Not much to report – a relatively long drive today en route to the Chicago area. 10,407 miles.

Today started off quite chilly in Cody, Wyoming at 43 degrees at 10:30 AM. It was also quite overcast, so I didn’t get any heat benefit from the darker colors on the Atom. My route took me up Highway 14A into the Bighorn National Forest, at elevations approaching 10,000 feet. Click here for a map. At those elevations, my breath was condensing and freezing on the inside of my helmet visor. 14A doesn’t really use a pass through the mountains – it just climbs to the top via switchbacks, runs along the top for some time, and then descends via switchbacks (you can explore the link above to see what’s down the road if you want). There were a number of great photographic opportunities, but I was concentrating on getting down off the mountain before I froze.

Tonight I’m in Gillette, WY which is about 60 miles from the South Dakota state line, near Devil’s Tower National Monument. I passed 10,000 miles today – the current reading is 10,048.

I’m in Cody, Wyoming tonight. Tomorrow I start the long (1300 mile or so) run to Chicago. There probably won’t be many pictures along the way (I’m taking I-90, despite my pre-trip plan to take I-94 – I expect this will be a bit warmer). Right now the car has about 9800 miles on the odometer.

Today was another day of driving around Yellowstone. This time it was taking the north loop. Lots of pictures.

One of Yellowstone’s many waterfalls:

Bacteria growing in a thermal spring. The different colors represent colonies living at different temperatures:

Constant Geyser. So named not because it goes off continuously, but because it is one of the few non-periodic ones with frequent eruptions:

Black Growler, a steam vent:

The Dragon’s Mouth, a vent that is receding into the hillside, forming a deepening cave:

A bison with places to go and things to do (so he’s taking the highway):

Yellowstone Lake:

And my Atom, in case you’ve forgotten what it looks like:

Today I spent time driving around Yellowstone National Park. I have about 9600 miles on the car now.

First, the obligatory Old Faithful shot:

It didn’t shoot as high as other times, but I wasn’t going to hang around another 92 minutes (I just missed the previous eruption as I was parking the Atom).

Here’s one of the park’s inhabitants keeping an eye on the Atom. Note that this is dangerous – don’t try to replicate this shot unless you have one foot ready for the accelerator. Yes, that blur on the bottom is the side of the Atom’s frame:

This really is an alien landscape – look at the crystal clear blue water. It is boiling and giving off sulphurous fumes:

I’m staying at the “Hibernation Station” (for those of you who know me, that’s appropriate) in West Yellowstone. I’ve decided to stop trying to drive like mad to make Chicago on Thursday – instead, I’m going to take my time, slow down, and spend more time taking in the sights.

Another very long day today. Quite chilly. 9270 miles. I’m heading to Yellowstone tomorrow. 

A very long day today – I didn’t stop until well after dark. 8840 miles on the odometer, 1090 since I picked it up at Brammo on Wednesday. Lots of pictures coming later (probably tomorrow). 

Update (pictures, as promised)

At the Port Angeles marina, near where I would have departed if I took the ferry into Canada:

The Kingston / Edmonds ferry charged me the (higher) car price, but put me at the front of the waiting line with the motorcycles:

I got a front row seat:

Docking at Edmonds (Seattle side):

I met up with a fellow Atom owner and formed an unstable molecule:

He took a picture of me as we were heading down I-90:

I’m in Forks, Washington tonight. That’s up at the top left of the state, just before Highway 101 turns east and heads toward Port Angeles. The odometer reads 8510 miles at this point.

It has been quite cool while driving, and (as you can see in the picture) mists come rolling in off the ocean. Because of this, I’m not going to do the Canadian part of my trip – it will just be too cold (according to the weather report, about 50 degrees). Instead, I’m going to continue along 101 and make my way to Seattle, most probably via Bainbridge Island.

I’m staying in Tillamook, OR tonight on my way up the 101 highway. The odometer currently reads 8240 miles. Here’s some pictures from Oregon’s Ocean Shore Park: