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2 Articles writen by Dal in the Montana Rider:
Motoring Under the Big Sky Spring/Summer 2004
3 Big Beautiful Tours
But, there are three truly great rides - the type of
motorcycle rides that bring out-of-staters back year after
year. Out-of-state motorcycle travel editors mention them time
after time.
They are: Going-to-the-Sun Road over Logan Pass in Glacier
National Park; Lolo Pass between Missoula and Lewiston, Idaho;
and the Beartooth Highway between Red Lodge and the northeast
entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
Going-to-the-Sun
Road Glacier National Park is not as well known to
out-of-state tourists as Yellowstone. Glacier doesn't contain
many roads, but it outdoes itself with the Going-to-the-Sun
Road, carved over Logan Pass through massive efforts of the
government. Logan Pass isn't a particularly high one by Rocky
Mountain standards at only 6,649 feet above sea level, but, as
it ascends, the Sun Road runs through some absolutely
outrageous mountains filled with wildlife.
Coming down the west side on what is essentially a shelf carved into
a mountain face can be a nearly heartstopping
experience for flatlanders. If you catch the park at the right
time, especially if the year before was wet, you can ride
through blooming bear grass, not to mention a zillion other
wildflowers. You also ride through the misting water falling
off the Garden Wall and you'll ride through finely scented
pines and catch glimpses of Lake McDonald - all this in a
little over 60 miles.
If you are lucky you'll see mountain goats or even a bear. For
a chance to see more goats ride around the southern tip of the park on U.S.
2 and stay at the Izaak Walton Inn at Essex.
Reserve ahead of time. Just a few miles south of Essex on a
steep bank of the Middle Fork of the Flathead is a natural
goat lick; there's a convenient viewing area just off the
highway. The ride to and from Glacier has many options,
depending upon where you start. All are good.
Lolo Pass
U.S. 12 crosses the Montana border over the Bitterroot Range
at Lolo Pass. This is one of the truly great roads in America.Lolo
Pass follows a historic trail utilized by the Nez Perce
Indians when they traveled to the Montana Plains to hunt
buffalo. It's also notable because Lewis and Clark crossed it
both going to and coming back from their trip to the Pacific
Coast. Lewis and Clark found through some brutal experiences
that the weather can do anything in that country.
The old Indian trail used by Lewis and Clark now can be
followed by utilizing U.S. Forest Road 500. With all the
interest in the Lewis and Clark trip, the USFS is making travel on the road
one way and by reservation only. If you
have a dual sport motorcycle or feel comfortable on a
gravel/dirt road, this is a great trip with mountain peaks for
as far as the eye can see.
Most motorcyclists, however, travel the hard road. This
country along the Lochsa River was so rough that the road was
only paved in 1961. Thank you, paving crews.
Just south of Missoula, U.S. 12 turns at the town of Lolo and
heads uphill. It is a great winding mountain road with fewer
and fewer inhabitants as you go. Make sure you have fuel. A stop at Lolo Hot
Springs can be a good thing, the Indians and
Lewis and Clark thought so as well.
There is a visitor center on top of the pass where you can
learn about the history, geography and industry of the area.
And then you descend rapidly into Idaho and pass a sign that
says "NO SERVICES 77 MILES." You then get about 125 more miles
of those nice 35-50 mph curves, billions of them.
A few miles into Idaho you come to a historical marker for the
Bernard Devoto Cedar Grove. Stop, get off, stretch and walk
around. Devoto was a great American historian who put together one of the best
books about the Journals of Lewis and Clark.
He camped at this site in the summers in the '50s while
writing the book. His ashes are scattered here.
As you progress you may see whitewater kayakers, fishermen and
many other bikers. It's a great road with the first services
at Lowell and Syringa. There are lots of blue jays along this
route and lots of hummingbirds around the cafe at Syringa.
Beartooth Pass
Charles Kuralt called Beartooth Pass "the most beautiful road in America." At
10,947 feet, the Beartooth Scenic Route
between Red Lodge through Cooke City to Yellowstone National
Park fulfills that promise.
Chiseled into the sides of a mountain, the road is constantly
losing the battle of staying in place. It often opens only in
June after the snow and rock slides are removed. You have to
really watch the weather on top so that you don't leave an 80
degree day for sleet, snow or hail on top. Snow can make an
exciting mountain road far too exciting.
The view from nearly 11,000 feet is great. There are many high-altitude
mountain lakes. There is a ski lift by the side of the road that is a
great place to watch our ski teams practice, in summer. The Top of the
World Store is not Wal-
Mart, but is very friendly.
This is a road you can ride over and over, either to
Yellowstone's Lamar Valley for a possible sighting of wolves
and a sure sighting of bison, or head south on WY 296 toward
Cody, Wyo.
These roads are the best of Montana!
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