Farther Than We’ve Ever Gone Before

In late summer of 2017, the Fontenelle boys set out to do something that we have never done before: ride motorcycles from Des Moines, Iowa,  to Corvallis, Montana, and back in 6 days. Corvallis is home to the Moto Camping event Rocky Mountain Roll. The event’s founder, Amanda Zito, opens up her Montana ranch every year to motorcycle enthusiasts from all walks of life. It's a gathering that celebrates all things motorcycles.

The staggering 3000-mile trip was a little bit more intense that we anticipated. It’s fair to say that at the beginning, none of us were experienced in long-haul rides. We had a long way to go and a short time to get there.

 This trip was simply going to be farther (and faster) than we had ever gone before.

Even though the days were long and exhausting, we made a point to ride through some of the most beautiful places in the country. Those places included:

Camping in Badlands National Park

Riding through The Black Hills

Camping in Bighorn National Forest

Surviving Beartooth Pass

Dodging Bighorn Sheep in Yellowstone National Park

Outrunning rangers in Glacier National Park

After it was all said and done, we had camped in amazing places, rode the best roads, and met plenty of new friends along the way. The stories we came back with are innumerable—everything from bear sightings and buffalo herds to 100 degree heat waves and torrential downpours, and grueling 600-mile days to the best cup of instant camp coffee we have ever had.

It was both the longest and the shortest week of our lives, and we cannot wait to do it again.