Bear Tooth and back 2011 Day 2 of 6

Day two August 9th

We're looking out our hotel deck window at the Palisades reservoir at the sunrise.
Loading the bikes and getting ready to go. We'll ride the Swan Valley highway past Palisades reservoir, then to Victor Idaho for brunch, over the Teton pass, we'll skirt the town of Jackson by taking a seldom used shortcut (the reason it's a seldom used shortcut is because it takes longer..) then north to Yellowstone and on to Cody Wyoming where we'll spend the night.

Rooster wants to tryout my Darkside tire. A "Darkside" tire is a car tire on the rear wheel of a motorcycle. The reason one would do that is to get more miles per $.

We stop for a group pic at a pull out...ten seconds used to be paw-lenty of time! On my next birthday I'll have to reset my timer. It's a good thing I have it set to take more than one picture!

Victor Idaho. Lots of fun shops here.

We ate here.....very very good!

The old train station, a good man who is without a doubt doing something very important in Heaven right now, grew up here. Rest (or work, he didn't sit still much) in peace Ted, you are missed.

Teton pass. 10% grades on the way down to Jackson...hmmmm, I wonder if we will see a truck with hot brakes?

Hot brakes.....

Our first good view of the Tetons.

Stop in the Teton NP visitors center and we see this cool car.

Into Yellowstone NP

Apparently this sign in necessary....

Some hotpots.

Another cool car at the hotpots.

Back when the big fires raged through Yellowstone, the handwringers said it would never recover...the park is looking great, recovery and all!

Out the east gate on our way to Cody.

We get wet.

Our stop for the night. NOT recommended.

We met and had a super conversation with the two Canadian couples riding these bikes. Dinner in Cody...pretty good.

1/4 of the Canadian group.

End of day two. Tomorrow we'll ride to Cooke City Montana via Chief Joseph highway and Bear Tooth Highway.

Bear tooth and back 2011 Day 1 of 6

Time for our annual couples ride. This year we will go north with overnight stops at Alpine Wyoming, Cody Wyoming, Cooke City Montana, Rigby Idaho and, Lava Hot Springs Idaho.

We get ready to leave Monday morning August 8th.

Kenny and Jan on the black HD (Jan injured her back the week before the trip so she will be following in their SUV), Rooster and Wendy on the Wing, Brent and Julie on the gold and black HD, and Beverly and I on our Nomad.
North on the Legacy Highway to get out of town.

We make one of my favorite northbound stops, the Trappist Monestary in Huntsville. I've mentioned before in this blog how the Trappists numbers are declining as they are not getting new members and the current ones are slowly dying off. It seems like there are fewer each time I visit. The Trappists don't talk unless communication is necessary (a good habit to be in..), and I wonder if they ever recognize me and think to themselves how much 'that biker guy is aging..' Time goes on for all of us.

Wendy and Jan on the peaceful Monestary grounds.

Photo op at a gas stop in Randolph Utah.

Then past Bear Lake and into Idaho where we stop in Fish Haven Idaho for a delicious sandwich at Gladys Place.

Looking across a hayfield to Bear Lake.

No...not THAT Paris, Paris Idaho. This Tabernacle was built in 1888, we stop for the free tour.

The Tabernacle is not for the faint of heart, gimpy knee'd, or weak ankled.

Our tour guide tells us this is still an active meeting house. Weddings, funerals, and some church meetings are held in this Latter-day Saint building.

The back of the Tabernacle.

Brent and Julie have been married for over 30 years and they still act like a couple of kids in love....how weird is that?

The local rag is right across the street.

We arrive in Montepeiler Idaho.

We quickly get our Bear-ings..... (click on the pic) and head across town where we will go north on U.S. 89

I think I'd rather sit on a bench held up by a cowgirl than one held up by bears...better yet, one held up by a bare cowgirl...

If you look close you can see a cabin/house on the middle ridge.... I can't imagine how beautiful their view must be everyday!

We arrive at Alpine Wyoming where we will stop for the night. Palisades reservoir is next to Alpine.

More bears and a direction pole at our hotel.

Our room was spacious and pretty nice. I'd be happy to stay here again.

At the gas station.

Dinner at the hotel restaurant.

And the end of the first day...tomorrow we'll ride to Cody Wyoming.