Dam Tour SW Day 6

Today was on off bike day.  On my agenda for today:

• Hot tub - check
• Have coffee at Robber's Roost Books and Coffee an eclectic coffee shop in Torrey Utah.  This place is so wrong for Utah given Mormon's don't drink coffee and the state is politically right leaning!  - check
• Go sight seeing, enjoy a short hike and a Ranger talk in Capitol Reef National Park - check - check and check.

It was an awesome day and now for the photos - drum roll please......

The view from the Best Western were I am staying.

Hot tub this morning to soak the old bod.

Entrance to 10 mile scenic drive in to Capitol Reef National Park

I paid my $5.00 fee turn around and saw this.  Paying the fee paid photographic dividends.

Feejer at Capitol Reef NP

A very colorful area indeed.

The geology here is spectacular.

The Fremont River

Went for a short hike and here you can see the road in the middle of the photo.

Wow.

I tried to include this old dead tree to add interest to the photo.

Hickman Bridge at Capitol Reef NP

The Fremont People are responsible for these petroglyphs.  These ancient people lived here 1000 years ago.

My wide angle 10-24 zoom lens came in handy today.

Feejer at Capitol Reef NP

Cantilevered rock - erosion due to water.

I could spend a month here an not be bored.    I enjoy riding but days like this is why I am here.  This got me to thinking today Dam Tour is not for me.  At work I am a modern man,  on schedule, on task and on call, always ready help somebody do something.  Out here I answer to no one.  So be be on task and on schedule to ride to all these dams during my vacation is a bit contradictory to what I enjoy most, but with my hip recovering from a recent injury my ability go day hiking is limited so on to the dams I go.  I will not forget this epiphany.  It is hard to get into vacation mode when planning for a vacation.

I will ride Hwy 550 through Silverton and Hwy 65 in Colorado to see things I have not seen before.  My rear tire is getting on in life and riding through Colorado certainly will not include any California type of spirited riding so from my tire's perspective this will be good.  I hope there is some visual candy in Colorado and I have my Ipod ready to go.

The End

Dam Tour SW Day 5

The night before I stayed in the Hotel Nevada in Ely, Neveda - highly recommended. It is a building with a lot of history and it is very nice.  The giant four post bed with a very good mattress was appreciated.

I was on the road by 7:00am to avoid the morning chill and my timing was perfect.

I decided to head to Capitol Reef National Park today and camp out.  I have all the gear I need and yet not one day of camping.  Grrr....


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The reason for this route was to ride Utah Hwy 21 and Hwy 12.  One was great the other mostly a bust.

My first stop was for a photo op near Great Basin National Park.  I spent some time at Great Basin in 2005 so I didn't want to stop this time.  I suggest visiting the Lehman Caves and riding up to the end of the paved road for great views of Wheeler Peak.  I didn't want to do these activities again even though the Lehman Caves is spectacular.  So today I simply took a photo of Wheeler Peak from the road.

Wheeler Peak, Nevada.  Look half way down the mountain on he right and you can see a sliver of the moon setting.

Here is another photo looking back behind me.  This is typical of scenery in the Great Basin.

I enter Utah and take a self portrait.

The I see this sign and have to turn around and take a photo.  Beaver County, yeah right.  I have seen towns named Beaver but the whole darn county?  And to top it what self respecting beaver could make a living here?  Where is the water and trees to make a nice home to keep the beaver happy?  Most natural features in Utah are appropriately named.  From what I can see here they missed the mark on this one.

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The reason I wanted to ride Utah Hwy 21 is to take this picture.  Dig this crazy road.

Then it is on to Red Canyon where I took this photo.

In 2005 I went for a hike in Red Canyon and found Fred Flintstone's easy chair.

Please visit my web site for more photos from Red Canyon.

I was on Highway 12 and was really jacked about it.  Along this road is a concentrated collection of geological wonders, including Bryce Canyon National Park, Red Canyon and Calf Creek Falls.  I hiked Calf Creek in 2005 and took this photo.

The only thing missing from this amphitheatre was Led Zeppelin.

Calf Creek Falls

Back on Hwy 12 there is this Hogsback and more jaw dropping scenery.

Hogsback on Utah Hwy 12 - photo shot in June 2005 - not much has changed.

Hwy 12 was visually appealing as always.  The road surface was very tricky with an abundance to tar snakes.  I spoke with a fellow rider in later in the day.  He travels out this way yearly and said this year was the worst he has seen.  I was happy to do the speed limit here and in other twisty sections.  It was simply  too risky to exceed the speed limits which I found quite low.  PS the roads are well patrolled.

I arrived at Capitol Reef National Park to find the campground full.  So I ended up at the Best Western @ $77 per night and for that I get this view from my room and all the comforts of home.  Tomorrow will be an off bike day - a little hiking, photography a coffee shop and hot tub are on my agenda.

The End.

