MtnMax/Magniac
Well-Known Member
It was a great trip, with only 2 minor detractions on the same day, a loose spark plug and a tremendous thunderstorm. I decided to take the Magna rather than the VMax, since it is a bit more comfortable for long distances. We started out going East across Nevada's hwy 50 (loneliest road in America) and made a pic stop at the famous "shoe tree" where shoes have been tied together and thrown into the tree. For some reason, people do this across the country in several locations.
We spent the night in Ely, NV, and next morning we rode through Great Basin Nat'l Park, to Wheeler Peak. We outran the rain across Utah, until the last 20 miles or so to Vernal, where we spent the second night.
Next morning the skies were clear, so we headed North through Flaming Gorge, to Rock Springs, WY. As we were entering town, my engine started cutting out at low speeds and had almost no power to accelerate. I thought I could hear an exhaust leak on the right side. It turned out the #3 spark plug was loose, so we stopped at Rock Springs Honda/Toyota for repairs. The plugs were a couple of years old, so we had all 4 replaced, and since the radiator had to be moved to access the fronts, I had them replace the coolant as well. They were quick and professional, very helpful and friendly. I highly recommend them to anyone passing through the area and needing any parts or maintenance.
As we were preparing to leave, there was a huge thunderclap and the skies opened up. Within minutes the streets were rivers, so we decided to cut our day short and spend the night in Rock Springs.
The next day we rode diagonally toward the Northeast through Wyoming and across the Southern portion of the Bighorn Mountains to spend the night in Gillette, and next morning to Rapid City, SD. We spent a couple of days in SD, seeing Mt Rushmore and the Crazy Horse monument under construction. We rode East to the Badlands and back West to Devils Tower in Wy, then on over the Northern portion of the Bighorn Mtns, then up to Billings, MT.
From Billings we went Northwest through Great Falls to spend the night in Browning before taking the Going To The Sun road through Glacier Park, and south to Missoula for that night. Out of Missoula on hwy 12 West through Idaho, I waved a big "thumbs up" to Val as we passed a yellow diamond-shaped hwy sign with that squiggly arrow saying "next 99 miles". What a wonderful road!
We overnighted in McCall, ID, which is a beautiful little town, although a bit "touristy", at the south end of Payette Lake. The last 2 days were actually a bit boring, long empty roads and us having the "horse headed back to the barn" syndrome. We got home late Friday PM, and spent Saturday catching up with things at home, getting ready for Monday morning and business as usual. All in all, it was a great adventure, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Pics: Shoe Tree, Wheeler Peak, Flaming Gorge
We spent the night in Ely, NV, and next morning we rode through Great Basin Nat'l Park, to Wheeler Peak. We outran the rain across Utah, until the last 20 miles or so to Vernal, where we spent the second night.
Next morning the skies were clear, so we headed North through Flaming Gorge, to Rock Springs, WY. As we were entering town, my engine started cutting out at low speeds and had almost no power to accelerate. I thought I could hear an exhaust leak on the right side. It turned out the #3 spark plug was loose, so we stopped at Rock Springs Honda/Toyota for repairs. The plugs were a couple of years old, so we had all 4 replaced, and since the radiator had to be moved to access the fronts, I had them replace the coolant as well. They were quick and professional, very helpful and friendly. I highly recommend them to anyone passing through the area and needing any parts or maintenance.
As we were preparing to leave, there was a huge thunderclap and the skies opened up. Within minutes the streets were rivers, so we decided to cut our day short and spend the night in Rock Springs.
The next day we rode diagonally toward the Northeast through Wyoming and across the Southern portion of the Bighorn Mountains to spend the night in Gillette, and next morning to Rapid City, SD. We spent a couple of days in SD, seeing Mt Rushmore and the Crazy Horse monument under construction. We rode East to the Badlands and back West to Devils Tower in Wy, then on over the Northern portion of the Bighorn Mtns, then up to Billings, MT.
From Billings we went Northwest through Great Falls to spend the night in Browning before taking the Going To The Sun road through Glacier Park, and south to Missoula for that night. Out of Missoula on hwy 12 West through Idaho, I waved a big "thumbs up" to Val as we passed a yellow diamond-shaped hwy sign with that squiggly arrow saying "next 99 miles". What a wonderful road!
We overnighted in McCall, ID, which is a beautiful little town, although a bit "touristy", at the south end of Payette Lake. The last 2 days were actually a bit boring, long empty roads and us having the "horse headed back to the barn" syndrome. We got home late Friday PM, and spent Saturday catching up with things at home, getting ready for Monday morning and business as usual. All in all, it was a great adventure, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Pics: Shoe Tree, Wheeler Peak, Flaming Gorge
Attachments
Last edited:
