Father Son Adventure - The Final Leg, Completing our loop of the west Options

[atxrider]

In case you missed the first leg of our trip:

Western US Trip

To sum it up quickly: About 8 months ago, my father and I set out on a five week, 11000 mile tour of the Western US together and had an unforgettable epic journey. Near the end of the trip in Nevada, we parted ways so I could run the Utah canyonlands, Colorado, and Northern New Mexico before getting married less than a week later. When I hit Kanab, UT, my FJR's ignition went out and after hotwiring it, I decided to limp home rather than risk missing my own wedding (my wife later confirms what a life saving idea that was).

Eight months later, I find out my father's friend Steve and his wife (from Washington State) will be in the Utah area visiting some friends. Dad is thinking about meeting him and wants to know if I can go. As luck would have it, I just found out that my job would not start until the beginning of July, so I have the time. He takes off on a Sunday, and I decide to monitor his progress and leave a few days later.

Although I have had some long days in the saddle, I have never ridden over 1000 miles in a day. Austin to Bloomfield is a little over that number, so I thought, why not. No, it is not IBA official or anything like that...I just wanted to see if I could do it comfortably. I leave on Tuesday morning.

The ride up was not under the most optimal conditions. I got three hours of restless sleep. I rode through deer infested areas, 5 or 6 hours of rain in West Texas and Southern New Mexico crosswinds. I caught up with Dad at the Motel 6 in Bloomfield after 1076 miles and 17 hours. I felt great, seriously, and learned alot: plan your route carefully to avoid time consuming obstacles, get lots of rest, and watch the weather. I think I will do an official IB ride soon...maybe the Bun Burner Gold. Any of you Austinites up for it?

The next morning, we set out on US64 towards Lake Powell. My father has never seen it and we plan tentatively to camp there for the night.

Some great sights on US64, here is a picture of ship rock:



My two wheeled support vehicle and I taking a break in the New Mexico desert:



We move onto Arizona on US160 and later SR98. The scenery gets pretty interesting on the way to Page:









I had been to Glen Canyon and Lake Powell on my last trip, but we went ahead and stopped so my dad could stop and take a look. The Dam:



You can see the "bathtub ring", which represents the high water mark and is made up of calcium carbonate deposits.



We talked to some rangers to get the lowdown on camping prices and were not pleasantly surprised: $30 for entry ($15 per bike) and $48 for site with electrical. $78 bucks for camping? Geez. It was an easy decision to keep moving. We set our sites on Kanab, UT via US89.

A shot right outside of Powell:



The Grand Staircase Escalante never gets old to me, amazing:





Once in Kanab, I pull into the Gas station where I broke down and get gas from the same pump. I guess some people would say I am tempting fate, but I did get the recall done, and I am not particularly superstitious, so...

The scene of the crime:



The hardware store across the street where I purchased the material to hotwire the bike:



I wish I had taken more pictures when the event happened. I supposed I was a bit distracted and worried, so did not bother. Oh well. We stay down the street in rv park for $18. It even has a little grass to pitch my tent, definitely a luxury in Southern Utah.

NEXT: Zion National Park

MORE LATER...

[canyonman]

cool pics!! god I love Utah.

[atxrider]

To qualify my expectations of Utah: I really had no idea what was in Utah. I only knew it was next to Colorado and that the Sundance film festival was in Park City. When I rode through Yellowstone, I ran into a man on a dual sport who told me the Utah canyonlands were a must see, so I added them to the list.

After a good nights sleep, my father and I take SR9 into Zion National Park. A lonely windmill:



When we left Zion, quite a few buffalo were relaxing near that windmill. I think it was a resort ranch of some kind. At any rate, I think the buffalo had it pretty good.

Dad at the entrance:



Zion is now one of my favorite national parks. Although relatively small compared to other national parks, it packs in some serious scenery in the form of rock formations, monoliths, and a little river that could. The entire park was basically cut from the Virgin river and is a big destination for rock climbers all over the world (second to Yosemite).

