MotoWolff

June 2023

My 1200 RT had been wintering in Southern California but it was time to bring it home to Oregon. My preferred route is to ride up the coast, but with Hwy 1 closed until at least the end of the year I saw an opportunity to explore some new riding country and reconnect with friends.

SoCal to Hurricane UT, 533 miles

You could save over 100 miles on this leg by just going up I-15, but where’s the fun in that. The way I chose went through four states via Borrego Springs, Joshua Tree NP, Amboy, Nipton and Mojave National Preserve. I had temps up to 108 but the real heat starts later in summer! The key to staying cool in the heat is to keep moving which was a little tough in Las Vegas traffic.

Hurricane to Vernal UT, 457 miles

I rode from Hurricane to Cedar City this morning and met with friends Lasse and Craig who would join me for the next few days of riding. We were the definition of diversity with my BMW, Ducati and Harley all represented. Riding on, heading east through Cedar Breaks, Red Canyon, Bryce Canyon, then on Scenic Byway 12 through Grand Staircase National Monument over the Aquarius Plateau to Torrey where we got soaked by a thunder/hail storm. After drying out a bit we followed the backroads of Castle Country to Price then through remarkable Indian Canyon to Vernal.

Vernal to Cody WY, 413 miles

Hwy 191 is perhaps the best motorcycle road that no-one has ever heard of. It runs over 1300 miles through 5 states from Douglas AZ to Bozeman MT. We departed on Hwy 191 heading north from Vernal, through Flaming Gorge towards Rock Springs and then over South Pass to Lander. From there we rode Wind River Canyon to Thermopolis, ending the day in Cody.

Cody to Anaconda MT, 402 miles

This was the headline day with a trip over Beartooth Pass, something I have been looking forward to doing for years! Departing Cody we looped around to Red lodge to ascend the north side of Hwy 212 the Beartooth Hwy. For myself the climb up to BTP was remarkable. Even though there was slow traffic I was able to pass effortlessly, never breaking my stride. It was almost as though I had the road to myself! I attribute it mostly to luck, along with a sporting attitude.

We descended to Cooke City for lunch, then on through Yellowstone, where at Mammoth Hot Springs we said goodbye to Lasse who had to turn south towards home. Craig and I continued north to Livingston, Bozeman and Butte with occasional rain and ended the day at Anaconda MT.

Anaconda to McCall ID, 365 miles

We arrived in Anaconda in a pouring rain and we would leave in one as well. The rain would continue on and off through Missoula and all the way to the top of Lolo Pass. We were expecting the roads to be wet on the other side but when we crossed the summit the weather cleared and we had dry roads. What came next was about 130+ miles of sweeping turns which was virtually traffic free! This was the definition of an epic day and I think Craig & I represented ourselves pretty well on it.

After lunch in Kooskia we turned south to our next stop in McCall ID. The weather held as favorable for most of the day until the last 50 miles or so when scattered showers returned.

McCall to Oregon City, 505 miles

This was the farewell day of the tour with Craig and I going our separate ways from McCall. He would be heading south while I would ride west, both towards home. Because of an expected long day in the saddle we got some fuel, then an early start on a damp and cool morning.

My ride home took me west to Hell’s Canyon where I crossed the Snake River into Oregon at Oxbow Reservoir. From here on the roads would be familiar as I rode, first to Baker City for gas then on to Prairie City for an early lunch after which I would follow Hwy 26 almost all the way home.

The unsettled weather continued with periods of showers and cool temps. There are a number of passes over 4000 feet on this route which although not that high, were enough to bring some falling snow with the precipitation. Fortunately it was not sticking to the road and I was able to continue between the squalls. I arrived home late that afternoon safely with very little drama. Craig would need another night on the road to get back to southern Utah.

Total mileage 2675

To summarize simply with the numbers, this trip visited 8 states over 6 days with temperatures ranging from 34 degrees to 108. Elevations from below sea level to over 11,000 feet were traversed in conditions including searing heat to driving rain, hail and snow flurries. Approximately 52 gallons of fuel were used and 1/2 quart of oil, along with about a dozen Red Bulls!

We did have some pretty bad weather on some days with some nice days too, and we found a new appreciation for Starbucks as a place to warm up and dry out a little. In the end it was a good trip and we all arrived home safely.