Smoke on the Water and Scenic Byways

It started off as a smoky, cool ride. Enough so that I almost changed my plan to ride south from Livingston into Yellowstone National Park. I drove north on that road in 2002 when I traveled from Atlanta to Olympia to start my job as a CDC field assignee with the Washington Immunization Program. The mountains on the east side of that valley seemed to jut straight up from the valley floor. It was a sunny morning in May and some of the most beautiful scenery I'd seen. 

It was not to be this time around. The mountains appeared spectral through the smoke. And the air quality wasn't so great either. But that's life. I was still on my motorcycle enjoying some of the best of what the world has to offer. I rode through Yellowstone on July 4, 2015. I didn't think I'd be back in the Park so soon, but what was I going to do, ride Interstate 90 to avoid it? Wasn't going to happen. 

Smoky day on the Yellowstone 

Being late summer and not a major holiday, there was far less traffic on Park roads. That didn't mean drivers weren't stopping in the middle of the road because they saw other vehicles pulled over, perhaps trying to get a view of a bison, or an an antelope, or a marmot, 500 yards away. Still, it was a lovely ride.

After exiting the Park, I made my way to Wyoming Highway 296, also known as the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. Again, some of the finest scenery and motorcycling I've experienced. 

Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, Wyoming 

After a late, fast food lunch stop, I continued south. By now it was in the mid-90s and I was starting to feel like a slab of carne seca (or beef jerky if you prefer).  I continued on US Highway 14 and was pleasantly surprised to find myself on the Bighorn Scenic Byway. It starts off through Shell Canyon and climbs to a 9000 foot pass. Not only was the scenery and riding wondrous, the temperature must have dropped 30 degrees. I was having too good of a time to pull over for photos. So we'll have to settle for what I've lifted from the web. 

Bighorn Scenic Byway, Wyoming 

I made it to my tiny, kinda scary motel room in Sheridan and enjoyed a couple of beers at the Black Tooth Brewery downtown. It was an almost 400 mile day and I deserved them.