Ok, she's not mine, but my roommate, Joe got a new doggie! She's a 6 month old Blue Nose Pit Bull. He got it from a friend who didn't have time to take care of her. Her name's Zoey and she's a very loveable doggie and already loves her new home :)
She quickly claimed the bed and was sniffing around everywhere.
Wasssup!
She loves me :)
Awww...
My friends from Philly, Caitlin and Jim stopped by who were on a road trip from the National Parks in Utah. They're both dog lovers and have a 2 year old chocolate lab back home. Caitlin wanted to take Zoey home.
Zoey loves getting attention and kisses...
...and also loves giving kisses back. She's quite the licker.
Very curious too, she checked out every corner of the house...
...even checking out the cleanliness of the sink. Perfect doggie for the house.
This is my first time getting to experience being a real dog-owner, sort of. Our family had big dogs when we were living in Zambia, Africa, but they were more watch dogs. I'm already loving having Zoey around. I think she needs some Doggles (doggie goggles) and maye a little helmet and away we go for a ride on the motorcycles...
Day 10 Saturday, July 7, 2007 Start: Lexington, NE, 8:00 am End: Grayslake, IL, 11:00 pm Mileage: 715
The route for Day 10: Lexington, NE to Grayslake, IL. Slabbing the remaining 700 miles to home.
We had good weather today and simply rode across on I-80 all the way to Illinois where we caught I-88, which was again very pleasant with no traffic. As I got closer to Chicago, the feeling of having to deal with bad drivers, traffic, construction, etc. didn't upset me as much as I knew that I had just enjoyed 8 days of beautiful riding on mountain passes and in deep canyons...
Epilogue What a fantastic ride that was through beautiful Colorado, Arizona and Utah. It was everything I expected and more. The twisties we rode were mainly the big state highways and I'm sure there's lot of smaller roads to enjoy in that part of the country. And thanks to the relative remoteness of the western states compared to the mid-west and the east, there was less traffic on the roads and therefore less enforcement. However, being a holiday weekend, we did encounter our fair share of cager traffic.
Besides the federal ticket that Andy and I got, there weren't any other real upsets on the trip. Aileen did drop her bike but it sustained no real damage and I'm surprised Rick didn't drop his ST3 on this trip. Maybe, he doesn’t need those training wheels after all. Weather-wise too, we only experienced one day of real heavy rain over Independence Pass and some sprinkles here and there. It was definitely hot in Arizona, but nothing unbearable. Too bad the moto-camping didn't work out as planned, but all the other accommodations were as we expected.
Regarding costs for the trip, per person we spent about: $200 for 10 days of lodging; around $400 in gas; $300 in food and about $35 in park entrance fees for an average daily cost of $94. That's an excellent price considering the fun we had and the places we went.
The planning for next year's trip has already begun...
Day 9 Friday, July 6, 2007 Start: Leadville, CO, 8:00 am End: Lexington, NE, 10:00 pm Mileage: 626
The route for Day 9: Leadville, CO to Lexington, NE. The last day of twisties before hitting the slab for home.
Today would be the last day of twisties with the Rocky Mountains spitting us out onto the freeway in Fort Collins. The highlights would be the Eisenhower Tunnel, Loveland Pass and then some unexpected joy towards the end. We met up with Jim Williamson from the Sport-Touring.Net motorcycle forum, who lives in Fort Collins and offered to show us a few good roads in the area.
As always, in the morning, the storm clears. Looking back at where we rode through from our Super 8 in Leadville, CO, the highest town in the US at 10,152 ft. (Picture by Andy)
Heading to Dillon on CO-91
Twisties in the fresh mountain morning air… just what the doctored ordered.
Andy on CO-91.
After meeting up with Jim in Dillon, we rode up I-70 to ride through the Eisenhower Tunnel, which is an engineering marvel being the highest vehicular tunnel in the world at 11,158 ft and it's about 1.7 miles long. We exited right after the tunnel and made the loop back to Dillon on Loveland Pass, which was the old way around these parts before the tunnel. HazMat Cargo still has to take Loveland Pass up and over as they are banned from traveling through the tunnel due to potential safety hazards and not having escape tunnels for traffic. There was considerable construction on both sides of the pass, but the other parts were still fun to ride and the scenery on the western side is quite picturesque. This is when we noticed Jim's unique way of riding his Honda Magna with his legs straight out on the highway pegs. He railed like this through the corners, which was great to see.
One of the few traffic lights on the Interstate system on I-70 at the west entrance to the Eisenhower Tunnel. It's probably used to direct traffic during weather hazards or other tunnel incidents.
Entering the eastbound Johnson Tunnel.
The Eisenhower Tunnel system is the highest vehicular tunnel in the world at 11,158 ft and it's about 1.7 miles long.
Looking back at the group.
Looking down from Loveland Pass Road at the east entrance of the tunnel. (Picture by Jim Williamson)
After riding the tunnel east, we took the old Loveland Pass Road to make a loop back into Dillon. Trucks and other haz-mat vehicles are banned from the tunnel and must make the twisty journey up and over the pass. There was lots of construction on both sides of the pass.
24 Loveland Pass, US-6 [4:54] Riding up and over Loveland Pass, US-6 around the Eisenhower Tunnel. There's some construction on both sides of the pass, but good riding still / Andy Musik: Barenaked Ladies - If I Had A Million Dollars My Rating > Road: 5/5, Scenery: 5/5
Loveland Pass Road (Picture by Jim Williamson)
Construction on one of the hairpins (Picture by Jim Williamson)
Riding some awesome corners on the way up to the summit. (Picture by Jim Williamson)
The Loveland Pass summit at 11,990 ft.
Aileen, heading west, down the mountain. (Picture by Jim Williamson)
Construction on Loveland Pass Road, western side.
Construction on Loveland Pass Rd, western side. (Picture by Jim Williamson)
No guard rails even in the sharpest of corners…
With stunning scenery like this, extreme concetration was required to focus on riding the road (besides taking this picture while riding, of course).
Loveland Pass Road (Picture by Jim Williamson)
Looking back and taking a picture of… (Picture by Jim Williamson)
Jim, who joined us from the Sport-Touring.Net forum, riding an '84 Honda Magna V-65. The craziest thing was his riding style, with his legs straight on his pegs through all the twisties. And man, could he ride!
Heading back into town with the Dillon Reservoir in the background.
From there we headed north around the Rocky Mountain National Park, as there was scheduled heavy construction through the park's roads. Heading to Kremmling on CO-9 was kind of boring with nothing much to see or ride. This whole area is located in a huge basin called North Park and nearby is, you guessed it, South Park, where the cartoon show gets its name. After the decent US-40, CO-125 turned out to be another real gem. This road has almost no traffic, terrific sweepers and lots of 35 mph marked corners. The road surface wasn't the best, but we'll take it. The close proximity of the trees added a bit to the sensation of speed.
