Day 7

Mark Quigley, a friend who is guiding trout fishers in the Dubois area, stopped by our cabin this morning for a short visit. We headed for the Grand Tetons stopping for breakfast on the way. The Tetons were gorgeous as always so we stopped for group photos. From there we ran south to Utah and rode along the east side of Flaming Gorge then turned East at Vernal to end up in Craig, CO for the night. 

     Norm.                                  Frank

         The Grand Teton Mts. 

    Steve       Norm, Frank, Jim,     Jerry

          Steve

                           Jerry.      Frank

 

                                       Jim

Jackson Hole

Day 6

Well we found out how the Wind River got its name. We hit wind gust up to 60mph coming into Thermopolis, WY and 40mph winds on the road all the way to Dubois, WY where we are spending the night. It's fairly calm with blue skies now. The morning portion of our ride was real nice going over the Big Horn Mts. 

Jerry goofing around 

Day 5

Great day today riding North through Wyoming. It was nice and cool and very little traffic on the secondary highways that we took to Cody. Norm stopped in Cody for a set of tires and Steve stayed with him. Us other guys kept riding up over Chief Joseph Hwy and Beartooth Pass into Red Lodge, MT where we are spending the night at yet another KOA

Beartooth Mountain

Day 4

We arrived in Rawlins, WY. Had a nice ride today up over Grand Mesa in Colorado. 

Frank, Jim, Jerry, Norm, Stig

One cabin

Second canin

Day 3

We took a little ride to Ouray for lunch of an ice cream cone which would not surprise our wives. Steve decided to stay back at camp. It was a very nice day with temps in the 70s. 

A 1950 truck the year I was born. Frank says it looks better than me. 

Narrow gauge train pulling into Silverton. 

Norm and Jerry

Frank

Bear creek waterfall

Beautiful

Day 2

Today was a lazy day just sitting around camp and visiting. Norm and I went into Ouray for lunch while Steve fixed a flat tire. Around 3:30 Frank and Jerry showed up so we are now having cocktails waiting for the evening BBQ to start. 

Day 1

Today started at 5:00 am. I left home with good weather and 65 deg. It cooled down to 48 in Flagstaff but then warmed up as I headed to the four corners with a high of 95 but then cooled down as I got into the mountains of Colorado. I reached the KOA in Ouray at 3:00 MST which ended this 450 mile day. 

I met this rider at the McDonalds in Kayenta, AZ. He is from Switzerland and is nearing the end of an around the world trip that started in April of 2015. He's 68 years young. It was very interesting talking to him. He gave me the link to all the pictures he took along the way.

Near Kayenta

Going over Lizard head pass near Telluride.

Steve, Norm and I at our cabin in Ouray, Co

Summer of 2016 ride

Summer is here and time for another great motorcycle ride around this great Nation of ours. Starting Thursday June 23rd I'll be meeting brother Steve along with Greg Kane and Norm Wright in Ouray, Colorado for a weekend event put on by a member of the STowners forum. Friday friends Frank and Jerry will join us.


When the weekend is over some of us will head North through Wyoming to Red Lodge, Montana. We will turn around and go back to Colorado for half a week of riding around that wonderful state.


We will all split up and I'll go back to Kansas City with Steve. I'll then go to Iowa to visit my folks and friends and drive my folks in their car to Wisconsin for a family gathering.


When that's over Steve and I will again jump on our motorcycles and ride to Hamburg, NY for this years annual BMWMOA motorcycle rally. After that weekend I will start my travels back to Arizona once again traveling through Colorado to attend a small BMW rally in Paonia, CO.


I'll be gone until July 24th. Click on the SPOT box on the right side of this screen to see our actual route as it's happening.


Thanks for following along.

The thrill is gone

This is our last day on the road and all are either home or close to it. Steve headed East on I-70 through Colorado and will spend the night in Limon, CO and finish up tomorrow.

Frank, Jerry, Bruce, Duane and I rode South and got to use our rain gear again. We Stopped in Mexican Hat for breakfast and then again in Kayenta for gas. No pictures of  Monument Valley as it was socked in with low hanging clouds.

Duane and I arrived home at 1:00 pm after riding through a heavy rainstorm laced with HAIL between Flagstaff and Williams, what a joy that was.

The Phoenix boys all made it home safe and sound.

 

Breakfast in Mexican Hat, UT

Our last night

Tonight we're staying in another KOA cabin in Moab, UT. Shortly after arriving my neighbor Duane showed up. He knew we were staying here tonight and he needed to go on a ride so he came up today.

Our ride today went through some nice areas in the Uinta Mountains which are one of the few ranges in the country that run East and West.

Jerry sitting on Duane's BMW 

Duane on his bike

Our bikes

Steve, Bruce, Jerry, Frank, Jim