Dam Tour SW Day 7

After yesterday's short hike of two mile my hip hurt a bit - sending a message so to speak.  So it is back to the bike and I am happy to say after a full day of riding today the hip is feeling ok thank to some Ibuprofen.

Today was the first riding day where the landing zone for the night was unknown and it was a perfect plan.

On the road about 6:30 or so I got a good start, stopping when ever I wanted.  First stop was some breakfast, then a bit of gas as I wasn't sure when I would be around a gas pump again, then to remove inner liners as the temps in the afternoon were in the '80's.  I also stopped at to take photos of Utah Hwy 261 aka the Moki Dugway, as well as Utah's Goosenecks State Park, Four Corner, Navajo Dam and on to Durango.  It was a great day and I covered quite a variety of landscapes.

Here is the route:


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Here are the photos.....

I stop at this rest area to remove inner liners and prepare for warmer weather.

A zoom of the photo above.

The road along side the Hog Springs Rest Area

Feejer on the road.

The entrance to the gravel section of the Moki Dugway aka Utah Hwy 261. 

In less than three mile I will be on the road below.

Down down down Feejer goes.

The Feejer did ok even though this is not it's element.  There are 3 rules to riding down a gravel road with the Feej.  1) Leave it in first gear.  2) Avoid using the rear brake cause it is integrated with the front. 3) Almost never use the front brake.

Dig this crazy road!  I love stuff like this.  After riding for a several dual sport routes I often think the best vista are served by blacktop or road like this.

Along the Moki Dugway

I turned around to take a photo of  the Moki Dugway   The road begins in at the top of the middle of the photo.

Goosenecks State Park.  There are four turns like this side by side.  I would have hiked down if not for he healing hip.

Goosenecks Point State Park parking lot.  Not a tree or any shade in site and no running water.  Primitive.

Four Corners

Today I also bagged Navajo Dam

After leaving Navajo dam  Ignacio from the FJR forum and I passed each other going the opposite directions.  We turned around said a few quick word and took a photo. It was about 4:30pm and he had 1000 miles to ride by noon the next day to attend the Big Money Rally Banquet in Minden, Nevada near lake Tahoe.  Here sure has his Feejer farkled to the gills.

The End

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.

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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