The Bear lived over the mountain - the Big Horn Mountains!

We woke up in Cody and decided to have breakfast at "Grannies".   It was crowded with bikers and it was good!  The amigos had their planning meeting for the day.

We decided that since it was a relatively short ride, we could start a little later.  After breakfast we were ready to ride.

yes, that's right.  I have Billy the Buffalo on my bike!  Not to worry, I didn't steal him, he asked to come with me.  I thought he would be good on the ride over the Big Horn mountains.

We headed out on 14 from Cody.  The view was about 30 miles of visibility on each side.  We were going about 65/70 mph from the hotel to the mountains.  On the way to the mountains there were many rock formations.

We were flying by these mountains.  As you can see the sky is gray and as we were riding I could smell the rain.  Now, it hasn't rained in upstate NY all summer but the smell of the rain was unmistakable.  We had to pull over and put on rain gear.  I love my rain gear.

And so does Bill.  Cindy choose his rain gear and Scott got mine.  I think the theme is visibility!  Just in case the picture isn't clear, I'm pink and he's orange.  We hauled up the Big Horn mountains!  S turns, hair pin turns, switch backs and up and up.  I was happy hugging the mountain, hauling ass around the turns.  An incredible ride.  We stopped at the Shell falls.

It was beautiful.  My most difficult moments were getting out of the parking lots.  Trying to merge into these mountain roads scared me!  I was fine going up but going down for me was tough.  Scott said to me, you were hauling around the turns going up but you totally slowed down going down the mountain what happened?  I was on the outside, next to the guard rail reading signs that were dire for trucks.  I had to feel in control so I down shifted and crept down the hill.

It's hard describe what it's like going down the Big Horn Mountains but you have to be there.  S turns like a ski race.  Lean one way and then lean the other way.  Total concentration.  The first time in my life where I have not been able to think about anything else. It was just curve after curve after curve.  I can't describe the feeling. After we came down off the mountains, we were terribly hungry, and we ate at the first place we saw.

Burgers, pizza and horses across the street!  We tried to go back roads to get to Buffalo WY but there weren't any so we had to get on 90.  I was fine doing the mountains but 75 on Rt 90 scared the hell out of me.  The scenery was beautiful.  We finally made it to Buffalo.  The Day's Inn.  Just a mile a way was the Occidental Hotel built in 1880.

See the bikes!  On Thursdays they have a jam session with multiple guitars, violins (fiddles), mandolins, and bass.  Wow!  The other real cool thing we did was inhale the Whiskey chocolate cake.  I only have a picture of it because Maria brought some to the hotel to go.

It was unreal!  And so was the music.  I'm so relived to have made it up and down the mountain considering the weather.  I think the most difficult part was not the mountain but the 75 mph on I 90.  I'll close with the jam session at the Occidental and if you ever come to Buffalo, make sure you're here on a Thursday night! Notice my dinner partner!

Here is the band.  They were awesome.  Good night!  Tomorrow is a big day.  Deadwood, Sturgis, Mt. Rushmore, maybe the Devil's Tower.  Who knows?  Where ever the road takes us.  Love those Hair pins.