Solo Moto-Camping Trip | 10 States. 2 Weeks. 4,299.5 miles

[BDanz]

Out and Back: Western, PA to Helena, MT

I thought I would share a post-adventure ride report with the community. This was my first long haul. That, combined with running it solo, inspired much pre-planning. I had the trip “mostly” planned before I bought my S10 (Saga) back in April. Once I was past “break-in” and had the 600-mile scheduled maintenance, I hit the road. This thread will include a daily ride report (obviously after the fact) taken from my journal, daily reflections, and camera roll.

Day 1: I left Western PA at 8:30 am on the morning of June 14. It was a cool, sunny morning that smelled like dew on fresh-cut grass. I traveled quickly through the short miles remaining of PA, and slipped into OH. Had a short cloud burst outside of Cleveland. Pulled over and squirmed into my rain gear. My rain gear was new, and I had yet to give it a good test. Well, the downpour outside Cleveland was sufficient, and the gear kept me dry.

I had been concerned about the stock seat, and how it would feel on longer miles. Once I had passed through OH and into IN, I hit my second scheduled stop at mile 304 – north of LaGrange, IN. I did some quick stretching – and the ass felt fine! A bit further into IN, I found my first campsite at Eby’s Pine’s Campground in Bristol, IN at 3:00 pm.

Day 1 Travel Report:

Total Miles: 323
Time in Saddle: 6.5 hours.

 

[BDanz]

Day 2: Another cool, sunny start. Up at 5:30 am. Packed up by 7:00 am. On the road at 7:20 am. In my mind while planning this trip, I anticipated waking up early, rekindling the previous night’s fire, making some instant coffee and a little something for breakfast. This first morning, I found myself too eager to get on the road for any of that. There were still about 100 miles of Indiana to see before crossing into IL. The original route had me skirting around Chicago, but it was early on Saturday morning, so I decided to stay on. It was sweet cruising along the Skyway and seeing the city come into focus. I’ve spent some time in Chicago and really enjoyed it. The tolls though - Dang!

Another 100 miles or so brought me into Wisconsin. The weather continued to be decent, but growing hotter. As I approached Wisconsin Dells, the temp broke 90F, and it was starting to wear me down. I’m ATGATT since I totaled my last bike last fall trying to harvest some venison….Also, first signs of saddle sores arrived around this point (~600 miles). Stopped off at a Super Walmart at the Wis Dells to grab some baby powder. I had no idea that was such a popular spot! And on a Saturday. Traffic was madness. I had to Google it and learned it was a place I wish I had more time to explore. Looks like tons of great stuff to do there!

Another 80 miles down the road brought me West Salem, WI, and to my campsite at Neshonoc Lakeside Campground at 4:00 pm. Super clean, quiet, campground with friendly people. There must have been a curfew because everyone went “poof” at 10:00 pm (not complaining). My “neighbors” at the campground were also from PA (small world) and had been on the road for TWO YEARS! They were nice enough to make me enchiladas for dinner.

I also learned that the stock back plate on the S10 is plastic! Grrrr.

Day 2 Travel Report

Daily Miles: 394
Time in Saddle: 8.5 hours.
Total Miles: 717

 

[BDanz]

Day 3 Out: A fairly strong weather system hovered over the campsite at night and long into the morning - delaying my departure until close to noon.


Hot and humid, I packed up a soggy tent and tarp and jumped back in the saddle. Little did I know, this was about to be my most challenging day, yet

After 15 short miles, I was crossing the mighty Mississippi River and into Southern MN. It didn’t take long for the temps to rise above 90F, and a blustering crosswind coming from the south was my constant companion. It was tough staying focused - wrestling the bike, and navigating traffic at 80+MPH. The helmet was starting to grow very, very heavy.

