Last July I rode 2600 miles in five days. Didn't post this ride report here before because I was waiting for the polar vortex to affect many people and give them something to read and something to dream about. OC to St. George UT. On the first day of the trip I left my house at 4am to beat the heat in the Mojave desert. Downtown Vegas is always crowded and hot and I'm glad I was able to avoid rush-hour traffic........for a while. Construction is ever present in this city, and this time was no exception. The dipper I rode into downtown on the I-15 the worst the traffic was, so I did what a typical Californian does like second-nature: Lane split and lane-sharing. Didn't take too long before I started seeing scornful glares in driver's mirrors and heads turning my way trying to tell me something. No other state allows lane-splitting except California. Made my way to Mesquite NV and stopped for breakfast. While having breakfast I checked maps on my phone and checked the weather. Decided to get out of there and ride to St George Utah where I was supposed to see my cousin and spend the rest of the day with him and his family. As soon as I took my gear off I realized I had left my phone in Mesquite. Went to the McDonalds and asked the manager to call the one in NV and see if it was there. No luck as the number is not listed. We tried calling my number with hopes of someone picking up. No luck either. I debated whether to take my chances and ride back to look for it, or just keep on riding and forget about it. So I saddled back and rode back to Mesquite (some 40 miles or so) where as soon as I open the door I saw it under the cash register. What a relief! I had all my CO contacts and maps there. What's the big deal? It was a hundred and six hot degrees out there. The hottest I ever rode in. But the virgin river gorge is a beautiful area and I sure enjoyed the ride through there twice despite the heat. Spent the rest of the day having dinner with my cousin and his family. I was shown downtown St. George, Dixie red rocks and the LDS church. Had the opportunity to hear again, after almost 30 years a cicada. All in all, I rode 470 miles through 4 states (Arizona twice to find my phone) in 106 fucken hot degrees. The hottest I've ridden in for a couple hundred miles. St. George to Grand Junction. On the second day I got up early, had breakfast at the hotel and left for Zion National Park. The ride to Zion was cool and easy. I got into the park for free because I only had a big bill, but not before getting a small lecture on why you should have small bills when traveling to isolated places. The ride through Zion was a great one. Weather was cool and the views were outstanding. Many places available to stop and take pictures, I was able to see "windows" on the cliffs of the mountain, and even though I had heard about the tunnel through the mountain, I had no idea what the windows were until I found myself riding the tunnel. That was a different experience. After Zion I made my way to Bryce Canyon. At the Dixie National Forest I pulled over to snap a couple of pictures when a text from Bob came in, he and Tom were on their way to Bryce and we were to meet later that day and ride together for part of the day. I got to Bryce before Bob and Tom, and went into the park first and met them later. Once again, the views were amazing! Only stopped and took a few photos at a few points, didn't go to the end of the park because Bob had told me that the view was basically the same for different angles. Turned around towards the entrance where Bob and Tom were already waiting for me. We set off after having a bit to eat. After having been to the two national parks earlier I had no idea where Bob was taking us to. We rode on the 12 east towards Escalante, where if I remember correctly, we hit the first storm and got drenched. After getting rained on, weather turned hot and it was time to sweat and shed the rain gear. We got rained on again right after Anasazi State Park on our way to another amazing place: Capitol Reef National Park. We stopped at the park where I was supposed to keep riding on my own while Bob and Tom stayed camping, but another storm was on his way and the three of us continued on to Hanksville where I went for the I-70 to Green River and the two of them went somewhere else to camp for the night. From Hanksville to Green River I was riding head on into another storm. The road turned right and I felt a bit relieved, then turned left putting me again on the storm's path, then turned right again away from it, then left again and on and on until I told myself to stop worrying about it. Arrived at Green River UT when the storm was at its worst. I had planned to get a room for the night there, but when I looked east towards Grand Junction CO, all I saw was clear skies and sunny, so I headed over thinking it was closer. It is about 120 miles and it was getting late and I was getting hungry. Stopped at two hotels and there were no vacancies. I found a room right by the airport, after checking in I went and had dinner, headed back to my room, took a much needed shower and ended my riding day. I had never been through so many changes in elevation and weather changes in my life. Rain for 10-20 miles, and hot and sunny for the next 10-40 miles. 