South Dakota Wyoming trip

The South Dakota Wyoming Trip
September 2009

Monday September 7th 2009 7:23 PM Eastern Time. We made it!

It all started with an idea from Joe to go to Mount Rushmore. "Lets just head west and keep riding."

The problem - we only had one week off.

The solution - Iron Butt Challenge.

If we do the Iron Butt Challenge we can get out there in 2 days have 3 days to enjoy some of the best scenery and motorcycle roads in America and have 3 days to come home with a 4th day as a cushion in the event something goes wrong.

The goal - The Badlands of South Dakota, Mount Rushmore, Sturgis, Devils Tower, Spearfish Canyon, Nemo Road, Custer State Park, Needles Highway and the remarkable Norbeck Scenic Byway, an engineering marvel perfect for motorcycle enthusiasts.

John & Rob getting ready to leave Johns house at 3 AM heading for Bendix diner in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ

Joe, Lorenza & Mr. Smithers. Lorenza is there as our departure time witness.

The Start, Bendix Diner Hasbrouck Heights, NJ

4:21 AM on September 5th 2009 Rob, Joe, John & Frank left the Bendix Diner in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ and started their journey to Black Hills, South Dakota and Devils Tower, Wyoming. During that Journey they had planned to complete two Iron Butt Association Challenges. Challenge 1 was the "SaddleSore" a 1,000 miles in 24 hours. The second was the BunBurner 1,500 miles in 36 hours. The two can be combined so the plan was the first day complete 1,000 miles get a room sleep for 6 hours and the following day complete the remaining 500 by 4:30 PM and both Challenges would be complete. We would then start Monday from Murdo, SD just miles from the Badlands. Simple enough, right? Maybe not.

The Crew at 3:30 AM
Once we fuel the challenge begins. We had breakfast and left the diner at 4:16 to the
Exxon across the street for the official start which was 4:21 am.

Crossed into NY at 4:46 am.
(Track logs from a Garmin Zumo 450 are used along with gas receipts)

Lake Erie in Westfield, NY

1:16 PM Rt. 90 West

1:54 PM Rt. 90 West

Applebee's Westlake, Ohio

Rob aka "Hardcore" Swanton, Ohio

Frank aka "Diggs"

John aka "Harley Boy"

Frank in Rob's Mirror at 7:49 PM

Entering Indiana 7:50 PM

Entering Illinois 10:34 pm.
938 miles complete

Exited Rt. 80 West for Princeton Illinois
at 12:42 am eastern time and fueled up at 12:47 am eastern time.

We completed the 1,000 miles in 20 hours & 26 minutes. We obtained our finale gas receipt at 11:47 PM central time in Princeton, IL. Johns bike had clutch problems, we fixed the clutch in the morning but by then it would be to late to complete the second challenge. Our new goal was to just make the South Dakota border by the end of the day. That will set us back a few hundred miles for Monday so we would have to eliminate Sturgis from the itinerary.

Derby cover back on and clutch adjusted Rob does the finale adjustment on Johns clutch.

Meanwhile Frank cleans last nights bugs off his bike.

Joe patiently waits while Rob tries to book another hotel. We won't be making Murdo, SD by nightfall.

After a 1,000 plus miles in 20 1/2 hours & 6 hours sleep it's
Sunday morning the bike is fixed & John is ready to hit the road.

With a newly packed bike (new duffle bag) Joe is ready to get the heck out of Illinois!
After a very late breakfast we hit the road at 1:28 pm. Now that's a late start.

Welcome to Iowa! Sunday 2:18 PM eastern time.

Looks like Frank was getting a rest in Rob's luggage. Look ma no hands!

Joe aka " The Negotiator" enjoying the high speed limit in Iowa.

"Harley Boy" "What helmet I don't need no stink'n helmet!"

"Diggs" "what luggage I don't need no stink'n luggage!"

Entered Minnesota at 7:18 pm eastern time.

