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THE 2021 Montana MOA Re-Schedule (previous 2020 Great Falls Thread)

@GTrider - I was so completely captivated by 16/14/ALT14 on my first trip through that I ride it every time I’m within a few hundred miles. Just incredible! And yes, it’s definitely a workout!

Pete

The first time I left Ranchester heading west on 14 was 2 weeks after Mt. St. Helens blew up in 1980. It was me and our 14 year old son heading to see the aftermath of a real volcano - riding two-up on my 1977 Yamaha XS7502D - a 750 cc shaft drive triple. We reached the summit on 14 and pulled into the wide pullout. We watched hang gliders pitch off the asphalt runway the gliding club had built as they headed toward the high school parking lot many miles below. On each of the dozen or more times Voni and I have been there since we always stop to pay homage to the wonderment of that day 40 years ago. I love Shell Canyon and also Ten Sleep Canyon These are spiritual places for us.
 
The first time I left Ranchester heading west on 14 was 2 weeks after Mt. St. Helens blew up in 1980. It was me and our 14 year old son heading to see the aftermath of a real volcano - riding two-up on my 1977 Yamaha XS7502D - a 750 cc shaft drive triple. We reached the summit on 14 and pulled into the wide pullout. We watched hang gliders pitch off the asphalt runway the gliding club had built as they headed toward the high school parking lot many miles below. On each of the dozen or more times Voni and I have been there since we always stop to pay homage to the wonderment of that day 40 years ago. I love Shell Canyon and also Ten Sleep Canyon These are spiritual places for us.

Highway 14 is one of my favorite roads in the west. I'm not as familiar with all the nits as you veterans are but I recall riding 14 west thought he big horn mountains and stopping at a place I believe called Bear Lodge(?) for pie and coffee. My late buddy and I sat on the back deck and the server brought us a 2nd slice of pie to sample ... FREE! He wanted out opinion. Heck ... it's Pie and it's FREE ... how much better can it be! And 14 from Cody not Yellowstone is my absolute favorite entrance into the park.

E1FF4962-E13A-4FA5-AAAB-B97E90312E44.jpg
 
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The first time I left Ranchester heading west on 14 was 2 weeks after Mt. St. Helens blew up in 1980. It was me and our 14 year old son heading to see the aftermath of a real volcano - riding two-up on my 1977 Yamaha XS7502D - a 750 cc shaft drive triple. We reached the summit on 14 and pulled into the wide pullout. We watched hang gliders pitch off the asphalt runway the gliding club had built as they headed toward the high school parking lot many miles below. On each of the dozen or more times Voni and I have been there since we always stop to pay homage to the wonderment of that day 40 years ago. I love Shell Canyon and also Ten Sleep Canyon These are spiritual places for us.

I had a similar experience on the way home from the Rapid City national in 1990. As I worked the switchbacks up the mountain from Ranchester I glanced over and was startled by a hang glider running parallel to my path, closer to the mountain than I’d have expected. I pulled over at the next pullout and watched a trio of gliders working back and forth across the face of the mountain. Their rate of descent was low; it looked like they were catching some uplift, possibly from wind on the mountain face or a lee roll, and they were working both in and out as well as back and forth across the face. It was an amazing show, and I watched them till they swung away and landed down below. So yeah, anyone taking that road needs to schedule in a half-hour stop in case the hang gliders are putting on their show!

Best,
DeVern
 
My favorite "Long" day ride is Spearfish to Buffalo via US 14/16, then over to Ten Sleep, up to Greybull, Up Shell Canyon to Burgess Junction, Over to Ranchester on 14, Gillette via 14 - 14/16. Slab it home from Gillette.

It is a shade over 600 miles and can be done all in the daylight from May - September if one doesn't dawdle.

11-04-2020%20Bighorn%20Loop%20Route%20%282%29-M.png


P5191741%20%282%29-XL.jpg

May or November, I can't remember.
 
My favorite "Long" day ride is Spearfish to Buffalo via US 14/16, then over to Ten Sleep, up to Greybull, Up Shell Canyon to Burgess Junction, Over to Ranchester on 14, Gillette via 14 - 14/16. Slab it home from Gillette.

It is a shade over 600 miles and can be done all in the daylight from May - September if one doesn't dawdle.

11-04-2020%20Bighorn%20Loop%20Route%20%282%29-M.png


P5191741%20%282%29-XL.jpg

May or November, I can't remember.

One of our favorite places to stay is Spearfish Canyon Lodge!
 
My favorite "Long" day ride is Spearfish to Buffalo via US 14/16, then over to Ten Sleep, up to Greybull, Up Shell Canyon to Burgess Junction, Over to Ranchester on 14, Gillette via 14 - 14/16. Slab it home from Gillette.

It is a shade over 600 miles and can be done all in the daylight from May - September if one doesn't dawdle.

11-04-2020%20Bighorn%20Loop%20Route%20%282%29-M.png


P5191741%20%282%29-XL.jpg

May or November, I can't remember.

Looking at your map, where is the Spearfish to Buffalo 14/16 section? This looks so neat, we may slab it from CA, just to see some stuff East of Yellowstone!
 
Calendar shock... it's only about 5 months until Rally Week!

Sadly true. I think the chance of us holding the rally next June is still no better than 50:50. The border may still be closed or open with restrictions and the numbers may still be high. In any case, I guess it will be a close run thing. When is the last point in time that a final decision must be made on whether or not to hold the rally? March, maybe April sounds about right. April is the timeframe that I have heard for when the bulk of us can expect to get the vaccine. If that is true, and the go/no go point is also April, then making the call to proceed will need to be based on assumptions and hopes.