450 miles, three National Parks and a couple of National Forests on my list and call it a good day. Grand Junction to Co Springs. 290 miles. I had seen four bikes the night before when I arrived at the hotel. A man in his early 70's came out his room, complimented my bike and we started a conversation. He was on his way to several states, including UT, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. I almost didn't believe it when he told me his 07 Harley Road King had over half a million miles. I had to see the odometer and he gladly showed it to me, I snapped a few pictures. He told me that basically he lives to travel, he's retired, had lost his wife a few years back, and he has nothing but time for the open road and no one home waiting for him even though he has kids and grandkids. After chatting for almost half an hour about bikes and life in general, we said good bye and wished each other safe travels. I started my ride heading east on the I-70 towards Glenwood Springs. Went south to Aspen on the 82, which turns out to be Independence pass at 12K feet high and is the continental divide. No more rain at this elevation, but not a confident ride either as my bike started to cut out every time I pulled the clutch and downshifted, no idea why. I could blame the elevation, or the gas I was putting in, 85 octane was the only one available on my last fill-up. Had to keep the revs high to prevent more bite marks on my seat. I had a few pucker moments from cars coming into my lane on this narrow road with no guard rails and cliffs on my right. The worst was when I was leaning on a left turn, the wind came from my left unexpectedly and my bike died. The ride down the hill had great views. Snow was still visible on some peaks and the view was full of pine trees, aspens and cottonwood. The closer I got to twin lakes, the more I can smell the rain again. I came to the intersection of the 82 and the 24 and decided to put my rain suit. As soon as I finished to get ready, big drops of water started coming down, followed by hail that made the road seem like a white carpet. Decided to keep on rolling and get out of the rain, the road was wet and the rain kept coming until just before Buena Vista. Once in Buena Vista I adjusted my idle and my bike never cut out again. The ride from Buena Vista to Co Springs was pretty much uneventful, but still lots of great views of passes and scenery since I was just east of the continental divide. Rolled into Co Springs around 3pm, hungry and wishing for a nice Mexican meal. Found a Mexican place where the food was crappy and expensive and I swore to myself never to eat there when I come this way again. Called skinny and he directed me to a meeting spot where we were to meet and ride to his house. The 25 was reminiscent of the California freeways I had left behind two days ago. Construction was going on, it was crowded and I did what a typical Californian does: lane split. Lucky I didn't get pulled over. Met skinny and Garry at the meeting spot and we hit it off right away. Chatted for a few minutes and rode to his place stopping at the bar for a quick beer. I tell you, that fat tire tasted better than ever. Colorado Springs. Meet and chat with a bunch of great people for two days. I'll never forget the story Skinny told me about his encounter with a bear thinking it was a dog and how he nearly kicked him out of the trash cans the bear was digging through. He told me the story early in the evening and by midnight when he and I were chatting in the living room I was still laughing about it. Colorado Springs to Rico Colorado. Left Co. Springs a bit later than I had planned. The ride along the Arkansas river was very pleasant, no tight corners or switchbacks, it was Sunday and quite a few people still having fun rafting along the river. Rode into another storm and hail at Monarch pass that really didn't last, ten minutes at the most and it was over. After filling the tank up I caught up with a corvette with a couple inside and a guy at the wheel in Cimarron. I will never know if they were headed in the same direction or if they were out for a fun ride, what I know is that we had a pretty spirited ride from Cimarron to Placerville where instead of following them to Telluride I missed the turn and ended up in a town called Norwood on the 145. The scenery wasn't what I expected, so I pulled over, checked my map and found out I was way out of my intended route. Had to go back and connect to the 145 S instead of N. The ride along the Dolores river was very enjoyed for many miles. I intended to get to Cortez or Durango for the night, but when I rolled into Rico (not long before sunset) I noticed a chalkboard sign advertising vacancies at the local motel called "The Mine Shaft