Moab, Zion, Monument Valley, Death Valley, Highway 50.......

[Slickhorn]

2350 miles solo, 9 days, the old girl never let me down

<a><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3340/4560693681_d53e91382d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Monument Valley"></a>

Full story coming as soon as i finish going through pics, which you can check out here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kichatna/collections/72157623951572334/

[johnnyadventurepants]

Looks awesome.... Can't wait for the ride report!

[Slickhorn]

Well for starters, the route roughly went like this, with a few side trips not really mapped out
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source= ... 62&t=h&z=8

I loaded the Tiger and rode out of Salt Lake on 4/19, a few days before my planned departure but I thought I could outsmart mother nature and get south before the large storm lurking in the Pacific made it my way, turned out I was wrong, but whats a motorcycle trip without a few snow flakes?

Slabbed it to Castledale, then jumped onto the Buckhorn wash road to avoid the boring stretch of Highway 6 between Price and 70, and the Swell being one of my favorite places on earth I just couldn't resist.  The scenery is awful there:
<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2027/4560718001_bd3db3159d.jpg" width="500" height="373" alt="Buckhorn Wash">

Was having a great day getting a feel for the load and what I needed to adjust when I ran into a small stretch of road filled with a little sand.  Stopped, aired the tires down a bit, checked it out, it all seemed manageable, I was wrong.  Made it nearly across when the front wheel decided to go 90 degrees the wrong direction, thank god for the Thunderbike Crash bars, once again saved me and the bike from serious damage.  Made it out of the Swell alive and onto I-70 for one of the very few, short sections of Interstate on this trip.  

Rolled down into Moab for a few things then up to the Island in the Sky in Canyonlands for a few nights to do some exploring on foot.    A little bike maintenance was called for as the bottom mount bolt on the crash bar had begun to leak oil.  Camped at the new Horsethief Campground outside the park one night and in the park the second night.  There is absolutely nothing to look at in Canyonlands, just endless red rocks and empty space, nice view looking down on the White Rim:
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3220/4561320906_27e54f4cca.jpg" width="500" height="307" alt="White Rim II">

I had a burning desire to ride Fry Canyon on my way to Cedar Mesa, so I backtracked to I-70 and over through Hanksville.  The first signs of the coming storm greeted me there with some outstanding 30-40 mph crosswinds with drifting sand and other fun road debris.  The descent into Fry Canyon was more sheltered and pleasant riding.
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3502/4561321042_b17692a710.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="The mighty Colorado runs free at Hite">
After I passed Hite, the wind really picked up and the direction became more random.  Nothing like an unintentional lane change on a two lane road with oncoming traffic to get your attention...
The plan was to stay near Grand Gulch on Cedar Mesa, but a quick check of the weather forecast at the Ranger Station made me decide for lower elevations.  I've been stuck in the greasy clay in my truck up there, didn't even want to contemplate it with the bike fully loaded and no knobbies.
Rode to the end of the Mesa and off the famous Moki Dugway:
<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4560727575_5d420cc6ce.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Moki Dugway">
Stopped at the Goosenecks SP to scope potential camping, nothing there but this silly river
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3222/4561345190_a2c9a52098.jpg" width="500" height="373" alt="Goosenecks SP">
Certainly wasn't going to do for camping.  By the time I hit Mexican Hat, the weather convinced me a hotel room was in my immediate future, so I bucked up and spent the night.  Tomorrow would take me into Monument Valley and back up to Zion....

Stay Tuned

[Slickhorn]

The next morning the weather was perfect, 50 degrees and bluebird.  Quickly loaded up and got on the road, the days plan would take me down through Monument Valley, Page AZ, and then up through Kanab and the East Entrance of Zion to a reunion with some old friends and a bottle of George Dickel.  

The same pic has been taken and posted 1000 times, but the road into MV is an awesome sight:
<img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/22/4561354920_a9681c6ba3.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Another long road">
<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4561321072_dc832ef24c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Monument Valley">

The scenery is stunning and it's hard not to stop every 100 yards as your perspective changes and take endless photos.  After stopping too many times, I finally got on my way headed towards Page, AZ.

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4561321300_661f0ca8fe.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Monument Valley behind me">

A quick stop for a beer and a burger in Page lead me across the Colorado River and a quick stop to ponder Glen Canyon Dam and the beautiful canyons it flooded with water.  Sorry I'm a river rat, would much rather float the river than see this man made cesspool.

