I hooked up with highway 89 and made my way to White Sulphur Springs. Not really that important as far as routes go, but it was on my way to the next forest access road I wanted to take through the Big Belt Mountains. It was a beautiful day, sunny skies and just another set of gorgeous views. I’m a lame photographer, so if you really want to get an idea of what this looked like, get off your butt and take a trip! =)

I wound my way into Helena, and I have to say it’s a lot smaller than I thought. I guess I had a notion that the capital of a state would be larger than that. Still, the place is big enough to have a Walmart, so it’s not really small.

So I had lunch with a friend, a really good Reuben if you must know (Lunch, not the friend! Geez, can’t take you people anywhere…), and continued the adventure. I have to say I had a really lousey map of Montana. I basically had the major roads, but none of the really interesting side roads. I had planned to take another forest service road but thanks to the map I missed the turn. Not a big deal, just another detour. I cut across the Continental Divide to Avon, where I did pick up another forest service road, I hesitate to say it was the same one I had intended to get from the east side of the divide simply because my map showed only one road. I can’t count on two hands the number of roads I crossed on my jaunt back to the east, and my map didn’t show any of them! I definitely need to find a good set of maps, ones that show all the little side roads and not just the major ones. I have maps like that for Colorado and Wyoming, but I couldn’t find one of Montana before I left.

Still, it didn’t stop me from seeing some really great country. It just goes to show that the road less traveled is well worth traveling. I think people are in to much of a hurry to bother with it anymore. It’s a shame really, but I’m not complaining. It’s easier to get away from the crowds when they’re rocketing down the interstate miles away from where you are. Ah, peace and quite! =)

When I came out of the mountains on the east side of the divide again I hooked up with highway 279 and headed north, towards a religious experience. Those of you who fancy dragging bits of your bike through corners that you have all to yourself know what I mean. Curvalicious road, 70 mph speed limit, and not a single car in sight. God meant for me to ride that highway. =) If I had taken the right turn out of Helena after lunch, I would have missed that stretch of road. Have no doubt, there is a God.

After that blissful experience I motored on north towards the town of Choteau and another campground for the night. This campground was tucked away in the mountains, and also blissfully empty. As I was setting up the tent I kept hearing cow bells. It was a bit odd, so when the tent was up I went down towards the river running along the camp to find a herd of horses! Now I know what you’re thinking, “What are a bunch of horses doing wearing cow bells?” What do I look like? A rancher? They were making some kind of fashion statement…

The next morning I was on the road at the crack of dawn again, this time headed up towards Glacier National Park. It was as far north as I would get on this trip, and well worth it. Another destination that you just have to go see for yourself. I took the “Going to the Sun” road accross the park which is a beautiful drive through some rugged country.

I was there early, so traffic was light. Still, by the time I got to the Continental Divide there were quite a few people there. It’s called Logan Pass and they have a visitors center there. As I pulled up there were signs stating that there was up to a 30 minute wait for parking. fortunately I wasn’t in a car. =) As I pulled into the lot there was a nice space blocked off with cement posts around a trash can. Plenty of space to park the bike, and I wasn’t the first biker to think of it. There were several bikes similarly parked when I got there, and one gentelman pulled up while I was there and said, “God I love riding a bike!” Amen brother!

The visitors center, well it’s a bit of a tourist trap, but if you go outside they actually have an alpine preserve and a hiking trail that leads to Hidden Lake. Why is it hidden? Well you can’t get there by car, truck or motorcycle. I didn’t have my hiking boots with me, but I went anyway. It was worth it. Again, my pictures don’t do it justice.

By the time I got back to the parking lot, the day was moving on. So I headed down the west side of the park and pointed the bike back towards Helena. I had been offered a room for the night, and thoughts of a hot shower were creeping into my head again. The ride was uneventful, and there was quite a bit of traffic. I figure it was God’s way of easing me into my last two days of travel. Still, it was good to see friends in Helena.

The next couple of days were interstate days. I’m a working stiff, and it was time to head back to the job. It’s nice that the bike can cruise at 80 without a problem, but it makes for long boring days. It wasn’t too bad till I turned south back into Wyoming. There I had nothing but miles and miles of rolling plains. Oddly enough, that was probably my longest day in the saddle. I stopped in Casper for the night, up early and back on the road at dawn. I probably could have made it all the way to Denver in one go, but it’s not always smart to push it when you’re tired.

I actually pulled into the barn by noon the next day. Ample time to unpack, and restock the fridge for the week. All in all, an excellent trip and a fine adventure. That’s two more states off my list. I imagine I’ll go back sometime, but I’ve got 44 more states to visit and there’s that Canada place I keep hearing about…

Part I
Sat February 08 2003

Part II
Sat February 08 2003

Part III
Sat February 08 2003