Sturgis--The Final Frontier

Its morning and all I can think of is riding through Yellowstone.  Rained all night and its still raining, however, not much.  I have my morning tea and eat my oatmeal, shower and load up the bike.  Its about 6:00 a.m. and even though its trying to get light out, the clouds keep the sun from shining through.  Every night I have gotten into the habit of reading my maps and checking the roads and weather out for the next day's ride and this day brings a little detour into it because of the weather.  Not bad though.  I am not worried and it is suppose to clear before 10 or 11:00 this morning.  I find out the roads near  Jackson  are having construction on them and the weather isn't helping that traffic out.  So I use Plan B and skip Jackson.  Instead I choose to ride up on the 20 and pass through just above Jackson...the advice of the HD parts guy.  He helped me plan a little detour just in case. Again, local advice is the best.

I have layered and leathered up, so far that has worked for me. I don't mind riding through the rain either...it smells good.  A few miles on the road and I turn onto the freeway.  Not many people on the road yet and I throttle on so I can get to Yellowstone and spend some time there before Billings.




About an hour or so on the road the rain is gone and I am a little cold so I pull off for a break and ask questions to the locals of sight seeing.  Up the road, I am told is the turn off to Yellowstone National Park and to pick a route.  Destination is a go.  I layer a little more leather and I get back on the road until I see the signs of Yellowstone National Park. I made it to Yellowstone!  I yell in my mask and enjoy the moment of accomplishment.  The roads are perfect and the scenery is incredible...and I have only just started.  I am eating it up.  In particular now, because I do have the roads almost to myself.  I take my time riding through this part. It is a breathtaking moment to me.

I ride this road for awhile until, I see a sign "Targhee National Forest" and I pull over for a photo op.  Its picturesque and vast with green.. "just like the National Geographic pictures," I think to myself, except I am here.  It is quiet.  It is huge. Its beautiful and a must see, must ride for all.  I get out my AAA book and read a little about this spot and enjoy it...then I get going.  I don't have all day, I have to stay focused. I'm planning my next trip there already.
Its been light now for awhile, and more people are on the roads, in particular trailers and motor homes.  But, passing through Targhee and into the Grand Teton National Park  is absolutely gorgeous and having it obscured by a trailer is not on my list of wants.  So I pass it and suddenly find myself on my own road.  I'm not sure where I am and I am thinking while I passed the trailer I may have missed a turnoff?  I dunno, but I am in a beautiful place where every so often there is a fly fisherman in the river running along the sides of this road.  Yes, its the River Runs Through It place.  It's topography is filled with lush greenery and trees and I feel I have discovered a perfect spot to pull over.  I take pics of the river and sit awhile watching and listening to the waters flow. I would love to have that sound in my backyard.  Pulling myself away I know have to get back on the road... I realize I have spent a few hours already meandering and still have not made half way.



This river was on each side of the road

 Signs start to appear shortly confirming that not only am I going the right direction but, I am headed into the town of  West Yellowstone and soon I join civilization.  Its packed here.  I wait to get gas.  Wait to pee.  Wait to get some coffee.  Still not many riders on the roads, but more than yesterday.  I talk to a few, and again, it seems a lot are not on their way to Sturgis but they are coming back from their journeys.  Just like our Mike Althouse from 25 Year Plan.   I also find out I did a giant loop from Hwy 20 to 14 and back... go figure that one out....I was at a spot called Fishing Bridge and didn't even know it.  Sooo......



Since I am back on 20 I head north to start my journey to Billings.  Still in Yellowstone  I go north through Gallatin Mountain Range and connect to the 89 via Bozeman/Livingston.  I stop to have lunch with two riders headed to Sturgis.  We exchange stories and then they are off.  They only have two days to spend there, so they are making time.  I decide I'd better too.  There is just too much to see in Yellowstone.  I need at least a week there.  At least now I have some kind of idea what its all about and next time, there will be one too, I will allow for it.  I ride and leave Yellowstone with a kiss til next time.

I arrive in Billings in pretty good time.  Just before the next big storm.  I walk over from my hotel to eat and find a couple of riders there again to talk to...except that they were deaf.  I sign a little, but not enough to keep a good conversation going.  Luckily they could read lips and we had a wonderful talk  They hadn't a room yet and had ridden in from Canada to go to Sturgis to meet up with their non-hearing club.  They were both pretty much worn out.  So was I.  I go back to my room and hear that the storm is a big one and possibly even a tornado.  I go back to the deaf riders and tell them... they leave and I see them check into a room there.  About 10 minutes later I am covering my bike in the rain and wind.  Whewwww.... just in time, once again.  The hotel is filled up and once again, we are all out of our rooms talking and checking out the rain. 

This is my last night on the road.  Sturgis is tomorrow.  I'm out like a light and up and out by 7:00 a.m.  Its pretty much a straight shot from Billings to Sturgis.  Miles and miles between rest stops.  I blew by the Little Bighorn Monument and continued through Buffalo and Gillette.  Toy haulers were now on the sides of the road disembarking bikes to ride into Sturgis.  "I am happy I rode", I say to myself " *grin*. I turned off to what I thought was the turnoff to Deadwood.  I'm lost again.  I find out I took an earlier turnoff and ended up in the town of Sundance.  I rode the little back roads there until I found a gas station and food and of course, a local to steer me in the right direction.  The Black Hills.  I am there.  Rocks have beautiful trees growing out of them.  Not bad to get lost for an hour or so riding in.  I notice that riders were all around now and its about 4:00p.m.  Time to find my digs in Deadwood, but first I must ride through the town of Sturgis.  Sort of a rider's right when you ride there.

Going through the town of Sturgis can get a little cranky.  Stop and go, but riding down that street was a moment of self celebration.  A just for me moment, so to speak.  Call it ego or whatever...it was my way of patting my back.  So I did.  It was great.  Nothing can compare to the feeling of riding there, and riding there solo. Yahoooo. Party time.

I arrive at the Martin Mason.  Turned the key off. Sat there and cried, smiled and went to have a drink...actually had two.  Checked into my room and relished every moment.  No way did I feel like washing the bike... it needed it too.


Best Variety sign in background says it all.

It was surreal... still is.  Its hard to think that I rode 7 states and went through 4 National Forests.  I know that a lot of riders out there do this all the time and maybe because its my first time that I am all gooey about it.  Somehow I don't think so, because I still hear other riders tell their tale of each year's ride there.  You never get over it.

All in all, it panned out the way I planned it out.  I accomplished a goal...to ride to Sturgis.  I spent 16 days enjoying this country's roads and cities on my motorcycle... solo.  I took that many days so I could enjoy it.  2 days of breakdown and repairs hit me, but  I got to visit with an old high school friend Lisa L. in Reno.  I met many new faces on the road.  I got the best advice I could ever get, "Trust your bike". I received an enormous amount of  support from everyone I talked to before and during the ride.  I never felt endangered in any way, shape or form.  I ate well and enjoyed every bit of it.  I went prepared and never felt uncomfortable when I was lost... and I was lost a couple of times.  I found out a lot about myself on this trip and know that I can do just about anything I put my strength into, even wearing the same riding clothes for six days.  No one can take this trip away from me.  Its all about FREEDOM. Its all about being free to do it. America is beautiful. 

Happy Riding Trailzzz
KT Did
p.s.  Oh... you ask about the rest of the story?  What happens in Sturgis... stays in Sturgis.  Well... maybe a post in the future...we will see.  More pics are at http://www.akatydidgig.net/