10th Nat'l NT Rally - Jun 24-27, 2020 - Spearfish, SD

[Frosty]

That is pretty much the same route except the loop into the N Big Horns. We also prefer the cut off outside of Ten Sleep. It is shorter and kind of rural WY. Just need to be careful of pick-ups parked in the road.

In the past, we would cross the Big Horns using the N route and return on the S route. The loop addition might be a good option depending weather, time, traffic etc. The other option Chris and I may take would be to continue the Beartooth Highway and cross N Yellowstone (always open, even in Winter) rather than take the Chief Joseph to Cody. Although the morning ride from Cody along the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway to East Yellowstone is very nice. The morning sun is at your back and lights up the rock formations ahead.

The breakfast buffet at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel is a treat to look forward to, but current times may change that. Yellowstone may be crowed or completely empty, who knows. If there are no campgrounds or hotels open, it will be empty. It is too big and distant for much day only use. Many of the seasonal workers around the area are from Europe, Asia, etc. They are in work/study abroad programs. I rather doubt any of those people are here. I am not sure how easy it would be to replace them. There is usually much training.

 

[Coyote Chris]

That is pretty much the same route except the loop into the N Big Horns. We also prefer the cut off outside of Ten Sleep. It is shorter and kind of rural WY. Just need to be careful of pick-ups parked in the road.

In the past, we would cross the Big Horns using the N route and return on the S route. The loop addition might be a good option depending weather, time, traffic etc. The other option Chris and I may take would be to continue the Beartooth Highway and cross N Yellowstone (always open, even in Winter) rather than take the Chief Joseph to Cody. Although the morning ride from Cody along the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway to East Yellowstone is very nice. The morning sun is at your back and lights up the rock formations ahead.

The breakfast buffet at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel is a treat to look forward to, but current times may change that. Yellowstone may be crowed or completely empty, who knows. If there are no campgrounds or hotels open, it will be empty. It is too big and distant for much day only use. Many of the seasonal workers around the area are from Europe, Asia, etc. They are in work/study abroad programs. I rather doubt any of those people are here. I am not sure how easy it would be to replace them. There is usually much training.

Phil's first deviation has little interest for me...same scenery as taking the interstate....
The second deviation holds more interest if the weather is fair. Though I have been over all of this on a bike for the last 40 years, I still love it. Some times it just depends on how folks feel at the time. And there are no worries with people splitting up for part of the day. Phil may not know about the ten sleep/Manderson cutoff.

 

[Phil Tarman]

I've never ridden it, Chris. But it would be a good idea. It's up to you guys if you want to do Shell Canyon and Burgess Junction, but if the weather's decent and we get out of Buffalo before it's too late, I really want to do that part of the Big Horns. I'm getting older and, who knows, I might not get back up that way.

That would make the route look like this: Big Horns from Spearfish to Red Lodge

 

[Coyote Chris]

I would just add that I would like to visit the interpretive center at the Heart Mountain Concentration camp.

National Historic Landmark - Heart Mountain WWII Japanese American

Heart Mountain WWII Japanese American Confinement Site: award-winning interpretive center & National Historic Landmark site.

www.heartmountain.org

The easiest thing for me would be to ride direct to Cody from the Beartooth, if we decide to go to Cody, and if the camp center is open (13 miles north of Cody), bop up there for a bit or if the center is not open, just to ride up there and take it in. No biggie but after seeing the high security concentration camp at Tule lake, which is largely intact and now something else, I would like to see the barracks at Heart Mountain. At some point, I want to see the camp in Colorado also and others.
(fun fact:
George Takei, Mr. Sulu on Startrek, was held at a horse stables in California before being shipped to first one camp, then Tule lake. “I know what concentration camps are,” Takei tweeted to his nearly 3 million followers. “I was inside two of them, in America.

My favorite Heart Mt Photo. A train full of inmates is allowed to leave Heart Mt in July 1945.

 

[Coyote Chris]

I've never ridden it, Chris. But it would be a good idea. It's up to you guys if you want to do Shell Canyon and Burgess Junction, but if the weather's decent and we get out of Buffalo before it's too late, I really want to do that part of the Big Horns. I'm getting older and, who knows, I might not get back up that way.

That would make the route look like this: Big Horns from Spearfish to Red Lodge

Thats the really nice thing about this kind of trip! Everyone can do what they feel like at the junctions. Maybe you and Frosty go on to go back into the Big Horns (Shell canyon is very nice) and I go right to the brew pub in RedLodge! Err...I mean hotel. I wouldnt daudle too long making reservations no matter which hotels you choose. You can always cancel.

 

[Phil Tarman]

It's looking pretty good for Mike Simmons to join us in Spearfish and on our ride afterwards. Since he retired, he's hoping to come to my house on the 23rd of June, and then we'll ride up to Spearfish, meeting Jim Moore in Crawford.

I've got reservations as of today in Buffalo at the Super 8, in Red Lodge at Yoderlers, and in Casper at the Evanston Super 8 (east side of town). Plus, of course, Bell's Motor Lodge Motel during our semi/mini-NT-Owners Rally.

 

[Coyote Chris]

It's looking pretty good for Mike Simmons to join us in Spearfish and on our ride afterwards. Since he retired, he's hoping to come to my house on the 23rd of June, and then we'll ride up to Spearfish, meeting Jim Moore in Crawford.

I've got reservations as of today in Buffalo at the Super 8, in Red Lodge at Yoderlers, and in Casper at the Evanston Super 8 (east side of town). Plus, of course, Bell's Motor Lodge Motel during our semi/mini-NT-Owners Rally.

