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After Atlantic City, it was time to head north on the next section.




The plan was to head north and find a wild BLM campsite somewhere.

But before we took off, we had to have a meal and drink at the only place in town.



The bear asked me if I knew of a guy named pants that violated a bear in West Virginia a few years back.


This one said if he tries that here I got a rifle for him.


Robwrt Redford at the bar back in 76.


The burger was decent. The potato salad was better.


Our target was a campground by Louis Lake between ATL City and Lander. There was some nice trails through the trees. KC found a creek crossing and his line of sight said go left. That was a split second mistake. It took 3 of us to drag him out.


KC’s side case hit a root and stopped him dead in the mud. The wild part was the dirt surface was dry but had the consistency of quicksand. He had to use a hatchet to beat the dent out of his box.


Here is the best part of the whole event. A guy name Dan from DeRitter Lousiana heard all the commotion and walked down with his dog.


Dan was staying in a tent nearby just boondocking. Curtis and he were talking and Dan asked if we needed anything. Curtis jokingly said “Ammo”. Dan quickly said “What kind?” The next few minutes of conversation was unbelievable. Dan said he had some and Curtis tried to buy it. Dan would have none of it and gave him a whole box. Curtis offered multiple times, but Dan never consider it.


Dan proceeds to pull out this big box and dig to the bottom to pull out some 44 mag


The generosity of strangers seems to be everywhere when in need.



We got to the lake and found a good spot for all of our tents.


The lake was cold but a few of us needed to wash off.


From the lake.



Clean but cold. lol.


Very peaceful after the chainsaw stopped across the lake.



The morning was pleasant, but dealing with AFIB all night was a pain.



More in a few.


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Epic.

dealing with AFIB all night was a pain.

Can't like that, I thought you had that under control............

Cav47 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 09, 2025 10:18 pm and I was not gonna mess up anyone else’s ride.

Think of it as adding to their adventure and take care please.

Great ride report. Thanks for sharing.

-Rich

Back to the report. I missed this pic last night. We scrounged up some firewood and used it to get rid of any mosquitoes. Yeah, it’s a rager, the dried pine around here makes sense why wildfires are so awful.




I fought AFIB most of the night. I had 3 rounds of it. Usually I take my meds and it goes away. But I went back in multiple times. It’s very frustrating and at 6:30 I figured my trip was over. My heart rate was still in the 160s just sitting around. I told the guys what was up and said my goodbyes and wished them luck as they pushed on. They all were really supportive and cool about it. Just good people.

The plan was unclear, Scott was supposed to meet us and we would ride together. But I was not sure I could ride. I also could not get ahold of him due to no cell service. I rode down to the end of the campground to wait. While doing that, I kicked out of AFIB. So I triple checked with my watch and optimistically but cautiously rode back to camp. I checked again and my HR was in the 40s now. That’s a result of the meds. It slows my heart down so much that it forces it back into rhythm. It works, but then it takes a while for my body to process the meds out. Makes you really tired, especially at elevation. It just takes time.

We had some easy gravel to start out with. It was just what my body needed.

This was the section today. Remember we camped in the green on the bottom left. So the short run to Shoshoni was even shorter. This is section 5.




Just a few miles out of camp we see a moose with a baby tagging along.






The views were still good. I took too much stuff with me, but you never know what you will encounter weather wise. I could have easily not brought my heated jacket in lieu of my better/warmer/bigger sleeping bag as the nights were chilly. I will cover my complete kit at the end for those that wonder how I pack for these kinds of trips.


Since Scott was hoteling it, he was traveling light and fast. I asked him at some point how good of an athlete he was back in the day. At 68 (I think) he is a fantastic rider. He must have athletic skills to rely on. He said he was not an athlete at all and just rode motorcycles quite a bit. I know he rides a lot, but his skills seem uncanny. I completely hope I am riding close to his level in 17 years.


We saw KC at an overlook


Looking back to the south, we would be leaving the snow as we dropped into the flatlands.



I shot some video of KC ripping down the switchbacks. You could hear the GS power out of the curves. I wish we could have heard the KTMs


We descended to the SINK. Apparently there is a river that disappears under a mountain and then reappears 1/4 mile down the valley. We stopped at the visitors center to check it out.




