Experience Wyoming BDR

[MotoNews]

Published in: Rides

Riding and Filming the WYBDR

There’s an old saying, “The answer is always no, unless you ask.” That was my mantra one evening as I listened to the phone ring, waiting for my day-job boss to answer on the other end. Just a few minutes earlier, Aaron Rankin, the program director for the BMW U.S. Rider Academy at the BMW Performance Center called to ask if I’d like to be a part of the Wyoming BDR filming expedition. In addition to my day job, I am an instructor-in-training at the Center. Finally, the call connected, and I enthusiastically explained to my day-job boss that this BDR filming expedition was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To my surprise he said, “That sounds amazing! You have to do it!” I’ve never been so excited in my life.

Fast-forward two weeks to the night before the ride officially began, in August of 2021. I woke up around 2:00 a.m. in a full-blown panic attack. I worried I would let everyone down. Shirley

Luckily, others saw something in me that I had yet to realize. Early on, BDR executive director, Inna Thorn said something along the lines of, “You don’t realize how a BDR will change you until you get back home.” How right she was!

So, it Begins…

“Today was rough, and I am in over my head.” That was my first impression after rolling with the BDR crew for a day. We rode through the Wild Horse Basin, the Sierra Madre Range, aspen forests and more incredible scenery. We were delighted by stunning views of mountains in the distance and perfect riding weather. The terrain started with gravel roads and sweeping turns, compact dirt, and rolling hills; it became more technical as the day went on. I struggled to keep up, and then came a stretch that got even more technical, with rocks, washouts, switchbacks and higher elevations. I went to bed that night staring at more stars than I’d ever seen in my life, wondering what the heck I’d gotten myself into.

Playing in the Water

Very shortly into Day Two we came upon a water crossing. It was a muddy puddle about 30 yards long that blocked almost the entire width of the road, except for a tiny sliver of hard dirt on the side. You could either go through the puddle, or around it. The film crew was already poised, ready to capture all the falls and victories.

BDR president, Paul Guillien, known for hammering it through, went first. A couple of folks chose to skirt around it, but I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. Instead of sitting there contemplating the obstacle and psyching myself out, I went for it! I ended up sliding around a bit but made it through unscathed. Little did I know, this would be the day of water crossings.

The challenges on the track continued to grow as the day went on. The rocks got bigger, corners tighter, ruts deeper. I started to fall into my happy place of slow and technical riding, but a bigger challenge was headed my way, my least favorite thing: riding along exposed edges!

About mid-day we got a break from dirt and ended up on tarmac for a while. Even the paved roads on this route are twisty, beautiful, and loads of fun. After reconnecting with dirt, we came upon an optional expert water crossing with uneven rows of cement pavers held together with rebar, dropping a foot into a rushing riverbed full of round, slippery babyhead rocks. After crossing the creek, you ride over more pavers to climb the other side. At least the water wasn’t too deep―early in the riding season, this ford would be impassible.

I made it without ditching the bike—but I fell back to old habits, lost confidence as soon as I entered the river, took a break to reassess my situation, then gave it a BRAAP and made it across. I’m still disappointed in myself for not sticking to my Performance Center training. We got lucky that day as the water wasn’t too deep.

Getting High in Wyoming

Later that afternoon, the crew decided to check out an overlook tower at Kennaday Peak (10,810 ft.). The route was technical with lots of ruts and big, loose rocks as we passed through huge swaths of burned-out forest. We were climbing for a good amount of time, and then suddenly came out above the tree line and could see for miles. We kept climbing up loose, sandy switchbacks to a flat area where riders can park and take in the 360-degree views.

