Sturgis 2025 Ending stats

 I've done the numbers for this trip and they are as follows. Total mileage was 2855 miles. 56.593 total gals. I averaged 50.448 MPG. Cost was $214.60 which worked out to $3.79 a gallon average. The lowest I paid was $3.58 and the highest was $4.00 a gallon. This average was $.30 cents a gallon cheaper than last year. I only use premium 91 octane.

Sturgis 2025 Day 12

 Left Watertown SD about 9 this morning under threating skys. The radar showed rain to the north and moving east. So it looked like we would maybe cross paths with it before we made it home. Didn't stop for pictures. We had just over 360 miles to cover so it was gas nd go. We did run into a few sprinkles but not enough to make us stop and put on rain gear. Good trip all in all. Total mileage was 2855 miles. I haven't figured out gas mileage or gas cost yet. When I do I will add it to this post. Now I can start the process of getting everything cleaned and put away and get the bike cleaned up and ready to collect some more bugs. Thanks for following along.

Watertown Sunset.

Sturgis 2025 Day 11 Homeward bound

 After checking the forecast we decided that it would be a good idea to head for home. We wanted to miss the forcasted rain. But we all know how quickly that can change.

We left Hill City SD about 7:45 this morning and got to Watertown SD shortly after 5 in the afternoon. Uneventful 463 mile ride, perfect weather until it got hot in the later part of the afternoon. Staying at the Econolodge tonight and should be home early afternoon friday. Not much for pictures again today. Just in the mood to be home now.

Ben Ash monument/rest stop.

I always seem to stop here if for no other reason than to check that everything is secure and has not shifted.

Erik and I are wondering if they are putting in a fiber network in rural SD.

Lotsa green this year and not many trees.

US Hwy 212. No traffic. I like it.

A planted natural snowfence.

Windmills in the distance.

More windmills.

Todays sunset. Must be some smoke in the air.

Home tomorrow. 6 hours and 350 miles.

It will be good to be home.

Sturgis 2025 Day 10

 Today was our last day in the hills.  We started the day with a visit to see a couple people that I have know for years, Preston and Eugenia live just outside Hot Springs where we are staying. From there we headed north up through Custer and on to Hill City. Had lunch there and then headed to Rochford for a cold root bear. They have newly paved alot of the road that used to be gravel. They are just about done with it according to the flagger. A truely great riding road now. We were going to keep going north before turning south back toward Hot Springs. Then we looked at the weather and decided the best course of action was to double back the way we came and hope we beat the rain. And we did beat it by 2 minutes before it opened up for about 10-15 minutes. No hail thank goodness. We did get a few drops from a cell that had already passed by before we got there. Not many pictures today.

Erik, Eugenia and me.

Erik, Preston and me.

Buffalo in Wind Cave national park.

Hill City still had some bikers in town. Nothing like a week ago when this street was blocked off for bikes only.

Deerfield Lake

Deerfield Lake

Deerfield Lake.

New pavement on the way to Rochford and great scenery.

Rochford, My bike and Erik and his bike.

Bike rally is over now it is ATV and side by side time.

We were not sure at this point if we would beat the storm.

The storm we missed by two minutes.

Tomorrow we head home.

Sturgis 2025 Day 9 Headed back East

 When we got to Rawlins WY monday night I was having breathing issues because of the altitude. I have COPD and all I had to do was exert myself like unpacking the bike and getting it in the motel was a real labor because I would see my O2 level plummet. I brought my portable oxygen concentrator but it was impactical to dig it out every time I needed to do anything. While riding down the road I had no issues. We were headed to even higher elevations and very hot weather forcasted. So the decision was made to change plans and head back to the Black Hills for a couple more days of riding.

It's warming up and time to remove a layer.

Talk about the middle of nowhere this is it. The black speck to the left of the house is a cow that we mooed at and it replied. Looking for a friend I guess.

Great scenery.

This was just north of Wheatland WY.

This is just north of Guernsey WY.

I hope you can read these. Try blowing it up.

At least they warned you.

My breathing seems much better at this altitude. That's all for now.

Sturgis 2025 Day 8, headed west

 Today Erik and I left Belle Fourche and the rally which ended yesterday. We are headed to Utah for a couple days we hope. Weather dependent.  We made it all the way to Rawlins WY, 400 miles. That was enough for today. We had a cross wind for part of the day, not to bad though. The best part though is no traffic really, as you'll see in the pics.

Spearfish Canyon was on our route out of town, a bonus.

Saw to mountain goats feeding next to the road.

This is where they had a rock slide that covered the road.

A last look at the canyon for this trip.

O'neal pass 6683 ft, almost in Wyoming now.

Wyoming state line on US 85

Really good roads today.

Another place I've stopped before.

A great view.

Erik and I.

Big beautiful valley.

And then you get into WY a ways and things were alot drier.

Great roads no traffic.

See trees, there is probably water.

Starting to see some bigger hills as we go west.

Real dry here.

One more pass to cross.

Morton pass 7169 ft.

Snow fences to help keep the highways open in the winter. It cuts down on the drifting of the snow across the road.

Don't know how readable these are.

That's all for now.