Utah: Riding In The Land Of Rocks And Sand

Eric and I were fortunate enough to get a very impromptu 2 weeks off in April. We didn't even have to discuss what to do with such a delicious chunk of time. We loaded up the van, trailered the 610's and headed east towards Utah. Nothing better than a road trip!



We spent the night in Nevada...



Took a nice long walk before climbing into the van for the final leg...


Man, I'm so happy to be in the desert again!

We ran into a little hitch in our plans when we had to stop in Ely to get a new alternator. No big, Eric had it installed and running right in no time.


Mel's looks a lot different in Beaver, Utah than it does in the Bay Area...



We pulled into our secret little hidden campsite just outside of Capitol Reef National Park and immediately hit the sack. It was 9pm and it had been a long 2 days. Every one of those 917 miles we'd driven to get here were totally worth it, though!


The morning that greeted us was perfect for riding...sunny and chilly! We headed for the Great Western Trail...



Huge fun!






Rocks, rocks, rocks...



Yes, this is the trail...



The rocks are even more fun when they're covered in snow...






We ended up having to turn around after 77 miles when we hit the deep drifts in the northern exposure...










We got back to camp fairly early and used the time to prepare our bikes and gear for a few days of camping off the bikes. It had warmed up considerably, perfect for a walk in the creek. It is usually crystal clear but the recent rains had muddied it up a bit. Fine by me! Rain in the desert is heaven...



No it's not a drainage ditch! It looks like one, but it's completely natural...



With our bikes loaded and bellies full, there was nothing to do but sit and relax...and wait...


I kept thinking of all that camping gear on my 610, though, and I was getting antsy. I was ready to go. Is it almost tomorrow?

More on the way, as usual.
A lot more...

Haha!! No, same old camera. A Lumix DMC-ZS19 point-and-shoot. I want a DSLR, even though I have no idea how to use one. I want to get better photos of the stars I'm always looking at.

We were both up before the sun, anxious to get the day started. We wanted to make it down to Bullfrog, but only because we knew we could get fuel there for the next leg of our trip. It was all dirt and there were no towns to speak of between here and there. We left with full tanks and light hearts...

The Waterpocket Fold is a fantastic geological formation that runs for over 100 miles. A wrinkle in the earth's crust...

We headed out across Big Thomson Mesa, wanting to see the view from Hall's Creek overlook...

Brimhall Bridge...

April in Utah simply cannot be beat...

It's incredible how quickly the terrain changes out here...

WE stopped at the Starr Springs Ranch in the southern Henrys for a snack. Most stone buildings out here have turned into so many piles of rubble. This one was built by a master stonemason. It's still falling down but the workmanship is evident, especially in the cellar...



We dropped down into Bullfrog and went into the lodge restaurant for an early supper. Too late for lunch and too early for dinner. The chef was there eating his pre-shift dinner, and he said the place was closed. I think our faces belied how disappointed we were, and he said he could serve us if we didn't mind having the specials that he had made for that night's dinner menu. Beef Burgundy made with filet mignon and a fresh fish sandwich on a homemade French roll sounded like heaven to us so we took a table in the window. The chef was awesome. He apologized for not knowing how to properly wait tables, but he was great! After he served us he informed us that the dinner would be free, as he had no cash register and didn't really know how much the items were anyway. Said he felt bad for making us decide what to eat without knowing the prices...as if we cared at that point. Needless to say, the dinner was knock-out! Really good stuff...best fish sandwich I've ever had! Turns out one of the servers showed up before we left so we got a bill but it didn't matter...worth every penny, and the experience bolstered our faith in our fellow man. We left the chef a big tip. And the bill was super-cheap...half-price!
We left the restaurant fat and happy. All we had to do now was find a decent place to camp for the night...


This will do...

Had Hall's Ferry been running we could have dropped further south and done the Hole-In-The-Rock Immigrant trail.
Time to wash off the dust!

So odd to see shells in the dirt out in the middle of the desert...

We had a really nice fire, considering that there was no real firewood around...
Ugh...I usually get coffee in bed...or should I say coffee in sleeping bag?...but
on this day there would be no hot coffee. Our stove was not working, despite Eric's best efforts and our bundle of spare parts...

It worked fine when we tested it (always!) before leaving the house but it was not to be today. We ate cold leftover Beef Burgundy and dried mango for breakfast and got ready to head out. Found this by my front wheel. Love is where you find it. It's all around us if you keep your eyes open...

