Wetern Montana, ID, WA ride advice

Trip next week...

If I only have time for one - do I choose Bear Tooth Pass or Road to the Sun?

For those familiar with Washington State - how does HWY 20 (the North Cascades Pass part) compare with HWY 410 / Mt Rainier to Paradise to Yakima?

Any suggestions for "must dos"? Limitations are starting in Bozeman, 8 days in the saddle, no more than 6 hours riding any one day (with most being 4-5).

I've looked at bit at Lolo which would be great, but puts me south again (would like to ride more of HWY 20 and have free lodging on Lake Chelan).

Since I can't seem to post an attachment, my tentative is Bear Tooth instead of Glacier. (I hate traffic):

1. Bozeman through Bear Tooth Pass to Red Lodge (4 hour 200 miles)

2. Red Lodge to Blue Damsel Lodge (hour and half past Butte on I90) (5 hours, 340 mi)

3. Blue Damsel to Sandpoint ID (4 hr, 220 mi)

4. Sandpoint to Chelan (5 hr 20 min, 265 mi)

5. Chelan to Rockport/back to Chelan, HWY 20 pass over cascades (6 hour total, 300 mi)

6. Chelan to Sunrise MT Rainier, back to Whistlin Jack Lodge (6.5 total 260 miles, includes 821/canyon rd).

7/8 back to Bozeman.

Ptaaty said:

Trip next week...
If I only have time for one - do I choose Bear Tooth Pass or Road to the Sun?

Since I can't seem to post an attachment, my tentative is Bear Tooth instead of Glacier. (I hate traffic):

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Did the Road to the Sun a month and a half ago (it was my get acquainted trip with my FJR that I picked up the night before!) . We rode westwards from St Mary's. The ride to the pass was lovely. The ride down from the pass towards Kalispell was scenic but dead slow. I actually turned the engine off and coasted most of the way. It was a Saturday - I would not do it again on a weekend.

Glacier's GTTS Road has been closed for weeks due to a nearby fire. I think it is open now but a strong wind and...? Another fire in the south central part of the Park started Tuesday and blew up big yesterday. I' d stay away from Glacier, make it another time, preferably in the fall.

The Best of NW Montana, IMHO, is the Yakk River/west shore/east shore of Lake Koocanusa/ Trego Tunnel (Wolf Creek)/fisher River/Pipe Creek which can all be tied into good configurations. Beartooth (over it two weeks ago) should be better now that Sturgis is done; always tie in the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway with this.

Some thoughts, and I won't even charge you the standard two cents. I'd prefer--IF I had to choose--the Bear Tooth to GTTS, mostly due to traffic congestion. The Bear Tooth is SO MUCH FUN to ride, the GTTS is gorgeous, but more a scenic drive than a fun m/c road, IMHO, and so tourist-jammed the brief few weeks of the year it's open. Plus it's very frequently under construction or repair. And frankly, this year, it's so damn dry that the many many beautiful waterfalls that are usually highlights of the road are just--not there. A real shame.

I do not like the Lolo Pass. It's pretty, but soooooo repetitive, just endless winding curves through the pine forest, no variety, and a WAY-too-low speed limit (55) that I've always heard is very tightly enforced. It would be MUCH more fun at 70 or so.

Instead, I suggest you take a road from Missoula to Sandpoint. It's marked "200," not sure if that's US 200 or a state highway designation. It follows the Clark Fork River all the way to Sandpoint, and it's fun, empty, and beautiful. A great ride. Enjoy youor trip.

SacramentoMike said:

Instead, I suggest you take a road from Missoula to Sandpoint. It's marked "200," not sure if that's US 200 or a state highway designation. It follows the Clark Fork River all the way to Sandpoint, and it's fun, empty, and beautiful. A great ride. Enjoy youor trip.

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I just had to google this. It's the same road that FJRRob, Huron and I took on our way to WCR in 2010. Your right. A great road! Stop at Benji's in Plains for some of the best cooking around, cheap to!

Thank you guys so much! You confirmed my fears regarding Glacier - the right time and it would be great...but I actually will likely do this in a car with the wife (and my camera gear). I feel a lot more comfortable putting Bear Tooth as the plan....I am feeling some pressure as I am doing the planning (by default...which is why I am late) and want to show my brother and dad a good time.

SacramentoMike....great suggestion on the way to get to Sandpoint - I just checked the map I made and I was planning on 200 going from Blue Damsel (lodge name) to Sandpoint. Also great on Lolo...this makes me feel better - I get to go to Sandpoint which follows my ideal path...while using a road you prefer to Lolo.

Big Sky - thanks - I will look into that to see if I can work it in....exactly the "what do I not want to miss" type of info I wanted.

looks like you have an answer already and I concur. GTTS highway will be busy with tourist and construction traffic (at least it was last September). Better road for a car for the many photo opportunities. I did Beartooth on my bike twice several years ago and it remains one of the favorite experiences of my motorcycling life. Beautiful and exhiliarating. If you can tie in the Chief Joseph Scenic highway while you're there, you will experience near bike nirvana.

Just agreeing with the crowd. GTTS is indeed a beautiful and wonderful experience but will be S.L.O.W. Really slow. In all honesty, as pretty as it is, it needs to be ridden slowly. It is not a racetrack, it is a Scenic Drive. GTTS is fantastic if you are in an automobile and have your family with you. It would not be my pick for a motorcycle road with all the slow drivers.

Hard to go wrong in Montana. Certainly some roads are better than others but that is one beautiful state. I loved every mile I drove in Montana.

Going east on Beartooth, 'welcome to MT', 'speed limit 70mph'. This is on a very narrow stretch of the road probably 10,000' elevation. You can actually RIDE beartooth, not just see it

Hwy 86 north out of Bozeman isn't long but is awesome with some great views of the Bridger Range.

Hwy 89 north from White Sulphur Springs to Hwy 200 west of Great Falls is excellent. You could shop at the Neihart Inconvenience Store on your way through Neihart.

821 is the old ellensburg canyon road, scenic but very enforced low speed limit along with river users (rafting) cluttering the road up at times, I leave that for fall and/or spring rides.

In Washington, I'd probably pick the Mt. Rainier over the hwy 20 north cascades. I love them both, but I'm close to hwy 20 and have done it more frequently. Ideally you could go west over 410 to the west side and return east on 20 and the best part of that would be from Winthrop east to Spokane.