I took my first break at 100 miles in. This is when I noticed that the 12v “cigarette lighter” insert I was using was not charging my phone (navigation) or camera batteries. I thought perhaps the port got wet during that morning’s rain. I unplugged and packed up my phone and hit the road. Still cooking through Southern MN. To lessen the impact of the cross-winds, I tried making myself “small” by tucking in close, laying over my tank bag. This was effective, but without the wind, I would overheat very quickly and have to pop back up into the gusts.

A second break after another 100 miles. The heat, humidity, and full exposure were definitely dragging me down. 170 miles to go until my stop for the night in Mitchell, SD.

Forging on, I finally made it to Michelle, SD around 8:00 pm. Pulling into the Super Walmart for some supplies, I noticed that the bolts on both of my bar ends had rattled out somewhere in MN. The handguards were just hanging there. Taking inventory, I also noticed that the nuts holding the skid plate had also fallen off.

Before heading to my campsite for the evening, I checked the forecast, and Mitchell had a National Weather Service warning in effect all night and into the next day.

Spirits were pretty low at this point, so I decided to grab a hotel room. Turns out - that had been an excellent idea. #knowyourlimits







Day 3 Travel Report

Daily Miles: 370
Time in Saddle: 8.0 hours
Total Miles: 1087

 

[Boris]

Enjoying the trip report. Keep it coming!

 

[robp]

I've had issues with the 12V port not charging my phone either. I installed a Battery Tender plug to the battery and use their USG adapter for phone charging.

 

[BDanz]

Sorry this is so long....

Day 4 Out: The weather raged all night; staying in the hotel was a good decision. I was able to dry out my gear, shower, enjoy a burger and cheese curds at a local diner, and snooze in a warm bed. I say snooze because I didn’t sleep much. Just like the storm outside, my mind was a swirling, churning, mess of anxiety and doubt: my bike needed repairs, and the forecast for Day 4 looked dismal. I was alone and very far from home - it was very heavy and real.

Earlier in June, when chatting with friends and family about my trip - without exception - their immediate response was, “You’re crazy.” Were they right? Was moto-camping alone across the country a bad idea? Maybe.

It actually got bad enough that I ended up calling the wifey-poo late that night.

She set me straight.

In essence, she said “Yeah. Maybe it was a bad decision. But you made it, and now you have to live with it. You’re being challenged. Show some grit, double down, and go see what you’re made of.”

She was right, of course. I needed to push through. It’s an adventure, and often the rough spots make the most lasting memories.

The bike shop didn’t open until 9:00 am, so I took my time packing up Saga. The rain was steady and cool. Visibility was also going to be an issue. So, I put on my rain gear and headed to the local bike shop. Honestly, I could have found the missing bolts at a hardware store and did the repairs myself, but I wasn’t feeling it - which turned out to be a blessing in disguise! The local Yamaha shop was just a short ride from my hotel - and what a great crew! Spent some time swapping stories and just chewing the fat.

When I watch other moto-vloggers on YouTube, I’m always amazed by the awesome people they meet along the way - especially when they’re in a “pinch.” Super friendly and helpful. Well, I had just experienced that myself! Shout out to the guys at Iverson Powersports in Mitchell, SD.

They patched up Saga, and I got back on the road around 11:00 am. The rain was constant, the wind was strong out of the south, and spray from the trucks racing by was pushing on my nerves. It was definitely a “right lane, four-ways, and 50mph” type of situation. Just 40 miles in, visibility dropped to a dangerous level, and I was forced to pull over; I was marooned at a service station.



After just 30 minutes or so, the rain chilled out enough for me to continue on. Around 2:00 pm, I made it to Chamberlain, SD, and stopped off to see the Dignity: of Earth and Sky statue overlooking the Missouri River - a very cool place to visit.



After crossing the Missouri River, the rain had been reduced to just a casual spit and visibility cleared up. By the time I made it to Wall, SD, it was just a light mist.




I still had another 160 miles to cover before reaching camp, but first - Saga insisted on stopping off in Sturgis, SD for a quick selfie.