The next part of the ride after Lander, is into the lowlands and desert of central Wyoming. It’s mostly really fast gravel and not the most enjoyable from my perspective. The riding was easy and after the AFIB it was prob needed.

The empty spaces is home to a bunch of gas mining plants and the trail goes right through one of them.

The sign is obvious.



The guys caught us as I swapped out a long sleeve for something cooler.



If it looks like it’s wide open here, it’s because it is.


Scott and I put the hammer down and ran around 60 mph on the gravel to make time. I guess this was the only time I wish had a little more bike. The lightness of the 450 was not ideal for ripping across the gravel at those speeds. A slightly bigger bike would have been a little more stable. Don’t get me wrong, I am not going out and buying a 1290 or GS, my light ADV bike is perfect for me and what I do.

Scott powering through some sandy section!


We all met up in Shoshoni and the plan was to run another section since it was fast and hot. Eric, one of the Canadians is looking st the camera. Jean, his fellow Canuck is in the orange on the other side. In proper fashion, we toasted to making another section but I was late on the picture and just had my Gatorade raised.


Scott was going back to get his truck and would meet us in Ten Sleep the next day. So we headed out into the foothills of the southern Big Horns.

Here is section 6.








At a stop, Curtis noticed a small nail in his tire.

The consensus was to. It pull it until at camp. It was benign anyway. For the guys, it was beer 30.



Out in the trail, one has to hydrate.


Not a bad place for a little break. The cloud cover was appreciated.


The rocks are popping out of the terrain now as we get closer to the Big Horns.



Matt found a nice cool and breezy spot for his break.



The red colors are more prominent with the cloud cover.



My machine has done everything I have asked it to do. The 450 is a great ADV bike.


Some horses in the field were looking to get fed by their owner.


In the same field was a very fluffy sheep. I looked for Bust lurking around but he must have been hiding until the cover night to surprise Dolly.


Plenty of iron in the hills here.




I made sure I got out in front of the trucks. The dust was completely punitive if you got behind one. .


Some rain was working its way down the valley.


We all met up at the Ten Sleep brewery for food and drink. The pizza was delicious and I would recommend this highly.


The guys were looking for a wild camping site and I was a little worried about my AFIB and I was expecting Scott the next day. I left the guys to their own pursuits and found a campsite in town.


It had tree cover, nice grass, and cell service to catch up with the family back home.


The campground is right next to the rodeo and fireworks are standard.


Picnic table and a decent view was a plus.


So was the bath house and a power source to charge devices. The shower was solid. Good pressure and clean. I wouldn’t hesitate to stop here again.


I heard the guys snagged a free great site too, but today I needed the amenities. And for 28 bucks, I feel like I got a deal.

This guy was about 40 yds away and spent most of the night right there. He got up about 9, walked into town and in the morning was right back here. No tarp or tent. He trusted the forecast implicitly.


In the morning, a bowl of oatmeal and hot tea was a perfect start for the day.



More later. Ten Sleep to Burgess Jct is up next. This is the heart of the Big Horns. I have been through here on the FJR and in a vehicle. I knew it would likely be better from the dirt.


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Love this picture!

Glad your afib settled out for that day!

Great ride report and I was thrilled AFIB didn't completely derail the trip. I got to feel for ya man, it must have been difficult to make choices in the middle of no where you didn't want to make.

Great report, Cav!

Gotta finish this up. Sections 7 and 8 were the best. The Big Horns didn’t disappoint. I have been through here plenty of times on pavement, but this route gives a whole different perspective.

The difficulty level is a little increased, but nothing we couldn’t handle. Ten Sleep to Burgess Junction is great.



The mountains immediately come into play after seeing them in the previous section 6.


The light is hitting the hills right from the east.


Scott is a great riding partner. I was thankful for him being on this ride with me.


We stopped often to take pics or just admire the space we were traveling through.


The Big Horns are very underrated for a mountain range. I understand why considering what in state rivals they have in the Tetons and Rockies around Yellowstone.


We took a side trip up to an observation spot. It was worth it.

The spot was called “Cool Lookout”. It was.


