UPDATE 2021 MOA Rally Great Falls, Montana June 24 - 27

[eap]

My brother and I are still planning to go. If several folks are going, we can see about a designated CLUB area, maybe volunteer for the beer garden!

The BMW MOA National Rally will visit Great Falls, Montana June 24 - 27, 2021.
https://rally.bmwmoa.org/

Who's going?

I've saved up my kitchen passes for this one and will be heading out to meet my brother and a few other riders about 1 week before. Heading up to Ludington, Michigan to cross on the on the SS Badger and then beyond - some camping/motels will be involved. Riders welcome riding out, riding there or riding back etc... Also routes and site suggestions welcome. ( Super excited as this only be my second cross country ride in recent years.)

Not sure if MOA still has athe BOGO! So $99 bucks gets you and your buddy!

[JonG]

It will be interesting to see if Going-to-the-Sun Road is open in time this year.
https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/gtsrinfo.htm
I hope to be there in August. Less iffy.

[phil.ager]

Well Ed,
We’ll be there if all goes according to plan. That’ll be along our route to Phoenix from Dawson City.

Suppose Maria will be too busy, but perhaps Avner will give it a go.

Good Riding, y’all!
Ciao, HSV-Phil & HSV-Karen

[VaSteve]

I'm going. Gonna fly in and rent a bike, but it's be cool to catch up with folks with VA or MD tags! I might organize some day rides as well.

[bdimon]

It will be interesting to see if Going-to-the-Sun Road is open in time this year.
https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/gtsrinfo.htm
I hope to be there in August. Less iffy.

Normally it opens by June 20th but snowfall is different every year. When we lived in Idaho, we went to Glacier a bunch of times, amazingly beautiful. My favorite time is around the first weekend in July because the wildflowers are in full bloom. Don't pick them; it's illegal to harvest in a national park. Chances are that the Going to the Sun Road will be open by Rally Time but visit it after the rally, not before. I like July better than August because there is more chance of wildfire smoke in August.

More tips for the road: Check the park's web site for plowing updates. Plan to ride it in the morning before 9:00 am. RV's clog it by mid-day. If you are scared of heights, east to west is less scary. Afternoons in the Rockies tend to be cloudier with more rain than mornings because the high peaks make their own weather.

Also don't miss Route 49 between Kiowa and East Glacier Park Village. It's a nice twisty two-lane.

Oh, I miss it.

[JonG]

If you are scared of heights, east to west is less scary.

But watch out for the white knucklers coming the other way. They tend to straddle the yellow line. I probably did my first time. And later saw others doing the same.

Some suggestions on your way to/from out there.
1) Drive ID75 through Stanley ID to see the Sawtooth Range.
2) Drive up Beartooth Pass, US212, and stop at the Beartooth Pass Vista Point.
3) Head south on US212 and left onto WY296 and go up to Dead Indian Summit Overlook to see where you've been. Nice hairpin turns.
4) Spend the night in Cody, WY and see their rodeo. Last I heard they have one every night.
5) If you will be near Rapid City and Custer State Park, take US16A north from State Game Lodge and stop at the Doane Robinson Tunnel for a view of the presidents at Mt Rushmore framed by the tunnel. Then ride the two pigtail turns a little further north.
6) Paul Mahalka took US36 through Missouri on his last trip west. So I tried it too. Nice four lane highway. Very few big trucks. If find yourself around Lebanon KS, stop at The Geographic Center of the United States. http://www.kansastravel.org/geographicalcenter.htm US36 is two lanes in KS, but mostly farm country traffic.

[bdimon]

Great suggestions, Ed! Beartooth Highway (US212) is my favorite road. Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (WY296) is lots of fun too. Cody is a really cool town; I wish I spent more time there. I once crossed Missouri on US 36; it was pleasant. Although it was slower was I-70, it was worth spending the time to avoid the stress. I-70 sucks through Missouri because of the heavy traffic and trucks. I liked the town of Hannibal since I am a Mark Twain fan.

Oh, I wish I was going.

[BigBuf]

With the rally rescheduled for this coming June, who is making the trek out this summer? Hopefully if everything stays on track I will make the ride out. Maybe 10-11 days round trip. No sense in making a big rush and would like to avoid the major interstates as much as possible.

[eap]

I'm still going, I have plans to plan something sooner or later along the lines posted above!

[JonG]

Just saw this Going-to-the Sun Road (GTSR) Ticketed Entry: https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/gtsrticketedentry.htm. Something new. If you want to ride the Going To The Sun Road, (and being so close why would you not want to?) you need a GTSR entry reservation ticket. This means that if you pull up to the entrance to pay the $30 motorcycle fee or use your annual pass, you also need the GTSR entry reservation ticket to ride up the road. And it says "Entry Reservation Tickets are only available online at http://www.recreation.gov... FYI

[bdimon]

The Going to the Sun Road will require the pass if you enter between 6 am and 5 pm MDT. Since the road does not close at night, I guess you could ride through the entrance gate at 5:45 am without issue.

Approximately 3/4 will be available up to 60 days in advance with the remaining 1/4 of tickets being released two days in advance. Entry Reservation Tickets are available beginning at 8 am MDT on the day of release.

So if you want to ride the Going to the Sun Road on June 30, you would try to reserve before you leave. You could reserve it as early as 8 am on May 1. However if you don't get one, you could then wait until 8 am on June 28 when the last reservations will be released on the web.