Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire On the road again.

No, but it shoulda been given the reaction but I’m a concealed carry guy.

Yep, West Yellowstone would be the place to leave the vehicle, IIRC every other entrance has a hard climb to get up into the Caldera. Campgrounds 15 - 20 miles apart, relatively easy grades. General stores and restaurants same distance. $60 - $80 per person per day should more than cover it easy.

I paid $20 to get in the park ended up with some sort of season pass at that price because of my age 😎

Lake...Jeez Birdie, last time I saw that much water they called it an ocean.

First trip I did I was rushing to get up to NY so as to maximize my time with kin up there. Europe three years back I had 40 days after the motorcycle races so I could meander, which was good because I took the wrong boat to France and ended up 250 miles off course.

This one I’ve been rushing again to make up for lost time, I need to stop that in the future. I’ve given up on riding back to Texas, but the new task is 170 miles to meet my friends and their new (to them) motorhome at the LBH Battlefield in three days.

Day 13: 50 miles 456 miles total.

A great two nights at the home of one of those members who no longer posts here much on account of all the crap. Also visiting was one of the premier custom gunsmiths in the world 😎 A guy who can make you whatever part you need starting with plain bar stock. Bristoe would really like talking to this guy.

We was up shooting the breeze until the early hours and stayed late over breakfast, consequently I didn’t clear the Cody City Limits until nearly 1pm headed north.

A moderate climb out of the Shoshone River Valley over to the semi-arid Clark Fork of the Yellowstone watershed and trending downstream after that.

I was hoping for an easy 61 miles to Bridger but all day long I was hammered by strong headwinds out of the north. For reasons I don’t understand riding into the wind ain’t nearly as hard as climbing, you just ride along a gear or three lower, speed down by half.

It was getting dark by the time I got to Belfry, a wide spot in the road that has seen better days, no campground, bar/casino/motel closed and for sale. 11miles and two hours into that wind to Bridger.

Fortunately 1/4 mile out of town was a Federal impoundment with a gate. The population along the lower Clark’s Fork is actually fairly dense by Montana standards because they irrigate and grow crops but I figured no one would care if some guy set up on Federal land.

The low was gonna be about 55. The ideal when stopping overnight is just a groundsheet and bedding, but the skeeter’s were swarming, so I put up the screen part of my tent ( no fly) next to the gate in full view of the road. Even left the little battery lantern on to make it easier for the Cop if one stopped by. None did. Slept well, was underway by 7:30, left no trace.

Currently I’m in the Buckeye Bar & Casino, main drag Bridger, eating a great Denver omelet. No wind to speak of, should clear Billings (55 miles) today. I’m back among actual rural folk here instead of wealthy California transplants.

Just a drop in the bucket compared to the magma chamber that lurks below

Glad you had a nice camp spot on "our" land.

WTH, you paid for it too!

Enjoy the rest of the ride to LBH. Going to make it there tomorrow, right?

Geno

4pm local, 5hrs daylight remaining, in Laurel MT, 94 miles NW of LBH, heading that way towards Billings. My friends are spending an extra day in the Black Hills, so I got two days to do that 94 miles if I need it.

I'd say that would be a good plan. Although you're getting a lot of visits in with friends on this trip, so I'd say your priorities ain't exactly wrong... but having a few days to throw some flies at some trout would be awful sweet this time of year in that area!

Stopped here in the mass confusion of Laurel MT, took a couple of hours to catch up on pics, about to join the relative lunacy of I 90 towards Billings.

Couple of days ago, top end of Bill Cody Lake towards Cody...



Past the dam was a tunnel, not bicycle-friendly....



So they steer ya down the old original road down the gorge....

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2gEEKTR]

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody...



The Firearms Museum, to do it justice you could spend all day...



.45-70 Gatling gun..



Liver-eater Johnson's Hawken and knife....



Wade Butcher, Sheffield... most Bowies of the period were made in the UK....



Jedediah Smith's .62 cal. (20 ga.) pistol, some misguided guy of the modern era converted it (back?) to flintlock.....

Good stuff Birdie,
yes to do justice to that museum ,you do need all day.

Yesterday, 50 miles, headed north out of Cody....

Shoshone River at Cody...



Over the rise, the long downhill into the Clark Fork Valley...





The Clark Fork, at lot of water in an arid valley...



The Nez Perce passed this way too....



Land going cheap....









.

Back into Montana...



Those little white shapes on that hill are proghorn...



Campsite for the night....



View out the tent at first light....



Main Drag, Bridger MT....



Came out after breakfast and damn, nobody stole my bike, means I still gotta ride it....

Almost forgot; Wild Bill's Navy....

This has been a Great post to follow,the pics are great as is the storys that go with them. I am sure ya know, but rattle mouth cotten snakes like bushes. Be safe looking forward to the rest of the story.

Great Picts Mike. I’d love to visit the Museums in Cody again someday. And of course, the Little Bighorn Battle site.
Stay safe!!!

This^^^. Take care Birdy. I hope you dont run into a griz that wants what you had for breakfast.

You are aware the rattlers in that country travel at night this time of year, and cool nights can pull them to a warm highway or roadside sucker. Remember, the old cowpokes didnt take those things lightly. There has been many a campfire discussion concerning them, on the range.

Reminds me of the story of the northeastern lady laughing at her son running toward prarie dogs in the national forest flats out of Jackson Hole and sticking his arm down their holes. The park ranger advised her that some holes held rattlers as thick as his arm.

Once again, great pics!

thanks Birdy, great pics