Uncle Sam 2023: road trip travelogue part three
Mons Chapter Belgium explore the wonders of Yellowstone National Park and there’s a surprise in store for Eric…
Words and photos by Eric Bierny
Day 9: Cody, Cooke City, Hot Spring and West Yellowstone, 175 miles
The weather was sunny and warm as we took Wyoming Highway 120, then 296 (the “Dead Indian Hill Road”) to join the Beartooth Highway to Cooke City. Beartooth Highway is heaven for bikers, with lots of twists and turns above exceptional scenery, cows on open ranges and wildlife. We stopped by a river coming down the mountain, relaxed and took some pictures before hitting the road again. When we arrived at the north-east entrance to Yellowstone National Park, we had lunch in the parking lot and spoke to some French visitors.
At 2.30pm we resumed our journey to see the Petrified Tree, then continued to Mammoth Hot Springs. Hot water was flowing from the ground, cascading over travertine terraces. On our way back, we rode with the sunset – gorgeous! We crossed the Dunraven Pass at 8,800 feet (2,700m) elevation. Arriving at our hotel around 9pm, we started our evening with some grilling, wine and beer… thanks to Vincent and Pascale who went ahead with the grocery shopping.
Day 10: Exploring Yellowstone
I awoke early in the morning and walked the small “town”. Back at the Westwood Motel we enjoyed a nice breakfast together and discussed the day, before doing some grocery shopping and splitting into groups to explore the park. Our group stopped by Norris Geyser Basin and Beryl Spring, then headed to Yellowstone Canyon. We took our lunch and walked down the trail to see the Lower Falls, then finished the day by visiting the West Thumb and Grand Prismatic Spring. Waving at other bikers we saw a mother bear and cub, plus some solitary buffalos. Road works slowed down our park visit, but you could spend a whole week and still not have seen it all…
Heavy rain poured on us as we returned to the hotel for a free evening. My family and I spent a great night in the restaurant and during dinner I learnt that one of my sons had proposed to his girlfriend! A friend, who was dining with us, is going to be his best man. What a day!
Day 11: West Yellowstone, Jackson Hole and Pinedale, 200 miles
All packed up, we checked out of the motel and hit the road to view Grand Prismatic Spring from above. There was already a queue at the park entrance, and we walked along a trail to the observation terrace. After seizing the photo opportunity, we continued to Old Faithful, arriving just as the geyser blew. We shopped for souvenirs while waiting for another eruption, and eventually it blew a stream of steam and hot water. We could hear it and feel the droplets of water on our skin – well worth the wait!
We left the park in the direction of Grand Teton National Park (another blast) before rain poured as we headed to Jackson Hole. Just after the rain, the air was filled with the aroma of pine trees… it gave me such a sense of freedom and happiness. This is one of the reasons why I love riding.
Mid-afternoon we discovered Jackson Hole, visited the dealership and stopped for a beer at a bar. We were on our way to the last stop of the day: Pinedale. The road to Pinedale was like heaven for a biker, winding between the hills and following the bed of the Hoback River, crossing over from time to time. We arrived at our hotel at 8pm, finishing the day with dinner. Afterwards, we came across a stray dog in the street and called the phone number on its tag. It belonged to the owner of the restaurant where we had just dined, and he thanked us – the dog hadn’t been seen since mid-afternoon. Life can be strange sometimes, what a magical day.
Day 12: Pinedale to Vernal, 210 miles
We said goodbye to the buffalo head in our hotel and rode to Flaming Gorge along highway 191. Playing hide and seek with the rain, the scenery was as gorgeous as the days before. At lunchtime we stopped at a family restaurant in Cedar Springs Marina. The meal was good, and we had fun joking together and discussing our trip. Finally, we reached Vernal, Utah and checked in, going directly to Jensen for a quick look around the dinosaur exhibition before it closed.
Day 13: Vernal to Moab, 210 miles
Making an early start, we rode on to arrive in Moab, Utah, for the afternoon. Morning rain cooled the air and left the scent of hay. We could see small derricks after crossing the state border, and after entering Colorado for 100 miles we watched the landscape change from green pine trees to desertic, with low vegetation and cacti. After riding for an hour and a half, we stopped to enjoy the scenery and rest. We chose to ride along the Colorado River and across gorges on our way to Moab, a blast once again!
Reaching Moab around noon, the temperature was in the low 40s (degrees Celsius) and we stopped at Gloria’s for lunch where we happily enjoyed the air conditioning. We then set off in the direction of Dead Horse Point to begin our exploration of Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park. We met a French couple from Grenoble who were travelling for their honeymoon, and they kindly helped us take a group photo.
A little later, while walking to our bikes at Mesa Arch, we were chatting with three bikers who had ridden from Watertown, South Dakota, to Yellowstone then Moab. At dusk, exhausted by the heat, some of us stopped at a supermarket for food and water, while others continued across the park. We were all very tired, ate in our rooms and enjoyed the pool.
Next up: surprise nuptials, with an even more surprising marriage officiant
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