Heading north on CO-9 into Kremmling along the Green Mountain Reservoir.
Besides that bit, CO-9 was quite boring. (Picture by Jim Williamson)
Railing on CO-125, an awesome stretch of twisty pavement, heading into Walden, CO.
25 CO-125 [5:22] Riding the nice and rhythmic CO-125 north towards Walden, CO. The road surface wasn't perfect but the curves were very nice / Solo Musik: Sunfreakz - Riding The Waves My Rating > Road: 5/5, Scenery: 3/5
Yes, there were tar snakes abound, but they didn't bother too much. The riding was good.
Andy and I on CO-125. (Picture by Jim Williamson)
CO-125 straightens out after coming down from Willow Creek Pass. This whole geographical area is actually called North Park. And on the other side is, you guessed it, South Park, where the show gets its name from.
Taking a break in Walden, CO. (Picture by Andy)
After gassing up in Walden, we took the crowded, scenic CO-14 towards Fort Collins. I was leading Andy and we weren't really riding all that fast when I got a radar blip around a corner and for a second was debating whether this was an erroneous detection or the real thing. Coming around the corner, we saw officer friendly with somebody already pulled over and pointing us to pull over behind him. We gladly obliged and waited patiently. The rest of the group rode by, once again pretending like they didn't know us. The officer was in an ok mood and said he got us doing 57 in a 45. Phew, that's not bad. After hearing that we were touring from Chicago, he didn't even check our licenses and just gave us a verbal warning to slow down and stop scaring any of the locals. He said this road sees lot of sportbike traffic from Fort Collins and looked like enforcement was being stepped up to protect the cagers going camping and fishing in the area. We caught up with the rest of the group and they couldn't believe that all we got was just warnings. Lady luck rides pillion.
CO-14 was getting even more exciting to ride as it entered a canyon system, but it was plagued with traffic. To rescue us, Jim took us on an amazing short-cut into Fort Collins on Stove Prairie Road. This was one of the highlights of the trip with this road rivaling Deals Gap. Check out the video and see the constant direction change and with smooth corners marked at 15 to 20 mph. These are not the same as 20 mph corners marked in Wisconsin, which are basically 90 degree turns. There were designed much better and were proper chicanes. Trying to keep up with Jim, who probably has this road memorized, was quite a task. The road surface was also very smooth but there were some big gravel spots, but not too much. Aileen dropped her bike just as we turned on to Stove Prairie as there was considerable gravel on the tight right turn. No biggie, she didn't even go down with the bike and was raring to get going right away. Jim promised that there'd be no more gravel and to our amusement, just a few hundred feet into the road we came across big patches of gravel. There were definitely some pucker moments with the road changing direction quite fast over some crests and decreasing radius turns that tightened up more than expected. I had tremendous fun on this road and am jealous of the motorcyclists living in Fort Collins, who have so much access to this fun ride.
Heading towards Cameron Pass on CO-14, our last mountain pass on this trip before hitting the slab for home.
Andy riding Cameron Pass on CO-14.
Aileen riding Cameron Pass on CO-14. (Picture by Jim Williamson)
26 CO-14, Cameron Pass [4:09] Riding our last mountain pass on CO 14's Cameron Pass / Andy Musik: Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill My Rating > Road: 4/5, Scenery: 4/5
Andy on CO-14.
CO-14 (Picture by Jim Williamson)
CO-14 (Picture by Jim Williamson)
Aileen on CO-14.
Rick, Steven and Aileen on CO-14. (Picture by Jim Williamson)
Andy on CO-14 with Jim in the lead, taking us to Stove Prairie Road.
27 Stove Prairie Road [5:32] Railing on the awesome Stove Prairie Road just outside of Fort Collins, CO. Looks like the road engineers didn't have a straight ruler with them - thank goodness! / Steven, Jim Williamson Musik: Hed Kandi (Hott 22) - Make Up Your Mind My Rating > Road: 5/5, Scenery: 3/5
We entered Fort Collins and headed for a late lunch at Aileen's brother's house. After a good break, we hit the slab for home. Aileen and Steven were feeling quite guilty as they had left their children and family for over 9 days now and were eager to get back home. So, we stepped up the mileage and instead of doing an easy 140 miles of slab with two more days of interstate riding, we decided to do about 320 today and finish the remaining 700 or so the next day.
Leaving Aileen's brother's house in Fort Collins, after a nice lunch and rest. (Picture by Jim Williamson)
It's always a bit dreary to ride I-80 through Nebraska as there's no decent scenery to look at or any interesting cities along the way, unlike North or South Dakota (just marginally, though). We joked that Nebraska's main purpose was probably just to support everybody that was crossing the state on I-80. There's nothing really to stop and check out in the state besides the towns of Omaha and Lincoln. The western part of the state also had a strong manure smell in the air. One of the joys and probably downfalls of riding a motorcycle is getting to experience the local surroundings, including the smells, good and bad.
Oh yeah, baby - Nebraska, the good life… slabbing it home. (Picture by Andy)
Day 8 Thursday, July 5, 2007 Start: Moab, UT, 8:45 am End: Leadville, CO, 7:30 pm Mileage: 432
The route for Day 8: Moab, UT to Leadville, CO, ending with Independence Pass.
Saying goodbye to Utah, we would be riding through central Colorado on various twisting roads today as we headed east towards home. Crossing into Colorado on CO-90, we were stopped for about 15 mins as a massive herd of around 300 cattle made their way down the mountain from grazing up there during the spring. After being amused by the beef, we had to deal with their fresh lethal cow pies that were scattered all over the road ahead of us. We had to put more separation between us to stop getting cow dung flung onto us and our bikes from the bike ahead. A quick wipe down was needed at the next gas stop.
One last twisty in Utah on UT-46, before crossing into Colorado.
Again, the sign could use a bit more color, I say.
"Cattle Ahead" and not just one or two… (Picture by Rick)
…a whole herd of cattle, about 300 strong. They were coming down the mountain after grazing up there during the spring.
Steven, trying to make his way through the throngs.
The only downside to this was the danger to us riders from all the fresh cowpies that were dropped on these twisties that we'd be riding.
A straight shot into Naturita, CO to gas up. Hopefully this would be the last straight road we'd have to ride until the slab home.
Even though CO-141 looked twisty on the map, I didn't think it would be as much as fun as it really was. The turns were a bit tighter as this area continues the red canyon landscape from nearby Arches National Park. In my mind, riding Colorado was always pictured as tree filled mountainous passes, not canyon riding. What an amazing state.
Heading north on the awesome CO-141. Lots of twisties with good scenery.
17 CO-141 [4:48] Riding CO-141 in the western part of Colorado. No high mountain passes here, but awesome red canyons that carry over from Utah / Andy, Steven Musik: Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven My Rating > Road: 4/5, Scenery: 3/5
Steven and Andy on CO-141.
Steven and Andy on CO-141.