As we were making our way down the mountain, I suddenly felt that something was very wrong. I was connected to Paul on our Sena headsets, so I let him know I needed to pull over right away. When I got off the bike, I was dizzy. It was late afternoon; I’d been very careful about constantly drinking water and yet, I was extremely dehydrated. That day’s riding was intense and relentless, and even though I was taking in a lot of water, I wasn’t getting enough electrolytes. I wasn’t used to riding for hours a day in such technical terrain, with few short breaks to catch my breath. I’d never experienced anything like it. It was very scary, and I was thankful Paul was there to help. He had hydration tablets, and within 15–20 minutes I was right as rain.

Things Fall into Place

By Day Three I was hitting my stride, settling into the riding, and was loaded up on hydration tablets. The next big challenge would be riding in the Shirley Mountains. There were steep, rocky ascents and descents, a good stretch of sand, rocks, ruts, washboards and more obstacles. If I failed to pick the right line, I struggled, but always managed to keep the bike upright. I had to work hard to get through, but Jocelin Snow was by my side, connected to my Sena and cheering me on.

My training kicked in, and I felt totally confident. Little did I know, this was a walk in the park compared to what was up ahead. More sand. Lots of sand, big rocks and big ruts as we approached the Beaver Rim. At one point coming up a rocky hill, I target fixated and went off track, T-boned a large rock and body slammed into my fuel tank, right in front of the filming crew. I hurt all over (especially my ego!).

On his first section of the long and grueling ride along the Beaver Rim, it’s easy to pick up speed and end up sideways in a surprise rut. Eventually, we came to a point where you could choose to break off or continue on the track. Exhausted, I chose to break off and bypass the second half of the Beaver Rim. Jocelin and photographer Simon Cudby joined me and we all took a gravel road that followed huge rock formations. As the gravel turned to dirt we were greeted by dozens of cattle grazing in the fields. This beautiful alternate route is ideal for those who choose not to ride the entire length of the Beaver Rim.

Day Four was a BDR rest day, which still meant riding and filming for several hours―maybe six, instead of fourteen. We visited an old mining ghost town, South Pass City, panned for gold, ate ice cream and peered into the windows of restored homes and saloons of this outdoor museum to see how residents lived here 150 years ago.

The track then progressed through the Wind River Range with some fun, flowy doubletrack and many lakes. This section descends the mountains on sweeping paved switchbacks that took us down to Sinks Canyon State Park. Here the Popo Agie River disappears underground; a half mile down the road it “rises” in a calm pool full of hungry trout that you can feed for a quarter.

The next day was surreal. As we made our way to our camping destination at Ten Sleep Brewing Company, we rode on stretches of hard-packed dirt, tight washboards, and wide gravel roads. We rode past giant signs that said, “Poisonous Gas Area.” Abandoned shacks and scrubby sage punctuated the landscape. This desolation gave way to beautiful red rock canyons and clusters of green pastures with beautiful farmhouses until we reached the town of Ten Sleep.

Ten Sleep is an adorable place, home to a groovy annual event called “Nowoodstock”, one of Wyoming’s most popular and longest-running music festivals. Be sure to stop by the general store for ice cream and supplies. Camping at the Ten Sleep Brewing Co. was a real treat with outdoor showers, food trucks and live music throughout the summer. Make sure you gas up on your way out of town though. You won’t have services for a while.

Hitting the High Notes

The next stretch took us into the Bighorn National Forest. The track was sandy, rocky, and twisty. The views were stunning as we ascended on loose switchbacks and bumpy washboards. There were several peaks with wide-open exposure, great for photos. One section was particularly fun and fast, through a cow pasture with jumpable whoops, ruts, loose dirt and gravel. Be sure to check out the petroglyphs at Medicine Lodge Archaeological Site—a nice place to take a lunch break and learn a bit of history.

We spent the night at the breathtaking Medicine Lodge Lake in the Bighorns. Arriving at the campground, we were surrounded by towering pines and a serene lake setting. We took a refreshing dip in the crystal-clear waters and watched a stunning sunset over the lake. If you do some forward planning, the Paintrock Lodge, just a short walk from the campground, will prepare dinner or breakfast for you, and you can also stay overnight here (book well ahead).

