Above the Mountains, Into the Mission

We woke up around 7:00 a.m. after a much-needed night of sleep. The temperatures had been perfect, settling into the 60s overnight—just right for sleeping in the tent. I got up, got ready, and made us some coffee. There’s just something about that first cup of coffee in the quiet of the morning, especially when you’re waking up in the middle of God’s creation.

Melvin soon woke up, and we had an RX protein bar for breakfast. It wasn’t much, but it was all we had since we hadn’t stopped at a grocery store the day before. Sometimes you just make do with what you have and keep moving forward.

As we began packing up the tent and all our gear, our neighbor, Frank, asked if he could ride Beartooth Pass with us.

Of course!

We told him we were planning to leave around 9:00, and before long, the bikes were packed and ready to go.

But first, we made one important stop—gas.

We filled the tanks in Red Lodge because there wouldn’t be another opportunity to fuel up once we started climbing Beartooth Pass.

And then we were off.

Riding Above the Mountains

Leaving Red Lodge, we began our climb up the legendary Beartooth Highway, and almost immediately, the views began getting bigger.

The road twisted and climbed, each curve more dramatic than the last. One switchback led into another as we climbed through mountains covered in lush greenery, with rivers rushing below and towering peaks surrounding us.

Every turn revealed something new.

A mountain in front of us.

Another stretching out behind us.

A valley disappearing into the distance.

And the higher we climbed, the more the landscape began to change.

The trees became fewer and fewer until suddenly we were riding above the tree line.

Now there was nothing but rugged mountain peaks, rocky cliffs, alpine lakes, and patches of snow scattered across the landscape.

Of course, I had to get GoPro footage of almost every corner!

The scenery changed so rapidly that I wanted to capture as much of its beauty as possible. But even with the camera rolling, I knew there was no way to capture what it actually felt like to be there.

From the seat of a motorcycle, there is nothing between you and the mountains.

You feel the cool mountain air rushing past you.

You see the road winding along the cliffs ahead.

You look down and realize just how far the valley falls beneath you.

Then you round another curve and the road seems to disappear around the mountain, only to reveal another breathtaking view.

Eventually, we reached nearly 10,947 feet.

Beartooth Pass truly feels like you’re riding on top of the world.

And perhaps that’s the best way to describe this road.

It doesn’t just take you through the mountains.

It takes you above them.

We stopped at the summit and took a few pictures in front of the elevation sign with our new friend Noel.

Then we continued on toward the Top of the World Store for a break.

It’s mostly a gift shop, with cold drinks, coffee, chips, and a few small snacks. I was hoping for something a little more substantial for lunch, but we bought what we could—trail mix, a KIND bar, Gatorade, and an iced coffee.

We found a couple of Adirondack chairs under a tree and sat down to rest.

Noel decided he was going to ride back through the pass toward Red Lodge and get his fiancée so she could experience part of the ride with him. He knew she would love it.

And it was also his birthday.

There’s something special about birthdays. They remind us that every year, every day, every breath is a gift. And there’s no better place to celebrate life than surrounded by the people we love and the beauty God created.

Another Divine Appointment

While we were sitting there, another biker joined us.

His name was Frank, and he was from California. He rode a full Harley-Davidson bagger.

Almost immediately, we connected.

He was a plumber.

He was a biker.

And he loved hearing about our adventure.

So we started telling him about our journey—from New York to Alaska and now back across the country.

But as often happens on this mission, the conversation eventually went deeper.

We shared why we were really traveling.

This journey has never been just about motorcycles, roads, mountains, or checking destinations off a map.

We are Wrights On A Mission.

And our mission is to share the love of Jesus wherever God puts us.

Frank began sharing about the loss of loved ones in his own life, and suddenly Melvin and Frank were having a deep conversation about life, loss, eternity, and what it means to have hope through Jesus Christ.

And there we were.

At nearly 11,000 feet.

Sitting under a tree.

Talking about eternity.

It was another one of those moments where you realize God has been arranging the details all along.

We could have been sitting anywhere.

Frank could have stopped anywhere.

We could have ridden past each other without ever speaking.

But God brought us together.

Scripture tells us, “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way.” — Psalm 37:23

Sometimes we think we are simply following a route on a map.

But God sees the entire journey.

He knows the people we will meet before we ever leave camp in the morning.

He knows the conversations that will happen before we turn the key.

And He knows exactly where He wants us to stop.

At the top of a mountain, God gave us another divine appointment.

And for more than an hour, we simply sat there and loved one another.

That’s the mission.

Not just at a church.

Not just at a rally.

Not just under a CMA tent.

But anywhere God sends us.

Even at 11,000 feet.

From Beartooth to Chief Joseph

Eventually, it was time to leave the high country of Beartooth Pass behind.

We turned onto the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway and began our ride toward Cody, Wyoming.

And what a ride it was!

The scenery immediately began to change.

Instead of the stark, rocky landscape high above the tree line, we descended into a wilderness of pine-covered mountains, towering cliffs, wide-open valleys, enormous skies—and even free-range cattle.

The road seemed to know exactly where it wanted to take us.

One beautiful curve flowed into another as we swept through the mountains.

From the motorcycle, you could actually feel the mountains surrounding you.

One moment we were tucked into the forest.

The next, we rounded a bend and suddenly found ourselves looking across a vast Wyoming valley with rugged Absaroka peaks rising in the distance.

Then came the Sunlight Creek area.

The road climbed and crossed a spectacular bridge high above the canyon.

We stopped at a scenic overlook where the bridge seemed suspended above the gorge.