Inn" "Bunk beds $23, single beds $43, double bed $60" Before checking in, the owner gave me a tour of the place. A two-story Victorian style building that dates back to the late 1800, early 1900. Nice and clean beds and shared baths, full, complimentary access to the kitchen, living room and TV room, free wifi and very quiet place. After checking in and bringing my luggage to my room I decided to walk around the town. Not a big town, but enjoyed looking at the old buildings. Ended up at the local grocery store next to the motel. Not a lot of variety, but it has pretty much everything the locals may need in a hurry. Its owner is a young fella and was happy to share a few stories with me about the town, its dwellers and foundation. Among the stories I was told, the story of the "Mine Shaft Inn" came up. It was originally a brothel, there is still a mine shaft in the back of the inn that leads to an inactive mine not too far east of the 145, and that mine workers of yore used that mine shaft to "escape" their weekly heavy labor to get to the brothel and decompress by having a few drinks and socialize with other mine workers in the area. The store owner has a few pictures on display right by the counter. Some depict the town from back in the day, all in black and white, and some depict the original owner, his family and some local personalities in the early 1900's. We were standing right where the original owner was when that picture was taken. Went back to my room for a much needed shower in an antique cast-iron bath tub and just couldn't help it but to imagine what it was like to live in that town back in the long gone mining era and spend a night at the brothel with its patrons and the fun it created.........If walls could talk. Rico CO to Williams AZ? Left Rico around 7:30am. the ride down the hill was too cold even with two base layers on me. I knew it wont be long before I started shedding clothes, possibly after Cortez, but it took a little longer. I pulled in for a cup of coffee at a place that used to be a real estate office on the 145 and 8th street in Dolores, the young Lady behind the counter, after she saw me almost shivering, said "Didn't you know that you are in Colorado?" I just answered "I know it now" and we both had a good laugh and a short conversation about my trip so far and about the town. The name of that place? "The Pony Expresso" Took the 160 at Cortez and headed towards four corners, nice views and isolated places. Albeit the brief ride, I crossed the border into New Mexico (Something with me crossing borders) and a little later into Arizona and Utah again to return back to Arizona later during the day. Stopped at four corners monument. Took a few pictures, bought a little something for each one of my family members from each side of the monument and I was on my way again. I had a trip scheduled and I want it to make the most out of this ride. After four corners I went north on the 191 and left AZ. I could see the mountains that make Monument Valley to the west, even before I got to Monument valley I was enjoying the views in Utah. By the time I got to Monument Valley and was able to see its rock formations and mountains, the time of the day was not really in my favor, I was still able to snap a few pictures and enjoy what I went there for: To enjoy the amazing view. In kayenta and Tuba City I saw something I had never seen: patrol cars that read "Indian Nation police" instead of the what I'm used to, patrol cars with the city's name and logo on them. I need to get out more often. On my way to the Grand Canyon I saw a thunderstorm looming over the south rim. I thought I was going to be unable to see the Canyon and perhaps not able to get in, but my luck turned around and I had a great time enjoying the views the canyon has to offer with good enough natural light and a few shades that added a few hues of mysticism on only a few stops Simply amazing! Riding away from the Grand Canyon on the 64, a huge storm is, or is about to drench Williams. I pulled in at a gas station on the 64 and the 180 to dug out my rain suit, boots and all to keep riding through it, but hoping I was spared from yet another storm. Too bad, a few miles before the I-40 the storm was at its worst, heavy rain coupled with high winds that had me slow down only to get a full shower by the18-wheelers passing me on my left. I was to spend the night in Williams and continue riding the next day on route 66 from Ash Fork to Barstow and home. I stopped again in Ash Fork for gas and water, checked the weather for route 66 the next day and as soon as I saw that it was supposed to be 106 degrees from Ash Fork to Barstow, I made up my mind to ride home instead, and forget about route 66 at least on this trip, I can always come back and ride it some other day. It was only 5pm and I thought I could make it home by 11pm. Left Ash Fork and about 20 miles later in Seligman I rolled into another storm. 