The Chief Joseph Scenic Byway is Not an Opening Act | Wyoming Motorcycle Ride

Wyoming Highway 296 — the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway — runs 47 miles through the Absaroka Range and ends where the Beartooth begins. Most riders treat it as the warm-up. They're wrong. This road earns its own attention. From the open meadows and grazing land of the valley floor to the scenic overlook at Dead Indian Pass, where the Nez Perce pulled off a brilliant tactical maneuver in 1877 campaign. The Chief Joseph carries beauty and weight in the same landscape. It's lush, pastoral, and unhurried in a way the Beartooth never is. It doesn't try to be dramatic. It doesn't need to be. Ridden on July 11, 2024--Day 92 of my 112-day Grand Detour. Wyoming Highway 296: about 47 miles; fully paved; sweeping curves; not technically difficult. It climbs to just over 8,000 feet at Dead Indian Pass before dropping into the Sunlight Basin. Stop at the Sunlight Bridge — I didn't, and I regret it. If you're in this area, please don't skip the Chief Joseph. If you haven't ridden either, ride them together, back to back makes a complete day, not just a collection of miles. Links Chief Joseph Miles in Silence--the full silent ride — no narration, no music:    • Chief Joseph Scenic Byway — Full Silent Ri...   My Grand Detour Playlist    • My Grand Detour (2024) — A 112-Day Motorcy...   Note: This video is part of my Butler G1 Playlist. The entirety of Chief Joseph Scenic Byway has been rated by Butler Maps. The G1-designated section is the stretch around Dead Indian Pass — the high-elevation climb that gives the byway its most dramatic character. That section is the heart of this video. The rest of the route is rated as G2 by Butler Maps. I have a lot of respect for the ⁨@butlermaps⁩ , folks and want to make sure I'm being accurate. Chapters 0:00 Introduction 2:27 The Bovine Road Crew 3:34 The Valley Opens Up 4:01 Dead Indian Pass 4:21 The Nez Perce — 1877 6:06 Riding in Silence 10:26 Sunlight Bridge 11:23 What Lingers 12:16 Where the Beartooth Begins