Things are opening up all over the west in a hurry. WA, ID and MT and WY are now open for travel....State campgrounds are opening up.....forest service campgrounds are now opening up but slowly.

 

[Coyote Chris]

Tropical storm hits Wisconsin, 4 inchs of snow in Butte. Two weeks till Rally!

 

[mikesim]

Tropical storm hits Wisconsin, 4 inchs of snow in Butte. Two weeks till Rally!

JJ has two weeks to shovel hisself out! The tropical storm just went thru here, we got less than an inch of rain. Central MO got much more.

Mike

 

[junglejim]

JJ has two weeks to shovel hisself out!

I have the snow shoveled AND the grass cut. I'm planning on changing my MO in motorcycle camping. I'm going to order some freeze dried meals and practice cooking them (boiling water). I generally don't camp with food that may attract coons and bears. And I'm not comfortable depending on restaurants for my meals yet. This will be a new adventure. I've done plenty of camp cooking in the past but I quit carrying all the "stuff" required for that.

The only hitch comes from my wife. She wants me to cut the hay when it is at optimum maturity. It hasn't rained enough yet this year for that to happen. It will be optimum during the Spearfish week. She thinks her darling horses can't eat hay that is overture and stemy. And of course, if the hay isn't to her liking it is my fault as the spouse. I remain confident the horses will survive quite well, kit's my marital relations which may suffer.

I tried programming my GPS for the trip. I usually take Hwy 212 but this year I'll use Hwy 200 for a change. It turns out that I can't use my computer to plan and save a route because TomTom never had a program to do that on Mac. Tyre does work on PC. My new (used) GPS was the only mode with that issue. But if the GPS fails I can follow the ND/SD border westward until I cross the Missouri River and then turn SW to Spearfish. Not hard to find.

 

[Frosty]

... I'm going to order some freeze dried meals and practice cooking them (boiling water). I generally don't camp with food that may attract coons and bears. And I'm not comfortable depending on restaurants for my meals yet. This will be a new adventure. I've done plenty of camp cooking in the past but I quit carrying all the "stuff" required for that.

Great to hear that we might see you! Gourmet Hay? I just wanted lighter bales to buck up on the wagon.
I don't carry anything that smells in bear country. I put the sealed freeze dried food pouches into plastic bags. The waste is immediately put into bear proof waste containers.
Chris got me hooked on these small burners that screw on to a fuel canister. They are small enough to carry 2 if you are worried about reliability. I bring a small Optimus Teapot which the burner fits in. Pretty small package. Bring a long spoon/spork, a water container, and a travel mug with instant coffee/tea. Should not need more.

We did not see many people on out trip around Idaho. The exception was the resort in Stanley ID. We ate dinner on the outdoor deck (wait service) with no one else there, but there were 3 people ahead of us to pay our check inside at the bar. The camping area behind our hotel had many people enjoying their outing. The Subways that we stopped at had maybe one or two other customers. We picked up food and ate in the hotel breakfast area for a dinner and a breakfast. Pretty much had the places to ourselves. I don't remember being uncomfortable with too many people.

The Spearfish Applebee's and Perkins are both open for dining in and carryout (as I suspect are most restaurants in Spearfish) but we can do pickup and eat in the campground pavilion.

 

[junglejim]

I'm going to order some freeze dried meals and practice cooking them (boiling water).

Well, that plan changed. 90% of the freeze dried meals I checked on were out of stock. The only things left were the stuff no one wants (including me). So, as now, I'm planning on traveling same as usual (with some extra precautions), but reserving the right to opt out if the health issues get worse.

Only difference is I plan to take a more northerly route this year. It has been about 10 years since I used Hwy 200 and then drop down and cross the Missouri at Mobridge.

 

[Phil Tarman]

It's looking good for Mike Simmons and I to get there. We'll meet up somewhere on US-34 in eastern Colorado next Tuesday and then he'll spend the night with us and we'll ride up on Wednesday. Right now we're planning on meeting Jim Moore in Crawford, NE, on our way. Then Mike and I will share a room at Bell's Motor Lodge Motel, at the Super 8 in Buffalo, at Yodeler's in Red Lodge, and then at the Super 8 on the east side of Casper on our way home. Mike will also spend the night here before he heads on back to Missouri.

 

[Coyote Chris]

It's looking good for Mike Simmons and I to get there. We'll meet up somewhere on US-34 in eastern Colorado next Tuesday and then he'll spend the night with us and we'll ride up on Wednesday. Right now we're planning on meeting Jim Moore in Crawford, NE, on our way. Then Mike and I will share a room at Bell's Motor Lodge Motel, at the Super 8 in Buffalo, at Yodeler's in Red Lodge, and then at the Super 8 on the east side of Casper on our way home. Mike will also spend the night here before he heads on back to Missouri.

The heat is on!

 

[Phil Tarman]

I think we'll have a bit of a break while we're at Spearfish, but it sounds like it's gonna' get hot again by the time Mike and I get back to Casper and Greeley.

 

[DirtFlier]

Looks as if the "NT National" is just around the corner so everyone please be safe and have a good time!

 

[ADK Jim]

Yes, and please take some pictures of the participants and their bikes too! Be safe.
Jim

 

[Coyote Chris]

Looks as if the "NT National" is just around the corner so everyone please be safe and have a good time!

We will miss not seeing any of our friends that can not make it. We shall take pics of members in deep philosophical (Phil)
thought and conversation.

 

[Coyote Chris]

BTW, anyone who wishes that their picture not be posted after the rally, please contact me and write your request on the back of a $20 dollar bill. Thank you for your support.

 

[junglejim]

Back in the Day
Phil and Jim on their way to AK after Spearfish.

I wish Mike and I could have repeated that one this year.