Trip Report: NW National Parks Loop
I left my job recently to take a much needed sabbatical and figure out what I’m doing next. A few weeks after my last day at work I embarked on what was to be a three week tour of NW-ish National Parks from Portland, to include Olympic, North Cascades, Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Craters of the Moon, Lassen Volcanic, and Crater Lake.
I ended up missing Grand Tetons due to weather and I had to cut the trip short before I got to Lassen (family medical issue), so Lassen and Crater Lake remain unvisited.
Trip Dates: Sept 3 - Sept 16 (13 days)
Total Travel Miles: 3478 (does not include local miles for store runs, etc.)
Total Gallons of Gas Used: 82
Equipment:
2021 Benelli TRK502X
Gaia GPS & Google Maps running on Sonim XP8 rugged Android phone
Butler Motorcycle Maps (paper maps of best M/C roads in the country)
iPhone 14 (main camera)
Akaso Brave 7 helmet-mounted adventure camera
Spot X satellite communicator and tracker
Wolfman Luggage WP waterproof tank bag and saddle bags (no longer available)
Watershed Colorado dry bag duffel (across the pillion seat)
Kriega US-5 Drypack (tail bag)
Kriega 3L hydration backpack (strapped to duffel, not worn)
Marmot Ajax 2 tent
Nemo hydrophobic down sleeping bag (non-mummy)
Helinox ultralight cot
MSR WhisperLite International stove
(Purchased in 1991 for my first moto trip: Detroit, MI to San Diego and back on an XT250)Gossamer Gear Bare Boxer bear-proof food canisters (two - one in each saddle bag)
Actual trip tracks from Gaia GPS.
Day 1 - Olympic National Park
Date: Tuesday 9/3/2024
Destination: South Beach Campground, Olympic National Park
Travel Time: 4h 24m
Miles: 213
Notes:
Planned to head west to Astoria then north from there, but left later than expected so headed up I-5 to US 12. I’ve driven/ridden that stretch of I-5 hundreds of times (starting in 1993). It’s boring and I hate it.
South Beach CG is first-come-first-served. I didn’t have issue getting a site. There is a long, tight loop of sites along the coastline, but I chose one of the sites further back near the bathrooms due to wind concerns. The bathroom building provided a sort of wind shelter for my site.
I used the heated grips on this leg; it was pretty chilly along the coast in the Olympic Peninsula. I almost didn’t install them, thinking I was being paranoid about the cold. I ended up using them a lot.
Gaia Track: Portland to South Beach Campground. 213 miles.
Day 2 - Ferry to Seattle / Burien
Date: Wednesday 9/4/2024
Destination: Friend’s house in Burien, WA
Travel Time: 7h 30m
Miles: 199
Gaia Track: South Beach CG to Burien.
Notes:
Slept well (thanks to Advil PM). I’ve not been sleeping well for more than a year. I’m really hoping to reset my sleep patterns with this trip. A good night’s sleep is one of my great joys and I feel like I’ve been robbed of that pleasure.
Used my Aeropress this morning for the first time ever. I’m hooked.
Headed up along US 101 through Port Angeles and then down to the Southworth ferry terminal near Port Orchard. Ferried across to Fauntleroy, which is just a few miles north my friend’s house in Burien. I’m always surprised at how long it takes to get from the Olympic Peninsula to the east side of Puget Sound (Seattle, etc.). With the ferry crossing (I love ferries) it took seven and a half hours to go 200 miles.
Discovered at my first stop of the day (just up 101 at the Kalaloch Campground, stopped to refill water) that the battery is quite weak and won’t start the bike if you leave the ignition on for even two minutes without the motor running. This would become a theme for the next few days. Fortunately, I have a jumper box and a permanent jump harness wired to the battery so jump starts are a quick operation.
Had a good evening with old friends.
Day 3 - North Cascades via Mountain Loop Road
Date: Thursday 9/5/2024
Destination: Newhalem Campground, North Cascades National Park
Travel Time: 4h 30m
Miles: 146
Notes:
Slept well, on the couch. No pills needed.
I realized yesterday that my summer riding gloves (Rev’It Dune) were a size (or two) too small. Rev’It gloves fit really tight and I feel like I can never get it quite right. And yet, I love them. So, I stopped at a Cycle Gear in Bellevue to pick up something summer weight (Dirt 3) that fit better. They’re better, but maybe still one size too small. Such is life.
From Bellevue, I rode north and took the Mountain Loop Hwy then on up north to North Cascades. It was a hot ride. Still summer.
A small section of the Mountain Loop Road is dirt/gravel, which I didn’t realize. No biggie. Was just surprised (clearly I didn’t study my maps closely enough). When riding solo on a bike that weighs over 500 lbs., I tend to avoid planning much off-pavement riding. That’s what my DR-Z is for.
