BEARTOOTH RALLY 2010

By Sammi
Every July for the past 16 years, riders from all over the United States and Canada have gathered in the beautiful resort town of Red Lodge, Montana, for the annual Beartooth Rally. Located southeast of Billings, near the Wyoming state line, Red Lodge is nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountains. The rally is named for 10,947-foot Beartooth Pass, and boasts some of the most scenic riding in North America.
Riding into town it’s apparent this is not the typical rally. While the streets are lined with chrome and leather, the usual booths and vendors hawking "biker gear" are noticeably missing. The rally has purposely remained relatively small and has retained the flavor of the small resort town. The local shops remain open and enjoy the different clientele that wonder in to their shops.
Friday's & Saturday Events
This is a well-planned rally though with events lined up every day. The fun begins Friday with the Window Pane Golf Tournament held at Red Lodge Estates Country Club. Bikers playing golf, hmm…. After all, this rally is a little different. Picture this: big, burly, bearded men wearing plaid shorts and leather vests; smacking the hell out of a little white ball; and riding around in really fast, custom painted golf carts! Cool picture, right?
If that picture is not your style, forget the golf and try out the bingo run. Also held on Friday, the bingo run that starts in town at the Snow Creek Bar. Bingo cards cost 5 bucks each and are sold throughout the six-stop run. The run ends at the Lost Village Saloon in Roberts, Montana, where sponsors promise—and deliver-- big cash payouts, door prizes, and a great party.
On Saturday, Bone Daddy's Custom Cycles sponsors the Highway 212 Poker Run. The Beartooth Rally's founder, Leo Wilson and Bone Daddy's are the central players in all the events at the Beartooth Rally. Until last year Leo owned and operated Bone Daddy's Custom Cycles and all rights to the Beartooth Rally and Iron Horse Rodeo. Last year he sold both but remains an integral part of the festivities, particularly the Iron Horse Rodeo.
It's all about the ride
Whether you take part in one of the sponsored runs or not, you must at least enjoy the scenic beauty of Highway 212 from Red Lodge to Cooke City, Montana. This part of Highway 212 runs through the heart of Red Lodge and Shoshoni National Forest and crosses the Wyoming/Montana state line twice.
Honestly, if this ride doesn’t make you appreciate what we have here in the West, you’re just not living right.
The first part of the ride reminds you why these are called the Rocky Mountains. The road consists of a series of steep inclines and hairpin turns that hurry you to dizzying altitudes. Along this stretch is a highly recommended rest stop with a breathtaking overlook. This is a good opportunity to leather up, because as the altitude climbs, the temperature drops.
As the air becomes crisper and you near the summit, snow capped peaks are everywhere. Just beyond the summit, hundreds of riders have gathered at the Top of the World for a rest and refreshments. The parking lot of this aptly named rest area is overflowing with chrome and leather. Ahhh…what a beautiful sight.
By this time scenery has changed from “rocky mountains” to “lush green valleys” that are dotted with dozens of clear blue lakes. The road continues, descending in long sweeping arcs with many places to pull off the road to capture that special Kodak moment. Too soon though, you'll descend into forest where the roads will by lined by pine trees that limit your view, but are impressive in their own right. If you’re lucky, you'll catch a glimpse of a bull moose, or a mama bear and her cubs, as this is where you are most likely to see the abundance of wildlife that is native to the area.
Soon you've arrived in Cooke City, also known as the Gateway to Yellowstone due to its close proximity to one of the National Park's entrances. Here, grabbing a table on the patio at one of their many restaurants and ordering up a burger and a beer is always a good idea. You can meet up with friends and enjoy watching the bikes coming in and out of town before you hop back on your ride and do the whole beautiful trip again seeing the sights from the opposite direction. It really does make for a good day.
Nightlife
Jump on Highway 308 and head east about six miles and visit Pitts Armond at the Bear Creek Saloon and Steakhouse for the pig races. Placing bets on cute little oinkers with names like "Donald Rump" and "Virginia Ham" is all part of the fun. Don’t worry about loosing. If your pig doesn’t come in, you’ll be supporting a college fund for the local kids. If, however, your little piggy makes it around the track first, you can even pocket a buck or two. While you’re there, make sure you have one of their delicious steak or chicken dinners. Whatever you do though, don't order any bacon on your burger! Out of respect for the piggies no pork is served at the Bear Creek Saloon.
Then, there are the parties in town. The Snow Creek Saloon and the Snag Bar host street dances nightly. Reasonably priced beer and liquor flow freely at both bars and the entertainment is always top notch. They atmosphere is provided, it’s up to you to have fun
There are good parties north about sixteen miles in Roberts, Montana, at the Lost Village Saloon, too. They have been known to put on some good shows including mud wrestling and music.
Iron Horse Rodeo
Sunday brings a chance to show off riding skills and appreciate the skills of others at the Iron Horse Rodeo. Held at the rodeo fairgrounds at the north end of town the Iron Horse Rodeo is an all Harley rodeo sponsored by Bone Daddy's Custom Cycles and Budweiser.
The Rodeo kicks off with a tribute to our country and the Americans that protect it. The flag ceremony is a tradition where participants and sponsors ride into the arena proudly displaying the United States Flag, the Montana State flag and the flags of the rodeo sponsors. The crowd seemed to cheer extra loud as Bone Daddy himself enters the arena.
There were approximately 60 bikes registered to participate in this year’s events in the dirt. Events included; the Ladies and Men’s slow races, the Keg Roll, the Beer Chug, the Barrel Race, an Obstacle Course, and of course the Weenie Bite.
New to this year’s line-up was an entertaining event called the potato race. In this one the rider’s line up at one end of the arena with, in most cases, their passengers precariously perched sidesaddle and they race to the other end of the arena. There the passenger jumps off the bike and dives headfirst into a pile of hay. While the passenger searches for an elusive "potato in a haystack" the rider must continuously circle the pile. Once the potato is found, the passenger must get back on the bike.
“I was disoriented when I came out of the hay,” contestant Jean Wales. “I don't think it would be easy to find your bike even if it wasn't moving in circles!”
The couple that crosses the finish line (potato in hand) in the shortest amount of time wins.
A couple of our local Wyoming guys, Brooks McRae of Sheridan and “Special” Ed Wales of Gillette made the Cowboy State proud as they won or placed in nearly every event and took home their fair share of the cash prizes. Special Ed expressed the sentiments of many residents of Northeastern Wyoming when he took the mic and shouted out to the fans, “To hell with Sturgis, this is my Sturgis!”
Indeed….