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Thanks for all of the nice replies. As I stated in an earlier post, I used to make this kind of trip every summer, until I got an airplane. I hadn't made a good marathon road trip since around 1990. Just short weekend trips around the Southwest. This trip definitely reminded me of how much fun it is to just strap some camping gear on the bike and hit the road. I never make a plan and I pick the route as I come to junctions in the road. That's how you find the hidden gems!

Next year I'm planning to split my summer vacation evenly between the bike and the plane. They each have their unique qualities.

Some observations :

1. Straight pipes are extremely annoying in remote canyons when your hanging in your hammock in the pines.

2. I attempted to do the whole ride "unchained". That is, not eating or staying at chain restaurants or motels. I was quite successful and it was worth it. Every third day or so, I'd get an inexpensive room at a small indy motel to get cleaned up and enjoy sleeping on a bed. The little places were clean, comfortable, friendly and about half the cost of the big chains. On the food side, I was never dissapointed when stopping into a small town cafe for a bite. My only slip was having to eat at a Denny's in a small town in Utah at 10:00 PM. All of the local places were closed.

3. Since the annual migration to Sturgis was going on, the roads were filled with giant cruisers making their way east. Several times a day, someone would ask, "On your way to Sturgis?". A couple of non-motorcycling folks also asked why I was not wearing "the costume". This would be a Harley T-shirt, leather vest, leather pants (with studs) and a bandana on your head. I thought it was a weird question until I realized that about 3/4 of the riders I saw on the road were indeed dressed like that.

4. Motorcycles can usually make short work of cages on mountain roads, but some of those mountain locals in their pickup trucks can keep up with a bike without a problem. Scary!

5. Conversely, some bikers on mountain roads don't belong there. If you're riding an R6 on a mountain road and there are two VWs, and a minivan stacked up behind you, maybe you should swallow your pride, pull over and let them by. Sheesh!

6. Finally, to swipe a line from those 60s Honda ads, you'll meet the nicest people on a motorcycle. Everywhere I went, I met friendly bikers and non-bikers who were interested in my weird looking setup. I rode along with some, got some good tips on where to go and what to see, and generally had good times with everyone I met along the way. I highly recommend the impromptu road trip. Don't spend weeks planning every mile, just load up and go where the road takes you. You're sure to have a good time.

Great pics and ride report. The Colorado pics sealed the deal for me and I'll have to get there next year.....

As for the Lolo, we likely just missed you. Jen and I were there on August 12 and your pics look very familiar, only the bike is heading in the opposite direction You didn't notice an old Viffer and a red Ducati along the way did you???

And as for point #5 we made the exact same observation, and talked about it when we stopped. There were ALOT of riders on that road that should not have been there. Scary.

Hey High Side,

I missed you by a couple of days. I rode from Lolo to Kooskia on the afternoon of Sunday the 10th, then stayed overnight in Grangeville (Ernie's Steakhouse in Grangeville has fantastic barbeque).

Excellent read and pictures! Glad to see you're home safe.

flynrider wrote:Hey High Side,

I missed you by a couple of days. I rode from Lolo to Kooskia on the afternoon of Sunday the 10th, then stayed overnight in Grangeville (Ernie's Steakhouse in Grangeville has fantastic barbeque).

Too bad we missed you, it's always great to meet more TMW'ers. I'll be tracking you down this winter for info on Colorado. Speaking of winter: If I was to haul the bike south this winter how far south would I have to go to ride reasonably comfortably?

High_Side wrote: Too bad we missed you, it's always great to meet more TMW'ers. I'll be tracking you down this winter for info on Colorado. Speaking of winter: If I was to haul the bike south this winter how far south would I have to go to ride reasonably comfortably?

Well if you want info on Colorado you should also talk to SlimColo, Matthew5656 and I!

As far as south, it never gets below about 30 or so here, so come on down to the Valley! You've got at least once place to stay!

Next summer I'll be back in Colorado too, so you'll have to stop by and see me sometime there!
Wrider

[quote="Wrider]
As far as south, it never gets below about 30 or so here, so come on down to the Valley! You've got at least once place to stay![/quote]

And it only gets to 30 in the middle of the night on a couple of nights during the winter. Last winter was abnormally cool, but you can usually expect daytime temps in the 60s and 70s. Sure beats storing the bike for the winter.

The downside, of course, is that summers are incredibly hot. That's one of the main reasons I migrate north whenever possible in the summer. Been here 27 yrs. and still haven't gotten used to it.

Generally, most of the Southwest (Southern CA, Southern AZ, Southern NM, Texas) is rideable during the winter, but the higher altitude desert regions will get a bit chilly.

Wrider wrote: Well if you want info on Colorado you should also talk to SlimColo, Matthew5656 and I!

Will do!