Beartooth Pass

[Dynabagger]

Hello! This is my first post here. Thought I'd ask thoughts or experiences riding the Beartooth.

My plans are to ride out to Creston August 19. Bozeman MT day 2 and Red lodge day 3. Day 3 will be short allowing me to be fresh for day 4. I'll head over the pass, visit Yellowstone and move on to Idaho Falls on day 4. Day 5 will be to Baker City via hwy 72/25 through Stanley Idaho. Day 6 The Dalles via John Day, Fossil and Shaniko.

Looking for advice for interesting stops, road or towns to avoid?

Keith

[Sikorsky]

Sounds like a very nice way to spend a week or so. If I were heading out of Maple Ridge, I'd take Hwy 3 the entire way to Salmo, north to Nelson and Balfour Bay and then across the ferry and Hwy 3A to Creston. Watch out for deer, even at midday.

Others can chime in with the other aspects of your trip.

[Smoke]

Gone over the pass on Beartooth Hwy both ways, I prefer East to West.
One time had no traffic, one time had construction zone traffic.

I had good weather at the top but into Yellowstone was thunder storm and raining hard in July.
My last time there was about eight years ago.

Looking for photos...

[milosovichy]

Some thoughts, if you insist on travelling through bc for initial travels East, then I totally mirror Sikorsky's comments 3A to Creston is great. An alternative would be to parallel the 3 in the US via the 2 through Winthrop, Republic, Colville, Tiger, Sandpoint and Missoula and then on to Bozeman. You are very close to Glacier National Park, which is mighty impressive. Yellowstone will be slow, slow and slow with its low speed limits, 2 lane highways and heavy tourist usage. Riding past/through the Grand Teton is beautiful and worth it as you traverse south. From Idaho Falls, the road was flat, straight and really windy when I went through years ago, but I doubt there is a way across this great potato plain that isn't. I would head North at Arco and get off the 26 and onto the 93 and head into Stanley that way, the road in from near Challis (the 75) is great. Continuing East, I road out via Idaho 17 coming out at Banks. Soon thereafter the beauty of Oregon awaits - I would suggest you head towards Brownlee and the Snake River canyon, on to Baker City and the Little Alps. As always, I hope Don chimes in with some wisdom and advice. I am heading to Missoula at the end of August and still debating my get there and get back plans. Have a great trip and report back!

[Dynabagger]

Some thoughts, if you insist on travelling through bc for initial travels East, then I totally mirror Sikorsky's comments 3A to Creston is great. An alternative would be to parallel the 3 in the US via the 2 through Winthrop, Republic, Colville, Tiger, Sandpoint and Missoula and then on to Bozeman. You are very close to Glacier National Park, which is mighty impressive. Yellowstone will be slow, slow and slow with its low speed limits, 2 lane highways and heavy tourist usage. Riding past/through the Grand Teton is beautiful and worth it as you traverse south. From Idaho Falls, the road was flat, straight and really windy when I went through years ago, but I doubt there is a way across this great potato plain that isn't. I would head North at Arco and get off the 26 and onto the 93 and head into Stanley that way, the road in from near Challis (the 75) is great. Continuing East, I road out via Idaho 17 coming out at Banks. Soon thereafter the beauty of Oregon awaits - I would suggest you head towards Brownlee and the Snake River canyon, on to Baker City and the Little Alps. As always, I hope Don chimes in with some wisdom and advice. I am heading to Missoula at the end of August and still debating my get there and get back plans. Have a great trip and report back!

Yes 3A is great once the traffic clears. I considered US 20 and the section between Tonasket and Kettle Falls is fun. HWY 2 is good, done it many times and always seem to end up in Coeur d' Alene drinking way too much at the Iron Horse. Beyond Missoula will be new to me. Will stay clear of road to the sun (Glacier Park) as it's too slow to be fun though it is impressive. North at Arco is the plan to Stanley. This was recommended to me a few years back and on my hit list. From Stanley I thought 21 to 52 to I-84 just to save a bit of time as it will be a longer day. I'll have to see how I feel though.

[Smoke]

Day 5 will be to Baker City via hwy 72/25 through Stanley Idaho.

Ya lost me... where is Hwy 72/25?
Should this be 75/21? or 71/55?

[thekaz]

went over beartooth pass as part of IBR2019 .... nice but chilly that day

[doser]

thoughts:
day 1 to Creston is good. nice town. I prefer hwy 20 in WA (less traffic, but you're avoiding the weekend), crossing at Northport to Rossland, but Hwy 3 thru BC is perfectly acceptable and an hour shorter.
day 2 to Bozeman: you pass close to some great roads around Libby MT, but given the distance you need to cover, a fairly 'straight shot' seems best. I-90 Missoula to Butte is not bad, actually...
day 3: as you say, short. if you want to bulk it up a bit, 86 NE of Bozeman is splendid; and take 78 down thru Absarokee to Red Lodge - excellent, and deserted.
day 4: Beartooth Pass is worthy of all the praise it gets; not that it's super technical, but it has challenging sections, the scenery is unbelievable, and it just goes on and on. but I wouldn't pass by the Chief Joseph highway! it's AT LEAST as good! do an out and back and thank me afterwards... as for Yellowstone, I'll echo what others have said: TRAFFIC!!! nice place, but not for motorcycling... personally, I'd 'graze' Yellowstone across the top ( Cooke City to West Yellowstone), then fuck off south to Idaho City.
day 5 looks great. you'll flip out Stanley to Lowman to Banks.
day 6 no comment, aside from saying that Fossil to Shaniko will be the highlight of the week.
day 7 The Dalles home: I-90 is direct, but dumps you into Seattle-opolis. take 97 north thru Bluwett Pass and 2 west.

what a great trip! nice big ambitious days - no 'prancing along' on this one - I LOVE it... you're gonna have a total blast!

[Dynabagger]

Ya lost me... where is Hwy 72/25?
Should this be 75/21? or 71/55?

My mistake 75/21.

I should add when leaving The Dalles I plan to head up Klickitat to Yakima canyon. I have done both and they were good fun.

[doser]

^^^ you know your roads! classics, all...

[CoolDaddyGroove]

Yup, I've come up from the Dalles through Klickitat, fun road

[Dynabagger]

So far so good. Made a couple of changes. Yellowstone was slow and it didn’t help that my KTM was acting up in the heat. Fuel filter issues. I ended up running the Beartooth both directions. Decided against the riding to Cody and back on Chief Joseph. There will be a next time.
The ride to Stanley was great but by mistake I turned left at Lowman to Idaho City. Wow, the turns were amazing and seemingly endless. I’m not sure going to Banks would have been much better?
I decided to stay in Ontario rather than Baker City to even out the distances. Now I’m trying to decide whether to ride up I-84 to Baker City or Straight to John Day. I’ve ridden The blue mountain byway a couple of years ago on the Harley. It seemed okay but had the wife on the back so just easy cruising.
I’ll have a plan in place by the morning.

[doser]

The ride to Stanley was great but by mistake I turned left at Lowman to Idaho City. Wow, the turns were amazing and seemingly endless. I’m not sure going to Banks would have been much better?

Lowman to Idaho City is twistier than Lowman to Banks, but a bit 'goaty'. I think that's kinda the Boise "Duffey loop": Boise > Lowman > Banks > home. Only about 150 miles, but it sure would be a fine half-day.

[the bartender]

I possibly rode Beartooth twice today, and there was possibly almost no traffic on either run.

[doser]

wow! you that far east already? superb...
ain't that road just a kick?