Dam Tour SW Day 4

Today I was on the road by 6:15 and felt more at easy today, more relaxed and able to enjoy the moment more.  Today's route is to the Sierra foothills south of Chico to Hwy 49 for, what else, more twisties.  Yea!  Then on to the Lahonton Dam then on the Loneliest Highway to Ely Nevada.  Let me tell you it isn't all that dam lonely on the Loneliest Highway.

But today was a great day!  Starting out with Hwy 49 in California then on through the Great Basin where the temps were in the upper 60's and mid 70's all day with nearly no wind.  Wow what a deal!

Here is the route:


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The route to Hwy 49 is courtesy of Destination Highways Northern California.  Go buy the book and map.  The authors list only the best roads, not all the roads. I have been on Hwy 49 before but it was years ago.  I forgot how good it is.  The pavement was inconsistent today, some great and some getting ready for repaving.  Lots of construction stops the 10 minute variety.  Kills time and rhythm.

Here is a few photos of Hwy 49 hot off the press.

Here the pavement was perfect.  The first pass was at full tilt then come back for the photo.  The first pass was good!

This sign caught my attention:

I didn't think the turns were bad at all.  Dam fine turns if you ask me.  Pavement needs some love.

Of course when I turn around to take the photo of this sign I this caught my eye.  Springtime is the best time to travel in California and the Southwest.

Here is the Dam of the Day photo.  Even used the trip pod with the remote (in my left hand).

The I continued through the Great Basin.  This is similar to Eastern Oregon but here the speed limit is 70 not 55  - what a blessing.

Great Basin photo shot while moving.

All in all my odometer says it was about 590 miles for the day.  I am planning on camping at Capital Reef National Park.  I have been there before and I like it.  My route to Wednesday is something like this.  Unless I go to a coffee shop in Torrey I will not have internet access.  No post on Wednesday.  I will go to the coffee shop to just to support a coffee shop in Utah!  Hopefully they will have a poppy seed muffin - my favorite.


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The End

Dam Tour SW Day 3

During day two I found the middle of nowhere.  Today was just the opposite as I found the middle of the Sport Bike Touring universe.  Talk about contrasts, flat and boring road well at least Oregon Hwy 395 and Hwy 20 vs the excellent motorcycle roads, Hwy 96 and Hwy 36 in California.

Here is my route:



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I was underway at 7:30 this morning riding to Keno Dam a 2012 Dam Tour destination.  The park where I needed to go was closed.

This was a bit of a shock.  I hope this photo will suffice.  After this stop I road Oregon Hwy 66 for the first time.  It is a a high mountain road.

Here is a photo of Mt. McLoughlin along Hwy 66 in Oregon.

Today I found a bit of gravel in most of the turns but they are easy turns and and for a while I was wondering why everybody is raving about this road.  Then about 15 miles before Ashland the road heads down, cut into the side of a cliff, it winds sharply down with wicked sharp turns.  Nice.  I arrive at the bottom thinking I should try going  back up but instead I decide to head for the Old Syskiyou Hwy and I found it is closed for maintenance.

On to I-5 to California Hwy 96 a 150 mile twisty treat not available at Dairy Queen.  It is also LEO approved too for  50 to 60mph is fast enough to provide miles of smiles.  Fast sweepers is the rule here.  The pavement is excellent and the highway follows the Klamath River most of they way providing an abundance  of scenery for your visual kaleidoscope as you zip down the road.  The pavement is consistent and clean, inspiring confidence with each turn.  About 14 miles from Orleans the pavement gets a bit bumpy but not bad.  So far this is one great road that goes on and on an on with endless turns.

Just before Hoopa it comes to a climax with a set of less than a dozen turns that are banked and much tighter and anything previously.  The pavement is perfect.  Wham Wham Wham and then it is mostly done.

Any the best part is you don't have to exceed the speed limit to have a grand ole time.  It is like a ticket to a amusement park.

Here are some photos:

My Feejer with Garauld's Hydration System which is working out quite well.

Road Construction stop.  CalTrans is stabilizing the hill not changing the road.

Shoulders for pulling over for photos are are hard to find.

Another great turn.

And another turn.

Klamath River

Next it was on to Hwy 36.  Today I found the road surface a bit rough from patching similar to a quilt.  This road is much more technical than Hwy 96. The turns have more variety, more gravel, more tar snakes, and are much tighter.  Tim Mayhew of Pashinit.com has created a great web site of road in California.  Here is his free report describing Hwy 36.

Here are some photos I shot today.

My favorite sign in California!

I got the photo I wanted!

Well that my story for now.  Next up Ely, Nevada along the Loneliest Highway.  Some straight road will be fine - I got my twist fix - for now....

Dam Tour SW Day 2

Today I got off to a late start leaving at 9:30 or so.  This worked out great for my route was from Burns Oregon to Delintment Lake Dam along a high mountain forest service road suffering from an overpopulation of Forest Rats.  I try to avoid travel in morning and late evening in Forest Rat county and the cold weather this morning also gave me a second excuse.

The road was paved all the way to this dam and I was dam grateful for that.   On the way I had a Forest Rat run out in front of me and spotted two others.  I missed the rat with ease but it served a reminder to continue to keep the speed to 40 to 45mph.  Rats.