Entered South Dakota at 10:50 pm eastern time Sunday September 6th, 2009.
Yea buddy! 2 days & we are in South Dakota!

Late Sunday evening we reached Brandon, SD. We enjoyed a late dinner at the "Tailgators" served to us by a wonderful and funny waitress named April. Spent the night at the Comfort Inn next door and was off to the Badlands of South Dakota Monday Morning.

Tailgator's great food at 11:00 pm
Brandon, South Dakota

Celebrating it taking just 2 days to get to South Dakota.

The Badlands are spectacular but bad things began to happen there. John & Joe both had bike problems. This time it was John's starter and now Joe's fuel pump is going. We were able to nurse both bikes to Mount Rushmore and then Hill City South Dakota were we will be staying for 3 days.

Miles of wide open roads.

Frank is in a hurry to get to the badlands (notice the speed).
Question for Diggs how do you take a picture at 100 mph.

Don't worry the tin man is holding his leash.

Welcome to town, population 5 (that includes the 4 of us).

Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota

"Lets go the Badlands are in the distance!"

Harley Boy ready for the Badlands

The Badlands South Dakota

A warning to be heeded by all, or perhaps not.

Harley Boy "Yup I'm gonna find me some rattlers!"

The Crew at the Badlands...

Joe and his ill'n bike

Keystone, South Dakota

Finally at Mount Rushmore.

happy about achieving the goal!

If I rode 2,000 miles on my Harley to get here, than I deserve to be up there too.

George, John, Ringo and Paul, oops no that's the Beatles. It's George Thomas, Theodore and Abe.

To tired to climb up there this is close enough.

Good one Frank

Population 780? Locals say during the winter it's more like 180

After Checking in at the Best Western Golden Spike Inn in Hill City we asked the hostess were to get dinner.
She said their restaurant closes at 9 as does everywhere else except the bar up the road called the Mangy Moose.
Joe asked for a sit down dinner place and I kid you not, with a serious face, she said the gas station has tables.

Needless to say we went to the Mangy Moose where the very kind (& pretty) bartender Dre,
was kind enough to relight the grills and make us something to eat.

Frank, John, Joe & Rob another late night dinner.

Some people are so nice that, well um, they get down right scary.

Tuesday morning Joe left early and managed to get his bike to the Suzuki dealer where after much trial and error they found it to be the fuel pump. Meanwhile John & Rob went to Black Hills Harley Davidson where they were replacing Johns starter. Kudos to Black Hills HD for the prompt service. While we were waiting Joe called with the bad news he needed a fuel pump and they wouldn't have one until Wednesday morning. Joe got a ride to Black Hills Harley were he rented a bike so we could do Devils Tower in Wyoming but would still have to cut something else out, to much time had been lost, so Spearfish Canyon and Nemo Rd. got the cut. Johns Bike is done and Joe has his rental and Frank met us at the Harley dealer so off to lunch we went and then too Devils Tower, Wyoming.

Thank you Pati Keller the rental manager at Black Hills Harley Davidson for helping us out with the rental.

Joe on his Rented Street Glide

After lunch Frank is getting ready for Devils Tower in Wyoming.

John ready to hit the road once again...

and enjoying the 75 MPH speed limit. That means 85 right?

"Diggs"

Harley Boy

Devils Tower in the distance.

Getting closer

Yikes!

Joe feeling the tower power.

Up close you have to wonder how and why?

Scientists have 3 guesses how this appeared.
In other words "we don't know."

Joe, John & Frank

Joe learning what it's like to be one of the height challenged.

All around Devils Tower is rolling hills, ranches and just beautiful country.

and there are Prairie Dogs...

which John Likes looking for.

Back to the motel to late for any restaurants to be open again
Joe & John went to the gas station and brought back "college dorm food," microwavable cheese burgers and chips!

John wasn't happy when I said I wanted a ribeye instead.

