The pay at the pump doesn’t seem to be working even after trying multiple pumps. A trip inside the store doesn’t bode well for an early departure. Inside there is a line of 10 very disgruntled customers. I hand off my card and fuel up, and then I’m back in the queue. Apparently, this is a daily occurrence. Lucky me. At least I only have to experience it once.

I may get wet today, but I can’t tell yet. The Weather Channel states that it should be raining right now. Just to be sure it isn’t, I lift up my faceshield and stare at the sky. Nope, no rain. How could they possibly be wrong?

A pleasant surprise waits me up the road in the Wind River Canyon. The canyon is an amazing collection of boulders and colors. This would be the perfect place to hold an ambush as the river is the only path through the canyon and the walls are sheer cliffs.

Cody seems like a nice little town and the people are friendly. This is in contrast to most of the cruiser crowd I pass on the highway. Hardly anyone waves. Most of the traffic is heading west into Yellowstone. I’m heading north toward Beartooth and will skip Yellowstone on this trip.

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The skies are getting cloudier and the rain begins. As strange as it sounds, I like Beartooth Pass when the weather is like this. For some reason I couldn't remember the direction to Bear Tooth pass and thought it was to the west. After about 5 miles the road turns to gravel and mud. In Cooke City, I turn around and head back through the construction. As it turns out, I could have avoided the mud if I had turned right instead of left.

I started to head over the pass. On many lists, this is the most beautiful road in America. I can't decide. Don't get me wrong, it is breathtaking, but it just has to be hit at the right time. I was running in and out of clouds all the way up. The road reminds me of the Alaska Highway along the Wrangall-St. Elias Mountain Range.