Steven and Andy on CO-141.
Images of red rock canyons aren't usually associated with Colorado, but being so close to Arches, it's not so surprising.
Steven and Andy on CO-141.
One thing funny about Colorado state highway signs is that the state flag takes up half the sign, leaving less space for the highway number.
Steven and Andy on CO-141.
The scenery changed from dry canyons to a semi-lush landscape.
We hopped on I-70 for a bit from Grand Junction to the start of CO-65. This state continues to impress as its interstates are actually enjoyable to ride and scenic and probably don't warrant being called slab. The nice thing about CO-65, the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway is that the fun starts right as soon as you exit the highway. The first part is characteristic of dry canyon railing, then changes to a foresty mountain pass up and over Mesa Lakes.
Riding a bit of I-70 from Grand Junction to the start of CO-65. Interstate in this part of the country isn't so bad.
18 CO-65 Canyon Railing, Grand Mesa Scenic Byway [3:56] Canyon Railing on the first half of CO-65, Grand Mesa Scenic Byway. Heading south towards Grand Mesa / Andy Musik: The Black Eyed Peas feat. Sergio Mendes - Mas Que Nada My Rating > Road: 5/5, Scenery: 3/5
Steven riding to the top on Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway, CO-65, a very fun road.
Andy, Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway
Looking down from the peak at Mesa Lakes.
Doing what (male) motorcyclists do best.
Looking back at Aileen as we ride down into Cedaredge, CO.
19 CO-65 Mountain Pass, Grand Mesa Scenic Byway [5:02] Riding up and over CO-65 on the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway towards Cedaredge, CO / Andy Musik: Bob Marley - Could You Be Loved My Rating > Road: 4/5, Scenery: 4/5
Beautiful road conditions.
After a break in Hotchkiss, we hoped on CO-133 towards the last feature of the day, Independence Pass. Just like on previous trips, the most fun always comes when you're least expecting it. CO-133 around the Paonia Reservoir was my favorite road of the whole trip. It was constant 35 mphs turns with nice smooth pavement with beautiful mountain and lake views. Let me move here, already!
Proof of the temperature at a Hotchkiss gas station. Mind you, this was in the shade.
Riding the awesome CO-133 from Hotchkiss to Carbondale, CO.
This was one of my favorite roads of the whole trip. Constant 35 mph turns.
20 CO-133 Paonia Reservoir [5:07] Railing on CO-133 around the Paonia Reservoir. This was my favorite road on the whole trip. Constant 35 mph turns allowing for a nice rhythm to be set. And check out the scenery too. I want to move here! / Solo Musik: Alice DeeJay - Better Off Alone My Rating > Road: 5/5, Scenery: 5/5
Aileen, coming out of riding some twisties.
Enjoying the view of the Paonia Reservoir.
More fun on CO-133
Steven, with some impressive peaks up ahead.
21 CO-133 McClure Pass [3:33] Riding up and over CO-133's McClure Pass in drizzling rain / Andy, Steven Musik: Dire Straits - Lady Writer My Rating > Road: 4/5, Scenery: 5/5
Aileen, clearly happy to be riding this awesome road. (Picture by Andy)
Taking a roadside break (Picture by Aileen)
Rick, on the last stretch of CO-133.
Crystal River, heading into Carbondale.
Crossing 40,000 miles on the odometer in Carbondale, CO. Myra's an awesome bike. Let's see if we can cross a 100K…
We encountered a bit of rain as we pulled into Carbondale, just as I crossed 40,000 miles on my 2004 GSX-R600. I think Suzuki should buy back my bike when I cross 100,000 miles to study reliability of their supersport bike. I could use a new bike by then.
I was hoping we could stop in the beautiful town of Aspen for a late lunch but a big storm was moving through and traffic was crazy mad in town. There's a four-lane highway all the way from the freeway into Aspen and traffic was constant the whole way. We got started on the road up to Independence Pass in a steady downpour, which wasn't too dampening on the spirits since traffic was quite dense on the road. The views and the road resembled the Going-to-the-Sun road in Glacier National Park and it was actually quite beautiful in the rain. The temperatures were in the mid 30s when we passed the summit at 12,095 ft and Aileen, being the smart rider she is was watching out for possible black ice forming on the roads that could slip us over the edge of the mountain. Steven was cold to the bone and just railed down the mountain, wanting to get to a warm hotel room as soon as possible. Coming down on the eastern side, there are no guard rails around the switchbacks and the 10 mph speed limit was duly followed. Just as the rain subsided, we pulled into the town of Leadville, which is the highest town in the US at 10,152 ft.
Heading into the rain-soaked mountains of Independence Pass on CO-82, south of Aspen.
The road was truly beautiful to ride through. Close foliage and good road quality.
22 Independence Pass Uphill, CO-82 [6:24] Gently riding up CO-82 from Aspen to Independence Pass. Too bad we had to ride through here during a downpour, but it's beautiful nonetheless. It almost resembles the Going-To-The-Sun Road in Glacier National Park / Solo Musik: Bob Dylan - Tambourine Man My Rating > Road: 5/5, Scenery: 5/5
CO-82
The views were also stunning, almost like Glacier National Park. I couldn't stop to take any pictures of the scenery as traffic was constant and serious rain was on the way.
A winding wet mountain road with steep rocky drop-offs.
CO-82
The summit of Independence Pass at 12,095 ft, the second highest paved road in the US. This is well above the tree line and there's only tundra up here. The temperatures were in the mid 30s, plus it was raining. We were cold. (Picture by Aileen)
The wet peak of Independence Pass. We were hoping it wouldn't get cold enough to start forming ice. That would be bad through these no-guard rail hairpins.
23 Independence Pass Downhill, CO-82 [7:05] Gently riding down from Independence Pass (12,095 ft) in the rain with no guard rails. Heading east to Twin Lakes, CO / Solo Musik: The String Cheese Incident - Take Five My Rating > Road: 4/5, Scenery: 4/5
At the bottom of the pass, at Twin Lakes, CO. The mountains create their own weather system.
The clouds hanging around at the mountain peaks, where it's nice and cool for them, creating havoc for us riding through there.
Day 7 Wednesday, July 4, 2007 Start: Bryce Canyon, UT, 8:30 am End: Moab, UT, 6:30 pm Mileage: 489
The route for Day 7: Bryce Canyon, UT to Moab, UT, Capitol Reef National Park.
Along with the other famous roads in the sport-touring community of Lolo Pass in Idaho, Beartooth Pass in Montana are the southern Utah roads of UT-12, 24 and 95, which run from Bryce Canyon through Capitol Reef National Park to Arches National Park near Moab. Besides having endless twisties, they're also very remote and set in some amazing landscape.
Mine and Andy's campsite at Ruby's Inn Campground, just outside the entrance to Bryce. Yeah, the other 3 whimped out and got a hotel room. City slickers. I enjoyed gazing at the stars before falling asleep…
Someone mentioned earlier that the whole of southern Utah should be a National Park as just driving along you come across some awesome sites.
