Hey everyone, this is for anyone thats been to cooke before that was traveling from the east (specifically in minnesota). I have never been there before, but I know that 212 closes from red lodge on in to cooke. I was wondering other directions to get into cooke. Do most of you go around this by taking 90 to 89 into the yellowstone than into the park basically making a loop??? Any help would be great!
Thanks
jafraune

Hey, when are you going there? We are leaving on Dec 27th! WOOHOO Usually we park in the parking lot where the road isn't plowed and do the duffel bag 500 to Cooke. It saves quite a bit of ass time in the truck- as in a few hours, I have heard. I'd rather spend time riding with my gear in a bag down the groomed highway than sit in the truck any longer than I have to. But, if you choose to do that watch out because it is called "burn down alley" for a reason, because of the elevation change. Just talk it easy, as hard as it is to do that on a groomed autobahn!

I'll be there in two weeks and will report back.

Yep...gotta love the Duffle Bag 500......ya never know whats gonna fall off along there during the race to town!

Good thing our new sleds are so long!! More room to strap down a bag for the..what is it??8-10 miles?? something like that...from the lot to town!
45 days......

Thanks for the info twilight....i will be there on January 2nd right after the "new year rush". So maybe we will catch you out there if you'll still be there. I kinda figured that the parking a riding would be better, seems like a lot less time in the truck, you dont have to backtrack and you dont have to go through yellowstone park. Anyways we will be staying at Alpine motel which I heard is pretty good and I am really excited. I went out to the snowies last year and it was a blast. I heard that cooke is a little more steep and deep which is a good improvement, but were not huge mountain guys either.....at least not yet.....If there is any other info out there about cooke in general that would be great! Thanks, Jack

That would be great! Thanks

Leaving next Wed , got the new ride waiting for me @ Cooke City Motorsports. All the buds have dibs on who's the first to try it.... LMAO! Looks very promissing for snow conditions as of right now. Also will be out there Dec. 29th - 3rd of Jan. Bring $$$$ as the auction is fun and the proceeds go to the local sled club.

Directions: Take 94, turns into 90 go through billings, MT, south on 212 in laurel (5-10 miles out of billings...) stay on 212 to 310 South to 72 South, now entering Wyoming to 120 (road v's, vear right) to 296 (7RD) turn right, DON'T miss this turn, it's easy to miss!!!! (luckly I never have ) road T's at 212 go left to parking lot (end of plowed road) Clean roads at 70-75 MPH 15-16 hours from the Twin cities. 1056 miles.

Have fun and MAKE sure your group is prepared for an avy!!!!! Ex: beacons w/ user knowledge, probs, shovels, and a PLAN!!!!!!!

I'm one of the few that thinks its worth driving in. Last year we went to the parking lot and it was just a huge mess. It was like the second weekend in December, snowing hard, middle of the night, not good driving conditions. One truck got stuck in the middle of Dead Indian Pass (don't remember the new PC name but whatever) and one sled went down before we even got to the city. PITA to 2-up in and out of town to the truck.

Also, if you don't have avalanche gear and some sort of experience don't even go. Too many Minnesotans, North Dakotans, Iowans, etc get killed every year in Cooke doing stupid stuff and riding where they shouldn't be riding. Every time I've been there someones been killed in an avalanche, last trip we saw the body taken off the hill--was a father with two kids who were staying next to us at the Alpine. Kinda makes you think twice and check the batteries in you're beacons.

Have a fun ride.

Chris.

Our group (Twilight, her hubby, me, my hubby and another buddy of ours...our hubbys are brothers) will be there to ride from Sunday Dec 30th (we arrive in town) till Friday Jan 4th (we usually ride the day then head to Cody to stay the night as we head home). The first year I went to Cooke,we drove thru the park...an extra 3 hours or so of ass time in the truck.....and it was a PITA because of all the naturalists out there "wolf watching" OMG...they were parked in the road and crap and here we come lumbering along with a 32 foot enclosed trailer along those winding roads...bunch of idiots all over the place with huge telescopic lenses at 5 am trying to see wolves that were recently re-introduced to the park or something....these people were EVERYWHERE on our way into Cooke and our way back out.

As far as Cooke...have beacons and know how to use them....if you don't own them...rent them. Call ahead and see if you can even reserve them for your group (they used to let you...we have in the past from the Sinclair station...but we had a larger group of 12 or so and I thik that may have been why we were able to reserve them???). Hubby and I got our own last year finally...Christmas gifts to each other sorta deal....

We are staying at the Super 8 (other places were booked when we tried to make reservations...and we did it pretty early too....many weeks ago)....we may not be hard to miss tho...I find that a group with 2 women in it is a rare thing in Cooke....that is changing...but????? Twilights pic is on her avatar...shes a blondy blonde and easy to spot....just say HELLO if ya see us!

44 days and counting

Is it a Ski-Doo?

Nope, just up the street at the yami dealer. White MTX

LET IT SNOW!!!!!

Thanks for info ladysummit800. i sure will say hi to you guys if i see you around town. We will be using beacons as it is the smart thing to do and necessary there. I think we may park and ride as I was talking to a guy I know today who has been out there, and thats what he did and made it seem like it was alright......thanks again.....

You know winters getting close when....

It's been really warm lately which is a bad deal! I know cooke city just lost a lot, if not all, of their snow. Indian summer here right now and expected to last until late november. Supposed to snow above 7,000ft this weekend so here's to that!

I'm with bluebear if I ever go back to Cooke City I will be driving in. If you hit good roads the parking lot might be quicker but with crappy roads not a chance. I was the driver of the pickup that didn't get stuck and they had to pry my hands off the steering wheel when we got there. I think we left at 9am from South Central ND and arrived at the alpine at like 1pm mountain time. This was my second trip to the parking lot with the first experience being not much better other then I wasn't driving. The other big problem with the parking lot is you usually are packing gas or diesel depending on your vehicle out to the parking lot so you can make it back down the mountain.

Also like everyone else said please be care full. Avalanches can happen any were you ride in the Mtns but the terrain and large snowfalls in Cooke makes for even more danger. I didn't personally know the guy that died while we were there but knew some of his riding partners and his brother it can happen to anyone. Know the conditions and snowfalls that happened before you get there, pay attention to the terrain and for dangers above were your riding and other riders already on a hill, and most importantly IMO don't let ego get the best of you. Gear is a must but that accident showed even all the right gear and training isn't enough sometimes and the best avalanche safety is to avoid getting in an avalanche.

We always fill up gas in Cody right before leaving town and have never had to pack gas. Chief Joseph highway can be a white knuckle drive to be sure but, if you take it slow it's not so bad (and if you aren't the driver- bring a flask HEHE). I can't wait to get there! WOOHOO!

BTW, I just colored my hair so it's not as much blond any more, I also have some darker blondish brownish and some streaks of red. LOL I like to change I guess. I might go pink again when we go to Cooke. I'll see how my mood is around that time!

LOL
I was just thinking what color I want to do next with my hair....maybe a harder dose of my purple...which really looks pink (wish it were more purple tho!)....I dunno...some sort of change in the next few weeks..it will be a colorful christmas! LOL

Chief Joseph is a good time for me to nap with my mp3 blasting away in my ears........depending on our trailering situation this year....it will be different no matter what I guess.....I am so accustomed to the big enclosed. HMMMMM...Twilight...have we figured anything further out with that???

43 days to go...and still no sled for me....but my panels (well hubbys that will now be mine) are to be painted this weekend...no sled..but painted panels....UGH!

You don't have to pack gas... Just don't drive like an idiot, ex: flooring it up the mountain to then have to break when coming down. We drive all night to get there in the morning and there is a gas station (with awesome fresh donuts & breakfast sandwiches- homemade) about 10-15 miles prior to the 296 (7RD) turn off.

5 more LONG days before riding! Forecast looks good


BTW- i can't see your hair w/ a helmet on!!!

Well I will be one ugly sledder with a green sled and bright orange Klim jacket. HAHA Ya won't miss me! Probably we will all see each other at the bar at night sometime. It's not like there are many places to eat LOL

Lady, We are going to be a bunch of punks! We should try to convince the guys to go blue or something!
Chris and I have brought it up with Rob a few times about the towing situation and we are thinking we might have to borrow Chad's 4 place (the one we picked the sleds up with). I don't know how that is going to work out. I'd rather not have to take a trailer without brakes down Chief Joe!

Hemi with a 27gallon tank or whatever it is pulling a 25ft enclosed through 2 inches of ice and 6inches of fresh snow burns gas in a hurry no matter how nice you drive. Trust me there was no crazy driving that night and there were some hills you didn't slow down for or you wouldn't make them up it (thats how the other pickup got stuck). Hey Cooke City can be a fun place I just like to keep people informed of what the worst possible situation could be so they are prepared ahead of time for what they are getting into.

I can see how that could happen, but too small of a tank for that truck... IMO! I know i don't have to pack gas in my rig or any of my buds either.