Gaia Track: Bellevue to Newhalem Creek Campground, North Cascades National Park.
Day 4 - Newport, Washington via Winthrop
Date: Friday 9/6/2024
Destination: Golden Spur Motor Inn, Newport, Washington
Travel Time: 8h
Miles: 308
Gaia Track: Newhalem Creek CG to Newport, WA.
Notes:
Slept just ok, even with Advil PM.
Pretty ride through North Cascades National Park and Colville National Forest. Didn’t do any backroads or hikes. Discovered (new to me) the town of Winthrop. Stopped for coffee at Sheri’s and resupplied on freeze-dried food at Cascades Outdoor Store.
The town of Newport is almost nothing, but, inexplicably, there’s an amazing restaurant (Brownell’s Place). Had dinner and a few ciders. Met and chatted with the owner/chef (she’s great). Listened to some live music. Then back to the motel.
Day 5 - New Battery in Kalispell
Date: Saturday 9/7/2024
Destination: West Glacier KOA, West Glacier, MT
Travel Time: 8h 7m
Miles: 293
Gaia Track: Newport, WA to West Glacier, MT, with a stop in Kalispell for a new battery.
Notes:
Slept well on motel bed (on sleeping bag, not in the sheets). Another hot one.
Discovered that the water pump seal leaks oil. A quick post in the TRK Facebook group revealed that this is a common problem on this bike, and and easy fix. It’s apparently just a bad o-ring.
Battery has been getting continuously worse, and now requires I jump start the bike about every other start. Google Maps to the rescue: directions to the Batteries Plus in Kalispell, please. They don’t have an Odyssey AGM in the right size; the Duracell will have to do. (It’s been great.)
I set up camp at the West Glacier KOA, which will be my base for a few days. KOAs are their own little world. Very strange. Not really my thing, but the on-site laundry was handy.
After setting up camp I opened a cider and used the iPad to book a vehicle reservation for the next day to ride Going to the Sun Road, which I really wanted to do.
Day 6 - Going to the Sun Road
Date: Sunday 9/8/2024
Destination: Local Ride: West Glacier, Going to the Sun Road, Saint Mary, East Glacier
Travel Time: 5h 35m
Miles: 142
Notes:
Quick breakfast and gas up in West Glacier before entering Going to the Sun Road.
Going to the Sun Road was stunning. This was the first point in the trip where I had tingles and was giddy at what I was seeing.
Took a very short hike along Saint Mary Lake. Again, I was beside myself with the beauty.
Lunch at the general store in Kiowa.
The rest of the ride back after East Glacier was meh, but I just kept thinking about how amazing what I’d seen in the morning had been.
Dinner at the KOA. Tacos from a cart (ok / not great, and a very weird guacamole) and a few glasses of wine from another cart. I asked about the guac and it turns out they make it in a food processor. Come on, people.
Gaia Track: Going to the Sun Road loop (in red).
Day 7 - Ride to Bozeman
Date: Monday 9/9/2024
Destination: Friend’s house in Bozeman, Montana
Travel Time: ~ 8h (Gaia crashed near the end of the trip, but before getting to Bozeman)
Miles: ~ 400
Notes:
Slept poorly again. No pills this time. Took some photos of my soft luggage setup to answer some questions in the TRK502X Facebook group. The saddle bags are from Wolfman Luggage, but I don’t think they make this waterproof line anymore. I use a duffel dry bag from Watershed across the top. A heat shield protects the side bag from exhaust heat.
Hazy, smoky ride most of the way. Very windy in places. This is where I first really started to feel how underpowered the TRK502 is. Really struggled in places.
Developed an engine-speed-sensitive squeak or rattle. Sounds like when a heat shield vibrates in resonance with engine vibration. Discovered that it’s a missing crash bar mounting bolt allowing the crash bar to rub against the frame.
Also noticed that there’s a resonant oscillation at speed that feels like the chain going bad (like it’s stretching unevenly).
First of several nights at a friend’s house in Bozeman (which, it turns out, is a pretty cool town). And there’s a hot tub…
Gaia Track: West Glacier to Bozeman. Gaia glitched where the purple track line ends.
Day 8 - Bike Maintenance & Hyalite Reservoir
Date: Tuesday 9/10/2024
Destination: Local Ride: Hyalite Reservoir
Travel Time: not recorded
Miles: not recorded
Notes:
Woke up to a smoky sunrise. I had the best night’s sleep I’ve had in years. This is was the whole point of this trip: to untangle my burnout and reclaim sleep as one of my joys. I wrote about it in my journal when I woke up. I hope this wasn’t a fluke.
Planned to replace the bolt that rattled loose from the crash bar, but instead discovered that it had actually severed off at the mount point. No fixing that on the road. Adjusted chain and moved on.