On UT-12 heading to Escalante. One thing that UT and CO do that is different from other areas is instead of just suggesting a lower speed limit through twisties, they just lower the whole speed limit. So, getting tickets in twisties could hurt more, but there's less enforcement out there anyways.
Real cowboys on a ranch.
After breakfast in Escalante, we enjoyed UT-12 into Capitol Reef National Park, which resembles Zion with massive sandstone cliffs. Someone pointed out earlier that this whole southern part of Utah should just be one huge national park as the awesome scenery doesn't stop once the park boundaries end. The terrain is also quite alien and resembles the surfaces of Mars and the Moon; not surprising that NASA conducts research out here for their various missions.
Steven and I looking out at the expanse below us on UT-12. (Picture by Andy)
Lots of curves and pretty rock formations on this road.
Rounded rocks
Twisties near Boulder, UT
Twisties near Boulder, UT
Looks like the road ends at this rock wall. Quick, turn right.
UT-12
UT-12
UT-12
I didn't want to give up riding the twisties for taking pictures of these awesome rocks, so I just took pictures while riding the twisites… You only need your right hand to ride anywayz…
Riding a small pass on UT-12
UT-12
Steven on UT-12
Steven on UT-12
Notice how the scenery changed within just 10 minutes.
Andy, Aileen and Steven on UT-12.
Andy, Aileen and Steven on UT-12.
Aileen and Steven on UT-12.
Overtaking one of the few vehicles we came across.
Taking a picture while overtaking. I should write a safe riders manual or something...
Aileen, Steven and Rick on UT-12.
This picture hasn't been photoshopped. The sky is just that clear out here. No big cities within a 200 mile radius.
Heading down into Capitol Reef National Park on UT-24.
Capitol Reef National Park
Puts things in perspective. The massiveness of these rocks was most outstanding.
The road through the park runs very close to some sheer cliffs.
Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Check out the slash lines in the rock…
Hmmm, I'm no geologist, but looks like something major happened a couple million years ago to create this dark sediment layer… maybe a huge volcano erupted and ash got deposited (thanks History Channel).
Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
15 Capitol Reef National Park, UT-24 & UT-95 [5:12] Riding through the awesome Capitol Reef National Park on UT-24 and UT-95. The sandstone cliffs felt more imposing than those at Zion. The scenery also looks like we're riding on a Martian landscape / Andy, Steven Musik: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow ((Hey Oh)) My Rating > Road: 4/5, Scenery: 4/5
Interesting how these big rock formations are almost evenly spaced out, almost man-made. Some of this landscape looked like we were on the moon, besides the one little road of civilization.
That's quite a sight.
From Hanksville, heading south on UT-95, there are no towns for 125 miles till Blanding. Running out of gas was a little concern for Steven's, Aileen's and my bike, which we didn't want to experience in this desolate place with oppressive heat. To increase fuel mileage, we turned down our cruising speed and just enjoyed the sights. Being July 4th, we also didn't want to encounter any extra enforcement that was out for DUIs on this day of celebration.
This was seriously the road to nowhere… heading south on UT-95 after gassing up in Hanksville. The road is dead straight for about 15 miles, was putting me to sleep.
Thankfully, there were some nice sweepers waiting for us as the road crosses the northern end of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
Red canyons on UT-95
Now, it felt like we riding on Mars, with so much red rock. And I think Nasa does testing out here for Mars missions.
Steven and Andy on UT-95
Steven and Andy on UT-95
UT-95
UT-95
UT-95
UT-95
Glimpses of Lake Powell from UT-95
UT-95
Crossing the Colorado River.
UT-95
UT-95
UT-95
There was almost no one on this road besides us, but we kept the speeds in check as it's about 125 miles between gas stations on this road and we didn't want to get stuck in this heat, above 100 F.
Varying sediment layers
UT-95
Cheese Box Butte, a mesa (couple hundred feet across), which has eroded it's peak down to this little nub.
A bunch of British bicyclists riding coast-to-coast. They started on the west coast a month back. We thought of giving them a tow up this huge hill, but alas, no rope… (Picture by Andy)
Eris (Andy's BMW K1200S) with the expanse of southern Utah behind her. (Picture by Andy)
With the fuel concerns in mind, I still didn't want to pass on visiting the Natural Bridges National Monument at the southern end of UT-95. The park rangers commented that they wouldn't try and venture between Hanksville and here on a bike on a day like this for the fear of breaking down. Meh, all in a day's work for sport-tourers. We took a ride on the loop around the park that brought us close to three natural bridge rock formations, which were pretty cool.
Steven, riding through the Natural Bridges National Monument on the Bridge View Drive.
Riding two-up with Rick so that I could take pictures freely as we quickly rode through the park. It was extremely hot and we were very low on gas.
The Sipapu Natural Bridge. A natural bridge is different from an arch in that water carved the hole through a wall of rock, while an arch is formed by wind erosion.
The Natural Bridge National Monument allows visitors to see 3 natural bridges from the road. Note the storm clouds off to the right.
The Kachina Bridge
The Kachina Bridge
Canyon carved by the river that formed the bridges.
The Owachomo Bridge
Rick at The Owachomo Bridge, which is only 9 feet thick at its center.
Running almost on fumes, we found an old Sinclair gas station at the intersection of UT-95 and US-191 but decided to push a bit further into Blanding since they didn't have premium grade gas. After a nice lunch at a local Mexican fast food chain, we pushed ahead to Moab to beat a storm that was following us. Riding up US-191 wasn't that exciting, that too with not much interesting scenery.
The Devil's Highway, US-666 got renumbered to US-491 in 2003. Before the change, these road signs were one of the most stolen signs.
An odd lonesome rock formation on US-191, heading north to Moab.
A natural arch by the roadside. (Picture by Rick)
Once again, after a dip in the pool at our hotel and unloading our luggage, Rick, Steven and I set off for an evening ride into Arches National Park. We had originally planned to camp in Moab, but the temperature at 8 pm was still in the high 90s and it would've been an uncomfortably hot night. I really liked the setup of this tour with bonus rides at the end of the day, giving everyone options to ride further or not. It was only 360 miles from this morning to Moab with another 100 miles in the bonus ride around Arches.
Prior to the trip, I was advised to ride up UT-128, which borders Arches National Park and runs along the Colorado River through a steep red cliff canyon. The landscape was amazing and again seemed out of this world. But I think we spent too much time here as the sun was setting fast as we entered Arches. My goal was to see the rock formation of Delicate Arch and Balanced Rock. There's a quick 10 minute hike from a parking lot to the vantage point of Delicate Arch. We got there just in time to click a few pictures in the last minutes of daylight. It was worth it and again, maybe I'll come back again to properly hike around the park and get closer to some of the other features of the park.