Another 35 miles and we crossed over into WY, and the weather was clear, cool, and breezy:



After a very challenging day of riding, we finally made it to our campsite in Keyhole State Park in Moorcroft, WY at 7:45 pm.









I learned a lot about myself that day.

Day 4 Travel Report:

Daily Miles: 380
Time in Saddle: 8.75 hours.
Total Miles: 1,467

Go beyond the map - Saga

 

[ZigZag]

Thanks for the ride report BDanz, a great read. Your wife gave you great advice.

 

[BDanz]

Thanks, ZigZag. Nice to know folks are listening. Trying to give a realistic account. Good and bad. That's life, yeah? Can't tread lightly.

 

[ZigZag]

I don’t enjoy reading riding stories if it’s all sunny skies and no drama. That’s not real life. Your experience is why I ride. The sunny skies are great too but the rough days make it real. I know a lot of riders don’t leave their garage without checking the rain radar and the thermometer. But I follow this quote; There’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes. - Billy Connolly

 

[BDanz]

Since I've returned (this report is after the fact for anyone new), many have been inspired to take multi-day rides. Ignoring weather reports had been the hardest lesson.

Especially if they have lots of chrome.

 

[SkunkWorks]

Some time ago I had a similar experience on my first big multi-day Tour on a motorcycle.......
My friend Cap'n Ron and I were on a Crazy-Awesome 18-day Trip, on our FJ-1200's.
In the middle of "Day-4" I watched him hit a deer on a curve at around 60mph, ending the Trip for him.
I was gutted..............both for him, and for me.............knowing that I built up this whole tour for both of us, and it was over in an instant.
I honestly wasn't considering continuing the journey without him.
That evening I called Home.............had a life-changing heartfelt discussion with my Wife and two young Boys........
In that moment, it was exactly the inspiration that I needed.
The next morning I continued the Journey alone..............scared, nervous, and sad, but excited and hopeful as well at the same time.
Cap'n Ron rented a box-truck, and took his wrecked pile of machinery back home to California.

Unbeknownst to me. he loaded all his gear on his Vstrom and 4 days later he met back up with me in Oregon to finish the Trip with me.
That day that Ron crashed, and overcoming that initial trepidation was a turning-point in my life, and one of the best things that ever happened to me.

Without a doubt, you have learned the same lesson about yourself!

 

[BDanz]

Interesting. My previous scoot was a Vstrom, which I totaled against a deer going 60mph. Wild World, yeah?

Edit to say: obviously not the same story, but damn. The similarities struck me. Glad your buddy was ok and had the stones to carry on!

 

[Strummer]

Some time ago I had a similar experience on my first big multi-day Tour on a motorcycle.......
My friend Cap'n Ron and I were on a Crazy-Awesome 18-day Trip, on our FJ-1200's.
In the middle of "Day-4" I watched him hit a deer on a curve at around 60mph, ending the Trip for him.
I was gutted..............both for him, and for me.............knowing that I built up this whole tour for both of us, and it was over in an instant.
I honestly wasn't considering continuing the journey without him.
That evening I called Home.............had a life-changing heartfelt discussion with my Wife and two young Boys........
In that moment, it was exactly the inspiration that I needed.
The next morning I continued the Journey alone..............scared, nervous, and sad, but excited and hopeful as well at the same time.
Cap'n Ron rented a box-truck, and took his wrecked pile of machinery back home to California.

Unbeknownst to me. he loaded all his gear on his Vstrom and 4 days later he met back up with me in Oregon to finish the Trip with me.
That day that Ron crashed, and overcoming that initial trepidation was a turning-point in my life, and one of the best things that ever happened to me.

Without a doubt, you have learned the same lesson about yourself!

Without any doubt you have a good friend....

 

[SkunkWorks]

He most certainly is!

 

[BDanz]

Day 5 Out: Reaching My Destination

I prefer a hammock over a tent when camping. There are tons of videos out there discussing the pros and cons of each - I’m not getting into that, but I did experience one big disadvantage of hammock camping during this trip - it’s hard to find a campground with trees that accommodates hammock camping. I think next trip, I’ll spend more time researching public lands for dispersed camping - like I’m used to in PA’s Allegheny National Forest.

