I struck out to the East on Sunday, as the Western sky looked like rain in spots. I rallied up over Bozeman Pass with a general idea to explore the North side of the Yellowstone River past Livingston. I didn't even bring a map, just looked at the Gazetteer before I left. It got immediately warmer once I got to Livingston where I fueled up and then took off to go get myself lost. It worked out pretty well I think:
Yellowstone River, East of Livingston Montana.
Yellowstone again, with Absaroka Mtns to the South
East of Livingston, looking West. Near this picture I started running into antelope that would run ahead of me, at 30-35 mph. Antelope won't jump fences, they only crawl under or through them. When they are running away they don't like to stop to crawl under the fence so they just keep running and running and running. Deer would jump the fence, but these dudes just keep on truckin! I had to speed up to like 50 to pass them so they could stop and start running in the opposite direction after I passed them.
Absaroka Mtns, can't ride in there, it is almost all Wilderness designation. Doh! And still a crapload of snow!
View of Sheep Mtn, East of Livingston. Talk about Big Sky Country! Yeah!
Some road I found out there. When I find things like this I can't even contain myself and often start laughing and yelling out loud while I blast along on the KLR! So awesome! Oh yeah, I also saw NO other vehicles out here.
This picture defines so much for me:
Why I ride motorcycles that can go on dirt roads
The massive power and awe of Nature
How cool it is to live on the Northern Rocky Mtn Front and experience the dramatic landscape as it transitions between high plains to high mountains.
The space......the feeling of space that you get out here. Views of twenty, thirty, forty, fifty miles or more all the time. It is goddamn big out here!
Crazy Mountains, North of Livingston, getting snowed on while I was sweating in 65 degree sun.
On the way home I rode North to Clyde Park and then took Brackett Creek Road to Bridger Canyon back to Bozeman. Mission accomplished on this ride for sure. Found some cool new roads, cool views, didn't get rained on, didn't get lost...not bad! Can't wait till next time!
Aha, good dirt! I thought this would all be muddy and unrideable but I underestimated the power of low humidity and high altitude sun! This is about 20 miles out from my house.
These backroads are great when they are rutted up from the spring, have to stand up, and cruise at 35-40, and it's pretty fun.
Look out for 2 ft deep ruts that will eat you for breakfast....
View towards Tobacco Root Mtns....and a bunch of isolated rain showers cruising the valley...all of which I avoided.
Gallatin River, world class fly fishing for trout.