We saw no one out on the trail






Miss Tyler would be inspired.


The colors were vibrant against the green background.


More in a few. My phone is acting up.


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The smell from the sage and other wildflowers was noticeable.






There are plenty of places to explore here. An entire week would not be enough time to properly explore here.


Too bad the groundhog at our house won’t stick his head up like this guy.

Plenty of easy gravel forest roads here to mix in with some of the challenging terrain.


Big vistas.

Making a loop out here and coming back to Ten Sleep would be great.


The main route was 118 miles with a couple extra Alt hard routes. We didn’t take any of those because we knew rain was in the forecast and the literature was specific about not taking the hard sections if it rained.

We got out early and really didn’t see anyone else after the first few miles.






At some point between the great conversation and frequent stops, a profound thought came to mind.



We were talking about “Time”.


We seemed to be stopping more and more frequently.

The landscapes just kept coming after every turn.


It was constantly changing but still bringing the same level of beauty.


We didn’t take the Renner Wildlife loop.


The pace was slow and enjoyable.


The weather was perfect.


The revelation about time was in contrast with a couple of the other fast sections we rode through previously.


We took the side trip up to the petroglyphs. My History teachers at school love it when I bring them pics and first person info about places in the curriculum most of our kids will never go.



This place was back in a canyon and must have been protected for the Natives to have this much presence here.


It was an oasis back here. Good camping and facilities. A stop back here overnight would work just fine.






This is the timeline associated with the petroglyph drawings. Hard to fathom the scale until you see it like this.


This was July 4th and the place was not crowded at all. I bet on non premium holidays, this area is a ghost town.


After we exited the out and back side trip to the exhibit, we turned back north and climbed above the valley where the petroglyphs were. The green strips converged precisely to where one would expect.


High above we had unending vistas



This Bull had his territory to survey.


The road kept climbing

We were in the peak of the mountains now. The ride was becoming surreal.

More in few.


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I thought I had ridden some of the really great off road. Kentucky, Arkansas, Big Bend, Georgia, Black Hills and other places. Boy was I wrong- this was scenery, company, and weather at the peak conditions.



It didn’t matter where you looked, you got another treat.


The trial was the best mix of challenge and flow.


The pace was good because we had our trail legs at this point. The little adrenaline bumps from the jaw dropping views helped too.


The ability to see miles ahead of where you are going is not something I have experienced at this level before.



I think it was here that the thoughts came together. We stopped so often to take pics that I thought we were not making good time. That was because we both knew there was a chance of storms later.


The epiphany just came out in original form.

“Scott, we are not making really good time, but the time we are making is really good!”


No truer words were spoken. As I have reflected since getting home—Some of the people back home that have asked how my trip went, I can’t really come up with the appropriate words to describe or explain it.


There was a crazy conflict going on in my head. I knew I should be living in the moment but was already scheming how I could get back here with some of my usual off road friends.


Not sure if I said it out loud, but “I can’t wait for Pants, Eddy, Jasen, and others to see this.” was the voice in my head curve after curve, hill after hill, vista after vista.


How can we base camp and loop through this place? I can’t wait to be the group leader here for someone else.


You know you’re in the right place when you are already thinking about how excited you will be to come back.


Sensory overload.


Wheatie, as you pointed out before about your favorite, I gotta ask you to consider this one as it might be my best.

It reminded me of Yosemite, but you get to ride right through the middle of it.

We bypassed the Alt Hard Woodchuck Pass section and it was smart given the rain that would eventually be coming in

Before we come into Burgess Jct, we see this specimen.







She didn’t see to be bothered much by our presence. Scott saw her again when he went back to get his truck and so did the guys when they came through later. Apex wildlife need not worry as long as they stay off the road outside of hunting season.



Scott’s plan was to check into his room in Burgess Jct and then go get his truck. Since I was gonna camp out in his room, i knew he was thinking that would give me a place to hang while he did the bike/truck shuffle one last time. 15 miles out it started to turn dark for the first time on the trip. 1,100 miles for me and not a real rain drop has hit me yet.

