Spearfish 2021

[Daboo]

NATSTOC or the National ST Owners rally in Spearfish, SD for me is more than just the rally event. It's also the ride to and from.

I left on 19 June for NATSTOC with a friend who was heading for Flathead Lake. We crossed over the North Cascades Highway.

Sanpoil River on Bridge Creek Road. A quiet spot for a rest in the shade.

My riding partner, James.

Flathead Lake where I spent the night with James' friends. They took me out on the lake that evening and showed me an island with wild horses and eagles. Very cool.

Part of my route passed through the Grand Tetons. I took a break here just down from the sign.

Ride out to Devil's Tower

Mt. Rushmore.

Gregg and Jeff. Jeff had never been to Montana yet, so we made the trip.

A moose.

On the way home, I stumbled upon a strange sight. It turned out to be the Gooseberry Badlands.

 

[Daboo]

I found out what carved all that rock out.

Look closely in the foreground. It's a rototiller. Someone spent a lot of time out there.

This scene reminded me of the first two verses of Psalm 121. "I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of Heaven and Earth."

Here's some pictures of the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway and Beartooth Pass.

Going through Yellowstone.

Chris

 

[rwulf]

Your killing me! Your pictures take me back ti my much younger days.
It looks like you took your time and looked for the beauty, good for you.

 

[Daboo]

Thank you. The rally itself for me was about relationships. Putting faces to names. Riding itself is mostly an individual activity. It's the time sitting around a campfire, or restaurant table, or on breaks as you walk around places like Devil's Tower that give you the time for the relationships.

I'm fortunate in that the way over and back gives me some opportunities to do "bucket list" rides. Lolo Pass...over 100 miles of twisty road that follows along a river. The Grand Tetons and Bitterroot Mountains. Yellowstone National Park. Chief Joseph Scenic Highway and Beartooth Pass. Bighorn mountains. And while I have often ridden over the North Cascades Highway, it is spectacular every time. I avoid the freeways as much as possible, but the way out and back is in itself worth doing.

I've been blessed.

Chris

 

[2andblue]

Awesome!!! That’s a great trip! Thank You for sharing a bit of your adventure.

 

[texas.devops]

Thank you. The rally itself for me was about relationships. Putting faces to names. Riding itself is mostly an individual activity. It's the time sitting around a campfire, or restaurant table, or on breaks as you walk around places like Devil's Tower that give you the time for the relationships.

I'm fortunate in that the way over and back gives me some opportunities to do "bucket list" rides. Lolo Pass...over 100 miles of twisty road that follows along a river. The Grand Tetons and Bitterroot Mountains. Yellowstone National Park. Chief Joseph Scenic Highway and Beartooth Pass. Bighorn mountains. And while I have often ridden over the North Cascades Highway, it is spectacular every time. I avoid the freeways as much as possible, but the way out and back is in itself worth doing.

I've been blessed.

Chris

Exceptional photo blog and explanation! I echo @2andblue's comment. Really nice post!

I'm interested to know more about how you pack your gear, prep the machine for the journey, log your miles, monitor your tire pressure, plan fuel stops, etc. Is this something you're doing with regularity? Working cogs don't always get a chance to spend weeks at a time out on long adventures like those you've shared. The pics are outstanding BTW. Really puts us into the moment.

Also, what lessons-learned have you gleaned from spending days at a time on two wheels? What sorta gear works best for the transition from hot-to-cold-to-hot? Info like that would be valuable.

Thanks again and best regards! AB

 

[Daboo]

AB, I don't do anything special. If you commute, you know there's times when you leave in the morning and it is cold...and you come home in the evening and it is 20-30F hotter. What clothes work for those days? Just because you take off on a multi-day trip, doesn't mean you do anything different.

What I bring is simple. What makes it simple is I only have the space in my panniers, top box and pillion seat. If it doesn't fit there...either it goes, or something else goes. I have a grocery sack. (Paper only, please.) ...With things I take with me on day trips, or longer. It makes it easier to get ready. Things like a tire repair kit. I try to pack a couple days in advance, then look it over and decide what I really need, and what is nice to have.

