RIDING MY NINJA 300 TO YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK: 5 KEY LESSONS I LEARNED FROM THE JOURNEY

OCT 4, 2021

During Covid, my friend and I had this idea to ride to Yellowstone National Park. We didn't do research, weren't prepared, hopped on our bikes just winged it. We thought it would be fun and such a great idea! This was also both of our first moto touring trips, so we had no idea what to expect. What we found was an adventure filled with challenges, breathtaking landscapes and valuable lessons that I'd like to share with you. Here are five things I learned along the way. 1. Prepare for Extreme Weather – Even When It Seems Unlikely Being from sunny California where we have almost perfect weather year round, we weren't ready for the unpredictable weather we were about to encounter in other states. It was all sunny skies in Idaho until we looked up and saw the most terrifying black cloud on the horizon in front of us. Of course we were wearing leathers and didn't bring any rain gear. Soon we were being pelted with pea size hail and rain, and temperatures dropped to 30F/ -1C. If you've ever been on the 80E/W, it's only two lanes going either way. We were riding 15 mph on the shoulder because the road was so wet and slippery while cars and big rigs were whizzing past. There was nowhere to hide on the freeway because the bridges had signs that prohibited us from hiding under them. So we sucked it up for an hour and rode in this terrible wet, windy weather. The lesson? Always bring rain protection gear and check the forecast before each ride.

2. Idaho and Wyoming are beautiful and are incredibly underrated. Idaho and Wyoming are hidden gems. The landscapes of these underrated states are beautiful and peaceful. These states do not have the high density of of metropolitan areas and therefore, don't have the stressful traffic congestion. There aren't cars honking or people being upset over being cut off by another impatient driver. People take their time here. If you're planning a road trip, add Idaho and Wyoming and you'll be surrounded by beauty and tranquility. I felt so at peace.

3. Beware of Ravens in Yellowstone – They’re Smarter Than You Think We didn't know ravens were an issue in Yellowstone. We were so excited to finally arrive at Yellowstone National Park after riding for a week and 1,000 miles, we hurried to see Old Faithful erupt! We arrived just in time to get good seats. While we were away for 2 hours marvelling at the geysers, ravens smelled our oatmeal through 3 plastic bags and luggage and pecked through our belongings to their tasty snack. When we came back, the ravens were all over our bags. I ran as fast as I could in my leathers and stiff riding boots to chase them away. Lesson learned: always secure your food because ravens can smell through bags and even open zippers.

4. Factor in Rest Days – Your Body Will Thank You Riding 200-300 miles a day is exhausting and extremely HARD on the body. Even if someone warned me, it would not have prepared me for how physically demanding this would be. Plan extra time in your trip for rest, unforeseen delays, and rough weather. Your body needs recovery time, especially on long trips like this.

5. Stop Saying “One Day” – Plan the trip and go. Here's a photo of the Grand Prismatic Spring. It's a sight that photos can't fully capture. You need to see it up close. Being there in person was a powerful reminder that life is short to keep saying "one day". If you have e dream trip in mind, start planning and make it happen. Life is waiting for you on the other side of "one day".

Final Thoughts

Our spontaneous journey to Yellowstone was far from perfect, but the memories and lessons were worth every challenge. Whether you're planning a similar trip or just itching for an adventure, embrace the unknown and just do it.