We could see the rain coming and considered throwing rain gear on but we were gonna get soaked either way. About 13 miles out, Scott made the smart call and pulled a U turn as he had to ride back to Greybull anyway. I pushed on toward Burgess Jct. At one point, I was under 30 mph. I’m sure it was a sight, me trying to tuck behind my tiny Adv Spec fairing, head tipped down while using my helmet peak to block the huge drops.


Water was sheeting off the cambered pavement. I could feel the splashing off my boots as I forded the impromptu water crossings. My mesh gear was quickly soaked. I was looking for any cover.

About a mile before Burgess Jct, there is another bar/restaurant/lodge. I saw a few Harley’s there and made the call to whip in there and seek shelter.

I was dripping when I walked in to the Elk View Inn. Apparently I took up a prime parking spots is what one of the locals commented.

The chili was good. And I spread out my gear to dry out. I was in no hurry so I used their electricity to charge up my devices. I sat at the bar and talked to the locals. A word of advice: they have WiFi, but they WILL NOT give you the password unless you are staying at their lodge. I wanted to check weather and the waitress pulled her phone out to let me check. A No WiFi policy is strict among their employees.

After seeing the rain persisting for at least another hour, I stayed long enough to order the mushrooms. They were really good and the steak fries under them were spiced right.

2 hours later it was clearing up and I paid my bill. I know the remote location with amenities can come with some costs, but the chilli and mushrooms with a water should not be close to 35 bucks with tip. Be warned, you eat here, you are gonna pay for it.


A mile or so up the road, at the Bear Lodge, the local moose hunt out in the lake next to the restaurant.


I know some of you subscribe to this message.


Right about the time I finished getting gas, the guys rolled in. Matt put another one of his stickers on the ice cooler.


The guys ate and then started plotting where they would stay for the night. KC scouted out a close campsite on BLM land that was free.


Scott rolled in a little later and we unloaded my bike of luggage since we would be coming back here before heading back.

Scott and I got reservations at the restaurant. I am a sucker for chicken fried steak and it was on special. It was decent.


I contemplated a dessert, but I passed.

This is the lodge where we would stay. It has everything you need including gas, food, and accommodations. Don’t plan on buying anything in the clothing shop unless you’re naked. T-shirts for $45, hoodies for $75, and some Klim gear for over retail.




The next morning, Scott and I are ready to hit the last section and get to Montana.



More in a few.


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Yeah. That's some good stuff, Josh! The scenery is definitely better than northern Illinois. Lol. Thanks for sharing.

Section 8 is a mere 40 miles, but it is an out and back essentially; so you have to plan for at least 80 before you get back to Burgess Junction. You can skip some of the dirt by going down 14 on pavement if you want. Scott and I did not take that route. We were here for the dirt and it was great.

The route terminus is at the Crow Reservation in Montana. I was both excited and a little sad because the 80 miles was gonna fly by and then it was back to reality.




The roads start out easy and we knew this because of their 2 digit markings.


Quickly the road climbed into the backcountry.


Still easy riding. We were the first out this way. No tracks were in front. The rain yesterday kept the dust down.


Somewhere out there is the end.


Why is the road still so easy??


Mostly a westward track over the small passes.


Scott continued to indulge me with my often repeated stops to drink it in.


Sometimes as you would climb, the only thing you could see was the sky as it met the horizon. It seems novel, but it doesn’t work like that back home.


Only a few miles out of Burgess Jct, snow was still holding on. This close to the lodge/resort there are tons of people remote camping. I can totally see why this is a mecca for boondockers. .


Riding to the horizon is something special. .


Just when you think you’re pretty special, the world reminds you ain’t. In the distance a lone female is out running with her dog.


I guess I will just believe she is a super marathoner or something.


Back to the horizon.


The trail got smaller and progressively more steep and more rugged. Nothing phases Scott. I thanked him many times for riding along and doing it the hard way with shuffling his truck and bike back and forth between sections. His only response was a minimally sarcastic “Yeah, your welcome, Just take me out and make me ride my motorcycle”.


To the horizon shall we go.


I know the Top of the World Highway is over by Beartooth, but this is the off road version. We seem to be at the top here.


But the horizon is not ready to give in yet.


We gotta drop down onto 14 for a short pavement ride.


