• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

Arizona Wanderings

Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
13,467
Reaction score
2,822
Location
Centennial, CO
First Name
Tim
Last Name
Shelfer
Hi, folks - Got back a couple of days early from my Arizona adventure. Unfortunately,. I started getting some nasty allergic reactions to a must-take medication that I've been on for a few weeks. I broke out in rashes, then developed sores all over the inside of my mouth - almost too painful to eat - and finally my face swelled up like a big ol' moon pie. That part made my eyes squint so badly that I couldn't even get my contacts on. Last Wednesday after two phone consultations with my doctor in Arlington, I finally ended up at an urgent care clinic in Payson AZ. The doc there gave me some Prednizone. Even though the steroid got the swelling down rapidly, we curtailed the trip because I really needed to get to my doctor and get this mess sorted out.

Nevertheless, Mark & I had a great time together and managed to visit Williams AZ, the South Rim of the Canyon, Sedona, and spend a day in Alpine which included shooting down the gloriously winding road over to Glenwood NM.

I have a bit of work & some sleep to catch up on in the next day, after which I'll empty the pix off my SD cards & put together a trip narrative & pictorial.

Thanks, all, for your pre-trip suggestions. And thanks to Frank at Monkey Wrench Cycles for making sure my Wee was fully prepared for the long, lonely roads.

Story forthcoming. Stay tuned......
 
Last edited:
Re: Arizona Wanderings - forthcoming

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and seeing the photos. It's always interesting to see things that I myself have missed within the state.
 
Re: Arizona Wanderings - forthcoming

Swollen face? You might want to leave out the selfies:mrgreen: I had to take that stuff (Prednizone) for years as a child due to kidney issues, kept me alive and still kicking

Looking forward to the writeup.

Glad your feeling better, that sounds frightning.
 
Last edited:
Re: Arizona Wanderings - forthcoming

Well... I am sure you did not plan for all that nastiness to happen, so this definitely qualifies as an adventure :-P
 
Re: Arizona Wanderings - forthcoming

50 years ago, Mark Lubiszewski and I were military brat pals living in Garmisch, Germany, and attending Munich American High School. That’s us below – proud Class of ’69, MAHS.
27396357447_aed4208458_m.jpg
SCAN0028 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr
41364899915_7e7ba0aa7a_m.jpg
SCAN0029 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

This is Garmisch, where our dads were stationed together at AFRC (Armed Forces Rec Center).
28393527058_530981d555.jpg
1969 Germany - 0022 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

And this is where we went to school in Munich.
28393568388_34d76b9f18_z.jpg
Mahs by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Mark & I had reconnected on a high school FB site, discovered we were both riders, and met up briefly 4 years ago in Durango. It was time to do it again, so we put together a plan. Mark lives in northern California, I live in Arlington, and Williams AZ (just south of the Grand Canyon) was about the midway point, so there’s the basis of the plan. Map nerd that I am, I collected some input from Mark, then threw together some routes and an itinerary.
27396370887_c106d819c2_m.jpg
20180510_133354 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

And here’s our trip. I hope you enjoy it.

Friday, May 11

I left Arlington headed for Clovis NM. I started out cold, needing wind pants over my summer mesh Joe Rockets. By 2pm, my panel thermometer read 104*. I had remembered to put sunscreen everywhere except….
42266873811_d8a267132f_z.jpg
20180512_171020 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

My niece, Beth lives in Clovis with her husband Gerry and his sister, Sharla (middle). Sharla was injured at birth & will never surpass 3 y/o brain function. But she’s sweet and funny, loves pizza, and if you try to work a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle faster than her, she will crush you!
27396360107_0173c8486b_z.jpg
IMG_2949 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Today’s miles: 427

Saturday, May 12

I slipped out about 6:30 and grabbed breakfast at a McDonalds. This is where my problems started – I discovered sores had formed in my mouth overnight, and eating was painful. Oh well, time to suck it up. I ate the egg & sausage, abandoned the bread, & got on with it. My route was west on 84 to Santa Rosa, a dash along I-40 to Albuquerque, then northwest on 550 to Farmington. That was a fun highway with lots of rugged scenery. Sadly, I didn’t stop for any pictures. But the temp was comfortable today, never exceeding 85*, making for pleasant riding except for the winds the past 90 miles. Winds were up to about 35 mph and gusting higher. I spent the night in a Motel 6, and for dinner, lucked into a Captain D’s that was having all-you-can-eat catfish. Strangely, eating all that fried food wasn’t a problem as long as I kept it bite-sized.

There were issues with this Motel 6. First, I tried two rooms before getting one in which the A/C worked. Second, I guess the motel lost track of which room I was in. About 12:15am while I was sawing logs, a family opened the door and walked in. Took about 10 seconds to convince them I wasn’t Goldilocks and I wasn’t getting out of their bed.

