N Va to Cali and back 9/12 - 10/1

[mtnhigh]

A friend of mine has a wedding to attend to in southern Cali on Sept 16th. We have been itching for a ride longer than 4 days, so I made the suggestion of riding out and making it more interesting. Can't believe he didn't think of it.

Any way we are going to start planning the route here soon, and I just wanted to consult the forum for suggestions, advice, and general facts for the trip.

The idea is to head out on 9/12 and go straight to Cali for the wedding. My friend will be tied up for about 3 days, allowing me to explore the coast solo. (might be a straggler or two, but him and I are generally the only reliable candidates. the others I know, usually bail out before our trips).

9/20 - 10/1 heading back east at a much more leisurely pace. We will have camping gear and the usual equipment for long rides. Where we will be staying at night really depends on time, weather, and mentality. But we're pretty flexible with all that stuff.

So the initial questions are :

What kind of climate can we expect traveling in the southwest in mid/late sept. (I might head up the west coast between the 16th-20th also)

What sites would be a "must see" along the way. Grand Canyon, Vegas, and some points in Co I think, are already being considered.

I'll be getting more questions when we get together for more planning.

Thank you in advance,

Chris

 

[fjrboomer]

mtnhigh you have quite a trip planned. I used to drive from Alexandria, VA to Oklahoma City and took two or three days in a car. Of course at that time I did have to little kids which makes a difference. Slabbing it took two long (10-12 hours) days or two 8 hour days and another half day.

You did not mention how much of the eastern side of the country you have seen and there is a lot to see there also on your way back. Colorado is my favorite state for riding as there are many good roads. The $ Million Highway from Durango to Ouray Rte 550 is great. Rte 82 from Carbondale through Aspen to Granite is also a good ride. Rte 34 from Grandby to Estes Park is one of my favorites. It closes in the winter due to snow but I think that does not occur until Oct. There are many other roads that are also great rides. As to the weather, you could get into some pretty cold conditions at high altitudes in mid September. Some of the locals can give you better information on that than I can.

The four corners area of Utah and its parks are also great scenic areas but I will let others advise you on those as they are still on my list of "to do rides". Rte 64 in northern NM is also pretty good as is Rte 38 through Red River. Once you get east of I 25 in either CO or NM it will be time to make up for lost time as the roads become very straight.

Enjoy the planning and the trip and we will expect a great ride report when you return.

 

[mtnhigh]

Thanks for the info. taking notes

Yeah, the trip out is going to be , Uh, brisk ,to say the least. There are two other potential riders that may go, and we all have proven we could cover some miles quick if need be. The nice thing is, on a Fjr, I can take a break while they're gassing up at every other stop.

We have plenty of chances to tour the east. Going west is a lot harder to manage when you have bills to pay. So we are going to concentrate on the western half of the country this trip.

I was trying to remember the Million Highway. I've seen documentaries on it , just couldn't remember the name. Thank you.

 

[fjrboomer]

You will find more things to do than you will have time for just in the west. As you mentioned, the Grand Canyon, the MeteorCrater, the Painted Desert. Since you have plenty of time you might want to get info from the tourist bureau of each of the states you plan to visit. You will find some things there that I or many others do not know about that might be of special interest to you or your friends.

Las Vegas is interesting but can be very expensive, especially if you cannot keep your money in your pockets as you pass through the casinos.

 

[Cal24Master]

Keep in mind that end of Sept. to Oct. can be very unpredictable in the higher elevations. In the Sierra Nevada Mountains they can start getting snow from the begining of Sept. There are many roads that are not plowed or maintained after the first snow, so you have to be careful. The Rocky Mountains from Colorado north can have snow anytime after the 1st of September. The southern route, along I10 through Phoenix is safe year around. As is the coast and Central Valley in California.

I would make sure you are flexible in your route choices. Follow the weather reports carefully, and be prepared to alter your route if necessary.

 

[mtnhigh]

You will find more things to do than you will have time for just in the west. As you mentioned, the Grand Canyon, the MeteorCrater, the Painted Desert. Since you have plenty of time you might want to get info from the tourist bureau of each of the states you plan to visit. You will find some things there that I or many others do not know about that might be of special interest to you or your friends.
Las Vegas is interesting but can be very expensive, especially if you cannot keep your money in your pockets as you pass through the casinos.

Yeah, I agree. My family went on a trip when i was 13, for a month and a half, and there was so many places we didn't see. And i do plan on spending sometime online with the state sites. And, as far as Vegas goes, i'm am going to keep my wallet in my pocket, but fortunately I know someone in the area, so we'll have the lodging part taken care of at least.

Thanks again for your input.

 

[mtnhigh]

Keep in mind that end of Sept. to Oct. can be very unpredictable in the higher elevations. In the Sierra Nevada Mountains they can start getting snow from the begining of Sept. There are many roads that are not plowed or maintained after the first snow, so you have to be careful. The Rocky Mountains from Colorado north can have snow anytime after the 1st of September. The southern route, along I10 through Phoenix is safe year around. As is the coast and Central Valley in California.
I would make sure you are flexible in your route choices. Follow the weather reports carefully, and be prepared to alter your route if necessary.

I didn't realize the snow would come that early. ( exactly why I am consulting the forum) So would crater lake be an issue too??? mmmm.... maybe we should switch the siteseeing to before the wedding.

Thankyou for the heads up!!

 

[Bugnatr]

Snow in late Sept -early Oct in the Sierra's is very rare. It could still be quite warm to even hot during the days but over all it is a great time to ride in the western Mts. The nights may be getting a bit cool for camping.

Southern Utah is awesome if temps are still high in Az.

I do agree all bets are off in Colorado, I was snowed on last year in Co. on the 12th of Sept. on the way to CFO. But he year before it was great weather.

Late summer and fall IS fire season so you may have to adjust your trip to stay out of the smoke which can get quite rugged. May be even worse this year as we are in a big time drought

Mid Sept may still be real foggy on the coast if it is hot inland, the closer to Oct the better the weather along the coast

The weather channel is our best friend, just be flexible with a few alternate routes and you will be just fine.

Overall mid Sept is a great time to travel, nice temps, decent daylight. I have been doing a fall trip in mid Sept all over the west for the last 8 years-good stuff.

 

[mtnhigh]

Thanks for the input bugnatr!

Nice to hear we have a chance of some decent riding. Although, it seems most of our rides last year involved at least a day of rain. :angry2: What luck!

I will probably going solo up the coast, so hopefully the weather will be good and cover a little distance. I live on a mountain here in the east, and am often dealing with heavy fog in the spring and fall. I can deal with it, but it would be nice to see the coast for the first time with the sun shining instead. And i have been camping down to 20F so far.

We will make the best of whatever comes on the horizon.