If you ever get the chance to ride our route today I think you will agree it is one of the most beautiful rides in the world. We tried to take it all in. It was a long day. We topped 400 miles in a little over 11 hours. I’ll admit the speed limit is not always limiting, but the summer traffic in the National Parks of the USA can move very slow. The speed limit is usually 35 or maybe 45 miles per hour, but with all the sightseers and cars pulling over to look at the scenery and wildlife, it’s slow going.
We left Jackson Lake Lodge in the Tetons early, around 7AM. In one day we saw the Tetons, Yellowstone, the rolling planes of Montana, and the Glacier National Park mountains. The views were stunning, especially while riding on a Harley Davidson. There is just nothing like it.
When we left this morning the temperature was below 30 degrees. We had to pull out our heaviest riding gear, yet within a few hours we were burning up from the hot sun and shedding layers. I was surprised to notice my odometer when we stopped along the side of the road to remove our rain gear. It showed 1000.4 miles. (picture below) What are the chances?
I understand why Montana is called “Big Sky” country. The sky can be just as majestic as the landscape. Being from Kansas I didn’t expect to see such endless wheat fields across the Montana plains. It reminded me of home.
While driving through Yellowstone today we saw lots of wildlife, including a bear. Wildlife are easy to spot because there are usually tourist standing along side the road pointing in their direction. Elk, Moose, Buffalo, and Bear are the most exciting to see. We stopped to get a photo of a beautiful Bear right next to the road. Not being inside a vehicle can be a bit unnerving while looking for Bear. I was trying to reach for my camera and not paying attention to the Bear and the man in the car next to me rolled down his window and said, “hey buddy, the bear is right next to you”. He startled me and as I turned quickly to look, the bear took off.
Dave got a great photo of the Bear. He missed the shot of my terrified face. Although, I am finding Dave is rather brave. He moved a little to close for comfort to get a picture of a buffalo today. But what a great shot. (below) This experience reminded me of the coast of Argentina when we stopped to rest along the road and saw Walrus sunning on the beach. (picture below) We got a little too close that day as well. Walrus move faster than you think. Like the old saying goes, “you don’t need to outrun the Bear, you just need to outrun the guy running with you.”
We are anxious to reach Canada tomorrow. It’s sometimes hard to comprehend just how far we have come since Ushuaia, Argentina. We will cross the Canadian border tomorrow, the last country on the map before we reach the Arctic Circle.
One more thing, I thought it pretty funny as I walked into the hotel this evening to get an Instagram notice from a friend who posted a Tsunami warning for Alaska today. (picture below) This trip just might end with a very dramatic finish. Thanks Allen!
As always, we are posting videos and other interesting photos on Instagram and Twitter.
@GeraldSmith
@DavidClouseUS