Cancelled Yellowstone Bike and Hike 2022

This Ride has been Cancelled

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

Ride Description

OVERVIEW:

Here is your chance to bike, hike and tour through one of America’s most beautiful national parks.  The ride allows us to visit Old Faithful, Yellowstone Falls, Mammoth Hot Springs, and much more.  The ride is truck-supported with motel lodging.  The truck is primarily for luggage and supply transport, and will only carry a rider in the event of injury or illness.  All roads on the ride are truck-grade, meaning the percent of grade is 7% or less.  The ride includes the arrival and departure days, eight move days (the rides between lodging sites), and five layover days.  There are many hikes and rides available on the five layover days.

The arrival day is Thursday, July 28, 2022 and the departure day is Thursday, August 11th, 2022.

Our driver, Warner Griswold, has led this ride twice, and will lead it again in 2021.  He has kindly allowed us to lead this ride for 2022. 

RATING:

This ride is rated as a 2B+. The average for the required ride days are a distance of 43 miles and a daily elevation gain of 2,010.  The days that exceed 2B are as follows: 

• Day 2, 53 miles and 2650 feet
• Day 3, 72 miles and 2890 feet
• Day 7, 38 miles and 2750 feet
• Day 13, 62 miles and 1800 feet

Day by day distance and elevation information are listed in the itinerary section.  The base/lowest elevation is 4,454 feet in Belgrade, and the highest elevation on the ride is 8,262 feet.  Generally, road conditions are good, but participants should be comfortable occasionally riding in some areas where traffic is heavy with tourists.  There are some roads that have minimal shoulders.

ITINERARY:

• Day 1:  We will meet at the Holiday Inn Express in Belgrade, MT.  Happy hour is at 5:30pm, followed by our welcome dinner.
• Day 2 [53 miles, 2,650 feet]:  We will travel south and west from Belgrade to the small town of Ennis, MT.
• Day 3 [72 miles, 2890 feet]:  This is our longest riding day.  We will ride along the Montana plains, viewing antelope, before passing the famous Quake Lake, which was created by an earthquake on August 17, 1959.  We will continue riding along Hebgen Lake before turning south into West Yellowstone.
• Day 4:  Layover day.  There will be available routes for rides of short distance.
• Day 5 [32 miles, 1,610 feet]:  This is a very scenic day as we ride into Yellowstone Park along the Madison River to Old Faithful.  Our lodging is the Old Faithful Lodge where we can watch Old Faithful erupt every 70 minutes.
• Day 6:  Layover day.
• Day 7 [38 miles, 2,750 feet]:  We leave Old Faithful Lodge, ride one small climb and then cross the Continental Divide twice before riding along Yellowstone Lake to the Lake Lodge Cabins at Lake Village.  Along the way we will see steaming mud pots.
• Day 8:  Layover day, which allows you to sign-up for a wildlife excursion.
• Day 9 [16 miles, 1,336 feet]:  We leave Lake Village and ride along the beautiful Yellowstone River.  In the 2017 tour, riders were able to watch a grizzly bear eat a bison carcass.  Our destination is Canyon Village, where we are within walking distance to the beautiful and famous Yellowstone Falls.
• Day 10:  Layover day, which allows you to sign-up for a wildlife excursion.
• Day 11 [33 miles 1,142 feet]:  We ride to Norris Hot Springs for lunch, and then on to Mammoth Hot Springs.  For the next two nights we stay at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.  We'll be there during the elk-rutting season, so there is a chance we will be awakened in the middle of the night to bugling!
• Day 12 Layover day:  For those who wish to soak in a natural hot spring, there is one that flows into the Gardner River 4-5 miles from Mammoth Hot Springs; a great way to relax and enjoy nature at its finest!
• Day 13 [62 miles, 1,800 feet]:  We leave Mammoth Hot Springs and ride through Gardiner, MT and along both sides of the Yellowstone River to Livingston.  Along the way we will have another day where we can enjoy a warm swimming pool.
• Day 14 [41 Miles, 2,100 feet]:  We will take a frontage road, then a backcountry road into Bozeman and then back to Belgrade.

WEATHER AND ELEVATION NOTES: 

The weather can change quite rapidly from hot (80+ degrees) to cold.  Temperature is variable, so you should prepare accordingly! We will be between the elevations of 4,454 feet and 8,262 feet above sea level.

