Montana!

It was a cold morning outside Cody, and the thunder rumbled in the distance. That did not bode well. Our plan was to ride over Beartooth Pass. At 11000 feet it is cold up there and it will snow more likely than hail.

The KOA offered crappy free pancakes with corn syrup and meats for sale. We chatted with a family from Holland about their trip to Yellowstone. Now back to the pancakes.. they certainly didn't like them but were also forcing them down with butter (no corn syrup). And no meats. Looks like the family of six just got pancakes.

After breakfast we packed our tents and hit the road. Chief Joseph Scenic Highway was first and it was excellent. The weather cooperated beautifully, traffic was light and what little there was we passed easily. This is a road we'll suited for spirited riding.

Beartooth Pass follows naturally. The road is tighter, much higher in elevation and lots more traffic. It did not disappoint. The weather was a cool 52F with scattered clouds, and at one point we looked back down one valley we had climbed out of and saw it was raining there. What luck!

From Red Lodge to Columbus we made quick work of the perfect pavement and smoth sweepers of 78. But the ride from Columbus to Bozeman sucked. Strong gusts of sidewinds made it a miserable ride. At least our reward was a Pickel Barrel sandwich!

Next stop was Wheat Montana the a final stretch of broken pavement to Helena. Whew. Tired and beat we arrived at 8pm and met Chuck and his mother, Abby.

Chuck had ridden in from Oregon and brought with him a bottle of Deschutes Abyss, 2009 vintage. He had also stopped at Moose Drool in Missoula and picked up a growler, which was much roastier than the bottled stuff we get in Minnesota. We had a good night of chatting before we retired. As usual, Chuck and I slept out on the deck.

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