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3223/4560694007_7193471dde.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Glen Canyon Damn">

The weather was turning bad again and I figured I'd stop screwing around and try to get to Springdale before the rain hit.  The ride up 89 is pleasant enough two lane highway, a few light rain showers here and there kept me motivated to keep rolling on.  About two miles outside Kanab the weather took a turn for the worst and I encountered what would be the first of five or six snow squalls.

<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2600/4561345260_e4264c0b92.jpg" width="500" height="373" alt="Snow outside Kanab">

I cruised into Kanab and changed into my storm gear.  The drive up to the East Gate of Zion was on and off snow the entire way, sometimes snowing hard enough to completely coat my goggles.  Plenty of raindays and thunderstorms under my belt, but this was my first real snowstorm on the bike.  It certainly caught my attention.  The Zion tunnel was a welcome sight and a chance to warm up and dry off for a mile or two, once I emerged on the other side, the weather had improved a bit but still looked threatening enough for me to not dawdle much.  Stopped at the Zion museum to BS with a buddy that is a cop there and then rolled out to Springdale.  Spent an awesome evening, dinner and drinks with some old friends I hadn't seen in years.  Next morning still had low clouds and seemed threatening but a hotel reservation in Vegas that night had me back on the road.

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4560718215_ab58200d90.jpg" width="500" height="373" alt="Novel House Inn">

Rode old Highway 91 out of Utah and into Nevada through Joshua Tree forests and a very cool winding canyon road.  

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4560718241_ed7f94478e.jpg" width="500" height="373" alt="Old Highway 91">

Was able to stay off I-15 all the way through Mesquite and then due to not having the right maps took a chance on the old Spanish Trail parallel to 15.  Old pavement and gravel for 5 miles lead to a dead end at a wash and this marker and mailbox:

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3584/4560728089_37227dcd23.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Cool find on a dead end">

So a little backtrack and a decision to suck it up and ride 15 for a bit.  Took the long way into Vegas through Lake Mead NRA, didn't expect that road to be so much fun, and most of it was hard pack dirt getting ready to be repaved.

The day ended in Vegas where what happens, stays....

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3160/4561345362_3a3afd6f67.jpg" width="500" height="373" alt="Las Vegas">

[Slickhorn]

Left Vegas later than planned, but the weather was finally looking up.  Today's destination was somewhere in Death Valley, with no real plan our destination beyond that.  From Vegas north on 160 through Pahrump and then over to Shoshone, NV where this guy was parked at the fuel pumps:

<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2502/4561321498_e7a560dcfa.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Shoshone, NV">  <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3559/4560694081_4daed0f06d.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Shoshone, NV">

Quick refuel and a bit to eat and I was rolling again, anxious to get below sea level:

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3493/4560728111_6c2b691d7d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Getting closer">  <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3081/4561355276_9f75ce790b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Finally!!">

The descent into Death Valley was more abrupt than I imagined, but the heat was a welcome change from the previous cool days.  A stop at the Ashford Mills ruins and then onto Badwater Basin:

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3285/4560694167_761cb28c21.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Ashford Mill ruins">  <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/4560694227_d1f0bb2a75.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Me in Badwater">

I arrived in Badwater and it was culture shock after hours of hardly seeing a soul, it seemed as if the entire park's visitors were all here.  My GPS must have hit it's head, as it had me 2 feet lower than the official measurement, not bad considering I haven't calibrated the altitude on it for months.

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3316/4560694249_7ced19291f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="as low as you can get">  <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3395/4561355384_29e60103b1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="-284 feet?">

From Badwater I rolled into Furnace Creek to check on road construction going north to Scotty's Castle, the ranger also convinced me to camp there as the only available place with shade in the whole park.  So I set up camp, lightened up the bike and went exploring to the east.  My destination would be Rhyolite, NV to meet the ghosts:

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4560728231_0956074a59.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Down into Badwater">  <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3455/4561321802_5be7f04b57.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Rhyolite, NV">

Rhyolite is a ghost town and an outdoor open art museum, the old town is pretty cool to check out, the ghosts and other art are very cool:

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3072/4560694559_975f86157c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Rhyolite, NV">  <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3108/4561322048_96db13077d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Rhyolite, NV">

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4560694635_29de05f15e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Rhyolite art">  <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3005/4560694645_ff06d8482d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Ghost Rider">

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3167/4560694483_efc541d535.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Rhyolite, NV">  <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4561322112_fcc4d80a00.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Lego Woman">

Back to Furnace Creek for the night, was up early with the sun.  Ranger convinced me to avoid Scotty's Castle road, so the plan was altered and Lone Pine, CA became the direction of travel.  A quick stop and short hike at the Harmony Borax works on the way out of Badwater to check out the infamous 20 mule wagon train wagons:

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4560694965_0a7eafafbe.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Borax Wagons">  <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3374/4561322418_e3cbe11c8f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Borax works">

The road up through the Panamint Mountains and through the Panamint Basin is a pretty cool ride, with sand dunes and mountain passes

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4561322426_fb150249c8.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Sand Dunes">  <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4560695011_b48b580d20.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Father Crowley Point">

From Father Crowley point, the descent into the Owen's River Valley is stunning with Mount Whitney and the snow covered High Sierra's ahead.

