South Western Ride (May 27 - June 6 Ish)

[1MoreProject]

Good afternoon everyone,

Looks like it's been a while since someone posted here so I want to throw in my upcoming trip in case someone else wants to get away for a while.

The total trip distance is somewhere around 2,000 miles, the longest days would be close to six hours. I plan to start in Denver and stop at or pass through

• Mesa Verde
• Monument Valley
• Grand canyon (South rim)
• Grand canyon (North rim)
• Zion national park
• Capitol Reef National Park
• Million dollar highway
• Ouray
• Telluride
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison

I plan to move pretty much every night to see as much as possible and I have a few days extra that I could extend the trip if we found something we really wanted to pause to check out. I plan on avoiding campsites for the majority of the trip except for one or two places where I am keeping them cheap. There are small sections of dirt roads but I don't predict anything very difficult at all. I am also trying to avoid major highways so hopefully, we can also keep away from those crazy drivers.

Let me know if any of you want to join for part of it, all of it, or have any suggestions on good things I am skipping by accident.

Thanks for your time!
-Josh M.



Edit one:
I made a quick little time and distance sheet to get a better idea of total mileage and drive times per day. The first time/mileage and the last time/mileage are subjective because they are based on where I will be starting and ending (my house).

 

[Boris]

Sounds great…..lots of pics and updates please. Do love a road trip!

 

[1MoreProject]

Sounds great…..lots of pics and updates please. Do love a road trip!

I'll try my best!

 

[SkunkWorks]

If you get the chance, I can highly recommend riding the "Burr Trail" from Bullfrog to Boulder.
The Ferry is not running, but you can detour south on hwy-276.
There is Fuel at "North Lake Powell Marine"( near Ticaboo), and also at Bullfrog.
There is also camping available at Bullfrog.
Burr Trail is mostly paved, but there is a section of easy dirt in the middle.
Ride up the Switchbacks, and it dumps you out into Capital Reef NP.
A stop at "Singing Canyon" for a short walk into the slot-canyon is well worth it!
Super-scenic Ride!
There are also a few places to grab something to eat, and fuel in Boulder.

 

[1MoreProject]

If you get the chance, I can highly recommend riding the "Burr Trail" from Bullfrog to Boulder.
The Ferry is not running, but you can detour south on hwy-276.
There is Fuel at "North Lake Powell Marine"( near Ticaboo), and also at Bullfrog.
There is also camping available at Bullfrog.
Burr Trail is mostly paved, but there is a section of easy dirt in the middle.
Ride up the Switchbacks, and it dumps you out into Capital Reef NP.
A stop at "Singing Canyon" for a short walk into the slot-canyon is well worth it!
Super-scenic Ride!
There are also a few places to grab something to eat, and fuel in Boulder.
View attachment 109751

I appreciate that and I added it to the list! For some reason, Google Maps does everything in its power to keep you out of national parks so it doesn't want to let me go that way, but that's pretty much a perfect senic route along the way!

Updated Map
Figured it out! Here's the new map to include the Burr trail. Apparently, I am not allowed to edit my original post anymore...

 

[1MoreProject]

I will absolutely not be beating the stereotype that adventure bike riders have to bring the kitchen sink on every ride, but I'm coming from an 8,000 lbs truck and will be looking for where I can minimize what I bring along the way.

Left pannier:
Food, stove, Toiletries, stove gas, cup, plate, spork

right pannier:
Clothes, base layers, chair, small assortment of tools

Top bag:
Sleeping bag, tent, sleeping mat, pillow. Woobie (military folk will know), hiking boots

Tank bag:
DSLR, hot weather gloves, ear plugs, charger

Strapped to bike:
Water shoes, camel back x2 (I've got a thing about always having enough water)

 

[1MoreProject]

Made it to my cabin the first night, nothing interesting along the way but I stopped for a few hours along the way to celebrate my great grandmother's 100th birthday and listen to a few of her stories.

(View from cabin)


Started around 8 this morning, had an amazing ride on some two lane but I only made it an hour before I came across a couple that had been locked out of their car with their autistic 3 year old locked inside. We called 911 and they said they were on their way. 30-45 minutes later when no-one had arrived I rode into town to get the local fire department. They put on lights and sirens as I took them to the camp. After a while we were able to get into the car and get the kid out, they checked him out, he was a little warm but okay.

(Emergency response, kept family out of the photo for privacy)


Since then, I have made it over wolf creek pass which was really a beautiful spot and only hit a little rain. I'm currently 30 minutes from camp for the night but have no idea if I'll have signal.

 

[Sierra1]

. . . . Apparently, I am not allowed to edit my original post anymore...

There's a time limit. 6 hrs I think. There was an issue a few years back that required/caused the restriction.

 

[1MoreProject]

Found camp for the night just outside Mancos Co. (With signal) Pretty decent view.



Not the best site I've ever had, originally everything I was seeing online said this road would be closed to traffic over 50" for the next few days at least, apparently that changed somewhere along they way because it is open to everything. Plan for tomorrow is to spend some time at Mesa Verde, total drive time for tomorrow should only be 2.5 hours so I can spend most the time sight seeing.

 

[Cycledude]

Mesa Verde is definitely a interesting place that I highly recommend visiting

 

[1MoreProject]

Nothing nearly as interesting as yesterday. I spent some time at mesa verde but not nearly as much as I budgeted for. It was really cool to see the different cliff dwellings and pit homes, but after a few hours they started looking the same and people started to wake up and occupy the park.