Regardless, I had anticipated this challenge and packed a small one-man tent - which can be seen in photos from previous reports.

However, on my last night out, I was able to string up the hammock and hang out for a bit. The wind off the reservoir made it too cold for a full night’s rest, but hey. I’ll take it! Thank you Keyhole State Park, WY!

This was my final “push to destination” - Helena, MT - and it was a monster! All of the extremes.

I woke up refreshed, with the bite of crisp, clean, morning air. The sound of a quiet psithurism swishing up above, The plop of an occasional fish cracking the surface of the Keyhole Reservoir. This was going to be my longest ride - time and miles - yet. I was excited to start, so I packed up camp and hit the road around 7:30 am.

About 40 miles further into Wyoming, the temperature dropped from 58F to 38F! In PA, I often ride in sub-freezing temps, but not in the middle of June! I was genuinely confused. I had to pull over somewhere near Gillette, WY to put on my base layer, my hoodie, and my rain gear (to shield from the wind). I also grabbed a warm cup of coffee and had a chat with a nice woman doing the same. I asked about the wild temperature swing in WY, and she laughed. “No clue. I’m from Utah.” Ha!

I continued on, cutting off the northeast corner of WY - the highway flowing in and around beautiful, rolling hills. After another 120 miles (193 km) or so, I reached Sheridan, WY. Had a burger at Taco John’s (don’t ask) for lunch, and met Joan - the woman behind the counter. We chatted about her story and how she made her way from FL to live in Sheridan, WY. What a great story - even flavored with a touch of sadness - but most good stories are.

Enough - I fueled up Saga and headed north into MT and the Crow Reservation. I had great expectations for the next 130 miles, riding across the Reservation and into Billings, MT; I had heard such great things about the vast, undulating landscapes. I was going to have to wait until the return trip to enjoy any of that:

As I rose up out of Sheridan, I could literally see the storm cell tearing across the valley, the Big Horn Mountains as a backdrop to the West. It was a quick introduction to the term “Big Sky.” Dang! The winds were so strong, that I couldn’t even pull on my rain pants - they were blowing and billowing about like a surrender flag!

Descending down, the fierce wind and cold rain started and forced me to collapse down over my tank bag like I had a fatal gut wound. Looking through a rain-splattered helmet visor, through a bug-spattered windscreen - that was how I experienced the Crown Reservation. Grrr.

I rolled into Billings, MT around 4:30 pm. soaked through and chilled to the point of endless shivers. Only 270 miles in (435 km) - and as it turned out - just 300 miles (483 km) more to go. Eek.

I found a Starbucks in Billings and decided to warm up, charge up some batteries, and wait out the storm. I won’t lie, I thought long and hard about cashing in and calling it a day.

hoto:

The weather did break, and I continued West. I know it’s a bit cliche, but my goodness. The mountains do just seem to rise out of the ground and you ride on into Livingston. I didn’t stop much for photos, but my head was on a swivel, letting my action camera gobble up all the views.

hoto:

I stopped at Livingston, MT for fuel, and to call my friend (whom I was staying with in Helena) to check in and come up with a plan for my arrival. He had just driven north from Butte, MT, and warned me of a massive storm cell moving through the area with intense rain and hail.



He strongly recommended I change my route to avoid this storm. I was all about missing the storm, but I wasn’t too keen on the 60 additional miles (96 km). Well, it turns out it was an epic stretch up the road. Past Bozeman, over the Rockies via Homestake Pass, down into Butte, north, past the Continental Pit mine, across the Continental Divide via Elk Park Pass (had snow, here), stopping at Boulder for fuel, and finally into Helena, and my arrival at my friends home.



Stay tuned for my week of adventures in Montana and my long journey back, visiting a variety of spots Devil’s Tower, the Corn Palace, and much more.