<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2275/4561322572_3c2c1e361f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Road into Lone Pine, CA">  <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4561322590_1d156a4e05.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Lone Pine, CA">

 A stop at the ranger station in Lone Pine to check some maps.  The rest of the day would take me through Bishop and up into Lee Vining.....

[Slickhorn]

The way back home would go up into Lee Vining, CA with a stop to hike around the Mono Lake Tufa Towers:

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4560695393_76fe9f92ed.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Mono Lake Tufa's">  <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3004/4561323174_765007becb.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Road out of Mono">

from there headed into Nevada to come back on Highway 50.  so welcome advice from an old timer in Hawthorne saved me running out of gas by letting me know where all the gas stations had gone out of business, without him I may still be out there walking....

<img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/3/4561355622_c9a054e1ec.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Long and straight...">  <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3318/4560728483_bf16342a96.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Somewhere in mid Nevada">

Highway 50 wasn't near as lonely as a few of the places I'd been in the previous week +, but another major storm coming behind me motivated me to get a move on, with just a few stops between California and Utah, I did take the old Highway 50 or current 722 from Middlegate to Austin, a very cool detour that didn't cost much time.  The sites along 50 are from another time, and possibly just down right bizarre:

<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2106/4560695779_1bf7356ef0.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Highway 50">  <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4561355692_c0f46db6ff.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Shoe Tree">

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3500/4561323244_41199bc0f2.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Middlegate Station">  <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4560695837_f29fef7c1f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Middlegate Station">

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3179/4561323328_c08f2048e8.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Austin, NV">  <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4062/4561323358_c758bb1ed8.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Wheeler Peak">

Rolled across the Utah border in the early evening thinking about setting up camp soon.  over 400 miles in the saddle at that point with at least an hour to ride to the Notch Peak area and a place to camp.  The sunset on Notch was very cool and I finished off the day with a gourmet feast, a nearly full moon and almost home.

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3655/4560718533_d4d332f657.jpg" width="500" height="373" alt="Utah border">  <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3592/4561355848_b0731cf584.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Notch Peak ">

<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2395/4560696007_5f4697978f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Feast for a king">  <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3274/4560696041_86851504db.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Notch Peak CAmp">

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/4560696123_55d7f8680b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Notch peak Sunset">  <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4561323708_2c38f2de7a.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Moon">

Woke up to an awesome sunrise and the first winds of what would turn out to be a major winter storm.  The sunrise in the west desert of Utah is always a treat.  The final tally when I got home was over 2300 miles, unbelievable memories and another 2000 places i've circled on my maps to come back and check out soon.  

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3409/4561323770_a8ee9568f2.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Sunrise">  <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4560718585_7dd41a82de.jpg" width="500" height="373" alt="Final Damage">

Thanks for reading...

[EvilBetty]

You are using HTML code to post your pictures...

Code Select Expand

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3220/4561320906_27e54f4cca.jpg" width="500" height="307" alt="White Rim II">
You need to use BBcode

Code Select Expand

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3220/4561320906_27e54f4cca.jpg[/img]

[Mustang]

EB
if you go to your profile settings and choose to allow html for posts .........................all the pics show up fine the way slickhorn has them posted

[EvilBetty]

Interesting... didn't know the board had HTML enabled, but disabled by default in the profile settings... good to know.

I wonder how many of the board users though are set default like mine?  Or is mine the one that is not default?   :oops:

I'll go enable it.  Sorry for the thread interruption.

[John Stenhouse]

Thanks for the heads up Mustang mine wasn't enabled either. Pretty pics

[Slickhorn]

updated

[johnnyadventurepants]

I've got to get to Utah!

[macgart]

Thanks for the html tip.

I have been bouncing around the southwest for the last month or so, mostly in AZ.  Your pics are great, I had planned a trip to DV, but got diverted to AZ because of family issues.  Hwy 50 seems interesting.  I may have to check that out soon.  Your pics brought back memories of some of the stops I made as well.

[Geoff D]

Superb pics....