Over dinner, the lodge owner mentioned he had rooms available, so a few of us decided to grab them and enjoy the lodge’s amenities. It was a good decision and I felt better-rested. The rest of the team enjoyed camping by the lake.

Sign of Trouble

The next morning as I was loading my bike, I noticed someone had placed a sticker on the inside of my windscreen. It had a banged-up cartoon character with the phrase, “But did you die?!” on it. That pretty much summed up the trip thus far. Unfortunately, it was a sign of troublesome things to come.

Earlier that day we split into two groups. Inna, Tim and I decided to skip the optional expert section over Woodchuck Pass. Instead, we took the main route on a paved canyon road that offered some of the best twisties I’ve ever ridden. We stopped at the Shell Falls off the Big Horns Scenic Byway before heading to the meet-up point further down the track. Waiting for us was the unsung hero of the expedition, our support vehicle driver Mani. This man was the rock of our expedition—carrying film gear, arriving early to reserve campsites, cooking meals and occasionally coming to rescue us during flat tire situations. We couldn’t have done the trip without him. As usual, he already had lunch prepared for the team. We enjoyed his “roadside taco” meal while waiting for the rest of the group to arrive. I asked Mani if he’d heard anything from them, since it seemed to be taking a while. He checked his satellite tracker, but nothing had come through.

Finally, we heard the roar of engines, and a couple riders rode up to give us bad news. One of our team members had fallen and injured his wrist. Thankfully he was okay, but he couldn’t complete the route he had just spent four years developing. A rut took him out, and a “road angel” cowboy (complete with cattle dog hanging out of the window) pulled up in a truck and offered a ride to our meeting place. After figuring out the logistics of who would ride the abandoned bike, and how we could get our friend to a hospital, everyone met back at the hotel. Without taking off his hero suit, Mani made a long haul in his truck with the injured rider to get him medical attention in Sheridan, WY.

The Perfect Ending

On the eve of our last day, I was getting emotional about this incredible adventure coming to an end. At the beginning, I felt like it would last forever, but as the days passed, it was slipping away. I had bonded with these strangers, ridden some of the most amazing backcountry tracks, and seen the most beautiful and far-away parts of Wyoming. And I’d witnessed true teamwork, experienced the grind of filming of a BDR documentary and watched our film crew absolutely crush it every day.

On the last morning, we were sent off with a real treat. As we ate breakfast at the Bear Lodge Resort at Burgess Junction, a massive moose and a little calf were munching on the brush in the parking lot right outside our window. It felt like a dreamy ending to a truly magical experience on the WYBDR.

What’s Next?

After the BDR team had ridden and filmed the WYBDR route, they begin work on putting the pieces of the project together to present it to the community. In February of 2022 the BDR organization released the WYBDR route with free GPS tracks, a supplemental Butler Motorcycle Map, a feature length documentary film, and a national film tour in the spring. Thousands of ADV riders will enjoy the route for years to come and get to experience the majestic and remote beauty of the state of Wyoming on two wheels.

WYBDR Quick Facts

• Total Distance: 900 miles. The main route is divided into eight sections and can be done in seven days.
• Best Time of Year: WYBDR has a short riding season, July to September depending on the snowpack and early fall snows.
• Skill Level: Intermediate to intermediate plus, with expert options. Some sections may become impassible when it rains.
• Riding terrain: Gravel roads, steep grades combined with rough surfaces, sand and silt beds, ruts, mud, embedded rocks, water crossings.
• Wildlife: Expect to see antelope, wild horses, elk, and moose.

For more information about WYBDR, visit RideBDR.com.

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Wendy Naessens is an avid motorcyclist, on and off road. She is an instructor-in-training at BMW U.S. Riders Academy, BMW Performance Center. She’s very passionate about continuing education, raising confidence levels and helping people become more independent riders.

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