Ken and I were in strong winds from Spearfish to Gillette and it was cold! Of course my heated jacket was in the pannier and all my vents were unzipped on the 'Stitch. We stopped for gas in Gillette and I zipped them up and put on my heated jacket. About 8-10 miles north of Gillette we hit a squall line and were in
very strong winds. I'm sure we were hitting gusts of over 50, but they were coming right at us and weren't too hard to handle. By the time we got to Spotted horse the rain had slacked off to a drizzle. After we crossed the Powder River, it stopped and we were in one of the prettiest area I've seen. Whitmeyer Creek was running full and grass was green. I saw a couple of deer and lots of cows and calves and it looked like spring in late June. We went through Ucross (Jim you and I stopped at a little chapel there in '13). The Ucross Foundation built the town and it's part of a 22,000 acre ranch. The rancher donated the land and funded it as a refuge for artists of all kinds -- writers, painters, sculptors, musicians, poets, you name it. They get 2-6 wks stay, each in their own house, with full meals, and time for solitude and group activities. Some get up to six months for special projects.
About 15 miles out of Spearfish, it started raining again, and then stopped less than a mile from our motel. We used DoorDash that night to get food delivered and had a good meal. It rained off an on during the night. When it stopped, we piddled around till close to 11, got gas, and headed north on 90 till we got off on 14 and rode up into the Big Horns. It was fairly cold on top (down to 51F just as we started down Shell Canyon -- but the men riding their Harleys were still in short-sleeved t-shirts. I wish I was a manly man.
). Shell Canyon is a beautiful ride and by the time we got out it was up to nearly 80. We rode to Thermopolis and stopped for a late lunch and then on to Lander where we stayed at the Pronghorn Rodeway Inn. We went to their restaurant and ended up having beer-battered shrimp and good red chili along with margaritas.
We left there after breakfast the next morning and it was in the low 60s. It got down into the 50s as we rode 287 through nearly-defunct Jeffery City (which during the mid-70s was a uranium boom town), to Muddy Gap and onto Rawlins. We were on I-80 for a short distance and then turned south to go through Saratoga and down to Walden. We stopped there for gas and then on down Poudre Canyon on CO-14 to Ft Collins and then home.
It was a great ride and it was good to be home. At least it was good for a couple of hours. Then I got sick to my stomach and was up and down all night. I finally got to sleep around 6:30 and slept till I got up at 4PM! I've got some pictures I'll post later.
It was good to see everyone and I want to thank Jim for moving my bike off the wet soft grass for me. I have to agree that the NT is too heavy. But everything else about is just perfect for me...and it's a lot lighter than my '99 Concours.
The DR650 is a Goldwing next to it. The seat gives the name "Ironbutt" a whole new meaning. Maybe someone will come up with a seat or seat cover. Right now its an off road bike with enough dodahs to be street legal. Artemedes, watch for a PM from me. Chris
