Questor and MotoAdventureGal ride the Great Empty Places of the West

[lakota]

Originally Posted by dickosaurus

We made that road as a detour off the CDR in August and I believe it was my favorite part of the whole trip. Thanks to Byways for turning us on to it.

where's the link-up to the CDT?
might want to do that as an add-on next summer

[larshoejberg]

Hi Edward

Sorry to hear about you and Alisa - I'm familiar with the situation. Henriette and I had a few close encounters as well, but we managed to sort it out. We still have 3 month left of our trip, so hopefully it'll stay like that
However, I've been looking forward to hear about your trip, so keep the photos and stories coming

All the best /Lars

[NotAllWhoWanderRLost]

Enjoying the RR and amazing scenery so far, keep it coming!

[BigDogAdventures.com]

Hey Ed-----and Mag,

You can't hide from the BigDog
I've been keepin' an eye on you two.

Awesome roads you have found---that's what it's all about.

I'm really enjoying your ride----and it's just getting started

BigDog

[JMforPres]

[_cy_]

remote looking trail

[MotoAdventureGal]

Looking back, the Gravelly Range was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.

Somewhere before the 90 miles of ridgeline we stopped to fill up our water supply. Questor always travels prepared: It's one of the things I love about traveling with him.




You know, my KTM is feeling pretty left out of the beauty pics:




Here's my view for most of the day

We did catch a pretty neat sunset and I remember another camper on the lake coming up to us and being awed by the trip we were taking.

[Tall Mike]

Originally Posted by dickosaurus
We made that road as a detour off the CDR in August and I believe it was my favorite part of the whole trip. Thanks to Byways for turning us on to it.

I think I might do that when I do my CDT to W. TAT loop...as long as it's an adventure, a little creative license to improve the view doesn't hurt my feelings any. (better pictures too! )

My launch date is still pending though...work, no work, we will see!

[Questor]

Originally Posted by Tall Mike

I think I might do that when I do my CDT to W. TAT loop...

That would be an excellent loop.
The final 1/3rd of this Great Empty Loop can also be incorporated into that.
Wait and see...

Q~

[Tall Mike]

Questor said:

Wait and see...

You Betcha! Subscribed! (Is hard to wait though...Want to ride! )

[bigdon]

N

[Questor]

We awoke to the sound of a flock of trumpeter swans flying overhead.
It was quite the commotion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18kVeuR7L6k

Since we were up, I made French Press coffee, and breakfast consisting of Oatmeal with dried orange and cranberries and pecans.


After breakfast, we broke camp, packed up, and headed towards the Tetons.


It was another day of perfect weather.

We crossed over the pass and into the valley beyond.


I had MAG park under this sign...




We stopped to get gas, and sandwiches for lunch.

The two loaded Dual sport bikes drew a lot of attention.

A few miles later, we got off the main road and onto this scenic byway.


Following the road, again I became peaceful as the scenery passed us by.


There's the Tetons in the distance.


Squirrel Cemetery?


We had tried taking this road earlier in the season, but were stopped due to snow.

But now in September, it was open.


This links up with the Rockefeller Highway and gets you into the southern part of Yellowstone.


Here's what's left of a forest after the big forest fires in 1988.




The Rockefeller highway is a great road, and I really enjoyed it.

But later around lunch time, we stop for a break near the Snake River and eat the sandwiches we bought that morning.




I take advantage of the Snake River and sneak in a quick bath.


The water was really cold!

I kept an eye open for Grizzles. It would suck to be eaten by one while washing ones hair.

After lunch, we rode south towards the Tetons.


After the Tetons we head East, and ride over Togwotee Pass.
It's here that I notice my auxiliary lights are no longer working.

It was under construction three years ago when I rode through here on my BMW 1200 GSA on my National Parks Tour trip.
And it still is. That's a lot of heavy machinery just sitting there along the side of the road.


Going down the other side of the pass I notice a big forest fire to the South.


We get to the bottom of the pass, and get ready to head south over Union Pass, but first I decide to find out what's wrong with my lights.

A quick survey of the Auxiliary fuse block reveals a blown fuse. Easy Fix.

Ok. Now were set to go over Union Pass.
We do many switchbacks, and gain elevation.
Once on the alpine pass, we head south.


But I keep seeing the smoke from the forest fire.




We keep seeing signs telling us that we are in Grizzly country. All the rustic campsites we pass have horizontal trees set up to suspend bear bags.


We push on till we find a decent campsite. We set up the tent.


I cook pork chops, seasoned with a dried apple and Mexican bean sauce, and mashed potatoes.

I find it ironic that we purchased the pork chops from the hungry bear market... Grizzles watch from the nearby bushes...


After dinner we comment on how nice the sunset was, and we realize, it's not a sunset. It's the glow from the nearby forest fire.


When we start to see the ash drift down from the sky, that's the last hint we need...
I can't decide what's worse, being eaten by a bear, or being roasted alive by the fire...

Either way, we pack up the tent, and get the heck out of there!
We ride in the dark, along rough dirt roads for about an hour, and I find a campsite I found two years ago near Pinedale when I rode the CDT.
I found it in the dark, without a GPS - from memory. I was pretty impressed with myself.
We set up the tent again just before it starts to rain. Perfect timing.

Stats for the day: 264 miles Moving Time 6:35 Stopped 3:07 Moving Average 41.2 Total time 9:46 - A Long Day...

[byways]

[MotoAdventureGal]

Originally Posted by Questor

big forest fire to the South.




After dinner we comment on how nice the sunset was, and we realize, it's not a sunset. It's the glow from the nearby forest fire.


When we start to see the ash drift down from the sky, that's the last hint we need...
I can't decide what's worse, being eaten by a bear, or being roasted alive by the fire...

Either way, we pack up the tent, and get the heck out of there!

You may remember from the Alaska RR that I have this thing about bears. I'm a total weenie when it comes to camping with bears. Poor Questor, at the "first" campsite I'd talked to a local rancher and he asked if we had bear spray or a gun (helped with my camping confidence for sure) because he'd had to kill seven bears that had attacked him or his cows over the years. Ha! foor Q suffered twenty minutes of my "should we camp here or should we move on" before we finally decided to set up camp and cook dinner. THEN we noticed the smoke, and decided to move camp. I was SO tired and most likely grumpy.

I guess it's a good thing we stopped using the headset communicators a couple trips back...

Well it pretty much sucked to have to set up camp for a second time at 11:00 pm!!!

[soph9]

We slept with our Bear Spray once on this summers AK trip...that was because we saw a grizzly and black bear about a mile from Kathleen Lake on the highway. I guess we just felt we were being bear friendly campers most of the time with no food near us and we even kept our tote bags with toiletries away from the tent. Apparently bears are attracted to deodorant and even tooth paste. You made a wide decision to get out of harms way of that fire though...and yeah is sux setting up and having to move after a days ride.