Today’s miles: 399
41364900135_9575e7bd46_z.jpg
Route - Clovis - Farmington by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Sunday, May 13

Leaving Farmington early, I headed west via Indian Service Road 13. This took me close to Shiprock, where I spent some time shooting some pictures. It was worth the detour.
27396369217_bc586f4015_c.jpg
DSC_2233 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

28393525918_1c6a342956_c.jpg
DSC_2236 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Then I headed west into Red Valley, AZ…
27396368597_699e8bacbb_c.jpg
DSC_2240 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

…and over Lukachukai Pass. The pass is about 8600 feet, tightly curvy (about 20 mph riding), and with narrow crumbly pavement and no pull-offs. It was fun riding, but there was no place to pull off until I was well down the west side.
42267405061_ef04ef7225_c.jpg
DSC_2242 (2) by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

42267404821_8e1d912090_c.jpg
DSC_2244 (2) by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

From there, I rode through lots of red cliff country.
27396853317_ee4982aee9_c.jpg
DSC_2243 (2) by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

27396853597_fca8fc687b_c.jpg
DSC_2241 (2) by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

27396368157_cf281af418_c.jpg
DSC_2247 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

I had been worried about gas but, as it turned out, there were stations about every 20 miles once I crossed the pass. I’m used to watching for livestock on New Mexico roads – cattle are common. On the reservation, so are goats, sheep, and horses. I suspect if I hit a horse on the VStrom, I’d lose.

I made Williams in early afternoon. Here’s my route for the day.
27396357577_33eb782d11_c.jpg
Route - Farmington - Williams by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Mark arrived a couple of hours later on his 2012 Triumph Explorer 1200 (hereafter known as the “Tex”). As I walked out to greet him, the Tex was politely peeing coolant from the expansion tank into the parking lot. This would be a source of worry for the next few days. We had dinner at a pub, reminisced about high school, and got to bed at a decent hour, anxious to go visit the Grand Canyon in the morning.

Today’s miles: 325, give or take.

Monday, May 14

Up early, coffee from a Safeway across the street, then we kicked it in gear & headed for the South Rim. Man, I didn’t expect it to be so crowded in mid-May on a weekday. Trust me, it was crowded. Most tourists were well behaved, but I actually did witness an idiot at a lookout below me toss a plastic bottle into the Canyon. Too bad the people close by didn’t toss HIM in after it. They did, though, report him to a nearby visitor center. Hope someone got his picture.

Speaking of pictures, we took a few ourselves. The Canyon is nothing if not picturesque.
27396370647_27670aa26b_c.jpg
20180514_114135 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

27396367617_3c55d9592c_c.jpg
DSC_2250 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

27396366967_a7d3780f47_c.jpg
DSC_2251 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

27396366327_4c24bb2018_c.jpg
DSC_2252 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

28393523768_5550e56c6c_c.jpg
DSC_2256 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

27396365247_2c4f107f56_c.jpg
DSC_2257 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

27396364697_0abd8e0e3f_c.jpg
DSC_2258 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

27396363917_2f892bf54a_c.jpg
DSC_2264 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

28393522498_0d3eb57db6_c.jpg
DSC_2268 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

28393522238_1394ee414b_c.jpg
DSC_2269 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

41545475414_ec8a298a23_c.jpg
DSC_2279 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

We spent the day at the South Rim, then headed back to Williams in late afternoon. Dinner was at a friendly little Mom & Pop café where we had some really good chicken fried steak. Because CFS is soft & thin, my mouth handled it okay.

Williams has reinvented itself with a cool, retro Route 66 motif.
27396370437_57866c7d49_c.jpg
20180514_194755 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Today’s miles: about 130

Tuesday, May 15

Moving day. Unfortunately, I woke up feeling worse, including that my face was now swollen and I had a time getting my contacts into my squinty eyes. But whatcha gonna do when you’re 1000 miles from home? Riding is elixir for the soul, so we rode!
41364899985_36061f9172_c.jpg
Route - Williams - Payson by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

We rode east to Flagstaff, then cut south through Oak Creek Canyon, which is beautiful, curvy, and fun.
28393521978_bd32e7aa28_c.jpg
DSC_2280 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

41545475064_58d11427fc_c.jpg
DSC_2281 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Then into Sedona where a minor disaster struck. Inexperienced as I am with traffic circles, I got confused in a roundabout and stopped. Mark was watching the traffic, not me, & suddenly his left side case clipped my right case. Totally my fault! His case popped off the bike & landed in the street, but fortunately was undamaged. I picked up a dent in mine, but no biggie. A friendly EMT truck showed up at just the right moment & gave cover while I collected Mark’s luggage out of the road. During all this, the Tex decided to pee on the ground some more while the motor was shut off.
41364900615_c7478212f4_c.jpg
IMG_2976 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Well, got at least one picture of Sedona’s Red Rocks.
28393521778_4e30aecc24_c.jpg
DSC_2282 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Undaunted by the mishap, we headed on to Jerome, an old mining town at the top of a cool, switchback-laden road, where we had lunch in a tiny diner run by a couple of neo hippies. Neat little town.
41545474754_537a836d06_c.jpg
DSC_2283 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

