Sturgis Rally and Epic Ride across “Big Sky” of Montana
August 5-19, 2006

On Saturday Neil (Bayman) Webster and I got a rather late start departing for the Sturgis Bike Rally about 4:00PM on August 5, 2006.  Our destination for the night was Cheyenne, Wyoming, but because of our late start and stopping in Steamboat Springs for dinner it became obvious that we wouldn’t make it that far.  We left Steamboat about 9:00 and rode over Rabbit Ears Pass in the dark and saw lots of beady little eyes belonging to deer as we rode over the pass, which is always a bit disconcerting.  We were North of Walden and decided that we should be looking for a place to camp, because in addition to riding in the dark and the danger of animals it looked like the weather was deteriorating and that the rain was about to start.  A few miles past Three Ways we checked out some forest service access roads and then decided just to go back and set up camp at a place we had passed that looked like a good camp spot.  I had bad dreams that a bear ripped the top of my head off and in addition to that I heard a small pack of Coyotes running amok and yapping it up as they ran as though celebrating scoring a rabbit or whatever.  Neil was snoring loudly and probably didn’t hear a thing.

Next morning arrived and the weather was clear and crisp.  We packed up the bikes and headed for Laramie and breakfast.  We headed West about 20 miles and turned North on the cutoff to Wheatland.  We jumped onto Interstate 25 about 20 miles South of Wheatland and went past Glendo Reservoir to Orrin Junction.  From there we proceeded East to Lusk and stopped for a cold beer.  At this point the numbers of motorcycles were increasing dramatically.  At Mule Junction we turned East and entered the Black Hills through Edgemont.  We stopped in Custer to get out of the rain and have a beer.  The festivities had already begun.   We sat at a table with fellow bikers, told stories and had a few beers.  Everyone was buying a round and since we still had some riding to do we passed some along and made our way back to our bikes.  We cruised east until we connected to Interstate 90 and followed it to a backroad shortcut to the Glencoe Campground.   Experience has shown that it can be a major hassle getting across town in the heat of the day so this shortcut saved us a lot of grief not to mention overheated machines.

When we arrived at the campground we hooked up with our old friends from Farmington,  Durango, and Ignacio that had been there already for about a week.  They already had set up tents for us so we simply dropped all our stuff into one of the tents and were ready for action.  Terry Ayer, Brad Dodd from Durango and Kevin Moran arrived some time in the middle of the night.  Terry Ayer had some bad luck and broke a drive belt somewhere around Custer.  They had to call for a tow to the Harley Dealer in Rapid City and he had to take a cab to Glencoe.  He was pretty bummed out and not happy about paying an exorbitant amount of money for somebody to drive him about 26 miles to Glencoe Campground.

Monday morning we rode to Rapid City with Terry to make arrangements for the belt repair and for him to sign all the paperwork.  We had breakfast at the Windmill Restaurant.  We rode into Rapid City to buy some booze and couldn’t find a liquor store.  After inquiring we discovered that the liquor is sold in stores or Casino’s.  Terry was anxious to get back to the campground because he was riding Kevin’s bike so he headed back to the campground.  Neil and I stopped in Sturgis to check out the action, do a bit of shopping, and have a beer.  It started raining pretty hard and didn’t look like it was going to let up anytime soon.  We decided to visit the Motorcycle Museum and wandered through the exhibits looking at old vintage machines.  It is pretty well stocked and had old Excelsiors, Indians, Harleys, Hondas and numerous historical pictures of the history of the motorcycle.  “The Flying Merkel”, a historical icon of Harley Davidson’s early single racers was on display.

Tuesday morning arrived and the sky was clear.  We fired up our bikes and had a great run to Hill City, over the needles highway, around the wildlife loop, over the iron mountain road to Keystone and back to the campground.  Threading the eye of the needle was amazing.  This narrow hole through the rocks looks almost exactly like the eye of a needle and is quite small.  It seems that they actually take tour buses through the eye, buy they have to fold the mirrors and shrink them firstJ  A large herd of buffalo roams the area around the wildlife loop and we stopped for photos and to enjoy the view of the animals.  About twelve miles outside of Keystone coming over iron mountain a few drops of rain appeared on the windshield and a few seconds later a downpour ensued.  Just as the serious rain started coming down we came onto Elk Haven and we all pulled in, parked the bikes and ran for cover.  The place was jammed and standing room only because everyone else had the same idea.  They did a great business in just an hour or so thanks to the rainstorm.  In about forty five minutes the storm blew through, the sky turned blue, we fired up the Harleys and made our way into Keystone for lunch.  The ride into Keystone was beautiful and featured several one lane tunnels, and great vistas of Mount Rushmore in the distance through the pine trees.