Best suggestion is tire chains....stop and chain up. Will save your ASS in the long run. After growing up in Michigan and living out here for a few years now seeing all these nasty accidents of vehicles colliding on uphill and downhill slopes...I'd rather chain up and creap rather than not and risk losing the truck, trailer, sleds, and passengers....better yet the whole trip! Driving into Cooke can get nasty from either direction as well. Coming in from Yellowstone isn't so bad but heading in from the east is usually closed anyways. Good luck to you guys though it's snowing like hell out here today! We're expecting over a foot above 6500!

thanx guys for the advice....

I heard the rode is most likely closed after the last storm...

And a PITA if you get stuck!!!!!

Just ride in and you'll be safe....

Cooke was great for Turkey Day!!!!!

The new sled ROCKS!!!!! Will have pics and report posted later today

Rolled in town about 10 MST Thursday morning, drove right in no problem.... Picked up the new ride and headed out around 11:30, broke trail from Round Lake torwards Goose Creek, snow over the hood the whole time. Couldn't believe nobody was back there yet! A few sleds in the group had troubles so we didn't get to ride much on Thursday when nobody was in town. Friday we headed up Daisy didn't even make it to the pass as nobody had been in the trees to the left, 8 of us rode hard from about 11 - 3:30 and tore it up pretty good. The Nytro loves the trees, it doesn't take much input from the rider and walla, it knows where to go! Good power, felt as light as my rev and much easier handling. Did a little clutching for Saturdays ride and the thing was starting to pull pretty hard still only holding 8300 RPM's. Once the breakin is done should be around 8600 and pull real hard.

Hare are a few pics, might have to make it back before the New Years trip?!?!?!?!

PICS

That looks great gettn unstuck! Thank you for sharing.....Im so pumped to get out there!

About 10 of us are leaving for Cooke City late on Christmas day.

There are 4 of us leaving from Iowa on that same day!!!! We will be in Cooke City til the 28th

Our Group Will be leaving Cooke on the 30th. Maybe we will see you guys out there!

Yea hopefully. The 2 sleds I know are going is my Green F5 and a Green M7. If you see is wave us down!

Im going with roughriders group, some of the sleds that we are bring out are, two orange Xfires(1 600 and 1 700), one black Xfire700, black polaris 800 switchback, m1000 162", a couple skidoo revs, and a green 600 mod firecat snopro. hope to see ya out there. kevin

LOL, if they have deep powder days I don't think I'd drop down daisy with the F5, might not get back up unless it gets packed by sled traffic.

Chris.

If you go to the right of Daisy, get enough speed and someone packs it down you should be able to get back up.

What is Daisy? This will be my first time out to Cooke City????

I'll keep an eye out for you guys. If you see a green F5 stuck, it will probably be me....

Its just basically a big hill at the end of the trail that you drop down to get to more riding areas. I'm not afraid to admit I was intimidated the first time I saw it but its no big deal once you do it. Technically easy, just when theres lots of snow its still a climb.

Chris.

Oh I gotcha.....

Here are some pics of Daisy...

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I miss Daisy... she was great.

Crap I could be in trouble.......

Nah, no worries. We were out there at night because someone was stuck. My one buddy went up it at dusk with no headlights and was fine. As long as they don't get pounded and you hammer it you'll be fine. Just go up on the right side. Whats the worst that can happen.. You get stuck, have to dig out and then work your way over to Lu Lu. Or just go to Cooke City Motorsports and rent a M6/M8-M1000/Apex Mountain. Just don't try to do it at dusk in case you can't get out. After 5 people will start to wonder where you are and they might call search and rescue if you get back to late. They almost did that because we came back at 5:30 or so.

Thanks for the pics and info.....thats a big ass hill....

That big ass hill had me screaming and crying all the way down it the first time then laughing my crazy ass off once I finally stopped at the bottom. LOL I haven't got the nerve up yet to climb back up it, I really like boondocking and playing in the trees, not so much the pissing contest hill climbing stuff. This year I have an M7 though so If I want I know I can make it!

I will as long as you bring your 2 friends in your avitar.

Good luck with that....from what I hear he just puts up all the sexy pictures as a cover up. Word on the forum is he's puttin from the rough if you know what I mean.

Dylan your going to die man!!!!!


Ps Do you really want me to bring the "beer bat"????

Just to reiterate, BRING AVALANCHE EQUIPMENT AND KNOW HOW TO USE IT!!!!

http://www.hardcoresledder.com/forums/inde...p;#entry3322247