Edit to add:
Day 5 Travel Report:

Daily Miles: 570
Time in Saddle: 15.25 hours.
Total Miles: 2,040

Go beyond the map - Saga.

 

[SkunkWorks]

As you get out toward "The West", you'll notice less Trees for sure............Not all Camping areas will have enough for stringing a Hammock (as you have already noted)

Be aware: *Some State Park Campgrounds, and *Some NF Campgrounds do not allow you to attach anything to the Trees, even if there are enough present...........Hammocks are not allowed at these sites (unless you have your own Stand)

Dispersed-Camping would be the way to go, if you can locate the good areas.

 

[BDanz]

Hey. So, I'm still learning how to edit video. I have so much from this trip. I'm planning on publishing an episodic release of this trip.

As I practice, I plan on posting "side quests." I'd love for you all to like and subscribe. I'd also love hear feedback on what you'd like to see.

Check it out here:

 

[BDanz]

Day 6 There:

So, I rolled up at my friend’s home around 8:30 pm, MDT. Gear dump, followed by a quick, grime-shredding shower: I was ready for the nice steak dinner they had prepared for me. Coupled with a nice glass of red - pure heaven. Once the rest of the family had turned in, it was time for these two old friends to catch up over just a touch too much scotch, a few nice cigars, and several servings of “humble pudding” on the pool table. He was always better than me at pool; I guess some things never do change.






The next day (Day 6), we hit the Broadwater Hot Springs in Helena for a good, long soak. Oh, these aching bones. It was at that moment I realized just how hard I had been fighting on the freeway, and how much of a toll it took on this poor, old Dad-Bod.



Later that day, we connected with one of his local buddies and his boat; we shot out (on four wheels) to the Gates of the Mountain for some afternoon fishing. The scenery was so astounding, that I could hardly keep my eyes on the line.








Not a bad start to the week! Stay tuned for more.

Day 6 Travel Report

Daily Miles: 1
Time in the Saddle: 10 minutes
Total Miles: 2,041

Modes of transportation:

1. Motorcycle
2. SUV
3. Pickup Truck
4. MotorBoat

 

[BDanz]

Day 7 There Part 1:

Damn, it was nice to be back in a bed, up off the ground. Although, I’ll have to admit, I woke up several times in the night. Very confused. Disoriented. Lost. A solid 30 seconds of not knowing where I was. Such a disturbing sensation. One that will persist for the remainder of my travels and beyond. So strange.

The weird feelings quickly subsided, though, as I was greeted by a big, clumsy, golden retriever named Tucker, a steaming mug of hot coffee, warm food, and warmer company.



After a nice breakfast, we took a leisurely stroll through the historic Reeder’s Alley to sneak a peek into the lives of the early settlers of Helena - came looking for their fortune.



The stroll continued through the heart of Downtown Helena and the Helena Walking Mall - Last Chance Gulch St.







Chocolate Milkshake at the old time Parrot Confectionary.

And then we left civilization behind. We made two stops on our way to the cabin in Seeley Lake, MT. The Garnet Ghost Town,










To be continued....

"Go beyond the map." - Saga

 

[BDanz]

Day 7 There Part 2:

We also made a stop at Trixi’s Antler Saloon in Ovando, MT for a beer. Also met a cool dog named Glacier.



Some very cool history surrounding this spot.


this photo is not mine. Image credit

After Trixi's, we finished our drive to the cabin in Seeley Lake, MT, arriving around 8:00pm.

There was no waiting - I had to toss my line in that Clearwater River. If you look closely at the photo below, you can see a bald eagle in soaring in the sky (top left quadrant. basically a dot lol).



Elk backstraps for dinner - taken during my buddy’s recent hunt.

Photo:










































Stay Tuned!

"Go beyond the map." - Saga

Day 7 Travel Report:

Daily Miles: 0
Time in Saddle: 0 hours.
Total Miles: 2,040