The group split up at this juncture and some went to visit Mount Rushmore, some went back to the campground, some went shopping and Neil and I decided we would stop at  the Tilford Gulch campground and see if we could find Mario and Erich.  We rode all around the campground,  made inquires, but they were not to be found.  We posted a message on the bulletin board and rode into Sturgis.  We stopped at One Eyed Jacks one of the newer upscale bars and had a cold beer.  That was fun and featured women dancing on the bar. 

Rain was the keyword for weather Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday in Sturgis.  Everyone was saying that it hadn’t rained all summer so we apparently brought the wet muck with us.   Went to the concert on Tuesday night and unfortunately just before the Steve Miller Band was scheduled to come on the rain started again and came down hard.  After continuous rain it became obvious that there would be no concert that night, they covered all the equipment and we walked back through the muck toward the campground.  We were in luck, however, and boarded a shuttle that took us back to camp.

We talked with Kevin, Terry, and Brad about whether they had seen Mario and Erich.  They said they had seen them that afternoon at the Sidehack Saloon.  I guess we were just destined to not meet up with them.

Wednesday morning arrived, the rain had stopped, the sky cleared and things improved.  Neil and I rode to Rapid City to the convention center to pick up the official H.O.G. pin for the Sturgis Rally.  We decided to hang out at the campground, rest up a bit and attend the concert that night.  It was a beautiful night in the Black Hills, with a clear sky and full moon and a starry sky.  Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers put on a really great show.  Glencoe has put together a world class concert auditorium with two massive screens on either side of the stage so everyone gets a great view of what is happening on stage and the acoustics are outstanding. 

Thursday morning Kevin, Terry, and Brad packed it up and headed for Grand Junction.  Neil stayed a bit longer and then packed up his bike and set out alone for a more leisurely ride back to Grand Junction with a stop in Thermopolis for a soak.  I was a bit surprised when Dave from Farmington handed me his cell phone that afternoon and said, “Jesus, it’s for you”.   Neil had talking with PJ and told her that I was still there and gave her Dave’s number.   She and Ed were staying in Wall, South Dakota and she wanted to ride to Sturgis to meet up for a bit.  I told her that I was planning to go to the concert later, but would be delighted to meet up with them for a beer and a look around the Full Throttle Saloon.  We agreed to meet at 8:15 at the front door of the gas station across the street from the Full Throttle, because it would be hard to find each other there.  I arrived at the designated time and was expecting to see them on their bikes.  A few minutes later, PJ strolled up to the front door.  She had left Ed at the Full Throttle and her bike and walked across the street to meet me.  We exchanged greetings and I rode her across the street and dropped her in front of the bar while I searched for a place to park.  That place is hopping and there are lots of bikes and party animals everywhere.  I finally found a spot and walked up to join PJ and we went in to find Ed.  We had a brief, quality visit had a beer and told stories.  She was a bit wide eyed and concerned about getting their bikes out of there.  I told her just to relax, reverse the direction, take it easy and she would be fine.  She said that some dirt bags had stolen her rear taillight bulbs and lenses.  What a low life maneuver.  I took a few pictures of them to record the event, excused myself and headed for the concert.

Sammie Hagar and the Wabos were the featured act and they put on a good show.  Friday morning, I packed up and rode off toward Billings with some Canadians that had been our neighbors for the week.  Wes, Les, Rob and Robb were headed back to some town near Calgary and planned to make Lewiston by nightfall.  I rode with them to Sundance and then parted company since they were staying on the Interstate and I wanted to go up through Devil’s tower, Alzada, Broadus, Lame Deer and on to Billings that way.  I stopped for lunch at the Stoniebrook Saloon in Alzada.  After lunch headed for Boadus and had a bit of a gas crisis.  I thought I had enough fuel to get to Broadus.  Big mistake.  Turns out that Broadus is 63 miles from Alzada and after both fuel lights had come on and off, I knew that there was no way that I would make it.  That particular area in Montana is hot, dry, quite desolate and I was feeling a bit concerned.  I stopped at a farmhouse with vehicles, but found no one around.  I then talked with half a dozen bikers heading home about extra fuel, but of course there was none to be had.  I decided to head out and see if I could find anything.  I drove up over a hill and on the left was another farmhouse that looked promising.  I rode up, walked up and knocked on the door.  Well, Grandma came to the door and I quickly explained my circumstance.  She scowled and told her daughter who she was talking to long distance on the phone “Sweetheart, I’ll have to call you back, there is some fool that is about to run out of gas that I need to take care of.”  She pretty much chewed on my butt the whole time and exclaimed, “Why didn’t you gas up in Alzada?”  I agreed with everything she said, promised to overpay her, and thanked her profusely for saving my butt.