Riding the Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway, UT-128, which runs along the Colorado River with Arches National Park next door.
Riding through sunset created some beautiful sights.
Looking back at Rick and Steven.
UT-128
UT-128
UT-128
UT-128
UT-128
UT-128
The sun setting fast in these canyons.
UT-128
UT-128
UT-128
Notice how straight the walls of this rock's cliffs are…
UT-128
Using an automated ticket system to enter Arches National Park, cost was only $5 per bike.
16 Arches National Park and UT-128 [3:17] Riding through the Red Cliff Canyons on UT-128 and then hitting Arches National Park just at sunset. We hiked to see Delicate Arch in the last moments of dusk / Steven, Rick Musik: The Fugees - No Woman, No Cry My Rating > Road: 3/5, Scenery: 5/5
Arches National Park is known for its numerous natural sandstone arches and other unique rock formations.
Arches National Park
Looks like Wile. E. Coyote's home… beep, beep
Arches National Park
Balanced Rock. Awesome picture.
Rick, giving some support to Balanced Rock.
Delicate Arch. We got here too late as the sun had already set, but the 10 minute hike up was still worth it. A longer hike takes you much closer to the arch.
Rick and Steven with Delicate Arch in the background.
Soaking in the awesome sunset. It's about 9:15 pm local time.
Day 6 Tuesday, July 3, 2007 Start: Grand Canyon North Rim, AZ, 9:30 am End: Bryce Canyon, UT, 5:30 pm Mileage: 274
The route for Day 6: Grand Canyon North Rim, AZ to Bryce Canyon, UT, swinging by Zion National Park/
Today was the designated short/rest day of the tour at 274 miles as we would be spending considerable time at Utah's national parks of Zion, Cedar Breaks and Bryce. I heard the traffic through Zion might also consume a lot of time, so no need to hurry through these natural wonders. After a nice run back up the Grand Canyon Highway, we had breakfast in Kanab, UT and then turned into Zion National Park.
Our cabin at the Kaibab Lodge. Getting ready to leave.
Heading north on AZ-67, Grand Canyon Highway through the Kaibab National Forest. Endless sweepers and excellent road quality.
11 Kaibab to Kanab, AZ-67 & US-89 Alt, Grand Canyon Highway [5:02] Riding AZ-67 and US-89 Alt from Kaibab Lodge near the Grand Canyon North Rim to Kanab, Utah. This is one beautiful road / Andy Musik: Armin van Buuren - Burned with Desire My Rating > Road: 5/5, Scenery: 4/5
On US-89 Alt heading towards Zion National Park.
After seeing pictures and documentaries of this park, I was quite excited to finally be here. We knew that to get the most of the park, one should stop and take a hike into the inner regions to truly be amazed, but alas, we're on a tight schedule and getting a glimpse was good enough. I'll be back at a later time to properly enjoy the park. Zion is known for its rising cliffs and you get a good view of that from the road. Traffic wasn't bad, but we did have to wait for about 15 mins at the tunnel that takes you into the heart of the park.
At the entrance to Zion National Park. After reading and hearing so much about this place, I was quite excited. (Picture by Andy)
12 Zion National Park [6:07] Riding UT-9 through Zion National Park. Shot using a helmet camera. Please excuse the poor framing of many shots, it didn't turn out as I planned / Andy Musik: U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For My Rating > Road: 3/5, Scenery: 5/5
Checkerboard Mesa, with a natural grid pattern probably caused by water run off.
The eastern portal to the Zion-Mt. Carmel tunnel, which runs over a mile through the sandstone to emerge deep in the park.
The tunnel has 6 big windows cut into the cliff to provide sunlight and ventilation, and construction was completed in 1930.
Heading back east through the park.
Lots of massive sandstone mountains.
The switchbacks climbing up to the western portal of the tunnel.
Again on this trip it was a challenge to pay attention to the winding road with the awesome views just ahead.
Zion is known for extreme vertical cliffs and much better views can be had by taking hikes into the interior of the park.
Another view of the winding road.
The tops of the peaks appear white as their minerals have been blown away by the wind.
Coming up to the western entrance of the tunnel.
Since it was still quite a hot day, we were using our cooling vests and we re-wetted our vests at the main lodge in Zion on our way to our next stop, Cedar Breaks National Monument. Unbeknownst to me, Cedar Breaks is at an altitude of about 10,000 ft where it's considerably cooler and we ended up feeling much cooler than needed with our wet vests. Cedar Breaks was a very enjoyable site as the iron in the sandstone contrasts greatly with the green flora of Cedar. The whole region of southern Utah was at the bottom of an ancient lake about 50 million years ago and up shift in the ground over time has created these various canyons and cliffs. And this whole area all the way from the Grand Canyon through Zion to Bryce Canyon is known as the [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Staircase"]Grand Staircase[/URL] as each cliff/canyon is a step higher than the other in the big picture.
A warning sign at the intersection of US-89 and UT-14 on our way to Cedar Breaks National Monument. For us, this means there's fun 25 miles up ahead.
The awesome view at Cedar Breaks National Monument, a natural amphitheather canyon. This area was created by uplift and erosion.
Hoodoos (tall thin spires of sedimentary rock) are abound here and at Bryce Canyon. The rich color is due to iron deposits in the rock.
Yes, we're all taking pictures of the same thing. (Picture by Aileen)
Aileen, Rick and I trying to pose for a picture. (Picture by Andy)
Yeah, we didn't realize that the Cedar Breaks rim is above 10,000 ft, meaning it was a little chilly and we mistakenly rewetted our cooling vests when we left Zion. You could say we were feeling a little nipply.
Panguitch Lake on UT-143
13 UT-143, Cedar Breaks National Monument [4:39] Riding UT-148 and UT-143 around Cedar Breaks National Monument, heading to Panguitch, UT / Andy Musik: Linkin Park - In The End My Rating > Road: 4/5, Scenery: 4/5
UT-143 to Panguitch from Cedar Breaks was a nice fun road with very little traffic. Most of these roads weren't too technical and were mainly sweepers following the contour of the land, which makes for very enjoyable riding for everybody. From there, turning on UT-12 and entering the classic stone arch signaled our destination for the day, the pink rocks of Bryce Canyon. Andy and I setup camp and then joined the others to cool off in the campground's pool before setting off for an evening ride through the park.
Aileen on UT-12 heading to Bryce Canyon National Park. This was a taste of the scenery to come.
Another classic shot from this part of the country: the stone arches on UT-12 near the entrance to Bryce Canyon.