... and "time" certainly is an issue for this Rally's success, as it pertains to inoculation.

Even your above quoted post was over 30 days ago... not much has changed?

Last year about this time I formulated a ride plan, and 30 days later it blew up. By late April, the Rally it wasn't happening.

Hopefully by end of February we've made big progress. Were gonna need it.

When is this winter's BOD meeting, that may provide some perspective?
 
... and "time" certainly is an issue for this Rally's success, as it pertains to inoculation. Even your above quoted post was over 30 days ago... not much has changed?

Last year about this time I formulated a ride plan, and 30 days later it blew up. By late April, the Rally it wasn't happening.

Hopefully by end of February we've made big progress. Were gonna need it.

When is this winter's BOD meeting, that may provide some perspective?

The Board no longer has Winter (January) meetings. Even if they did, seems too soon to have enough certainly about conditions four or five months out to make a go/no-go decision.
 
Not trying to "Wet Blanket" things......I'm still thinking the "must" considerations are expanding.

From the "Tips and Considerations" thread- https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthrea...ations-during-this-time-of-National-Emergency

I’m pretty sure we are facing another year of mask cautions. Large gatherings will most likely be put on hold due to an inability to really have a way to confirm attempted immunity. Layer that with people being nervous about large gatherings- for a while......I think it will be tough to schedule “break-even” events that depend on numbers.
Of course people that have been cooped up for a year may take the “damn the torpedoes” approach.
Hope for the best.
OM

BTW- the Tips and Considerations thread was started 10 months ago. :hungover

om
 
... and "time" certainly is an issue for this Rally's success, as it pertains to inoculation.

Even your above quoted post was over 30 days ago... not much has changed?

Last year about this time I formulated a ride plan, and 30 days later it blew up. By late April, the Rally it wasn't happening.

Hopefully by end of February we've made big progress. Were gonna need it.

When is this winter's BOD meeting, that may provide some perspective?

The big change is that there are 30 less days until the rally and we are not much closer to being in a position to hold the rally.
 
The big change is that there are 30 less days until the rally and we are not much closer to being in a position to hold the rally.

Yes... This. The situation better stated.

Concerning Greg's post just above; last year most everyone, especially business owners, were in shock as we faced the reality of C.19.

Now, a new era and reality is understood. I don't see a "wait and see" lasting very long this time around.
 
Yes... This. The situation better stated.

Concerning Greg's post just above; last year most everyone, especially business owners, were in shock as we faced the reality of C.19.

Now, a new era and reality is understood. I don't see a "wait and see" lasting very long this time around.

Clearly, we'll see what happens. I think the new reality is people accept that many public events are just not going to happen until the infection numbers and rates approach pre-pandemic levels So, if it were up to me to make the call on the rally, I would wait at least until early May provided things were progressing in a way that might make the rally possible. But, that's me. :)
 
Been watching the playoffs this weekend, seeing fans in stadiums. I think Green Bay had 9000 in Lambeau field. Way below stadium capacity... but those numbers would be an awesome rally. Things, they are a changing, for the better me thinks.
 
Even if the planned schedule is met the general population vaccination in Canada will not happen in time for Canadian members to attend the rally save for those who are early in the queue because of their work or health status.
 
Thanks for the support Kevin.

With the way the vaccinations are rolling out in this Country, unless you are in the first priority group or maybe the second, you won't get vaccinated much before June/July. With the current crop of vaccines you have to wait for approx a month between doses, you'd have to get vaccinated in the early part of May, 2021 to be able to go to the Rally in late June. Canada plans on having everybody who wants the vaccine to have it by September 2021. Only time will tell if they were successful.

So it will be a long shot for many Canadians being able to attend a rally in June, 2021. Even if we are unable to attend I still think the Rally should go ahead. The other elephant in the room is, even with a vaccine, how many are going to want to get together in a large group this year.

Lets hope for the best.
 
I feel that it will be a mistake to have the rally if the border is still closed.

I would agree because it would indicate that there is still enough concern about virus spread to keep the boarder closed, it would reduced rally attendance significantly, and we'd all miss our Canadian neighbors who could volunteer to teach us 'mericans much needed classes in politeness. :)
 
I feel that it will be a mistake to have the rally if the border is still closed.

With the number of outbreaks and vaccination rates currently in both Canada and the US, I very much doubt that the border will be open by June; hope I'm wrong. :dunno

I would agree because it would indicate that there is still enough concern about virus spread to keep the boarder closed, it would reduced rally attendance significantly, and we'd all miss our Canadian neighbors who could volunteer to teach us 'mericans much needed classes in politeness. :)

Thank you for the Canadian compliment Greg. :wave
 
With the number of outbreaks and vaccination rates currently in both Canada and the US, I very much doubt that the border will be open by June; hope I'm wrong. :dunno



Thank you for the Canadian compliment Greg. :wave

Perhaps you saw the cell phone video clip a few days ago billed as "Canadian Road Rage"? It was of one driver getting out of his car at a red light and sweeping the snow off the back windshield of the car just ahead of him in the adjacent lane. I can also remember all the generous Canadian BMW riders I met years ago touring in my R75/5 who would buy me all the (for the times in the US) high alcohol content beer I could drink just to see me get plowed. I almost missed the ferry out of Victoria - the last one at 3:00pm due to such kindness. :D
 
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