I topped off my tank in Broadus and had a long ride through the Northern Cheyenne and Crow reservations and into Billings.   I Rode into and out of some showers around Lame Deer and enjoyed beautiful scenery.  I called my friend Jerry Bertelson from the gas station and he gave me directions to his house.  Had a great visit and stayed for two nights in Billing.  We visited my old favorite bar, Tiny’s Tavern had lunch and consumed copious quantities of beer and had a great time the next day.  Jerry was playing in a Golf Tournament Saturday morning, so Linda and I went shopping.  We made a point to go to the NAPA store and buy a siphon hose for future use when encountering a gas crisis.  We visited the Harley Dealership and wandered around looking for good deals.

Jerry and Linda have a condo in Big Sky which is about 34 miles South of Bozeman and offered it to me as a stopover place enroute to Hamilton, my destination.  It was a great offer and I gladly accepted their offer.  Jerry searched for the key and eventually went down to his office and came back with a key.  Sunday morning I loaded up and headed West to Bozeman and Big Sky.   I Met an interesting character named Cat from Japan that ridden all over the country on some wild looking contraption that looked like a cross between a Honda trail bike and a BMW cruiser at a rest area. 

I had  nice lunch at the Garage in Bozeman and turned South for the last 34 miles to Big Sky to check into the Condo.  It was early evening when I arrived and was I surprised to find that when I found the condo and put the key into the lock to find that it was the wrong key.  I proceeded to the nearest bar which happened to be Milky’s.  A good looking lady named Kinsey was the bartender and I ordered up a Moose Drool and told her my sad story and inquired who was the Property Management folks that handled the Glacier Condominiums.  She gave me the name of Scott Hammond who fit that description.  I called called Scott at the emergency number and a few minutes later he called back to tell me that he was somewhere between Billings and Big Sky and wouldn’t be back for two or three hours.  At that point he quizzed me and asked me if I was trustworthy, and could I follow directions.  After a resounding affirmative to both questions he told me to go down the highway about six miles, turn right on River View Road.  Follow that road until it turns to gravel and staying on the main road go about five or six miles to a house on top of the mountain where a party was going on.  Knock on the door and a guy named Steve will hand you a key to the Condo.  That was an adventure in itself and I found the house without any problem.  It was obvious that a party was going on.  Several saddled horses were hitched up outside obviously waiting to take someone home later.  I knocked on the door and Steve appeared and handed me a key.

I rode back to the condo and opened it up, stowed all my gear inside and was delighted by the great accommodations.  It had all the amenities of home, including Satellite TV and a nice stereo system, a fireplace, a kitchen, a deck, two bedrooms and three bathrooms.  I naturally had to go back to Milky’s and celebrate.  I had a few more Moose Drool, some tequila had some pizza slices and had a good time.  Turns out that Kinsey was from Glenwood Springs and we had a good visit.  Later Jillian tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I would be her partner to play pool.  I enthusiastically accepted and we proceed to play pool and drink beer on into the night.  Somewhere around midnight I decided I had better call it a night and stepped up to pay the tab.  Kinsey wouldn’t let me pay for anything and insisted that it was on the house and that we Colorado folks should stick together.  My pool playing partner, Jillian was from Georgetown, Colorado.  How strange is that?

I had so much fun that I decided to spend another day and explore Big Sky.  It is Montana’s premier ski mountain and is very upscale.  It has a beautiful Golf Course and is located in some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in the state.  I rode up to the ski mountain and took some pictures and then decided to take a hike up to Ousel Falls, which is about a two mile hike up the South Fork of the Galletin River.  The hike was worth it and I took some great pictures of the falls.

