Utah's Capitol Reef to Zion's Park

Monday Holiday this week and decent weather meant time for maybe the last overnight trip of the year. Worked Friday, took off late afternoon and hauled down to Salt Lake City. Up on the road from SLC headed out for a 500 mile day of spectacular scenery.

Heading southeast toward Torrey









Capitol Reef Area:













After riding around Capitol Reef, I headed out on Highway 12 from Torrey. The fall colors and aspens were amazing....





This was right around the area where the V-Strom rider was killed by a tree dropped across the road by some boy scouts. I checked my photos, the accident was about an hour and a half before I went through (there's a whole thread on this...). Makes me sad now to look back and these pictures knowing someone out on a ride just like I was was lost on such a beautiful day, for no reason....







More HIghway 12...





Then I headed down to Kanab, UT, site of SWFOG next year.



The next day from Kanab, I went through Zions NP and headed south to Las Vegas....













From Vegas, burned up the I-15 home the next day.....

Great photos Spud. Thanks for sharing. I rode Rt12 from Bryce to Torrey and loved it. Then continued to Moab. Awesome place to ride!! Hope I get out there again. I'm a little jealous of you folks that have this in your 'backyard'. Well OK, a days ride away in your case. Thanks again.

Beautiful photos! Been to many of those same scenes...thanks for posting!

Thanks Spud We were in Capital Reef this summer. Great riding....

Man, I can't wait to move out West. The wife and I are planning on moving to Idaho in about 5 years, less if I can swing it. Can't wait!

Gorgeous ride. Having done much of that going the other direction this last June, I thought I'd checked it off the bucket list. However, your photos are pretty clear evidence that I need to ride 12 in late September or early October one of these years to see it in fall colors.

Great pics! Highway 12 from Escalante to Torrey is one of my favorite roads of all that I've ridden. I just went through there the last week of September, and the colors were spectacular. I always try to hit that area in the fall. Spring is good too, just not as colorful.

There's a gathering of BMW forum riders that meet in Torrey every spring and fall. I've been to a few of the gatherings on my R1100RT. It's a great hub to ride a lot of really nice roads in the area. I'm surprised I've never heard of any FJR meets there.

Very nice photos!Wonderful sceneries!

Thanks for sharing!

I left this out--it was in the SWFOG thread where I posted some more photos.... from that:

Just up the road from Kanab, they have the two things all good FJR riders cannot resist: Ho's and pies. AND, THE HO'S MAKE THE PIES!!!! If Neihart ever finds this place, he will never leave...

Spud said:

I left this out--it was in the SWFOG thread where I posted some more photos.... from that:


Just up the road from Kanab, they have the two things all good FJR riders cannot resist: Ho's and pies. AND, THE HO'S MAKE THE PIES!!!! If Neihart ever finds this place, he will never leave...

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Thanks Spud@! Awesome scenery and love those red-rock tunnels! I've been to Zion and south into Vegas but it was by car (convertible) but still was only a car. Great images, SWFOG is going to be awesome!

Fabulous photos. Absolutely beautiful.

Very nice Spud.

Pictures just don't do Capitol Reef justice, it's an awesome place. I was through Kanab on my way back from EOM in early October. Never have seen southern Utah, Nevada and Arizona so green. Really shows the big summer monsoon season they had this year.

Late September is the best time for highway 12 and the colors!

Wow. I'd forgotten how purty it is out there..

dcarver said:

Wow. I'd forgotten how purty it is out there..

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For sure!

Lots of color this time of year. Thanks for sharing the trip with us Spud.

--G

Awesome. I love Cap Reef NP - one of my favorites. The photos with fall colors are great and provide inspiration for a trip there in the fall someday. Someday is not far off for I will retire in two years. Thanks for posting.

Highway 12 was one of my favorite parts of the ride in Utah. Great pics!

Fontanaman said:

Awesome. I love Cap Reef NP - one of my favorites. The photos with fall colors are great and provide inspiration for a trip there in the fall someday. Someday is not far off for I will retire in two years. Thanks for posting.

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+1, Gunny; great Ride Report and thank you Spud, with your kind permission I have moved the link to this thread over to the SW-FOG 2015 Main Page. JSNS!

Very Good Stuff. Thanks for posting. I have that area sitting atop my priority list.