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Photo Blog - 2011


	Day 8 Posted 07-08-11 by billsapsis Today is our last day riding together. We've got about 440 miles from Kalispell to Billings and then the ride is over. Suzanne left us during bike prep this morning. She's on her way to Anchorage and then back to Sweden. We all miss her already and wish her safe travels. The ride today took us through scenery of all types. We started out in farmland, then rode into forests, past lakes, around snowed covered mountains, across open range and finally into the great prairie. At one point when Greg... [read more]
	Day 7 Posted 07-07-11 by billsapsis Today it was all about sightseeing at Glacier National Park. The only problem was the road we wanted to take, "The Road To The Sun" was closed midway into the park. Out came the maps and we went with plan B. Plan B had us riding over to Browning on the east side of the park and then up to St. Mary's Lake. Route 2 was mostly good fun except for several long construction delays. We've been lucky so far this year so I guess I shouldn't complain, but I do hate sitting around for 45 minutes. Once we... [read more]
	Day 6 Posted 07-06-11 by billsapsis Once again the LRLR woke to sunny skies and brisk temperatures. Perfect weather for riding. I noticed a butterfly on my windowsill. Thought he was looking a little done in at first but then he flew off on a full head of steam. Must've just gotten up like the rest of us. During bike prep we were joined by a friendly stray dog. First she tried to get Scott M to adopt her, then Carly and finally Diana. Sadly, she had to stay behind. No one had a helmet that would fit her. The ride today was over... [read more]
	Day 5 Posted 07-05-11 by billsapsis Before we get to day 5 I need to finish up Day 4. Our hotel is on the outskirts of town so, in order to allow the riders to have a drink or two with dinner, the chase cars ferried us all into the center of Jackson. We also have a new member of the group. Kit, a friend of Randy's has joined us and will be riding with him. Jackson is an interesting town. You can't swing a lariat without hitting a western art store or a gift shop. The town has arches made of antlers serving as entrances to the... [read more]
	Day 4 Posted 07-04-11 by billsapsis It rained like crazy during the night but when the sun came up the sky was clear. It's cold out, to be sure, but it'll warm up as the day progresses. After the usual bike prep and route discussions, we're on our way. Our destination today is Jackson, Wyoming which is situated along the eastern face of the Grand Teton Mountains. It's a very short day, only about 125 miles so we took our time. We meandered. After a couple of stops in Yellowstone and one at the exit, we stopped for lunch in Colter... [read more]
	Day 3 Posted 07-03-11 by billsapsis Day 3 turned out to be an outstanding day.Today's agenda had us riding over to Old Faithful after breakfast for a group shot and then we were on our own till dinner back at the Lake Hotel. This may not sound like much but it turned out to be a full of great sites and more than a few very nice surprises. Eddie got the day started right by sitting on his cabin steps playing his guitar while we prepped the bikes for the day. The ride over to Old Faithful was cold but as the sun climbed higher the... [read more]
	Day 2 Posted 07-02-11 by billsapsis I should tell you first off that there were no marriage proposals today. At least not among the LRLR My day started early due to the tour bus parked outside my hotel window at 5:15 am with the 50 or so high school kids getting on board. Fortunately, that was the only down side to the day. Before we left Cooke City we were given the donations that the Soda Butte Lodge had collected for us. Lorraine and her staff were great and I look forward to the time I can get back there. We got ourselves... [read more]
	Day 1 Posted 07-01-11 by billsapsis What an interesting day this has been. We've had an unusual number of 'firsts' today, even for the LRLR. The first thing that happened was that we left on time this morning. I mean, this is the LRLR, right? We never leave on time. Well, today we did. After the usual bike line up and photo-op in the parking lot we left Billings and headed for Cody, Wyoming. The ride to Cody took about two and a half hours and ran through ranch country, high plains and buttes. There were just enough curves and... [read more]
	Gathering Day - July 1, 2011 Posted 06-30-11 by billsapsis It's Friday, July 1 in Billings Montana. The Long reach Long riders have been gatherijng here over the last two days in preparation for the start of their 2011, 8th annual charity ride. It's old home week. I haven't seen a lot of these folks since last year and it is truly wonderful to be in their company once again. Greg and Alice rode in on their bike from Boone, NC. Loren, Kate and Bill Meyer (the other Bill) drove in from San Diego with their bikes in tow. Scott, Carly and Randy hauled... [read more]
	Bismarck to Billings Posted 06-30-11 by gregwilliams Chrome's Immutable Law #7 Headwinds suck. We landed in Billings around 4:00 local time, after 415 or so miles, and 4 gas stops, counting this morning's top-off before leaving Bismarck. For those of you scoring that little game at home, that means we averaged about 20.75 miles per gallon today, or less than half of what we should be getting, mileage-wise. We rode into a furious headwind most of the day, making the loaded H-D work hard to maintain the posted speed limit of 75. Not much danger of... [read more]