My dual sport riding buddy Curtis enjoys gravel roads provided there is some scenery.  There was a bit of scenery along this road, scenes of vast open spaces of nothing.  After gaining elevation and leaving an old burn area I followed a tree lined road for 20 miles.  This road would have put a frown on Curtis' face.  Once I reached the lake I smiled because the scenery improved.

The fellow who shot this photo was fishing from the dock in the background.  He had not got a bite all morning.  This is when I realized I had found the middle of nowhere.  This became a theme for the rest of the ride today.

Here is my Delintment Lake Dam Tour photo.

Photo below Central Oregon High Country.

My Garmin 550 GPS was completely worthless even from Burns, Oregon.  I went entirely on my memory of the web page directions.  That is dam dangerous.   All in all the ride was a down and out of 90 or so miles.

Here is my route for the day.


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I gassed up for the second time in Burns, Oregon once again today, knowing not where gas might be had again.  It was miles of mostly uninteresting road.  There was a rest area explaining the geology of the area.  Some areas line Summer Lake and Albert Lake shown above a sinking will other area remain in place.  Very interesting.

At the rest area I traded ear plugs for the Ipod.  Before leaving home I created a playlist by selecting all rock music and dragging to the playlist.  My Ipod is mostly rock, jazz and classical.  With this little trick was listen to hundreds or rock songs randomly as I Ramble On.

Below is a photo of  Ana River Dam.

Twenty miles or so after leaving Ana River Dam I left Hwy 31 for the Silver Creek road leading to Hwy 97.  This was the best road all day long and as a bonus the forest was cut back improving vision for wayward Forest Rats.

I considered ending the day in Yreka.  My route is west along Hwy 66 to Ashland a road yet unroad by moi.  I want to take some photos using my 35 DSLR instead of the point in shoot I used today.  The best photo opportunities will be on Monday morning with the sun in the east.

Monday is a big day.  California Hwy 96,  to Eureka and Hwy 36 to Red Bluff.  Whoo hooo

Dam Tour SW Day 1

It was an excellent day to be out on the Feejer.  Left Seattle about 6:30am and skeddadled down I-5.  Smokey, Leo and all his friends were out in force from Seattle to Chehalis.   My mind wandered.  How is it us normal schmucks get hammered for doing 5 or 10 over while the greedy investment bankers on Wall Street get off scot free.

I blew down I-5 at 75 where allowed - damn this is one nice machine. Not one for freeways I did this to get out of dodge.  Today was a go day.  Go to get out of Washington where I have road the Feejer endlessly.

At Washington Hwy 14 I head east.  Along the best twisty parts I was hung up by a car - well maybe not the car itself but the desire to obey the double yellow line.  I could have been around this chump in 5 seconds or less......  I quell my jets to enjoy the scenery and was rewarded.

Here is a photo near Cape Horn along the Columbia River Gorge on the Hwy 14 side.

On the Oregon side is I-84.  By riding the Washington side you get view an interesting and distant view of the grand water falls on the Oregon side.

My first dam on this trip is Upper Green Point Dam in Oregon, near Hood River.  I had to walk the last 150 yards to get a photo as it was too muddy to ride to the end on full size street machine.  Trade rags say a Vstrom is a street machine in drag - well I would have been happy to have my old Vstrom on the last 1/4 mile here!  I would have made it all the way.

Photo:  Where I will not take an FJR.  It was slick and muddy.

An alternate photo spot should have been provided as it is with other dams. Oh well on to the next dam point and the upcoming route is s a good one, I-84 to State Hwy 216 and 218.  Woo hoo!


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Today it was mostly gas n go especially after the first dam stop.  The photo below is Hwy 218 near Shaniko  Oregon and the road is this good all the way to Fossil Oregon.

This is a photo of me at the next Dam Tour stop. Lordy I need some Grecian Formula.

Observant readers will note there is no dam in this photo.  The dam is near here on a gravel road and DamTour allowed an exception.  This is the Clarno Unit Rest Spot on Hwy 218 my favorite road in the Pacific Northwest.  This road is even better than the North Cascades Hwy - a little Chubby Checker while riding would be perfect.  Common baby let's to the twist....

Hwy 218 ends in Fossil Oregon where you might find gas and you will find this sign.

Old Fossil's home in Fossil - who'd a thunk.  At 56 I am not far behind those who live here.

I had gassed up at the Dalles Oregon and went all the way to John Day Oregon a distance of 225 miles. If there is no gas in Fossil and you don't have decent range well you maybe out of luck.  I love the range on the Feejer.

I could have stayed in John Day but it is only an hour to Burns so on a went and arrived at a Days Inn for $57 per night on the AARP rate.  Total miles for the day is about 550.

Right now it is Sunday morning at 7:00am and I am finishing up the blog.  Outside it is about 30 degrees and I am waiting a bit for it to warm up.  Yeah I got my heated jacket, heated grips but no heated socks or pants.  It is time to shower and start packing.

PS my sore right hip is doing great!