2010 — A Ride Around Wyoming

OFMC 2010 route Our biggest group yet made the trip this year, with Brett's brother Matt being the new kid on the block. The others consisted of John, Ken, Bill, Johnathon, Friggs, Randy, Brett, Jason, and Dennis.

Heading for a first night in Grand Junction, we gathered and rode in small groups that first day. It was blazing hot crossing western Colorado, with a stop in Rulison showing temperatures over 100 degrees. We were nearly all using those bandanas that you soak in water and then wrap around your neck to provide evaporative cooling. Dennis had an entire vest of the stuff.

That night in Junction one person who shall remain nameless surprised us all with a supply of Canna Cookies. Johnathon didn't believe they were for real but he was convinced once he found himself stoned out of his mind.

Dennis didn't realize what they were and quickly scarfed down a whole one. It took him awhile to figure out why he was feeling so good a little while later.

We headed on over to a local brewpub for dinner and Dennis had serious munchies. Ken ordered a salad and went on at length about how it was perhaps the best salad he had ever had. When everyone laughed and suggested it might just seem that way because of the cookie he insisted that no, it really was a fabulous salad. He's still convinced it was.

OFMC at the Salt Flats From Grand Junction we headed west to Green River and up U.S. 191 to American Fork, just south of Salt Lake City, with the hot weather continuing. On across the salt flats the next day, still blazing hot, through Wendover to Wells and up to Jackpot.

Of course we stayed there two days and played golf. Also, for the first time, we stayed on the other side of the highway, at the Antelope, which turned out to be a pretty nice place.

OFMC near Jackpot Then it was on up through Twin Falls, with a stop at the Snake River Canyon of course, and a ride down into the canyon and a stop at the waterfall.

We continued looping up to Craters of the Moon, which was another stop. We went down in several caves and made a point to do a number in the same cave where we had done so before on another trip.

After a ride through the park we continued to Arco, making a point to stop at the famous bar in Arco where Ken had rung the bell years earlier. All desires to ring it again were successfully resisted.

OFMC at Snake River Canyon Our route then carried us through Idaho Falls and up to Ashton for the night. While for most of us the motel is Ashton was fairly nice, Randy and Johnathon reported having bugs all over their walls and not liking it one bit. (Give me some more detail guys and I'll add it here.) Then, too, as John points out, the water was the color of milk.

OFMC leaving Snake River Canyon Leaving Ashton, we continued north on U.S. 20 but took a detour just a little north to go by Lower Mesa Falls and Upper Mesa Falls. It was here that Ken started trying to get a panoramic picture with the same people showing up twice but the limitations of his camera did not permit it. He got a lot of weird, fun-house mirror-type shots instead. Back on 20 we crossed Targhee Pass and came down into West Yellowstone. Then we went north to Bozeman and east on I-90 to stop for the night at Big Timber.

OFMC at Craters of the Moon The old and beautiful Grand Hotel was our spot for the night and we hit the streets trying to find a little action. Moving in two groups, we all eventually concluded the only spot offering any action was the local bowling alley. Brett and Matt displayed their very considerable bowling skills, while Randy decided to goof off and see how far down the alley he could throw his ball in the air.

OFMC at Upper Mesa Falls John picks up the narrative from there: After a fun night of drinking, bowling, and generally irresponsible behavior where Ken put up the best bowling score, we unsteadily returned to our hotel. Since the shower in his room was being used by his room-mate John took his shower kit and went down the hall to the group shower area where people in "shared bath hotel rooms" had to shower. While washing in one of the private stalls John could hear quite a ruckus going on in the very next shower stall and only later found out what had been making all of the noise. It seems that Matt had brought one of the girls he met at the bowling alley "home" with him for some shared shower fun. Young and a sort of chick magnet, Matt brought a whole new level of decadence to the OFMC summer ride. Way to go Matt!

Continuing east on I-90, we went through Billings and on to the Little Big Horn monument. This monument has changed a great deal over the years and now includes the Indians' side of the story, honoring bravery on both sides.

From here we took U.S. 212 east to the tiny town of Broadus. For reasons lost in time, we ended up split between two motels and neither one was something you'd recommend to anyone. A somewhat-young woman who appeared to live on the property of one motel came out to see all the bikes and bikers, giving many of us the impression she was a working girl seeking business. We didn't offer her any. So after awhile she left.

Warped OFMC image Then it was on to where we thought we might just clip the corner of Wyoming--our only contact with the state as we were circling completely around it, but we decided instead to turn off 212 to drop in by Hulett, and we got a glimpse of Devil's Tower heading down. Headed east toward Belle Fourche and then caught U.S. 85 down to Spearfish, up Spearfish Canyon, and around to Deadwood. Time to gamble. The second gambling stop of the trip, actually, and our last night all together.

Randy at Carhenge Jason left alone early the next morning, with family plans for that evening. Bill, Dennis, Brett, and Matt left later. For the rest, the day's route ran down through the Black Hills to Keystone, the Iron Mountain Road, through Custer State Park, and on to Hot Springs. Then it was on to Alliance, where we once again missed the road to Carhenge. No problem, we got into Alliance, checked into our motel, and went out to see Carhenge. Back in town there was a festival going on so we joined in with the crowd.

OFMC near Pawnee Buttes Come morning we headed south to Sterling and then headed west towards Greeley, after stopping for lunch at a really nice Mexican restaurant that Randy knew. Coming across that road we could just barely see Pawnee Buttes off to the north. Into Greeley, and we got onto U.S. 85 headed back to the Denver area and at this point got all separated, with each person eventually making their own way home. And that was that.

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