route tomorrow will take me over the Tetons and into Idaho.

Here is an update on the GPS situation. Based on the little testing I have been able to do while riding, I believe the issue is with the motorcycle mount for the GPS.  Cathy has ordered a replacement and we are working on figuring out a location to have it shipped to so I can pick it.  I will likely get it next Wednesday or Thursday.  In the meantime, I have been using a combination of paper maps and my phone to navigate my route.  It has been manageable but not as convenient as having the GPS.