Weather is the biggest variable. I use two weather websites. Morecast is more reliable. Enter your From and To info, and the dates and time, and you'll get a forecast that shows what the weather will be at the approximate time you'll be there. Another that is less reliable, but more accurate, is a beta version at NWS EDD (https://preview.weather.gov/edd/). When it works, it is great. When it doesn't, I fall back to Morecast.

The biggest problem you have in riding in the summer, is heat. At least for me. I live in Puget Sound. If it gets to 80F, it is unbearably hot. So when the forecast is for 95F, I pay attention. When it is 117F, like it was in the shade in Kamiah, ID...oh well.

I picked up a cooling vest from Cycle Gear. This last year, I bought some cooling neck scarfs from Costco. In both cases, they soak up water and cool you down as you ride.

David Hough wrote some articles about riding in heat. At 93F, your thyroid can't keep up with maintaining your body heat. Sweat evaporates before it can provide any cooling. It's like blowing a hair dryer on high on your skin. Using something like the cooling vest, provides the cooling that your body can't provide.

Other than that, it is just a choice of roads. Google maps provides the "Street-view" that lets you see what the road scenery is like. Bing maps provides a better interface for the fuel stops. Kurviger does a wonderful job of providing routes...and exports the route to the GPS.

Not much different than a normal day commute.

Chris

 

[texas.devops]

AB, I don't do anything special. If you commute, you know there's times when you leave in the morning and it is cold...and you come home in the evening and it is 20-30F hotter. What clothes work for those days? Just because you take off on a multi-day trip, doesn't mean you do anything different.

What I bring is simple. What makes it simple is I only have the space in my panniers, top box and pillion seat. If it doesn't fit there...either it goes, or something else goes. I have a grocery sack. (Paper only, please.) ...With things I take with me on day trips, or longer. It makes it easier to get ready. Things like a tire repair kit. I try to pack a couple days in advance, then look it over and decide what I really need, and what is nice to have.

Weather is the biggest variable. I use two weather websites. Morecast is more reliable. Enter your From and To info, and the dates and time, and you'll get a forecast that shows what the weather will be at the approximate time you'll be there. Another that is less reliable, but more accurate, is a beta version at NWS EDD (https://preview.weather.gov/edd/). When it works, it is great. When it doesn't, I fall back to Morecast.

The biggest problem you have in riding in the summer, is heat. At least for me. I live in Puget Sound. If it gets to 80F, it is unbearably hot. So when the forecast is for 95F, I pay attention. When it is 117F, like it was in the shade in Kamiah, ID...oh well.

I picked up a cooling vest from Cycle Gear. This last year, I bought some cooling neck scarfs from Costco. In both cases, they soak up water and cool you down as you ride.

David Hough wrote some articles about riding in heat. At 93F, your thyroid can't keep up with maintaining your body heat. Sweat evaporates before it can provide any cooling. It's like blowing a hair dryer on high on your skin. Using something like the cooling vest, provides the cooling that your body can't provide.

Other than that, it is just a choice of roads. Google maps provides the "Street-view" that lets you see what the road scenery is like. Bing maps provides a better interface for the fuel stops. Kurviger does a wonderful job of providing routes...and exports the route to the GPS.

Not much different than a normal day commute.

Chris

Good stuff here Chris. Appreciate the tips on weather sites. Would love it if Rever and Waze would build APIs for weather data overlay. That'd be a big help. Concur on the under layer cooling gear. I'm also adding a camelback to my distance ride kit. Here in the blazing TX humid heat keeping hydrated is essential.

 

[fartymarty]

Daboo, great report and photos!

I've been to the Spearfish area in the past and it's a great area to ride for 3-4 days.
I'm hoping to finally do the Going to the Sun Highway and Chief Joseph Scenic Hwy.
on the way back home from the Three Flags Classic...if the border opens in time. Your photos
have me looking forward even more to the trip. I sure hope it gets cooler by then.

Hopefully the COG 2023 National is out west and it's cooler than lately.