I decided to skip the camp overlooking monument valley as it has traditionally been very windy and sandy. I made for the south rim of the grand canyon and just finished sitting down to write this. The drive in was the most boring so far (till I got to the park). It was long, straight, and HOT. I stopped by a little overlook on my way in, and got a nice little view of the canyon.

I was able to go a little into the national forest just outside the park and find a phenomenal camp site with some great shade and level area to go to sleep. Not much of a view, and it's lost a few points since someone decided to park two massive rv's 50 yards away from me after I got unpacked, but at this point I'm happy with anywhere i can find a shady place to kick back that is under 95°.

 

[Madhatter]

the second largest canyon in the United States is in the panhandle of Texas , Palo Duro canyon is near Amarillo .

 

[1MoreProject]

(Forgot to mention from yesterday) I was riding on highway 160 in Arizona, thinking how much I'd love to have air conditioning, when all of a sudden I started coming across a few runners (I think 3 total) I can not imagine how much dedication and fortitude it takes to run through 95° heat at mid day and on top of it, looking at their site it looks like runners do 100 miles each. These people just blew me away. I found their website incase you want to take a look
https://www.peacerun.org/us/route/

Last night I was watching the sun go down (I forgot a book) and noticed one of the people that parked next to me took her dog for a walk in the woods. A little while later a coyote popped under a barb wire fence and started stalking them through the woods. I got up and walked towards it which was enough to scare it off. I let the lady know and she was really happy I noticed but it is a good reminder to keep your eyes open when out with pets.

Today, I rode from the south rim to the north rim today. I got a really early start and I am so grateful I did. I stopped by lipan point and got the whole place to myself to watch the sunrise and have breakfast/coffee.

I got on the road and the weather was perfect, right around 70 for the stretch I was concerned about. I was also worried about it being another straight, flat stretch but everything north of the 160/89 junction was pretty cool to look at. I stopped at the Navajo bridge which was also pretty cool


But the real highlight was down below at the river. Maybey five miles down was a great beach. I was able to stop by for a while and cool off.

Carrying on, I ended up passing a guy in the middle of nowhere pushing a ktm through the desert. I stopped and asked if he needed help but it turned out he was with RTR rentals and had someone coming with a van. I made it up top to the north rim, it was a little colder than expected but the bugs were horrible, I swear I could barely see through my windscreen. I stopped by the north rim but after a while decided to head back. It was less crowded than the south rim, but was still fairly crowded. Off to zion tomorrow!

 

[Sierra1]

I used to live in Page and didn't know that there was a beach on that canyon other than Lee's Ferry. And I definitely like the North Rim Road better than the South.

 

[SkunkWorks]

I used to live in Page and didn't know that there was a beach on that canyon other than Lee's Ferry. And I definitely like the North Rim Road better than the South.

Certainly looks like Lee's Ferry Beach.

 

[1MoreProject]

Certainly looks like Lee's Ferry Beach.

View attachment 112202

I used to live in Page and didn't know that there was a beach on that canyon other than Lee's Ferry. And I definitely like the North Rim Road better than the South.

It is marked on Google as "Paria Beach" but is on Lee's Ferry road, and across from Lee's Ferry campground. We're probably talking about the same one if I had to guess. However, the one I went too was not open for vehicles to drive down to the shore, there was a parking lot a little ways from the beach.

 

[SkunkWorks]

Yes, you are correct.
I spent a night at that exact Campground during this same trip, and I remember that river-access across the street from the Campground.
My friend and I rode just up the river to Lee's Ferry beach the morning that we were moving on.

 

[Sierra1]

We stayed at the Marble Canyon Lodge. We made a stop at Pariah Beach and the pier at Lee's Ferry before going onto Page and Lake Powell.

 

[1MoreProject]

Pretty slow day today, skipping that one campsite early in the trip ment that I had to burn a day somewhere. To get back on schedule to meet up with a friend. I got a late start in the day, spent the morning reorganizing everything and fighting the bees/Flys away from my food and water. A short hour and a half ride later I ended in Hurricane Utah and spent some more time doing some laundry. Leaving Hurricane my bike read 106° and it felt like it. I am now sitting in Springdale, I found a garage to park the bike in while I do a little shopping and hanging out in the shade. Temps show 92° but should drop to mid 80s at the camp, but I'm not sure if I'll have signal. Tomorrow, the plan is for a short hike in zion, then move camp to someplace cooler (hopefully).

Update, I continued through zion, the park is really interesting with all the rock formations and colors! I went to start the bike after parking in a covered garage for a while and this was the temp reading when I got back

Found a campsite just outside the park on the east side, looks like there is one other camper but otherwise pretty quiet. The flies are bad again for some reason but so far they don't seem to bite, and the wasps have yet to show up.


Update 2: there are a ton of deer legs laying around out here. I avoided one campsite because it had a set laying right next to the fire pit. This new campsite also has two sets, and my friend apparently found quite a few more just outside the camp. I'm not a fan of mountain lions but there isn't much of an option for a significant move in sites. If this thread doesn't get updated, it was probably a mountain lion.

 

[Mad_Matt]

So, cougars are the source of the deer legs? I wondered about that.