Next morning I loaded up and headed out for Hamilton, the long way.  I rode down toward West Yellowstone and turned right, rode past Earthquake Lake and stopped in Ennis for Breakfast. I Rode over the pass to Virginia City and Nevada City, through Sheridan and on to Dillon.  Stopped and called my buddy Tom from there and let him know that I was inbound.  Big thunderstorms were brewing so I put on my rain gear and headed out.  I almost hit a deer about twenty miles west of Dillon and got to try out my new Howard Hog Air Horn.  It worked quite well and that deer bugged out in a hurry.  The wind was blowing so hard that my helmet was floating up over my head and I had to pull over and tighten up the chinstrap so I wouldn’t go airborne.  I went past Wisdom, Montana and was heading toward Chief Joseph Pass when up ahead the sky looked dark and menacing.  I knew that I was about to get hammered by some big time rain.  Just then I came to the Big Hole Battlefield Visitor Center.  I turned into the parking lot, parked the bike, and ran for the door.  Just as I got inside the storm hit and I watched my bike being pummeled by had rain for some time.  I sat through the video about what happened at the Big Hole Battlefield in the summer of 1877.  This battle between the US Cavalry and the Nez Perce Indians was a tragic turning point of what came to be called the Nez Perce War of 1877.   It was an ugly victory for the US Cavalry.  About 90 members of the tribe had been killed, but only about 30 were warriors and the rest were women and children.

After watching the video and talking with a couple of ladies that were the only other people in the auditorium I was amazed to learn that they were from Steamboat Springs, Colorado.  They were shocked to hear that I grew up in Oak Creek only 21 miles from Steamboat.  It is truly a small world.  Finally, the storm subsided and I rode over Chief Joseph Pass and Lost Trail Pass and down into the Bitterroot Valley on the Idaho Montana border.  I rode through Sula, Darby, and into Hamilton.  I turned west on Main Street and followed the road about six miles to the Blogett Campground where Tom was waiting with a good cold Alaskan Amber in his hand to celebrate my arrival.  It was great to see my old friend and re-kindle an old friendship.  We set up my tent and prepared for the rain that was starting to fall, and talked into the night and then I crashed.  I was so tired that I fell off to sleep straightaway.  It rained most of the night.

The next day I woke up early and hiked around the area and was impressed by the rugged beauty of the area  The Bitterroot Mountains in that area are vertical rock and reminiscent of the glacier carved Canadian Rockies near Banff.

After having a coffee we rode the Harley into Hamilton and had a good breakfast.  After breakfast we had a couple of CD burned at the One-Hour Photo Shop to clear my memory cards and have some pictures to show to Virgil, Tom’s ex father in law.  Virgil and his wife Margo have a beautiful place on six acres that sit just at the base of the Bitterroot Mountains with a spectacular view.  Virgil is a character, he is smart, inventive, and a master craftsman that can fix anything.  He is 83 years old and was justifiably proud when he showed me the beautiful grandfather clock that he built.

After a good visit with Virgil and Margo, we went back to the campground, got the truck and headed into town to the Canyons Athletic Club to clean up.  It was very upscale and had all the amenities of a first rate health club.  We sat in the steam room, showered and cleaned up.  Then we drove up to the small town of Victor to have dinner with Tom’s daughter, grand-daughter, and ex wife.  After dinner and drinks we made our way back to the campground.  As I lay in the tent listening to the rain it occurred to me that I could justifiably be called Jesus (Rain man) Guerrero because everywhere I had traveled to rain had followed.

I packed up the bike the next morning and headed back to Big Sky.   I Had breakfast in Wisdom.   I  met up with Terry, who had ridden to Wisdom for breakfast from Dillon.  We exchanged stories and decided that we would ride back to Dillon together.  I bought a nice sweater at the Patagonia outlet store in Dillon because the temperature at night was beginning to be quite brisk.   I spent that night in the condo in Big Sky.

The next morning rode through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, stopping frequently to take pictures and enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet.  I Stopped for gas in Jackson Hole.  Headed South and West and started to look for a cheap Motel so I could get a good night sleep and clean up on my last night on the road.  I checked in to the 3 Rivers Motel in Alpine, Wyoming.  I walked across the road and had a great rib eye steak & some cerveza’s.
Next morning I headed South and stopped in the little town of Etna for breakfast.  Mack, a fellow Harley rider approached me and invited me to have breakfast at a family re union going on at their place.  I declined knowing that if I went there I would likely be spending another day on the road and at this point I wanted to be home.  I stopped in Kemerer for gas and a break.  I had a late lunch in Rock Springs.  I rode past Flaming Gorge Dam and over the hill to Vernal, Utah.  I turned off US-40 at Dinosaur, rode through Rangely, and over Douglas Pass in the dark and arrived back in Grand Junction at 10:00PM, Saturday night August 19.  I put about 3,000 miles on my Harley and was on the road for 14 days.  I was pretty much out of money and out of my prescription medicine so it was time to be home.  It was a hell of a ride and one that I will remember always.

Photographer/Historian
Jesús Guerrero Jr.