After unloading our luggage, we relaxed by the pool at Ruby's Inn before heading off into Bryce for a sunset ride. (Picture by Aileen)
Andy, protecting his poor back, which probably hasn't seen the sun in over 10 years. (Picture by Aileen)
Get those predators out of the there! Momma's keeping an eye on them. (Picture by Aileen)
The road through Bryce Canyon is very enjoyable but the speed limit drops from 45 to 35 and we duly got served towards the end of the park. Yes, we probably shouldn't have been railing through a National Park, but it was the end of the day and there was hardly any cager traffic. We think we were setup by the ranger at the gate calling ahead to the patrol ranger that four sport bikes had just entered the park. We were running our radar detectors, however the patrol officer used instant-on just as he sped by us and clocked us for 60 in a 35. Only Andy and I got tickets as Rick and Steven were further behind and duly rode by us getting served like they didn't know us. Bastids! But that's the protocol. Oh well, it's a federal district ticket, which doesn't count towards insurance or your license record, so we just considered it a price to play. Andy and I joked that the officer took so long to process our tickets because when he called us in, the dispatch must've been like, "Oh, you finally caught those two. There are warrants out for them in Colorado and Arizona." LOL. We cruised back doing the speed limit, which was very painful on this awesome road. After a nice dinner at Ruby's Inn with the group, Andy and I enjoyed falling asleep under the clear starry sky of Bryce, which we had been looking forward to, while Rick, Steven and Aileen enjoyed the comforts of their hotel room.
The boys heading into Bryce Canyon National Park.
14 Bryce Canyon National Park [5:54] Riding through Bryce Canyon National Park on UT-63. This was an awesome road! But yes, we did pay to use it... / Andy Musik: Alibi - Eternity My Rating > Road: 5/5, Scenery: 5/5
The road was amazing! Lots of 25-35 mph turns and excellent road quality. All though the speed limit is quite low at 35 mph and…
Yup, we got popped by the ranger. First and only speeding ticket on the whole trip. 60 in 35. Thankfully it's a federal ticket, which doesn’t go on your state record. Freebie, besides the fine.
In hindsight, we probably shouldn't have been railing through a national park, but I don’t think we scared any of the other tourists and it was at the end of the day… (Picture by Andy)
Good thing we pulled over at a scenic overlook…
The rock is white again here because the wind has eroded its minerals.
A fine example of the hoodoos at Bryce. They don’t crumble because the structure is made of varying rocks that erode at different rates.
The view from Rainbow Point, the end of the scenic ride through the park. (Picture by Andy)
On our way back, doing the speed limit. What to do? Follow the road or the sign!?
Soaking up the scenery as it slowly goes by…
These deer are so used to human traffic they're not even bothered being so close to the road.
Look how brave this guy is; just casually walking across. Nice.
Day 5 Monday, July 2, 2007 Start: Ouray, CO, 8:30 am End: Grand Canyon North Rim, AZ, 7:30 pm Mileage: 514
The route for Day 5: Ouray, CO to Grand Canyon North Rim, AZ, passing through Monument Valley.
Today would be a high mileage day since we were trying to get to the Grand Canyon in time for sunset at the North Rim. We weren't expecting to ride any spectacular roads today but some sights along the way would be interesting such as Monument Valley in Arizona.
We started the day by continuing on the San Juan Scenic Byway loop by taking CO-62 to CO-145. The views from CO-62 show-cased a picturesque Rocky Mountain image. It was quite a treat to have such views for a morning ride. While railing on CO-145, we came into this opening in the trees and saw this awesome view of Trout Lake. It was the quintessential image of living in the mountains. A small lake surround by snowy peaks and pine forests. We saw a few houses around the lake and Andy was seriously considering moving out here. Further south on CO-145, the change from green forests to red rock was indicative of us getting closer to southern Utah.
What a sight to wake up to in the morning… On CO-62 (part of the San Juan Skyway) looking south at some Rocky Mountains. (Picture by Andy)
Stuck in construction traffic in the beautiful mountains…
At least the scenery was enjoyable while we waited.
6 CO-62 & CO-145 of the San Juan Skyway [8:03] Riding CO-62 & CO-145 of the San Juan Skyway from Ridgway to Dolores, CO. Note the change from green forests to red rock towards the end of the video / Andy Musik: Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear the Reaper My Rating > Road: 4/5, Scenery: 4/5
Trout Lake, CO… mmm mmm mmm good. Andy was thinking of settling down here.
The Blue Bikez
This picture doesn’t do it justice. A beautiful lake, surround by forests and show capped mountains. (Picture by Andy)
This was actually a very mild case of Helmet-bug-itis, but nonetheless, lots of summer bugs to deal with.
The Galloping Goose in Dolores, CO. They converted trucks in the 1950s to make them freight trains in these mountains.
After breakfast in Dolores, we headed for this small short-cut called Road G that would take us from Cortez, CO into south-eastern Utah. The original plan was to head down to the Four Corners site, but since we wanted to swing by Monument Valley, we decided cut out the Four Corners to save mileage. I got confirmation from an STNer that Road G was indeed paved all the way into Utah, because it looked like a small dirt road running by itself on the maps. It ran by Ute mountain which is a lone peak in south-western Colorado. The road was a little bumpy, but not too bad an option.
We came out onto US-191 heading for Mexican Hat. But before that, we swung by Goosenecks State Park where the San Juan River's intricate carvings into the sandstone are quite a sight to behold. After that we were looking forward to stopping by the Swinging Steaks place at the Mexican Hat Lodge, but they were closed.
7 Road G [4:25] Riding Road G from Cortez, CO into south-western Utah, going by Ute Mountain and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument / Andy Musik: Madonna vs Daft Punk - Get Into The Groove My Rating > Road: 4/5, Scenery: 3/5
A lonesome oil derrick on BIA-5068 in the south-eastern part of Utah having just crossed from Colorado on Rd-G.
Interesting rock formation at the intersection of UT-163 and US-191.
The road to nowhere… actually it's heading to Mexican Hat, UT.
Erosion is the name of the artist in southern Utah and here's another fine example of her work.
Red rock formations… abound in this part of the state.
Goosenecks State Park near Mexican Hat, UT.
The little San Juan river is responsible for this stunning canyon.
The group at Goosenecks State Park: Steven, Rick, me with Aileen and Andy. (Picture by Andy)
Looks like someone painted those patterns on those hills, on US-163.
The rock formation that gives Mexican Hat its name.
Since we had come down from nice and cool Colorado, the rise in temperature required the use of our cooling vests. These are simply nylon quilted vests that need to be soaked in cold water and then worn under a perforated jacket. As air moves over the vest, evaporative cooling keeps the core of your body cool. Rewetting is required every 2 hours or so in 100F weather.
Putting on our cooling vests in Mexican Hat at this spanking new Shell (stood out in the stark desert). We had hoped to eat at the Swinging Steaks place, but they were closed.
Rick and his super bright High-Viz cooling vest. Seriously, what's the point of a high-viz cooling vest when it's going to worn under the jacket???
After seeing lots of pictures of Monument Valley in movies, cartoons, ride reports, etc., I thought it wouldn't be that big a deal. But coming around the corner and seeing the road heading straight into the distance with the peaks of Monument Valley bearing down was an awesome sight. From here, we headed up to Page, AZ to check out Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell.