Looking down, you gain a whole new appreciation for the power of the river that carved its way through those mountains over thousands of years.

But the ride kept getting better.

As we climbed toward Dead Indian Pass, the road became even more dramatic.

The curves tightened.

The elevation increased.

And the views behind us seemed to stretch farther and farther into the wilderness.

At 8,060 feet, we reached the summit.

The Dead Indian Summit Overlook gave us an incredible perspective over the valley below and the road we had just traveled.

Standing there, looking across that enormous landscape, you can’t help but realize just how small we are compared to God’s creation.

The mountains seem endless.

The road disappears into the wilderness.

The sky stretches farther than your eyes can follow.

And for a moment, everything becomes quiet.

You stop.

You look.

And you simply take it in.

Psalm 8:3-4 says:

“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them?”

That’s how moments like this make you feel.

Small.

Humbled.

And incredibly grateful.

A CMA Blessing at the Summit

While we were there, we met Wayne and Donald, two bikers who had ridden down from Alberta, Canada, and were heading toward Sturgis.

We started talking about their home country and told them how we had traveled through Canada on our way to Alaska—riding through many of the places they knew so well.

They loved hearing about our adventure, and we loved hearing about theirs.

Then we told them we were with the Christian Motorcyclists Association.

Wayne immediately said that he usually looks for a CMA tent at motorcycle events because he likes to stop and receive a biker blessing.

I looked at him and said, “Well, we can do that right now!”

He smiled and said, “That’s wonderful!”

So right there at Dead Indian Pass, we prayed over them and their journey.

We asked God to protect them, guide them, and bring them safely to their destination.

Then we gave each of them a CMA bike blessing sticker that says:

“Blessed 2026.”

What a beautiful reminder that we don’t have to wait for a special event to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

We can be the church wherever we are.

We can pray wherever we stand.

We can encourage wherever God places us.

And sometimes, the best ministry opportunities are the ones we never planned.

Down Toward Cody

From Dead Indian Pass, the highway began its descent toward Cody.

The mountains gradually gave way to open Wyoming valleys, sagebrush-covered hills, and those enormous Western skies.

The road continued to sweep and curve, but now the landscape began to feel more like the Wild West we had imagined.

And then, almost suddenly, Cody appeared ahead.

After spending the day riding through some of the most rugged country we’ve ever seen, rolling into Cody felt like coming out of the wilderness and entering another chapter of the adventure.

The mountains stood behind us.

The open Wyoming landscape stretched ahead.

And we couldn’t help but look back and realize what an incredible road we had just traveled.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” — Psalm 19:1

That verse kept coming to mind all day.

Because that’s exactly what this ride felt like.

A moving picture of God’s handiwork.

Beartooth took us to the top of the world.

Chief Joseph brought us back down through the heart of the wilderness.

And every mile reminded us that this wasn’t just a motorcycle trip.

It was a journey filled with moments that made us stop, look around, and thank God for allowing us to experience it together.

Cody, Wyoming

We arrived at the KOA in Cody around 6:00 p.m.

And boy, had the temperature changed!

It was hot.

Really hot.

We had to set up the tent just to create a little shade, and the ground was so dry that every step kicked up a cloud of dust.

I looked at Melvin and said, “Let’s go to Walmart.”

We needed supplies anyway since we’ll be camping for the next week, and I figured the air conditioning inside Walmart would feel pretty good too!

Melvin agreed, so we headed back into the old section of Cody.

The town itself felt like stepping back in time.

The buildings, the signs, and the architecture all carried that Old West feeling. Everywhere we looked, the name Buffalo Bill seemed to appear.

Founded in 1896 by legendary showman Colonel William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, the town sits in the rugged Bighorn Basin and has preserved much of its Wild West heritage. It was the perfect place to end a day that had taken us through some of the most legendary landscapes in the American West.

We finished our grocery shopping at Walmart and then asked a local man where we should eat dinner.

He recommended Bubba’s BBQ.

And was that ever good advice!

We had burnt brisket ends, their famous BBQ beans, and garlic toast.

And because we weren’t quite ready to return to the heat, we lingered a little longer with dessert—a delicious ice cream sundae with homemade strawberry sauce and strawberry shortcake.

Sometimes you just have to enjoy the little blessings along the way.

By the time we rode back toward camp, the temperature had dropped to around 80 degrees.

Much better!

Back at camp, I put away the groceries, took a shower, charged all the equipment, uploaded our footage, and finished writing today’s blog post.

Another day.

Another road.

Another mountain.

Another divine appointment.

Another reminder that God is present in every mile.

The Mission Continues

Our adventure is beginning to wind down.

The bikes may be pointed toward home now.

The miles ahead will eventually lead us back to New York.

But as we’ve learned over these 53 days, the destination was never the most important part.

The people have been.

The conversations.

The prayers.

The unexpected encounters.

The moments when God opened a door we didn’t even know was there.

The mountains have been incredible.

The roads have been unforgettable.

The memories will last a lifetime.

But the greatest treasures of this journey have been the people God placed in our path.

From the beginning, we prayed that God would use this journey for His purposes.

And He has.

Again and again.

So if you want to continue riding along with us as we make our way back across the country, we’d love to have you join us on YouTube and Facebook at Wrights On A Mission.

The adventure is coming to an end soon.

The bikes may be pointed toward home now…

But the mission continues.

Because the road home is still a road God can use.

There are still people to meet.

Stories to share.

Prayers to pray.

Lives to encourage.

And Jesus to tell the world about.

Tomorrow, we ride again.

Until then…

Keep your eyes on the road, your heart fixed on Christ, and never stop following wherever He leads.