Ran into some of the local wildlife on the way out of camp...


We had our sights set on fueling up the bikes before the long ride to Hite. We found just what we needed at the OnShore Marina...a full kitchen for breakfast, made-to-order sandwiches for our dinner, bottled Starbucks coffee for the next morning, endless cups of coffee, and gas...and houseboats...

More later, including one of most scenic and remote campsites I've ever seen!

I don't know about awesome, but we're both pretty damned lucky that we enjoy doing the same things

There was a little more pavement than I would have liked between Bullfrog and Hite but it was all pretty damned spectacular so no complaints. This bridge was over a creek that had a natural springs bubbling up in it. It was awesome to look at and I'm an idiot for not getting a photo of it...

Our first glimpse of the Colorado River...



Crossing the Colorado...

The mighty Colorado in all its glory...

We dropped down into Hite, fueled up and de-layered our riding gear. After cooling off a bit we headed back over the Colorado in search of a dirt two-track that would take us north into the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and, eventually, into the western side of Canyonlands National Park. It was an elusive track and we passed it a few times before recognizing it as the spot we were looking for. The strange thing was that after about 5 miles or so the track started looking more bedded in, more like a normal road, even though we could see no other roads leading into it. It was incredibly long and stunningly beautiful. The desert must have known we were coming as she was dressed to impress, for sure...



I love this scritchy slickrock slabby stuff hiding under the gravelly sand. High entertainment factor when fully loaded with knobbies...



Hard to tell, but this was a very deep sand trap. I totally misjudged it and put it on the floor. How can a bike that feels so nimble while riding it be so incredibly heavy when it's on the ground? Ugh...

Cool stuff around every turn...a common theme on this trip...

And then we see this...I swear this place is like crack for my soul!

Have I mentioned that we haven't seen another human being since we left Hite hours ago?



Hovercraft LOL!

Man, I love riding in this kind of stuff...

We've got to be getting close to Glen Canyon NRA by now...right?

Forgot to say that Eric uses the exact same camera. The LCD screen on the back is big and Eric can see it clearly (even though he says he doesn't need glasses ) and his photos improved dramatically once he started using it.

Whatever it was, while all of the pics are stunning as usual, some of the ones in post #1 are especially stunning!

Like this one:


Did the pleasure palace really reach 100k miles?

Yep! On our way out of town, somewhere near Roseville, I think.
We've had it a little over 8 years and except for a few trips to San Jose and back they've all been pleasure miles for riding and camping
They've also been (knock on wood) trouble-free miles, too.

Later in the day than I would have liked, but glad to be here again...





We'll have to hit the Doll House next time. Right now we're headed to the western side of Canyonlands...





After a long steady climb, we will ride up near the white layer of rock...







Where we came from...





It's much cooler up here and the road is smoother...





Preparing to drop down towards the Maze. I'd been really looking forward to this road. This is what the NPS has to say about the area... http://www.utah.com/nationalparks/canyonlands/the_maze.htm















Damn cameras making everything look flat...









This road was, by far, the most fun one we'd ridden on this trip! I didn't get too many photos, as we were racing the weather, although I got some photos on the way out the next day. We wanted to make it to the overlook and get the tent set up before the forecasted rains came...





We were already getting raindrops at the split...





Can't wait to explore Ekker and Millard next time!





This section was killer! Solid rock trying to hide beneath the rocks and sand that would fill the natural depressions. If you missed the turn at the end it would be ugly...









We arrived at the Maze Overlook amid raindrops and hellacious winds. We immediately ran to the rim for a look-see and and our jaws hit the floor in stunned silence...

There are only 2 spots at the end of the road, and we had our choice. We chose the one that we thought would give us the most shelter from the wind and rain, and quickly set up the tent. There were no amenities whatsoever...no fire rings, no tables, no bathrooms...it was perfect. We scrambled into the tent and waited for the lightening and thunder to pass. When we finally ventured out, this is the view we were greeted with...





We just looked at each other, sat down on the rock rim, and just stared at it in silence for quite some time. It was even more incredible than it had been when we first got there, hard as that was for us to process. We grabbed our sandwiches and bota bag, and enjoyed the best view in the house with our dinner...






I'm not sure Eric's camera was capable of capturing the sheer joy I was feeling right at the moment this photo was taken...




Yeah, I know, this photo is almost the same view as the first one I posted but...damn...I don't care...



