Bliss

Absolutely perfect mixed with a sense of homecoming.
It is hard to describe the euphoria I experienced this morning. After breakfast and packing we got onto 14 west up the Bighorns. Traffic was light and we hustled quickly around what little there was. This road is one of the highlights of the trip, containing lots of corners and scenery as it scaled the mountainside. It traverses the bighorn plateau and that's where the combination of scenery, open road, temperature and music made it a blissfull experience. Along for the ride was a feeling of homecoming, of returning to the mountains, fulfilling a yearning. Just ... Perfect.

As we approached the western edge of the Bighorns we stopped at a final overlook near 9000 feet and talked to a couple from Wisconsin. There are many travelers here from the midwest, we also met a couple who rode their Harley from Minneapolis.

Cody was a good place to stop for lunch and i had pancakes at a little cafe we found, and some coffee too. Then we were off to chief joseph scenic byway and while traffic was heavier, the scenery was good enough to slow down for. There was a group of harley's who could actually take the corners above the posted speeds, and they wore protective gear. We were duly impressed, except that the last one burned a lot of oil.
If you know this area then you know that chief joseph connects to heartily pass on the way to Red Lodge. In my opinion this is the most scenic highway in North America. Alpine meadows and lakes, snow covered peaks, craggy summits, exposed geological features... Yes, I will upload photos at some point.
From Red Lodge to Columbus was mostly uneventful. Chuck almost collided with a bicycling riding against traffic wearing all grey clothing, then narrowly missed a turkey family, turklings and all.
All in all, it was day with lots of riding but all of it great.
Our campsite was at a free county park, and that is reflected in the clientel. Shortly after we set up camp and dinner (I had an MRE, Paul soup, and Chuck a can of peaches, a camp neighbor came over and told a bunch of stories about himself which he either believed or expected us to believe. Personally I think he was a poor white skinhead. Eventually Paul and Chuck feigned interest in the river nearby and i said something about cleaning up the site and went away. Paul and Chuck returned when texted that the coast was clear, and Chuck produced Oreos. When the Oreos ran out, the skeeters became aggressive, and we retired for the night.