Lunch at Mountains Walking Brewery in Bozeman.
Rode up to Hyalite Reservoir. Pretty ride. Smoky still.
Soaked in hot tub after dinner.
Hyalite Reservoir in the lower right at the white arrow.
Day 9 - North Yellowstone Loop
Date: Wednesday 9/11/2024
Destination: Northern loop through Yellowstone National Park
Travel Time: 9h 36m
Miles: 272
Notes:
Did a day trip from Bozeman down through the northern loop in Yellowstone, entering at Mammoth and taking the scenic route through Paradise Valley.
Saw elk, coyotes (I think), buffalo, and pronghorn.
Pretty ride, but cold in places. Used heated grips again.
Rode the loop through Mammoth Hot Springs (see video) at the end.
Coffee at Tumbleweed Bookstore & Cafe in Gardiner. I kind of dig Gardiner. Good vibe.
Had dinner at Mountains Walking Brewing. Rain and wind started. Lights flickered. Waited for rain to stop before riding back to the house.
Power out at the house due to high winds. This does not bode well for tomorrow.
Gaia Track: Loop from Bozeman through the northern loop in Yellowstone, via Gardiner entrance.
Day 10 - Winter Weather in the Parks
Date: Thursday 9/12/2024
Destination: Grand Teton National Park via West Yellowstone Pocatello, Idaho
Travel Time: 5h 40m
Miles: 201
Notes:
Today was supposed to be a gorgeous ride through Yellowstone into Grand Teton National Park, and camping at Signal Mountain CG in the park. The weather had other ideas. It was pouring rain (and cold) all the way to West Yellowstone from Bozeman. By the time I got to West Yellowstone I was getting severe winter weather warnings on my phone calling for up to 3 (three!!) inches of snow accumulating in the high passes in the park. It’s bad enough in a car, but that’s a disaster waiting to happen on a motorcycle.
I parked my butt at Mountain Mama’s Cafe in West Yellowstone to warm up / dry off and decide what to do. I almost had myself convinced to push through when I realized that, even if I made it to the campground ok, I’d be setting up camp in the rain and I’d likely be miserable all night. Grand Teton would have to wait.
From West Yellowstone it’s easy to bail west into Idaho and get away from the park weather and elevations. So that’s what I did. It was not a pleasant ride, though. I was in torrential downpours all the way to Idaho Falls.
Arriving in Idaho Falls, I was exhausted and sure I could just find a room for the night. I dropped the bike at a roundabout (short-legged it coming to a stop; I knew it was going so I just rolled away). Guy behind me helped me pick it up. Then, there were no rooms because it was move in week for the two universities there (U of I, ISU). This would become a recurring theme.
I rode further to Blackfoot. Still no rooms.
I called ahead to Pocatello and got a room at a Red Lion there. I was never so happy to be off the bike.
No pictures this day. I couldn’t even get the action camera to turn on.
Gaia Track: Bozeman, MT to Pocatello, ID, via West Yellowstone.
Day 11 - Craters of the Moon and EBR-1
Date: Friday 9/13/2024
Destination: Craters of the Moon National Monument
Travel Time: 4h 20m
Miles: 124
Gaia Track: Pocatello to Craters of the Moon, with stops in Atomic City, EBR-1, and Arco.
Notes:
I wasn’t sure what my destination would be today but my plan was to do a little nuclear tourism, see Craters of the Moon, and then go somewhere from there. My schedule and day-plan was thrown off by missing Grand Teton National Park and spending a night in Pocatello, which was not on the itinerary at all.
Stopped in Atomic City. Not sure why; I was under the impression that Atomic City was the first city lit by nuclear engergy, but it was practically a ghost town. There are a few houses there, but as far as I could tell all of the business were shuttered. Except, maybe, for the race track; that looked like it might still get used.
Arco, it turns out, is the city celebrated as the first in the world to be lit by nuclear energy. Nothing special about the town, but they do a nice job of making City Hall photo-worthy.
Between Atomic City and Arco is EBR-1 (Experimental Breeder Reactor I) which was the world’s first breeder reactor. The EBR-1 exhibit was closed for the season, but in the lot next to it were some really interesting experimental nuclear heat-transfer jet engines that never made it out of the experimental phase (probably a good thing).
Craters of the Moon is pretty small. If you don’t do any of the walks, it’s literally just a 30 minute road loop. Still, it was an unexpected surprise and delight. I had no idea what to expect but I was positively chuffed at the experience. I noticed that the campground had open sites so I inquired at the entry booth. As luck would have it, the whole campground is first come / first serve. I decided to set up for the night. It’s good to be done early and have some time to read and not stress about making distance.