Pavement is often not appreciated on a BDR, but if you know 14, it’s some of the best in the US.


The pullouts and overlooks here are amazing, even from the pavement.


Right off the pavement, a few miles in, we got into a bunch of traffic.


Not sure of the protocol, so we just lag behind until a real cowboy comes up and tells us to “Ease on through, we are pushing them up the road anyway.”


So we got to “participate” in a cattle drive. The Bon Jovi lyric “Steel Horse Cowboys” from Wanted Dead or Alive came to mind albeit fleetingly. Lol. The dogs were amazing to watch work. They were magical in handling their duty.


Back up in the hills. The Horizon Ride continues.



The Washington guys took the pavement and are coming back from the terminus.







Scott and I say our farewells to the guys. They are a great guys who I will always appreciate for taking in a “Stray”

Scott and I had a little more to go.


It seemed like the ridges just kept coming.


One more maybe? The anticipation was real.


Another one? I had seen the sign plenty of times in others’ reports, it has to be close.


But it’s not. One more ridge.


I guess it’s down there.


Hidden away, much like our historic treatment of the Native Americans.





Helmets required in Montana says the GPS.


As a former History teacher, being this close to the reservation was a little weird knowing all that happened to push them here. Now, I’m not a snowflake that doesn’t understand how countries are conquers and that is as historic as time itself. I guess you can’t pull the teacher out of person even if I am not still teaching. It’s just a part of the inquisitive nature of education. Not a political statement or issue. Certainly not for here.

The gate was open and there were tracks from a side by side leading onto the Reservation.


The difference from one side of the fence to the other means “so much”, but the flowers were just as beautiful on both sides.


I wish the side by side driver would have come back to have a chat.


The phone location must have been off a little.


I kept up the practice of picking up a few stones from each place along the trip. It’s a thing I have been doing for years and I will explain more later.



I coerced Scott to take a couple selfies to confirm our completion of the BDR.


Then it was back toward Burgess Jct.


The ride back was not a let down at all. Going back I think I heard Scott say something the BMW guys say “You haven’t ridden a road until you’ve ridden it both ways”. Seems true in this case.




Got back to pick up the truck and we quickly loaded up both bikes in Scott’s truck. A few hours and we were at Big John’s. His wonderful wife made cookies and send me a healthy ziploc baggy full. John made me a great brisket wrap too.

I sent him this picture. I would like to say that the cookies made it to Rapid City, but that would be false.



It’s 1,052 miles home. You can figure out they didn’t last long. .

I pulled over somewhere in Minnesota and got a few hours sleep. The weather was good enough to just blow up the air mattress and sleep next to the bike in the bed of the truck.


I got home the next day and pulled together my rock collection. One for each section starting in the top left with the Red Desert BDRX. Bridger Peak section 1 and so on, you get the idea.


I put them in my rock garden at the front of the house.



All the rocks by the hosta are from trips.


I stopped by Sam’s club and bought my wife flowers and a couple Tomahawks. I think she was more appreciative of the ribeyes.


I have been gone for over a week, but this makes it all better.



I sifted through all the pics and started thinking about all the memories we just created.

I will wrap a few more details soon. I just want to again thanks John, Scott, and all the Washington & Canadian guys. It was a bucket list trip and I learned so much for the next trip.


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Awesome stuff! Can't wait to see it myself one day.

Wow Josh, that's beautiful country... all of the various landscapes. Thanks for the photos, and just as important, the text. I appreciated the virtual ridealong!

Glad yer back safe, even if you'll never be totally sound. Lol

Fantastic report! Really enjoyed all the great photos Thanks for sharing your adventure.

-Rich

Awesome ride report and trip Josh. Thanks for posting.

In 2007 when I road the Magruder Trail, 7 years before it became part of the IDBR, I crested the summit and was heading downhill feeling pretty plucky about myself. I was on a DL1000 Vstrom. My good feelings soon got knocked down a notch or two when I approached a couple riding a tandem bicycle up the hill. About 20 minutes later a support vehicle appeared, that helped restore my feelings of a accomplishment a bit but not much.

PS. Congratulations. That is quite an accomplishment.

Simply amazing photos and journey. Thanks for sharing it with us.