8 Monument Valley on US-191 & US-163 [3:13] Riding the open roads through Mexican Hat, UT and Monument Valley (US-191 and US-163). Some top speeds runs first and then the stunning scenery of Monument Valley / Andy Musik: Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out My Rating > Road: 4/5, Scenery: 4/5
The classic shot of Monument Valley on US-163, just south of Mexican Hat. It is quite outstanding.
Another pic with the sky and desert harmonizing.
This was as close as we got. When there's more time, I hear the jeep tour through the actual park is definitely worth it.
Rick, at the border with Utah and Arizona with Monument Valley in the background. (Picture by Rick)
Looking back at the group riding through the Navajo Indian Reservation on US-163 towards Kayenta, AZ.
Andy, re-soaking his cooling vest in an auto shop in Kayenta (there were no restrooms around).
Rick's always been on my case about not paying enough attention to wildlife on the side of the roads that could be a potential hazard to us. And it didn't help that while leading on this road, I somehow missed seeing a heard of sheep that were sitting right next to the shoulder. They weren't on the road, so what was the worry? I'm telling you, he spends more time looking for animals in the woods than paying attention to the road!
The nice thing about the open desert is that radar from the enforcement travels uninterrupted for a long distance. We got a blip about 10 miles out which slowly strengthened and we cruised by the officer doing the speed limit. Not to be facetious, but I was smirking and saying to the officer in my helmet, "you have a radar gun, I have a radar detector." :)
It was extremely hot as we pulled into Page with temps near the 120F range. After a quick lunch at Jack in the Box, we swung by for a few views of the dam and the lake, which looked very inviting with its bright blue contrasting with the red rock. Then, we were heading straight to our lodge just outside the Grand Canyon's North Rim.
On AZ-98 heading towards Page, AZ.
Rick, Steven and Andy on AZ-98.
It was blistering hot, around 115 F and not a breeze in sight. Check out the vapor heading straight up from the smoke stacks.
Glen Canyon Dam near Page, AZ.
The dammed man-made Lake Powell. This dam was a little controversial as it flooded many beautiful canyons and submerged lots of archeological and wildlife habitat areas. It took 17 years to fill the lake up.
The bridge of US-89 crossing the Colorado River at Lake Powell.
Heading south on US-89 towards US-89 Alt, just before the intersection, the view after traversing the closed-wall Antelope Pass is quite dramatic. Only then do you realize that you've been riding on a huge plateau as a big valley opens up below you. This valley is the northern most point of the Grand Canyon, of which we would be riding through to get to the North Rim. We passed Marble Canyon and the Cliff Dwellers (rocks that rolled down from the cliff). It was still quite hot but I still managed to stop for pictures as I'm not going to coming through this area anytime soon again. What's a little sweat, eh?
From there, the road rides very much straight in the big valley until we started climbing the valley walls into the cooler climate of the Kaibab National Forest. We climbed reaching up to 8,000 ft at the North Rim. The elevation change in this part of the country, and that experienced by us on this trip was very much welcomed compared to the flatlands of the Midwest.
Just south of Antelope Pass on US-89 near US-89 Alt intersection. Riding on a plateau behind us, the view suddendly opened up to this huge valley, which we would be riding through.
Looking back at Steven on US-89 Alt riding in a big valley. It was extremely hot at this point, hovering around 110 F.
Cool rock formations at Marble Canyon.
Rick and Andy with Marble Canyon in the background.
Heading to the North Rim of The Grand Canyon.
We were patiently waiting for this road to finally meet those hills in the distance so that we could climb out of this heat and ride some twisties.
Looking down at the valley that we were in. Looks like a glacier could have done this back in the Ice Age…
The twisty part of US-89 Alt with the previous long straight section down in the valley.
A turn on US-89 Alt with the expansive valley below.
The Grand Canyon Highway of AZ-67 from US-89 Alt towards the North Rim was a real gem of tarmac. The road is very smooth and wide with endless sweepers. The forest fire damage from the previous year that closed down this part of the park was still quite evident. However, the greenery further south makes this a truly enjoyable run, especially at sunset.
9 Kaibab Road, AZ-67, Grand Canyon Highway [5:45] Riding AZ-67, the Grand Canyon Highway to the North Rim and to Kaibab Lodge. Notice all the trees burnt from a previous forest fire. Don't you just love those never-ending sweepers... / Andy Musik: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along The Watchtower My Rating > Road: 5/5, Scenery: 4/5
We booked a cabin at the Kaibab Lodge, just north of the park entrance so that we could take in the sunset at the Grand Canyon. After showering up and unloading our luggage, we set off and enjoyed a beautiful sunset at the North Rim. It really is an awe-inspiring sight. We sat on the edge of the canyon and just relaxed as the sun winded down. It must've looked quite funny to the other tourists there to see us walking around up and over the rocks in our riding gear. And Andy and his extremely squeaky Oxtar boots should've been banned for the noise disturbance. I don't care if they're a good deal; I'll pay more for less squeaky boots. On the way back to the lodge, we enjoyed a nice little night ride. Even though we did over 500 miles today, having an awesome destination helps keep the motivation going throughout the day.
Riding through the Kaibab National Forest on our way to the North Rim of The Grand Canyon after unloading our luggage at the Kaibab Lodge.
Profile view of the awesome GSX-R machine.
Entering the park. We got there after 6 pm and the ticket booths were closed, so we went in for free. Yeah.
Yours truly.
The road was nice and twisty in the park, but we just saw the park ranger go by…
Oh the pain of doing the speed limit of 35 mph.
The Grand Canyon.
"Ok, I've seen it all, I'm ready to jump." Nahhh, just stretching and taking in the awesome view. But if I had a base jumper's parachute… hmmm… (Picture by Andy)
Andy with the setting sun.
Just taking it all in…
Definitely worth coming here at sunset. (Picture by Andy)
Quite a few other people were just sitting on cliffs and admiring nature's work. (Picture by Andy)
Yup, that was my view.
We rode from Chicago for this. Click the picture for the full size version. (Picture by Andy)
A panoramic view of the North Rim. Click the picture for the full size version. (Picture by Andy)
The sun quickly tucking away past the canyon wall. (Picture by Andy)
Andy, Grand Canyon
A Grand Canyon Sunset.
A US Geological Survery Datum stating the elevation at 8,153 ft. at Bright Angel Point.
Trying to capture the full moon from our lodge. (Picture by Andy)
10 Kaibab Road Night, Grand Canyon North Rim [4:15] Riding back just after sunset from the Grand Canyon North Rim to the Kaibab Lodge. It's lighter than it looks due to my dark windscreen / Andy Musik: Eric Clapton - I Shot the Sheriff My Rating > Road: 3/5, Scenery: 2/5
Day 4 Sunday, July 1, 2007 Start: Monarch, CO, 8:00 am End: Ouray, CO, 7:00 pm Mileage: 430
The route for Day 4: Monarch, CO to Ouray, CO. From the Blue Mesa Reservoir to the Million Dollar Highway.
