Suggestions for Sport Touring rodes in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho

[TX_Oldguy]

We are currently planning our Summer '09 Sport Touring ride to the Montana, Wyoming and Idaho area.

We like lots of twisties away from the busy crowded cities.

Can anyone suggest the best areas, highways, etc.

Many thanks,

Tx_oldguy

 

[fjrb0]

When are you guys heading out? And are you riding all the way or, God forbid, trailering part of the way? Fly and Ride? How many days are you riding, and how far are you comfortable riding each day? And finally, how picky are you on your accomodations at night?

We are doing about the same ride in late May, early June. Three bikes leaving for western Ark, one coming up from New Braunfels, two from Lubbock. Meeting up in Las Vegas, NM, then heading up thru central Colorado, kicking over into northeastern UT and Flaming Gorge, then up to Pinedale, WY and into Jellystone from the south. Looking at doing some roads in Idaho, but looks like there are plenty of good roads around southwestern MT. It depends on how tired the guys are after the ride out, but I got some good route planning info on the PNW link on this forum for some Idaho roads.

You almost HAVE to do Bear Tooth Pass. Again, depends on time, but Glacier is awesome. I also enjoyed Devils Tower and Custer Battlefield (not so much the road at Custer, but the history)...

We've stayed in Marriotts, and Larriotts (there's a story there, $9 a night per person). As long as the sheets are clean, we're in!

 

[Pjturbo]

I'll need you're definition of "twisties". i.e. 20 - 30 mph corners with no straight more than 1/4 mile? There are not a lot of that type of road in WY, MT. Some suggestions.

CO. 14 from Fort Collins to Walden.

WY 120 Thermopolis to Cody. At Thermopolis stop at the Hot Springs State Park, check out the dead animal bar in the Best Western. Don't miss the Cody Museum in Cody. I would spend two days there and do a day ride of Dead Indian pass and the Beartooth.

See the thread on "Idaho Roads" for ID.

This is BIG country.

Phil

 

[madmike2]

One of my favorite adventures in ID is riding the Sawtooth Mountains. I've ridden it twice from the Boise area, once north on Hwy 55 & once north on 21, East on Hwy 21, south on Hwy 75 and on the way home from WFO6 (Park City UT, with FJRay) north on 75 to Ketchum (Sun Valley Ski Area) , West on Hwy 21 to Hwy 55.

Another ride that's on my list and should be fulfilled on my way home from CFR is Hwy 12 (Lolo Pass) between Missoula MT and Lewiston WA.

When at WFO-4 in Moscow ID, we rode Hwy 8 east to Hwy 3 north around the east side of Lake Couer d' Alene. Very pretty 30-45 mph ride.

Be aware that southern ID is high desert terrain so I-84 (Boise, Twin Falls, Pocatello, Idaho Falls), Hwy 93 etc., are long and relatively flat so bring hydration and cool vests.

 

[Bungie]

Another ride that's on my list and should be fulfilled on my way home from CFR is Hwy 12 (Lolo Pass) between Missoula MT and Lewiston WA.

I've got Lolo pass routed in should Hwy to the Sun /Beartooth passes still be closed on the 3rd weekend in June. I'd do them all if their was anyway to route them together nicely without riding an extra 1000km to do them all at once in a 2 day orgy of altitude and twisties.

 

[fjrb0]

Be aware that southern ID is high desert terrain so I-84 (Boise, Twin Falls, Pocatello, Idaho Falls), Hwy 93 etc., are long and relatively flat so bring hydration and cool vests.

That is what I love about riding out west, bring warm clothes and a cooling vest!!!!

 

[rickcorwn]

Fun routes through the Big Horn Mtns are US-14, US-14A and US-16. In the central part of the state is the Big Horn Basin thing get flatter but there's still US 20 between Thermopolis and Shoshoni along the Wind River. Some have already mentioned Beartooth (US-212) and Chief Joseph Hwy (WY-296) once you get west of Cody on US-14 it gets interesting again. Togwotee Pass US-26/287) is another good one but there's some significant construction going on there these days. There's tons of good riding in the Black Hills, Yellowstone can be crowded but is otherworldly, Grand Tentons Nat Park is really scenic but Jackson can be really spendy to stay in.