proposed club ride/vacation.

[choptop]

Our riding club president is planning a club ride for next year. He does a lot of out of state vacationing by bike, I have a lot of faith in him and am considering this ride. I am posting the 1st post concerning the club ride, to get some reaction/input from forum members, who's input I respect, concerning this trip, here goes:

I am starting to think about a 2015 trip already! I can't help it, once I get the idea, I just gotta start scoping it out! Right now it's just a plan! I'll hash out the details by late Fall early winter, but I'll give ya all some food for thought! This trip will be open to anyone that wants to and can go!

Anyone with any insights on Yellstone / Grand Tetons is welcome. It has been 34 years since I was there last, but the memories of Beartooth Pass are etched in my mind!

It will be 10 days. The week of the 4th of July plus the preceding Friday. June 26 - July 5th. The 4th is on Saturday next year, I assume most companies will be closed Friday.

Day one will be a straight shot out to the Black Hills, maybe Keystone. 600 miles.

Two days riding the Black Hills.

Day four, ride west, visiting Devils Tower and run through the Big Horn Mountains to Red Lodge, MT. About 475 miles.

Day five, Beartooth Pass and Chief Joseph Memorial Highway.

Day six, ride Yellowstone Park and move home base to West Yellowstone.

Two days riding Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. (Toward the end of the second day we'll head east and out to the interstate to set up an easier ride home)

Two days to ride home (about 850 miles)

[Steve 0080]

I'm jealous!!!!!

[bobbyf6b]

Sounds good to me, as long as you have the time off.

[zeus661]

Better book your rooms in advance. I rode to Denver over July 4th this year. Not vacancies within 50 miles. Spent the night at a 7-Eleven and a hotel lobby where they let me sleep in a lobby chair for a few hours. I left Denver at 6am.

[choptop]

Better book your rooms in advance. I rode to Denver over July 4th this year. Not vacancies within 50 miles. Spent the night at a 7-Eleven and a hotel lobby where they let me sleep in a lobby chair for a few hours. I left Denver at 6am.

He has mentioned, in subsequent threads, about locking in lodging, once the plans are finalized and we know how many people are on board for this.

[VP8]

Sounds like a great trip. I actually went to Sturgis during the rally last year after spending a few days in Idaho to ride through Oregon and Washington. While we headed to Stugis, we rode through Lolo Pass (Hwy 12)...probably one of the best roads I have ever been on. While we were staying in Stugis, we visited Devils Tower, Badlands, Spearfish, Deadwood, Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Custer Park...on the way home, we also visited Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Bryce National Park, and Zion National Park. The trip was approximatly 5,000 miles in 15 days. It was an awesome trip...one I would love to do again.

I don't recommend going all the way into Devil's Tower...not much to see...and to me, not worth the entry fee unless you already posses an annual National Park Access Pass. There is a photo op area that most people just pull over to, to take a picture of your bike with the tower in the background.

As for yellowstone and custer park, there are buffalo there. For the most part, they are used to bikes and visitors, but I actually literally came face to face with a buffalo at yellowstone. So close the buffalo couldnt really figure me out while I was on my bike. He decided to approach me head on, and looked straight at me and my bike. I just kept staring at his big horns. Buffalo licked my headlight and continued to cross the rode. Later that day, there was a report that a heard of buffalo ran into several Harley riders. In short, just be careful around wildlife and enjoy the gorgeous senery.

[Injun Joe]

My wife and I might hook up with you for part of it if we're home as Yellowstone is on our radar for next year anyways. There is some chance we'll be visiting/riding a big rally in Brazil at that same time so...

FWIW, my wife would vehemently disagree about the Devil's Tower part as she loves the hike. But to each their own. Spearfish Canyon, Needles Highway, Old Hill City Road are the not to miss Black Hills riding for us. Have yet to ride Iron Mountain.

[choptop]

I have signed on to our Yellowstone club ride. Although it will probably be tweeked a bit before the ride, as it stands now, this is the proposed ride: The trip is remains largely the same though I've tweaked it a bit. I'm posting this so you can see what you're getting into!

Ride out to Black Hills. If we meet at Memorial Park in Shakopee, it is 575 miles to Keystone. A little less if we stay in south Rapid City. Two days riding the Black Hills. Then a travel day to Cody Wyoming (not Red Lodge), about 475 miles. Over half of this is Interstate Hwy cruising, the other scenic mountain highways.

Ride Chief Joseph Hwy and Beartooth Pass. Next day we enter Yellowstone via the east gate, explore and end up in West Yellowstone. Next day we explore the park more and see the Grand Tetons, back to West Yellowstone. Following day, explore the park some more, exit via Beartooth pass and head east on 94 at the end of the day to cut a few miles off the return trip.

We've shaved off enough miles of the return trip to get each day under 400 miles (akmost!) and allow us to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota) which is known as the REAL Badlands and are supposed to be more impressive than the Black Hills Badlands. And finally home via I94.

As the ride plan currently stands, these are the tentative miles per day for the trip.
Day 1 - 575 (travel day to Black Hills)
Day 2 - 115 (easy day Central Black Hills)
Day 3 - 185 (Northern Black Hills)
Day 4 - 475 (travel day, Big Horn Mts, Cody, WY)
Day 5 - 225 (Chief Joseph Hwy and Beartooth Pass)
Day 6 - 180 (Explore Yellowstone Park, travel day to West Yellowstone)
Day 7 - 190 (Explore Yellowstone and Grand Tetons)
Day 8 - 315 (Explore Yellowstone, Beartooth Pass, travel day to Forsyth, MT)
Day 9 - 350 (travel day, explore Roosevelt National Park Badlands, ending in Steel, ND)
Day 10 - 410 (travel day - Home)
All subject to change of course!

Their should be about 10 of us, give or take , I understand June is a good month, a lot of the babies are born and are out and about, I always wanted to hold a baby bear. lol If I don't do this ride I will probably never do it and regret it for the rest of my life.

[bigbird]

I have signed on to our Yellowstone club ride.

Their should be about 10 of us, give or take , I understand June is a good month, a lot of the babies are born and are out and about, I always wanted to hold a baby bear. lol If I don't do this ride I will probably never do it and regret it for the rest of my life.

Is this an open invitation or a closed ride?
Early June would be great to do this ride before the hordes descend on the Badlands. I've been to Yellowstone, Beartooth, and the Theo Roosevelt Park out in extreme western ND and as you said, it's worth the trip.
If it's open, I'm interested in riding down to join you.
Let me know.

[hiflyer]

I have signed on to our Yellowstone club ride.

.

As the ride plan currently stands, these are the tentative miles per day for the trip.
Day 1 - 575 (travel day to Black Hills)
Day 2 - 115 (easy day Central Black Hills)
Day 3 - 185 (Northern Black Hills)
Day 4 - 475 (travel day, Big Horn Mts, Cody, WY)
Day 5 - 225 (Chief Joseph Hwy and Beartooth Pass)
Day 6 - 180 (Explore Yellowstone Park, travel day to West Yellowstone)
Day 7 - 190 (Explore Yellowstone and Grand Tetons)
Day 8 - 315 (Explore Yellowstone, Beartooth Pass, travel day to Forsyth, MT)
Day 9 - 350 (travel day, explore Roosevelt National Park Badlands, ending in Steel, ND)
Day 10 - 410 (travel day - Home)
All subject to change of course!

:

Chop, definitely a ride you have to make. If it was just 1 or 2 riders, I would say you were devoting too much time to Yellowstone, but with a group will be fine. Made that trip last year and ran out of things to see in YS and got back on the road. Enjoy