Action shots of dad riding through the rocks:







Action shots of me, minus the action:







There is a very, very dark tunnel you have to ride through which has no lights aside from the occasional rock window. It has to be over a mile long and is somewhat slow going as you can only go one lane at a time. On the other side, we ran into some adventure riders:



Dual sport and adventure bikes are extremely popular in Utah, and around the canyonlands, there are lots of places to ride them. Lots of BMWs, Vstroms, and KLRs.

One hundred yards down the road and around a curve yields one of the coolest views in the park, incredible:







I look over the edge and decide to stay up top and allow Dad to descend so I can get some photos of him. Can you find the goldwing in this picture?



What about this one?



I had heard about the shuttle bus through the camp host in Kanab, so we jump on it at the visitors center and take the 90 minute round trip tour. After all, it is free of charge. It turned out to be amazing...the bus takes you up a north leg of the park (you cannot access otherwise) and the driver is pretty informative.



The Virgin River. It may be small, but it is always moving rapidly:



Three patriarchs:



A very large monolith. I think they said this particular one is the largest in the US (I could be wrong).



A very tame squirrel that kept running through some childrens' legs with their parents looking onward. Cute, right? I wish I had taken a picture of the sign which displayed a very nasty squirrel bite (literally bit through someone's hand) with a warning and then another picture of the parents' faces when they saw the sign afterward.



Many, many cool rocks in this park:







If you look closely, you can see two climbers on the face of this one:



We call it a day and stay in a camping area right outside the park gate. Our campsite was surrounded by huge rocks and was within 100 yards of the river, very cool:



The next morning, we take a few last shots and head in the direction of Bryce Canyon and the famed SR12.









Overall, I was blown away by Zion NP. Amazing natural beauty with very little traffic. I will definitely be back there again.

NEXT: Bryce Canyon National Park and SR12 to Torrey.

MORE LATER...

[Hamie]

Awesome Davey...glad you had a good trip...thanks for sharing....

[beemerdons]

atxrider: Very nice ride report and photos. Even though it is in my "own backyard" I never get tired of looking at the views!!

[Khunajawdge]

This is what memories are made of = Good Stuff!

Kudos to you and your pop!

[v65]

Good stuff! We had to cut Zion and Bryce out of our NAFO trip last year due to time constraints, now I guess we will do the virtual tour with you and your dad!

[Texan]

Sweet. I like what you did for the last 2 weeks better than what I did. Mostly, I can't recall what I did. You will never forget.

[Wicked Webby]

atxrider,

Wow! Great pics, once again!

I am going to have to make this trip.

Thanks,

WW

[atxrider]

My father and his friend Steve decided to meet in Torrey, UT, so we head in that direction via the famed SR12.

It did not take long to see some picturesque countryside.



A precursor to the modern RV:



We eventually hit Red canyon prior to entering Bryce.



A group of Vstrom riders being led by a goldwing from British Columbia had been following us since Zion, some very good people:



A note about Bryce Canyon. Although we did find it beautiful, we decided it would have been better to go there prior to Zion, as it does pale in comparison. In Zion, you are riding through the scenery. In Bryce, you are riding above it. You basically ride down one road, stop, look at that particular view, and take pictures. Then repeat, again and again.

Me, soaking up one of the many views:









Called a natural bridge, although technically it is an arch:



A forum member (pinhead) told me that Escalante to Torrey on SR12 was one of the most beautiful stretches of road in the country...no doubt in my mind that this is true. The environment and scenery is very diverse, going from desolate canyonlands to mountains full of Ash tress and evergreeens and then back to desert and canyons.









Can you spot the FJR in this pic?









Dad starting to ascend the mountains.



Sweeping views of the Canyons we just came through.



The deer are pretty bad in this area and it is starting to get a little late. I happened to be snapping a picture anyway when the deer crossed in front of him. We slow it down a little.



