Anyone up for a mid-summer week long ride?

[Martin Richard]

Rats:  I know I've been out of the net for a while but I wanted to ask if anybody would be interested in going on a ~ 5 day ride in July or August?  I haven't done a multi day ride in way too long and while I'm happy to go by myself I'd be more happy in good company!  

Since I'm just starting the planning I'm very flexible.  About the only things I'd be somewhat firm on are the duration (5 days/4 nights) and the time of the week (mid week for better availability of motels.)  So in essence I'm looking at:  Depart Monday morning and return Friday afternoon.  

Given that it's mid-Summer my goal would be to head North:  Utah, Idaho, Montana and then back.  I do have a tentative route in mind but I'm not married to it and am open to suggestions.  Right now my route would be:  

Pueblo > Spanish Fork, UT via US-50, I-70 and US-6 (1st night)

Spanish Fork > Salmon, ID via Sun Valley and the Salmon River valley (2nd night)

Salmon, ID > Great Falls MT via Kalispell with possible diversion to Glacier NP depending on what rules are (reservations, etc) (3rd night)

Great Falls, MT - Thermopolis, WY via Red Lodge, Beartooth Pass, Dead Indian Pass and Cody (4th night)

Thermopolis WY > Home.  

And just to be clear, this is just a tentative plan, I'm not fixed on it, but it incorporates a lot of places I've wanted to ride for years (Salmon River in Idaho, around Glacier NP, Beartooth and Dead Indian Passes.)  Any suggestions or recommendations would also be welcome.  

My plan would be to ride for a full day every day, but I would absolutely NOT be trying to keep an "Iron Butt" pace.  I plan to take time to enjoy the sights and take some photos. 

(It probably goes without saying but I'll say it anyway:  I will be on my BMW, NOT the Sportster!)  

I've slept on the ground enough in my life so I would be finding a reasonably priced motel rather than moto-camping.  Am absolutely open to sharing a room to save costs.  

Anyway, if anyone is interested in joining me either reply to me here or at my main email at Marti...@yahoo.com.  

I will also post this on the BMW MOA of Colorado FB page.  

Thanks and hope to see you all some time this Summer! 

Martin

[DAN PILCHER]

Martin, just a few thoughts on your route ideas.

 

After Sturgis in 2008, I rode upto Glacier NP and rode east to west over Logan Pass on the famous "Going to the Sun Road."  The descent, however, was much more like the "Going to the Hell Road."  The road was jammed with tourist traffic and road construction immobilized passage.  It was stop-and-go in the sun and the heat and I was miserable.

 

Out of this came my maxim: never ride in a national park between Memorial Day and Labor Day.  But, if you entered the Park early and there was no heavy traffic, perhaps you would be OK.  It is a spectacular NP.

 

The Salmon River valley and Beartooth Pass are, of course, must-rides for motorcyclists.

 

The Sun Valley to Stanley road is a great motorcycle ride, but I have never been on the Stanley-Challis segment on ID 75.   By  the way, Ernest Hemingways's grave is in Sun Valley.  If you visit it, leave a minature liquor bottle on the grave.

 

Dan

 

 

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[Steve Smith]

Hi Martin, 

Just my perspective, but if that’s not Iron Butt pace it’s not far off. It’s at least a 3 Flags pace! 

I’ve been fortunate enough to have traveled to all those places and they are definitely worth the trip. Have fun!

Steve

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[Jim Baker]

I would love to do this.

Is June in play at all?  Barring that, since the rally is in Meeker this year, what do you think about timing it to start on Monday and roll up on Meeker on Friday, on day 5 instead of home?  

I agree with Steve, this is pretty aggressive, but doable for me.  When you get up in this part of the country, towns with hotels at all are spaced out enough to force you to choose between very long or ridiculously short days.  And Salmon River Valley is completely worth it.  US 12 west from Lolo is even better, but it goes in the wrong direction for what you are planning.  

Agree about not camping 😁 

Cheers,

Jim

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[Martin Richard]

Thanks for all the input, guys!  I'll try to answer each of you as best I can:  

Jim:  With regard to June, I think that's too early for as far North as I want to go.  I know it's been a shit year for snow in Colorado but I don't want to make a bet on there not being a late season snowstorm.  We have a camping trip from July 1 - 6 and I need to be in Pueblo on July 19th (which is why I can't make it to the RAT rally this year.)  I would kind of like to spend Colorado day (August 1st) with the family, so within those limitations, I have a few weeks in July and a few in August that would work best for me.  

Dan:  I've been to Glacier and over Going-to-the-Sun a couple of times, although not on a motorcycle.  I know during Covid they instituted timed tickets and other stuff that could complicate matters.  In all honesty, unless Going-to-the-Sun would fit fairly easily into the schedule I'd be fine bypassing Glacier to the South and taking US 2 for the simple reason that I've never been on that road before and it's always nice to try a new road.   Your concern about National Parks during peak season is one I share and is the reason I would have no interest in passing through Yellowstone.  

Steve:  With regards to the pace, I know it's ambitious but it looks reasonably comfortable to me.  With all my other hobbies I don't get as much "pure" riding time as some of you guys so when I have a chance to ride, I want to RIDE.  I'm not interested in sightseeing, exploring the little towns, or stopping to smell the roses - Eliza and I do that when we go on our camping trips.  A quick stop for a snapshot and I want to get back on the road.  So I'm happy to spend all day in the saddle and I'm fortunate that the BMW's saddle is an amazingly comfortable one.  

Thanks again for all the input.  NOTHING is set in concrete at this time, I'm trying to maintain maximum flexibility for now.  My hope is that by early June I'll have everything locked in and reservations made.  

Take care! 

Martin

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[Martin Richard]

Jim:  Looking at my itinerary, we could do this the week of the RAT rally and it would just mean that on Friday in Thermopolis we'd part ways, you'd ride to Meeker (344 miles) and I'd ride home.  So that could work.  

On Tue, May 5, 2026 at 4:43 PM Jim Baker <bea...@pobox.com> wrote:

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[Norman Wright]

I'm up for it too to end for me at Rat In Meeker.

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