Day 12 - New Chain in Twin Falls
Date: Saturday 9/14/2024
Destination: Battle Mountain, Nevada
Travel Time: 8h 52m
Miles: 335
Gaia Track: Craters of the Moon to Battle Mountain, NV with a stop in Twin Falls for a new chain.
Notes:
Beautiful morning in Craters of the Moon. While I was breaking camp a parade of classic cars came into the park to drive the loop. I got a picture of one Pontiac down the road in Carey at a gas station.
Carey ended up being an unplanned fork in the road for me. I discovered this morning that my chain was indeed stretching unevenly, and the oscillation I was feeling and hearing was the chain hum changing from a “loose” hum to a “tight” hum rapidly as the tight spot moved around the sprockets. I was supposed to continue west to Mountain Home and then south from there into Nevada. A very scenic route, according to my Butler map. But, between camp and the gas station I got pretty paranoid about the chain snapping at high speed, which, worst case, could lead to a fatal crash.
So I called ahead to a few motorcycle dealers in Mountain Home (on my planned route) to see if they could take me in and replace the chain. No dice. This is the downside of having an obscure motorcycle from an obscure marque - no one wants to work on it. Making matters worse this is an Italian-designed bike built in China, a fact which causes many people to lose the ability to think clearly. “It’s Chinese junk!” Not so. Next.
With Mountain Home out, I tried Twin Falls. My first call was to Adventure Motorsports, and the service manager there took me in with no hesitation. “How soon can you be here?” I didn’t get his name, but my hat’s off to him and his one tech working furiously on a Saturday to beat the 3pm closing time. He said during high season, they get about 15-20 out of town travelers per week who need something done, and they take them all in. I love to hear stuff like this. This shop is in it for the community. They have a nice showroom, too.
With a quality new chain installed, I got a burrito and a MexiCoke at a Mexican place and went on my way. I made it to Battle Mountain, NV, where I decide to get a room. Tomorrow I rejoin my planned scenic route.
Day 13 - Desert Mountains in NV, CA
Date: Sunday 9/15/2024
Destination: Grizzly Campground, Lake Davis (near Portola, CA)
Travel Time: 7h
Miles: 307
Gaia Track: Battle Mountain to Lake Davis near Portola, CA (blue line). Lassen, in the upper left, was planned but I never made it.
Notes:
I love the northern Nevada landscape, and today’s ride didn’t disappoint. US Highway 50 is apparently known as “The Loneliest Highway” but everyone knows about it, so it’s not very lonely. However, after leaving Austin, NV headed west you can take Nevada Highway 722, which dips to the south and follows the old US 50 route. It was completely empty and the twisties through the passes were fun. Highly recommended.
Stopped in Fallon for gas and to find a Micro SD card for the action camera. Walmart to the rescue.
After Reno, I crossed into California and, I swear, it looks different. Norther California desert mountains are so beautiful.
Camped at a nearly empty campground on Lake Davis (very end of the season). The host warned me rain was coming tomorrow.
Day 14 - Unplanned Return Home
Date: Monday 9/16/2024
Destination: Summit Lake Campground, Lassen Volcanic National Park Portland, Oregon (Home)
Travel Time: 10h 32m
Miles: 538
Notes:
Last week, my mom went into the hospital for a fairly routine procedure. My brother went to Michigan to help out, as needed, and he went back home to Arizona after she returned home and everything seemed settled.
This morning, while having coffee, I got a call that she’d gone back into the hospital with something that may or may not have been related to the procedure. It seemed like maybe things were ok, but maybe not.
I decided the best thing to do was head home so that I was near an airport if I needed to fly out to Michigan to help out.
I packed up camp and headed up US 395 toward home, via Klamath Falls. It was a pretty ride, but, once again, I found myself in rain most of the way to Klamath Falls.
I was pretty beat by the time I got to Klamath Falls and figured I’d just find a hotel room, get a hot shower, and finish the ride tomorrow.
But, once again, it was move-in week for the local university. Holiday Inn Express had a single room for $395. No thanks. Onward.
I never hit rain again after Klamath Falls, and after turning west onto Oregon Hwy 58 and starting to lose elevation into the Willamette Valley, the temperature starting rising, which was welcome.
Once I reached Eugene, there was no point in not just going all the way home, so that’s what I did.
I got two pictures: one at camp before the call, and one at my last gas stop, an hour and twenty minutes from home, with the moon rising.
A nice side effect of my early return home is that I was home for my birthday (tomorrow), so I had dinner with my kids and my wife, which was lovely.
I did end up flying to Michigan the next day, and was there for a bit. The best part? I got to make some meals for my mom and step dad. Everything seems ok with my mom for now.
Grand Teton, Lassen, and Crater Lake will be there, and now I have an excuse for another trip in the future.
Gaia Track: Home from Portola, CA, via Klamath Falls.
