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Ride to Great Falls

Thanks for the update, any other suggestions for a nice 200-400 mile day around Great Falls?

A great ride.....

US 89 S out of GF towards White Sulphur Springs. This stretch takes you thru the Little Belt Mountains. In June you could encounter temps in the 30s or 70s on the same day. After around 93 miles at the T intersection with US 12, head east (option 1: 325 miles) or west into White Sulphur Springs (option2: 265 miles)

Option 1 (325 Miles): East on highway 12 for about 27 miles and turn right on MT 294, then 2 miles to a T intersection and turn left, you are in Martinsdale, go two blocks and take a right on Main Street and look for the Crazy Mountain Inn. Good food. Go back to the T intersection and go straight thru it and stay on MT 294 W for 27 miles, at the intersection turn right on US 89 N, go 8 miles and turn left on US 12 W then 33 miles thru Deep Creek Canyon (twisty) to Townsend. Stay on Hwy 12 W (turn right at the flashing light) for 30 miles to Helena and the intersection with I-15. It is 90 miles to Great Falls on I-15. The ride on I-15 is one of the best you will find on an interstate. It goes thru Wolf Creek Canyon and the Big belt Mountains at Hardy. You can ride much of the way on frontage roads as well. Some of them follow the Missouri as it cuts thru the Big belts and it is a very nice ride. You can get on the frontage (or recreation road) at exit 219, thru Wolf Creek, past the Craig turn off, under I-15, and then it meanders along I-15 and the Missouri. At times you will be a few miles from I-15 but I don't think you will have trouble finding your way, or getting back to the interstate if your fun meter is pegged. You need to get on the interstate at Ulm. Or just stay on the interstate all the way from Helena... it is a good ride much of the way. (If you take option one you may want to go into White Sulpur Springs for fuel before heading to Martinsdale. There will be no fuel until you get to Townsend which is over 100 miles via Martinsdale)

Option 2 (265 Miles): Skip Martinsdale. At the T intersection of US 89 and US 12 go right thru White sulphur Springs to Townsend. Saves 60 miles.


Second ride: GF to Belt, Fort Benton, GF. (150 miles). US 89 S 30 miles to Belt, at Belt take MT 331 (turns into HWY 228 somewhere along the way) thru Highwood and Big Sag about 40 miles to Fort Benton. Return to GF on US 87 S around 42 miles. Look up Fort Benton on Wikipedia. some interesting history to see, including Shep the dog.

Good book that gives insights into the early days of Montana; trapping, guiding, Indian fighting, sheriff and newspaper editor; this guy did it all.

Life and Death on the Upper Missouri: The Frontier Sketches of Johnny Healy

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0615782...olid=1PIMU7QXTED04&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
 
Kevin,
Thanks much for the suggestions looks like I'll have a couple of busy days. Be glad to buy you a beverage of choice for your troubles.
 
This is a great opportunity to ride the North Shore of Lake Superior... the route below shows the general idea *except* that instead of going around Lake Huron, you would take the Chi-Cheemaun ferry from Tobermory, ONT to South Baymouth. (that small gap in the middle) The map wouldn't route it.

From Sault St. Marie, you could ride across the Michigan UP or take the North Shore.

<iframe src="https://ridewithgps.com/embeds?type=route&id=31722004&sampleGraph=true" style="width: 1px; min-width: 100%; height: 700px; border: none;" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Wow, that looks like a cool route to take to rally:)
 
Wow, that looks like a cool route to take to rally:)

Absolutely! I did that exact ride 2 years ago and had a blast. I was in Des Moines for the rally and then headed north to Duluth and Grand Marias. I loved Duluth!! What a cool city. If anyone is doing this and is moteling it I have some great suggestions. There are not a lot of options along the way so the day to day planning is important and there are a couple of great websites for the Superior ride. It really is worth doing if you've never done it before.
 
. If anyone is doing this and is moteling it I have some great suggestions. There are not a lot of options along the way so the day to day planning is important and there are a couple of great websites for the Superior ride. .

Don't keep it a secret :) This thread is a good place to post the info.
 
ANuQUK7.jpeg

I'd love to go to this one but I can only get 10 off work at the most and while I could do 2.5 days out, 2.5 days back + the rally, I'd be missing out on a lot of great scenery on the way sticking to slab only. I think west-coast rallies just aren't for me until I get closer to retirement. (in about 40 years).
 
View attachment 77059

I'd love to go to this one but I can only get 10 off work at the most and while I could do 2.5 days out, 2.5 days back + the rally, I'd be missing out on a lot of great scenery on the way sticking to slab only. I think west-coast rallies just aren't for me until I get closer to retirement. (in about 40 years).

While I was working I would pretty much attend any National that was about 1000 miles from home so that I could enjoy the ride out and back. Or in order to ride all of the lower 48 I would fly to Kansas City and rent a bike and tour about 3 or 4 states. Did that about 5 times. When I retired in 2017 I was finally able to attend the Salt Lake City National and then Des Moines in '18. This year I will not only attend the Rally in Great Falls but plan to go on to the Oregon coast so that I can say I actually rode coast to coast! Retirement does provide a lot of opportunity to do "bucket list" things.
 
View attachment 77059

I'd love to go to this one but I can only get 10 off work at the most and while I could do 2.5 days out, 2.5 days back + the rally, I'd be missing out on a lot of great scenery on the way sticking to slab only. I think west-coast rallies just aren't for me until I get closer to retirement. (in about 40 years).

You gotta stop in Fargo... big Posse party brewing up there as you ride to the rally. :thumb
 
Wondering if your plans have changed any?

Yeah, I think there's a lot of that going around. We were supposed to leave in four days, but Vermont and New York are still under travel bans for non-essential travel. (And not spreading this thing is just the responsible thing to do.)

Plan B: We leave mid-May and follow the original route as far as Utah, then head north through Colorado, Idaho, and Wyoming into Montana to the rally. We'd save the west coast for another year.

Plan C: We leave in early June taking the old US Highways to Badlands, the Black Hills, Devil's Tower, the Bighorns, Beartooth Pass then up the west side of Glacier and cross west to east enroute to the rally

Plan D: In September we follow the original route to Utah, attend the Cedar Breaks Getaway, then meander NE to Tomah Wisconsin for another event in October.

Plan E: Sulk at home till this thing is over.

Pete
 
Yeah, I think there's a lot of that going around. We were supposed to leave in four days, but Vermont and New York are still under travel bans for non-essential travel. (And not spreading this thing is just the responsible thing to do.)

Plan B: We leave mid-May and follow the original route as far as Utah, then head north through Colorado, Idaho, and Wyoming into Montana to the rally. We'd save the west coast for another year.

Plan C: We leave in early June taking the old US Highways to Badlands, the Black Hills, Devil's Tower, the Bighorns, Beartooth Pass then up the west side of Glacier and cross west to east enroute to the rally

Plan D: In September we follow the original route to Utah, attend the Cedar Breaks Getaway, then meander NE to Tomah Wisconsin for another event in October.

Plan E: Sulk at home till this thing is over.

Pete

Love your options! I too am looking at C, D and hopefully not E
 
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