South Dakota, everything between and more

We started on Sunday early morning and our goal was Ogden, UT, a 750mi day ride, only on the Freeway. There is not much to tell if you are only going more or less straight on I80, beside the fact that the GL1200 and the GL1500 have been dry empty at one location when we pulled in a gas station and the other matter was, that the 1200 was running short before the red zone of the temperature scale, but in 100°F and constantly 70 -75mph, nothing to worry at this time. But when we run that evening in a traffic jam in Ogden all of the three bikes were quite hot, but the 1200 didn't cool down anymore and we had to stop for this day although we could go further than the 750mi. At the end of this day I had to pay respect to Kourtni because I know how hard and boring it could be sometimes as a co-rider, but she did really well and she was the one who pushed everyone back on the bike... "let's go...".

Monday was the day we looked forward to Teton and Yellowstone NP (we still have the stamp collecting in mind too). Before coming to Teton NP we had to pass a pretty long construction zone after waiting half an hour before we could even go through. At Jackson Hole we didn't trust our eyes how all three bikes looked and who do know all of us, wouldn't believe the fact that we needed to wash all three bikes, we didn't know that we had to cross one more construction zone only 100 miles later.....
 

Reiner and I already have been there, so for us it was important to get the stamp and to ride Hwy 212 this time at the eastside of the Yellowstone NP, but we did stop for the Old Faithful and did wait quite some time before he was ready to appear. The highlight for this day was then to meet some Buffalo and a pretty huge elk, which we had to pass right on the street. It was already dark at the end of the park when we started to look for an accommodation, which we found finally only a few miles outside the park, a little cute lodge and a nice bar across the street exactly right for the four of us.

Next day we did a impressive ride over the Bear Tooth Pass ( Hwy112), but with some incidents. First of all the Old Lady ( GL1200 ) did run hot all the time and we had to stop every 50 miles. The second thing was, Reiner's CB failed, at least he thought it did, until we convinced him to change helmets. He wasn't right and it was only his Mic. And so we changed mine to his helmet, because I had no use for it anyway as I don't have a CB on the 1800. In Billings, MT after a painful ride for the 1200 but a beautiful scenery ride for us over this Bear Tooth Pass we decided to look for a shop to check what's wrong with it. The reality was a blown head gasket and this two days before 4^th of July. But the shop promised us it should be finished on Friday. So my practicing with the 1800 found a sudden end at least for the next days. I packed the most needed stuff into the 1800 and took my place on the backseat and I can tell you it won't be the last time I had to!

From Billings, MT we headed to Nebraska, only because we needed the state and the stamp of Agate Fossil Beds NM there. Before we did go to our goal this day we made the way to Crazy Horse, maybe we are still alive to see it finished...but I don't think so. The day before Fourth of July going to Mt. Rushmore seemed somehow special, but if hundreds of others are thinking the same you just have to drive in line. The security in this area was heavy and all the way up to the monument there was a lot of military present and F16 have been patrolling the air, because it was the first 4^th of July after Sept 11 and they feared another attack. When we saw the traffic at the parking lot we decided to take the pictures and went on to Rapid City, where the next problem was coming up. There was a big Wildfire in the north of Rapid City, around Deadwood and they did evacuate the people to surrounding areas, means in Motels too. This was one more reason we needed quite a time to find a motel and don't even think it was a cheap one, but we didn't want to drive on this day.

The next day we had our first rain on this tour going to the Badlands, but rain isn't that bad with the right outfit and summer temperature. 'Once have been in Sturgis' was in the mind of the four of us that day and you just have to picture for yourself all the bikes for this special event, otherwise it's only a typically quite small town. Here it was time for the separation for awhile. Dave and Kourtni, esp. Dave, wanted to see Devils Tower and we did want to go already north to North Dakota because Friday we had to be back in Billings for our GL1200.

Going straight north on Hwy85, we reached Theodore Roosevelt NP in North Dakota and made the tour through the south unit where we saw Wild horses and met buffaloes again on the road, btw this is the place of the largest wild living buffalo herd.

On Friday late afternoon we arrived again in Billings at the shop, but what a disappointment the bike wasn't ready, not the fault of the shop but one of the parts didn't arrive in time, now it should be Saturday noon. This was bad news because we thought we could still make it to the Glacier NP up north where we had planned to meet again with Dave and Kourtni. So we called them and the idea came up to meet in Missoula, MT and we can go on together at least the last 2 days. We picked up our Old Lady at the shop, I could go on my seat again and on the road we were to Missoula. On the way we picked up some more stamps and the riding live was fine again. We met the two others and it was a great evening for all of us with a lot of yadda - yadda and bli - bli talking (it's insider talking), besides the fact that we didn't make it to the Glacier and that the two of them had an almost accident, which esp. Kourtni had in mind a long time after this tour.

The next morning didn't start out as good as planned. When we checked all tires, the 1500 had a few lbs less on pressure and the new tire did look like it was low already for quite a time, but we thought it will still make it till home. On Hwy 12 from Lolo, MT all the way to Walla Walla, WA the three of us had the greatest fun through all this smooth twisties and I could show the two men my growing ability going the same speed on curvy roads.

But in Walla Walla where we made the last stamp on this tour it was the end for the rear tire of Dave's 1500. He had to call a number out of the Goldbook to ask a GWRRA member who might be able to help on a Sunday. Unfortunately the one told him his friend who can do the tire changing is out for fishing but will help him Monday morning. So we had to separate again, this time in Walla Walla, WA because we needed to be home Tuesday evening.

No more incidents on the way home for us, besides the heavy rain and the horrible heat (114°F). But at this time of the year you just have to live with this circumstances, the rain around Portland, OR and the heat around Redding, CA down on I5.

Our two friends did make it home save one day later and with a new tire but they had to fight the heat too and the only thing we could do, was welcome them with a cold beer.

Beside the incidents it was a great tour again for us and we hope we will do a tour one day again with Kourtni and Dave.