20 miles or so after that the rain stopped and the mercury went up, way up. In my mind, and without double-checking, Needles is close to Barstow, and once I'm in Needles, basically I'm in Barstow, from there my ride home only takes about one and-a-half hours, two at the most. Turns out Ash Fork and Needles are about 160 miles apart, and from Needles to Barstow is 140 miles . Dang! Another 400 miles to get home. If I had known better, I'd spend the night in Williams and ride home very early in the morning to beat the heat. About 8 from Needles I looked down on my dash and noticed the "FI" light was on and the oil temperature above 200 degrees. Not overheating by any means, but sure it had me worried. Pulled into the first gas station in Needles, shut the engine off and prayed to God I could continue my trip. If anyone knows this town you'll understand why I didn't want to spend any time there other than to get gas or water. Filled up the tank, drank water, got my cooling vest soaked, cleaned my face shield and crossed my fingers the FI went away. The moment of truth........ my bike started on the first try and the light was gone, what a relief! I was clear for take-off and left this miserable town. 20 miles or so after Needles I see the red and blues light up behind me. SOB! Our conversation went something like this: "Did you know I pulled you over for riding too fast?" "Yes officer, I know I was riding above the speed limit and I have no excuse, or reason for that" "I'm sorry" "Well, I guess is easy to do it on a bike like that, right" "Without sounding cocky or arrogant officer, indeed, it is" "Do you mind if I remove my helmet?" "Go ahead and remove it" "I clocked you doing 78 mph" "Registration, insurance and license" "Do you have any drugs or weapons on you or on the bike" "No officer, no drugs, and no weapons other than my Leatherman tool with a small blade, you are welcome to search if you like" "It's okay, just go ahead and give me your papers" He went to the cruiser and after drinking almost a full bottle of water, I proceeded to put my hands on the tank and my face in his direction. After I don't know how long, he came back and told me. "I'm gonna cut you a brake and let you off with a warning" "sign here and you'll be on your way soon" I could not believe what he said, I mean, I been lucky many times before when I get pulled over, but I just didn't think I was going to be lucky that night. After signing on the line, and me thanking him for the gesture, he engaged me in a conversation. The typical questions came up of where are you coming from, my response was "Today?" "Or do you want to know from day one?" I gave him a synopsis of my trip with as many details as I could, truth be told, I just wanted to get the hell out of there and get home. He seemed entertained and I could tell that he was happy to talk to someone, or may be he was lonely on his long shift. Showed him most of the pictures I had taken with my phone and he liked them. After I told him a few stories, thanked him for the break given, we shook hands and he said "You know what?" "Forget about this warning, I'm just going to throw it in the trash" Now, that had never happened to me. Off I went with a "wave" and he responded by flashing his hi beams. My last stop before home was in Barstow. I have never been this happy to be in Barstow before. I was getting worn out and thirsty, but happy to be close to home. Filled up one last time, got me a cold coffee in a bottle, added some ice, sat on the shoulder of the gas station, smoked a cigarette, took a deep breath, got on the saddle and rode until I got home. Another warm feeling came to me when I read a sign that says "Orange County Line" Arrived home just after midnight, 865 miles ridden that day, an hour and change behind schedule and tired, but happy and full of memories of this ride and the great people I had just met in Colorado Springs.
Moooooooooooooofo that are great pictures :thumbsup: Thanks for sharing, let me know if you want to hit the road for few days otstir:
Fantastic report MOFO. Being one of the many who is currently snowbound and anxiously awaiting the dawn of spring, I THANK YOU. Sometimes just reading the rides reports and looking through the photos makes winter a bit easier to take. OF COURSE, also being snowbound and awaiting the coming spring, I must offer up this one statement. I mean this is the nicest way possible.. YOU SUCK!!!! But only cause you can ride, and you have places like shown in the photos to ride in and around. LOL. I liked the part about the officer ripping up the warning and telling you to be on your way. Priceless.
I'm getting together with my friends this year in Oregon in mid-July. Want to ride there and to Montana or Wyoming?
That means you like the report, and if that's the case I did my job :triumphant: Sure hope this wont be my last ride report this winter. A mining ghost town is coming next I think.
Great pics, and that looked like a wonderful ride. I must say, as an owner of a gloss black '09 I think that flat black looks dead sexy, especially with all those bright washed backdrops!