Wednesday Joe and John head to Harley and drop of the rental and to Suzuki to pick up Joe's bike.

Joe happy to get his bike back.

Then its off to the climax of the trip, Custer State park, Needles Highway & Norbeck Scenic Byway along with the fascinating Iron Mountain Road where there are countless "twisties" some more then 360 degrees! They actually turn and continue underneath or above the roadway. Great riding, so much fun we did it 3 times. Parts of the road are cut through rock and as you drive through the small one lane tunnels you see they are aimed at Mount Rushmore.

The beginning of Iron Mountain Road, a must ride if you go to South Dakota

Notice the arrow sign it should look more like the letter "P"

There are 6 of these tunnels.

2 of the tunnels, one coming from Keystone and one coming from Custer are aligned with Mount Rushmore.

Why move a big boulder when you have a giant drill bit.
(and maybe some explosives left over from Mount Rushmore).

This counts as two tunnels.

Harley Boy

Hardcore

Diggs

AWESOME riding, AWESOME riding, GET IT I SAID AWESOME!!!

Rob & John say "lets ride it again" so we did, 3 times.

After checking our scraped up floor boards we moved onto Needles Highway.

Frank "Diggs on Needles Highway.

Hardcore on Needles Highway

Joe riding the needles

Frank, Rob and John on Needles Highway.

John & Joe pose on Needles Highway

John enjoying the crap out of riding the Needles

Diggs and his HD Fat Bob

Needles on Needles Highway

Heading for the wild life loop. Antelope, Buffalo even turtles,
and a jackass or two.

Oh and Grasshoppers.

Begging Burrows

Now I know John is an ass man.

Mr. & Mrs. Diggs

John watch for the low shoulder you could end up going off road.

Like this?

A grazing Hog

Buffalo! Damn they're far away

unless you ride out to them, and that is what John & Joe did.

up close and personal, it's the best way
(this is really taking the term "steel horse cowboy" to the limit).

Back where the chickens stayed.

Heading to Custer we found some horses and...

we end up seeing buffalo right along side the road.

Joe and John had to get up close.

Joe trying to sneak up on a Buffalo.

John still had to get closer!

John should look more at the buffalo than the camera

Okay time to go this one is getting to curious.

Okay one more shot.

This is bull shit!

Heading for dinner in Custer SD.

Main Street Custer, SD

Custer, SD Outside the restaurant that was the first bank of South Dakota and has walls 2 feet thick.

I wonder if john knows that's not an utter, or maybe he is hoping to order Rocky Mountain Oysters?

Custer, South Dakota

Thursday was the day I hated most it was time to head home. We headed for Crazy Horse Memorial, Frank really seemed interested in it. Well worth the visit. The process of sculpting a mountain is amazing.

The whole under what will be his arm is big enough to hold a 10 story building.

This is what the mountain will look like when completed.
To get an idea of the size of this when completed, all 4 presidents on Mount Rushmore is smaller then Crazy Horses profile.

Zooming in closer...

and closer you can see the workers and heavy equipment being used.

Rob & Joe

We cut through the park again and caught some roads we missed Wednesday
then took the back roads through the Badlands finally to route 90 east.

When you can see miles of roadway and not see a vehicle you know you're not in Jersey anymore.

Harley Boy getting a shirt load of wind.

Hardcore drinking a Mountain Dew at 85mph.

CAUTION! Nothing but open road ahead.

Wind burn and raccoon eye prevention apparel.

Entering the Badlands again.

Wind Farm near Blue Earth Minnesota.
A couple of these were actually turning. From PA to SD I rarely saw one turning.

Cruising through Minnesota on our way through Wisconsin
then on to Belvidere, Illinois where we will camp for the night.

Diggs did a great job getting the fire going.

Harley Boys tent in background left half is the garage with bike stowed for the night.
Got tent, got fire, got beer even have a picnic table. What now?