After taking some showers to warm-up from the cold night where temps were around 40 F, we were off to Gunnison for breakfast. Packing up the campsite took a bit longer than we expected and since most of us didn't get very good sleep, we decided to call off camping for the rest of the trip (3 more nights were originally planned). However, Andy and I still wanted to camp at Bryce, since we had been looking forward to that for a long time.
Getting ready to leave after taking some hot showers. It was a very cold night with temps near the low 40s.
Our first mountain pass of the trip, Monarch Pass near Gunnison, CO at 11,312 ft.
US-50 snaking around the mountain down to Gunnison.
Steven coming around a corner.
1 Monarch Pass, Colorado [7:09] Riding up and over Monarch Pass in Colorado near Gunnison / Andy, Aileen & Rick Musik: Nalin & Kane - Beachball My Rating > Road: 5/5, Scenery: 5/5
In Gunnison, we took a loop around the Blue Mesa Reservoir on CO-92 because it looked very twisty and fun on the maps. This loop also allowed Steven to catch a nap to make up lost sleep and Aileen decided to relax in town, since a long day to Ouray was still ahead. Rick, Andy and I set off and we were not disappointed. I contacted a few riders on Sport-Touring.Net and noted down their advice on which roads were must rides in their state, of which CO-92 was one of them.
The twisty fun CO-92, which runs up a cliff from the Blue Mesa Reservoir.
Nice empty twisties.
2 Blue Mesa Reservoir Roads, CO-92, US-50 [7:04] Riding the awesome roads of US-50 and CO-92 around the Blue Mesa Reservoir, near Gunnison, CO / Andy Musik: Mijangos - Bahia My Rating > Road: 5/5, Scenery: 3/5
A cattle truck looking like it jack-knifed at the top of the twisty CO-92. The truck is parked in such a way to allow cattle to load directly into the truck from the range gates. A warning sign could've helped…
Rick's ST3 looking towards the end of the road. (Picture by Andy)
Rick taking a picture of his mug, ruining all his picutres. LOL.
Looking down the dam at the Blue Mesa Reservoir.
On US-50 heading back to Gunnison to pick up Steven and Aileen.
After the loop, we headed down CO-149 towards Durango and then the Million Dollar Highway to Ouray. The northern part of CO-149 is high-speed sweeper heaven. We're talking triple-digit corner-taking. It's an awesome feeling to be leaned over while doing triple digits. The road was very wide open with little traffic. It started to get a bit crowded near Lake City and after Creede, traffic slowed us down a lot, which continued onto US-160 all the way into Durango. It was another passing fest, but we toned down the double-yellow passing, since cagers are more likely nowadays to call for some enforcement, even the tourists.
On CO-149, which had massive sweeping sweepers. We're talking triple digit sweepers.
3 CO-149, near Lake City [3:53] Riding long fast sweepers on CO-149 heading south to Lake City / Andy Musik: Kylie Minogue - Love at First Sight My Rating > Road: 4/5, Scenery: 3/5
Crossing the Continental Divide at Spring Creek Pass, south of Lake City.
4 Slumgullion Pass on CO-149 [5:43] Riding through Slumgullion Pass at 11,361 ft on CO-149 near Lake City, CO / solo Musik: Mozart - Symphony No. 40 My Rating > Road: 4/5, Scenery: 3/5
CO-149 flatenned out around the city of Creede, but still made for good riding.
Looking back at Steven and Rick. I got bored sitting behind traffic and thus FotoMotion (moving photography) was initiated… I slowly perfected taking pictures while riding over the trip and they came out pretty good. Reverse shots are still a little tricky.
US-160 near Wolf Creek Pass
A hairpin section just south of Wolf Creek Pass. However it was plagued with traffic.
Rick, Andy and Steven weaving down the mountain.
I switched with Aileen for this stint. I had been dying to ride the new GSX-R750, which is an amazing bike.
From Durango, the Million Dollar Highway on US-550 to Ouray was one of the highlights of the trip. The road is famous for steep cliffs and not having any guard rails to protect vehicles. The name of the highway probably came about because the first 12 miles south of Ouray ascends very steeply and it was difficult to build a road through there back in the 1920s and when they finally built it with lots and lots of switchbacks, it cost them a lot of money. These days, it's officially called the San Juan Scenic Byway. The road starts of slow from Durango and then picks up and crosses three high mountain passes: Coal Bank Pass (10,640 ft.), Molas Pass (10,910 ft.) and Red Mountain Pass (11,018 ft.). It was a very entertaining road and very picturesque, as well. The last 15 miles or so into Ouray is the highlight with continuous switchbacks and lots of elevation change. Something happened with my camcorder and it didn't record this section, which would've made for a great video. Steven and I were railing all the way into Ouray.
Taking a traffic break on US-550, the Million Dollar highway heading north from Durango to Ouray. The road was too twisty to have a safe passing fest, so we just waited to create a gap.
Myra and Eris, soaking up the great view.
A beautifully set hairpin on US-550.
Aileen, setting up for the above hairpin…
Aileen, riding through the corner.
5 US-550 Million Dollar Highway [9:15] Riding the famous Million Dollar Highway (US-550) from Durango to Ouray, CO. Note the lack of guard rails and the awesome scenery / Andy Musik: Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing (Live with Eric Clapton) My Rating > Road: 5/5, Scenery: 5/5
The air was so clear up there, that no touch up was needed for these pictures. Just beautiful.
Want to guess what they call this mountain range? (Picture by Andy)
Ouray's a nice little touristy mountain town. The steep cliffs of the mountains seem to be right in the town as they're quite imposing. The area's also known for some hot springs. We stayed at the Ouray Hotel, which was one of the pricier lodgings on the trip at $143 for a suite.
The beautiful town of Ouray, nestled high up in the rocks.
We stayed at the Ouray Hotel. Nice place.
A bunch of outta-towners walking out of The Outlaw bar. Appropriate.
Rick thrilled to see a red fire engine. He was thinking about pushing the clutch in and seeing this thing roll down the whole mountain.
Did most of my schooling at Kodai Intl School, India, while parents lived in Zambia working for the UN. Finished up my bachelors at Purdue in Mechanical Engineering, and got my masters at Texas A&M. Working in the big corporate world right now doing product development. I'm loving life as it's thrown to me and like to enjoy the moment. I'm quite passionate about my interests. Music is quite important and so is dancing. Played the sax in school and starting to get back into it. I'm one of those car and motorbike guys, but I also like working on them and racing them. I love the outdoors: camping, skiing, riding my motorbike, have sky dived, and eager to bungee jump and hang glide. I love to travel and visit new places. I also really enjoy the journey (literally and figuratively). Meeting new people and clicking with them is a real kick. Carpe Diem.