My dad and I pull into Torrey unscathed and meet Steve and his wife for dinner at the hotel diner (the sandstone inn, surprisingly good) . They are meeting some people in Kayenta, AZ, and we decide to ride down 95 the next day on the recommendation of another forum member, TellurideFJR. More on that route soon.

NEXT: SR95 and onward to Colorado.

MORE LATER...

[wheatonFJR]

wow! Great pictures and report!

[atxrider]

Ok. Onward and upwards as they say. The next morning, we wake up and have a nice big breakfast with Steve and his wife and enjoy the views from the cafe. Steve is on the maiden voyage with his BMW K1200LT, coming from a R1150RT. It is a very nice bike and has a host of amenities including an electric center stand. Cool.

We all set out on SR95 and are again taken aback by the beauty of the Utah roads. I find it funny that any small bump in the road and the DOT downgrade the speed limit and post a sign: ROUGH ROAD or BUMP. If they did this in my native state of Louisiana, you would never get above 45 MPH. Not a problem in Utah, though.

Steve, wife Carol and LT in the parking lot in Torrey:



It really is hard to capture the scale and grandiosity of what we saw...but I tried.







I do like the stark contrast the green trees bring when you are in such desolate lands, they seems to almost glow:



Taking a break:



After some canyons, we move out to the desert plains...beautiful mountains in the background.



Then we go back to the canyons (Glen Canyon I think) again. Here we are pulling into a rest stop.



Some shots of the north side of Lake Powell. It is L-O-W.





Some epic photos in and out of the canyon, with Steve in close pursuit:





Crossing the Colorado River:





Coming into fry canyon, love this pic:



Someone's seat...can not remember who exactly.



Exiting Fry Canyon:



We converge on Bluff, UT and decide to say our goodbyes. Steve and Carol head to Kayenta and we head towards Cortez on SR162. Interestingly enough, every map I have looked at says the highway is SR163...but that is definitely incorrect. It did cause a little confusion. A storm chased us the entire way, but we made it to a hotel before getting drenched.

Utah was definitely the surprise of the trip this far, I can not wait to explore it further at a later date (lots of national forests it seems). But Utah is history now, and we have some major league roads in Colorado to look forward to...

NEXT: San Juan Skyway and Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

MORE LATER...

[SouthernCruizer]

Keep it comin! Good job! Makes me wanna leave da swamps of south lousyanna and head NW!

[dcarver]

Wow - great RR. Put a smile on my face looking at those great roads and thinking what a wonderful to spend time with your pops. Congrats, and thanks for the report, I do know how much time and effort it takes to put one up here..

[FJRBluesman]

Awesome report and pix! Looks like a great time was had by you two.

[jmdaniel]

Hey Davy, ya think your Dad can adopt me, so I can go on the next ride?

All that beauty, how are you ever going to handle Debrecen again?

What is your camera setup?

[Malve]

Ride reports from beautiful places with beautiful roads are always my favorite and have a wonderful way of transporting me far, far away from my office.
Great write up and I agree about the Escalante portion...great riding.

[atxrider]

cool pics!! god I love Utah.

Utah was epic. I plan to go back next year and take on the rest of the state.

Awesome Davey...glad you had a good trip...thanks for sharing....

Thanks Hamie. When is the next ride?

atxrider: Very nice ride report and photos. Even though it is in my "own backyard" I never get tired of looking at the views!!

No kidding. Texas seems much closer to all these places now that I have been there and seen its beauty. I plan to go many more times.

This is what memories are made of = Good Stuff!
Kudos to you and your pop!

Thank you sir!

Sweet. I like what you did for the last 2 weeks better than what I did. Mostly, I can't recall what I did. You will never forget.

Haha...no, don't think I will ever forget the last year of riding. It would take alot to top what we have seen.

atxrider,

Wow! Great pics, once again!

I am going to have to make this trip.

Thanks,

WW

I highly, highly recommend it...thanks WW.

wow! Great pictures and report!

Cheers!

