Yellowstone to Portland Need to find some adventure

[Ethergore]

Foy- Thanks for the clarification. This is helping me more than you can know. I updated my map but skipped the gibbonsville rd. portion to cut down slightly the off roading to keep my wife sane. You think ill miss that portion incredibly or is it a good place to cut slightly? Cutting a small portion will let me get to missoula 2 nights after leaving the yellowstone area and allow the wife to get a shower and see a city again.

Heres the updated trek: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/44.6035242,-111.4060468/45.1716521,-113.5119371/45.3693224,-113.409307/46.2402853,-114.1551757/46.4433595,-113.7600784/46.8678754,-113.9463945/46.4489816,-116.8603643/Portland/@45.0267136,-113.0137762,8z/data=!4m20!4m19!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-111.6794095!2d44.5881723!3s0x53511abf66ea346b:0x1dbdefe1319f42bf!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x54950b0b7da97427:0x1c36b9e6f6d18591!2m2!1d-122.6762071!2d45.5234515!3e0

 

[Ethergore]

We're actually heading up to the Lewis and Clark Lolo Motorway tomorrow. Not taking the FWC and the road was just opened a few days ago. We're going to mountain bike it with support vehicle. We rode a portion of it last year and it's a pretty good dirt road; lots of history along it though.

Sounds like a fun trip. I haven't tried much dirt cycling but do wish i was prepared to bring my road cycle. Have fun!

 

[Ethergore]

dauntless225-

I'd love to meet up but not sure if I can do anything close to that Bronco. I know I asked for more technical but thats pretty hardcore. The frozen foods in my fridge turn into missiles when attempting those types of climbs. I'm down to try some stuff thats somewhere between a fireroad and what the jeep was doing. Maybe I can manage what the jeep was doing for the most part actually as long as I can fit and don't get to anything where i need lockers....thats a future upgrade for sure.

 

[Foy]

No problem, Ethergore, glad to play along--it's the only way I can "get out that way" for another full year. I don't know what skipping Gbbonsville Rd will mean--I've never run it.

From Hamilton, over Skalkaho Pass, to Rock Creek Rd should be around an hour, depending on how long you stop at the Falls. Rock Creek Rd at MT 38 down north to MT 348, 20 minutes. The main section of Rock Creek Rd from the MT 348 junction north to I-90 is slow going. I'd allow at least 3 hours, preferably 4. The pavement picks up at the 10 MP and it's only 15-20 min to Missoula after reaching I-90. Missoula is a fun town.

Have a ball!

Foy

 

[MarkBC]

...From Hamilton, over Skalkaho Pass, to Rock Creek Rd should be around an hour, depending on how long you stop at the Falls. ...

When I was there 3 weeks ago, the road over Skalkaho Pass was closed just (100 yards) west of the falls.
The sign at the barrier said "Severe road damage" or something like that. I came up from east side, assuming that the warning signs "Road closed to through traffic" posted miles back were wrong...but they weren't. So I had a nice look at the falls (photos to appear in a future trip report) and drove back to the east and had to find another way around -- way around, back to the north.

I don't know if it's still closed.

 

[Foy]

Oh, Snap!

Faced with that, reckon I'd access Rock Creek from the Big Hole by taking MT 43 from Wisdom to MT 569 a little short of the town of Wise River. MT 569 is a nice little paved connector crossing the Divide, with some great views, near Anaconda. There take MT-1 through Anaconda, past Georgetown Lake, to Philipsburg, where MT 348 brings you to Rock Creek Rd. From Wisdom, about an hour and a half to Rock Creek Rd?

Foy

 

[Ethergore]

Good looking out you guys!!

 

[Foy]

Montana DOT website says "closed for the season". They've got a big slide up there and some local news photos show the roadway slumped away.

 

[dauntless225]

Brownscamp area has alot of easier stuff. most everything is connected by gravel roads. The trails are clearly marked for difficultly. so lockers are not required. in fact my flatfender is open front and back which makes it more challenging. below is a clip of me there a few years ago..

 

[Tomas Tierra]

Ethergore,

Did you do this trip?? If so, how was it?

TT