LODGING & MEALS:

Lodging will include cabins, plain and nice hotels, and 4-star accommodations.  Layover days are in West Yellowstone, Old Faithful, Lake Yellowstone, Canyon Lodge, and Mammoth Hot Springs.  Your payment includes five breakfasts, daily lunches, daily happy hours, and the first and final night's dinners.  Participants will share in the responsibility of preparing happy hours, lunches, and cleaning up.  The number of breakfasts may change if COVID-19 conditions still exist.

LOGISTICS:

We start in Belgrade, Montana on Thursday, July 28, 2022 with our group meeting at the Belgrade Holiday Inn Express at 5:30pm local time.  There is transportation from the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (Airport Code BZN) located in Belgrade -to the Holiday Inn Express.  Cars and bike boxes can be left at the hotel during the ride.  We will return to Belgrade on August 10, and the final dinner and lodging for this night is included.  The ride concludes the morning of Thursday, August 11. 

Please bring your national park pass, if you have one.

The ride leader is unaware of the availability of rental bicycles.  Tandems and E-Bikes are welcome.  If you plan on riding an E-bike, please contact the leader.  As is customary on BAC bike tours, you should be prepared to make any necessary bicycle repairs while underway.

Riders are allowed to bring two airline "carry-on" sized bags (22" x 14" x9") each weighing less than 25 pounds.  One large "non carry-on" suitcase will not be allowed.  Some riders bring their bike in a large bike case and have one large suitcase.  They would then empty their large suitcase into two airline "carry-on" sized duffle bags.

Cars, bike boxes and large suitcases may be stored at the Belgrade Holiday Inn Express.

COST & ADMINISTRATION:

The estimated cost for this ride is $3,894 which includes 14 nights of lodging, (based on double occupancy), luggage vehicle, van driver, happy hours, two group dinners, one pizza night, lunch supplies (more than just PB&J’s and a banana) and a multitude of snacks.  There will be five hotels that will provide breakfasts.  GPS files (which allow you to print your own maps and cue sheets) will be posted on the Ride Leader Docs section of the ride for participants to access/download.  The ride leader will NOT provide printed cue sheets or maps.  The deposit of $2,000 is due as soon as the Rider Leader notifies you have been accepted onto the ride.  The remaining balance of $1,894 will be due March 1, 2022.

SINGLES & SOLOS:

Due to limited room availability in Yellowstone Park, only participants who have, or would like a roommate will be accepted. If a solo participant is unable to find a roommate by February 1, 2022, then that participant will unfortunately be removed from the ride and their deposit will be refunded (except the BAC registration fee and credit card processing fee).  

CANCELLATION POLICY:

The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fee is not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled due to participation below stated minimum requirements.  Refunds of ride payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and costs that can be recouped.  The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations.  If the cancelling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time.  If the cancelling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed.  If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the solo supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour.  BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY:

Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support. Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from Ride Leader. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up. Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour. Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

Before participating in any BAC tour, members should review their medical coverage and assess whether what you have is sufficient. If it isn’t, you should purchase additional travel medical coverage. BAC maintains a policy that provides limited coverage for medical expenses associated with accidents incurred by US residents when on tours within the US. The policy does not cover costs associated with self-quarantines that may be government mandated. Members should also ensure that vaccinations are up to date (e.g., annual influenza, tetanus, etc.). If traveling outside your home country you may wish to consult with a travel physician or nurse to ensure that the appropriate vaccinations are up to date.

SIGN-UP:

To register for this ride use the sign-up links just above the Ride Description. After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC site to digitally accept the Release of Liability (ROL), and pay the non-refundable BAC fee ($50) and tour deposit ($2000) by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. The final payment of $1,894 will be due March 1, 2022. BAC members with questions may contact the Ride Leader by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description, or preferably calling Jerry at 715-330-4646, or emailing at porterbicycle@gmail.com.

COVID-19 Statement:  

If we still have a Covid 19 risk, we will follow all the necessary rules, and change activities as needed to remain Covid compliant, and can keep the tour as safe as possible. We will invite participants to a Zoom meeting about 30 days prior to the tour start date to finalize our COVID protocols. You may be asked to wear PPE in public, maintain social distance in public and limit social gathering in public according to the state's mandate.