Day 24 - Cody to Sturgis - Part 3

(I added a photo here of Red Lodge). We arrived in Lovell at noon and had lunch. We then picked up US 14a through the Bighorn National Forest. I had not known what a spectacular ride this would be from the maps, but it turned out to be just as great as the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway, but not as great as the Beartooth. We rose from 3,500 feet very rapidly to the summit at 9,430 feet. The scenery was breathtaking. (pics).

We finally hit I-90 around 3:30pm and pounded our way the final 220 odd miles to Sturgis. While the scenery was sometimes beautiful, there is not really a lot to say for interstate travel, especially after having ridden three of the most scenic and challenging roads a biker could imagine. Barring the long treck on I-90, this, along with the ride from Durango, CO to Ouray, CO, was my most memorable day of riding so far. It will be hard to beat it in the future, but you know I will try!

We arrived in Sturgis after 7:00pm after having been on the road for 11 hours. Suzanne was a trooper all the way and loved the scenery as much as I did. We now spend three nights in Sturgis and will report on the events.