Keep it comin! Good job! Makes me wanna leave da swamps of south lousyanna and head NW!

I lived in those swamps for most of my life. Where are you located now? I was born in Leesville, next to Fort Polk and went to school in good ol' N.O.

Regards,

Davy

[atxrider]

Wow - great RR. Put a smile on my face looking at those great roads and thinking what a wonderful to spend time with your pops. Congrats, and thanks for the report, I do know how much time and effort it takes to put one up here..

Thanks Dcarver. It usually takes a few days...but the sheer amount of great photos this time made it extremely hard to pick the best ones.

Awesome report and pix! Looks like a great time was had by you two.

Thanks...good times were had by all.

Hey Davy, ya think your Dad can adopt me, so I can go on the next ride?

All that beauty, how are you ever going to handle Debrecen again?

What is your camera setup?

Haha. My dad would certainly consider it. Are you dissing the flatastic beauty of Debrecen? Say it ain't so.

I use a Kodak M783 7.1 MP. Previously, I had a Canon sd850, which was a great point and shoot and took really sharp photos. Unfortunately, it did not survive the trip to Europe, as my wife dropped it while zooming on the mermaid in Copenhagen. I bought the Kodak as a temporary replacement until I got back. Funny thing is...this camera withstood not one, but two 50+ mph drops from my bike. It is coated in duck tape, but miraculously still works. I may go with a more durable Olympus this time, and also buy an SLR when I get a little more coin.

Ride reports from beautiful places with beautiful roads are always my favorite and have a wonderful way of transporting me far, far away from my office.
Great write up and I agree about the Escalante portion...great riding.

Thanks. I loved Hwy 12...definitely in the top 5 roads I have been on...probably in the top 2.

Thanks everyone for the responses. Stay tuned for more...I still have Colorado and a little New Mexico to go.

Regards,

Davy

[atxrider]

I have been to Colorado a few times as a kid, a few times as an adult, and now have a yearly ski trip to Breckenridge. Never have I witnessed the Colorado I saw in this trip. Once you go there, you wonder why you would live anywhere else in the world.

Dad and I no longer have any agenda or anyone to meet, so we have a little more flexibility. He is intent on running the million dollar highway, but based on the advice of some local forum members, I persuade him to start on the western part of the San Juan Skyway and then take Hwy 92 and explore the north rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

We start on SR145 out of Cortez after we restock our ice and water (my dad's trailer, of course, has an ice chest) and pass through some of the most fertile green areas we have seen for some time.

A fantastic place to live, potential summer home :



The ascension to the mountain begins quickly. Before we realize it, the snow is upon us and we are over 10000 feet. It gets pretty cold and it is snowing, so we stop to put on all the clothes we have. Seriously.

Dad in his impenetrable suit:



Dad and I negotiating the snowy mountain passes:











We hit SR62 and head east toward Ridgway. Beautiful rolling hills with a mountain backdrop. Oh...and a river, we have a river:











Once at Ridgway, we take a quick break and then head up US550 and then US50 until we hit SR92. This road is twisty madness...too bad it is raining. The photo ops were still outstanding though:





Looking down at the Morrow Point reservoir:



Great shot of our bikes with the canyon in the background:



How did I get the shot? Getting down is always the tricky part.



Another shot of the reservoir:



The curecanti needle:



Dad pondering our existence:



ME pondering our existence:



The black canyon was amazing and regrettable because of the rain. It looks like a very challenging road with little traffic, so I will have to come again to put my humble skills to the test. We head back toward Montrose for the night. While looking for a place to camp, I come across a few peculiar sights...

The dog looked so uncomfortable on the back of the horse, but never moved a muscle:



Huh? A one arched Mcdonald's? What is the deal there?



Colorado, thus far, did not disappoint. Beautiful, unmoving mountains, black canyons, twisty roads, snow and rain. What else could you ask for?

NEXT: Atxrider takes a detour, Dad takes a nap.

MORE LATER...