Our home for the evening...






We took a walk down to the beginning of the Maze Overlook hiking trail...









It is suggested that hikers carry 25' ropes on this trail for lowering backpacks as there are lots of drops and some scrambling involved. We ran into one such section almost immediately...




Ungh!





These formations are called the Nuts and Bolts...









We had a nice view down into the Maze...






We climbed back up to the rim, no easy feat in moto boots, and took in all spring's glorious offerings. These leaves were no larger than an eraser on a pencil...













We enjoyed the view until the sun was gone...







...then spent some time looking at maps and photos in the tent before turning in for the night. We slept well under cloudy but dry skies.

Stunning!

Said another way: 100,000 miles of smiles

(and that is just getting to your destination!)

Thanks, Jerry I sure felt like I was dreaming when I saw the view we had! We just kept looking at each other and giggling at our good fortune to be there, at that time, all alone, with wild weather and a crazy cooperating sky. This was the far western edge of Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah. We were in the Maze district. We ended up in the Island In The Sky district on the eastern side of the park on the last days of the trip due to a successful last minute plea for a few more days off

Lots more to come

Miles of smiles...you got that right, Boss!

Thanks, Jon! You guys could always drop down to southern Utah for your winter rides!

Ugh...another morning without a hot cup of coffee. We could have used it, too, as we got up really early to catch the sunrise and it was c-c-cold! We grabbed a spot on top of those Nuts and Bolts formations and waited...




The sunrise itself wasn't spectacular at all but the early morning light on the rocks was like liquid gold...




A zoomed-in view of the Land of the Standing Rocks...





We split my remaining half sandwich for breakfast and quickly broke camp, eager to head north towards Green River in hopes of replacing our MSR Whisperlite International stove. Before leaving I took a good long look at the Maze below. This place is over the top and I know I'll be back here again someday.




The morning was cool and the wind was blowing but it was nice and clear...perfect desert weather. The ride back out was great!





I seem to find love in some strange places...even when I'm not looking for it! This perfect little heart was a gift of nature...

















Hard to tell, but if you look behind me to the left you can see the road down below...this was a big climb...










We climbed up onto the plateau and began our trek northward. We ran into an old abandoned ranch...and yes, it really is leaning like that!








How this equipment got hauled up here I'll never know...




Heavy duty machinery...





We'd heard tales of Butch Cassidy's hideout in these hills, down in the Robbers Roost Canyons, and we'd seen it on the map last time we were out here but we never found it. We were determined to not leave the state without laying eyes on it this time. There were no signs or anything, we just had to kind of figure it out on our own. The two-track ended but we kept going through a cattle gate and onto the cow trails that snaked down into a canyon. We passed a spring and thought maybe we were getting close, as we knew there was a spring near the cabin. We were just about to turn around and admit defeat when something caught my eye. We went to investigate and there it was! The tall, red chimney, the only remaining vestige of the 1890's cabin...









We continued north, intent on taking a swim when we reached the San Rafael River. Unfortunately a dead and bloated cow that was oozing body fluids into the water put the screws to that idea. He's the black blob on the far side of the river. Oh, the smell alone was horrendous...





It's too bad, too, because the water was a perfect temperature and it was hot despite the cloudy skies...





A pink reservoir! Seriously, the water was pink. There were mounds of purple dirt everywhere and it looked like a tailing pond or something, but we couldn't really figure out what was going on...




17 miles out of Green River I had to pull the borrowed RotoPax (thanks, David!) off the back of my 610 and dump some fuel in my tank...




We bombed into Green River and found a town that was on its death bed. It looked much more prosperous when we had gone through there a few years ago. We'd be lucky to get gas, food and lodging, much less a replacement stove! We grabbed a room at the Comfort Inn, dropped off all our gear and backtracked to Ray's Tavern for dinner. If you ever find yourself in Green River, Ray's is the place. Killer steaks and burgers, and all the old enduro and hare scrambles event T-shirts on the walls are entertaining to look at. A very moto-friendly place. In fact, there were trailers with bikes on them everywhere on the streets surrounding the place. Talked to a few of them when they wanted to know who owned the Husky SM parked out front. Lots of whitewater rafting shirts and photos, too.

We ended the evening in the hot tub with some riders that had come down from Idaho to ride the San Rafael Swell. The Swell is one of my favorite places in Utah and luckily it was on the menu for the next day!