Wyoming Backcountry Discovery Route: Through a Filmmaker’s Lens

It’s a typical August morning in Denver. Birds are chirping, and the sun is hot already. My 2021 Yamaha Ténéré 700 is fueled and, with Mosko bags packed and loaded and twin cylinders purring, I’m ready to embark on my fourth Backcountry Discovery Route (BDR) documentary filming expedition.

After an overnight stop to slap some decals on the bikes and make preparations, we depart Butler Maps HQ in Eagle, CO, and head north. Tires buzzing, we reach the official start of the Wyoming Backcountry Discovery Route (WYBDR). After hugs and kisses in Baggs with the remainder of the crew, a few of us set out on the first in a series of new BDR-X loops, defined as “a shorter BDR-style route that loops.” The Red Desert BDR-X takes us northwest into a remote stretch of sandy desert. I drop the tire pressure and let her rip. Finding my sea legs doesn’t take long and I’m settling into the fact that I’ll be doing this day in and day out for the next week and a half.

These filming expeditions are a game of leapfrog. Blast ahead. Film the crew. Pack up and hit the gas. Rinse and repeat. I’ve worked alongside director Sterling Noren on the previous three films, so by now this is second nature to us and we’re quickly in the groove.