27396361857_0a0858f15d_c.jpg
DSC_2284 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

And from there, on to Payson, where we stayed at the Christopher Creek Lodge. Which turned out to be 24 miles past Payson. Oh well. Neat little rustic place with pine walled rooms.
27397370677_0f27a55119_c.jpg
DSC_2285 (2) by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Today’s miles: 223

Wednesday, May 16

I woke up in the morning feeling worse than ever. I called my doctor (2nd time, actually) and was sent to an urgent care clinic in town. Not exactly the vacation I had in mind.
41364899785_84796cc99e.jpg
Urgent care clinic Payson by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Mark was a sport about it, though. The doctor gave me some Prednisone for the swelling, and a homemade mix of “Magic Mouth” (Benadryl, Maalox, and Lidocaine) to numb the pain in my mouth. That immediately helped, but we were realizing I needed to get back to Arlington sooner than later, to see the doctor and figure out what’s going on. So we did some rebooking.

Today’s miles: 100?

Thursday, May 17

We still headed for Alpine AZ as planned, but sadly, only for one night. However, we took a bunch of fun byways and had a great trip getting there!
27396357507_33eb782d11_c.jpg
Route - Payson - Alpine by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

This whole leg was great. But what really made the ride was the detour SW on 273, and back NW on 261. 261 went up over a nice, squiggly, 9,000 foot pass. We took a break at the top.
41545474344_8b859f3e61_c.jpg
DSC_2287 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

27396361277_037aace6a1_c.jpg
DSC_2288 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

41545473764_0c84b94208_c.jpg
DSC_2289 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

27396360757_d56bc1970c_c.jpg
DSC_2290 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

41545473064_e33ac0c7f9_c.jpg
DSC_2291 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

We made Alpine by noon and checked into the Sportsman’s Lodge. Comfortable, nicely furnished, and all for $82 a night in a tourist area. Frank, the owner, is a BMW rider himself, so the place is very bike-friendly.
27396372367_1651b2491a_c.jpg
IMG_2965 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

By now, the Tex had quit urinating on shutdown. Apparently, the expansion tank had been overfilled at the last service, and the coolant was just seeking its proper level.

We had lunch at the Bear Wallow Café, highly recommended. Mark had the Terlingua Chili while I opted for homemade strawberry rhubarb pie. Delish, and I voted for a rematch at dinner. Then we hopped on the bikes and made the run across the state line & down the hill to Glenwood NM. This is a great, curvy road. In the past, I’ve only done it in a Jeep pulling a trailer. Trust me, it’s way more fun on a bike!
27396357717_5e86b97343_c.jpg
Route - Alpine - Glenwood by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

27396359797_96603db37d_c.jpg
IMG_2956 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Glenwood isn’t much except a few gas stations and tourist cabins. But there’s a cool canyon nearby, featuring a series of catwalks. I’d visited there when I was in the Army back in ’75. Today, Mark relaxed in the shade and I dashed the ¼ mile up the trail to shoot a few pictures.
41545472554_f05f8b9968_c.jpg
IMG_2957 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

27396359487_d7bb729e72_c.jpg
IMG_2960 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

41545487584_462d6c2aa9_c.jpg
IMG_2961 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

27396375247_314acd52b9_c.jpg
IMG_2963 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

28393528618_b317452b2b_c.jpg
IMG_2964 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Then we streaked back up the same road we’d just streaked down an hour earlier. In either direction, it’ll make you smile.

Back in Alpine, we had dinner at the Bear Wallow Café. This time I had the Terlingua chili. My mouth was better, but apparently not yet ready for prime time. The chili was great and I had half a bowl before I couldn’t take the pain anymore. Then we split a piece of homemade blueberry pie, which cooled my mouth down.
41545472814_10ae21f1b2_c.jpg
IMG_2951 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

27396369917_e1116e7176_c.jpg
20180517_182634 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Sorry for the focus on this one. Cell phone pic.
27396369617_7a8e12ccbc_c.jpg
20180517_184214 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

27396369357_4993802e33_c.jpg
20180517_190452 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Today’s miles: 293

Friday, May 18

This morning, we split up and headed our separate ways. Mark up into Utah, then across Nevada and toward the Bay area. Me east across New Mexico and Texas. Mark was up with the chickens and out the door at 6am, when Alpine, at 8,000 feet, was still a frosty 37*. I dallied a bit in a hot shower, waited for the temp to climb above 45*, and left around 8am.

My route took me NW on Hwy 12, alternating through pine forests and high plains. I eventually connected with US 60 for a desert dash toward Socorro NM.
27396357797_8789ccd993_c.jpg
Route - Alpine - Artesia by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

41545471464_ee5249bea5_c.jpg
IMG_2971 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

About 50 miles west of Socorro, I stopped to take pictures at a VLA (Very Large Array) of radio telescopes. I’m told they listen for space noise such as black holes & pulsars.
41545471614_6dc5513edb_c.jpg
IMG_2969 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

27396358637_317da26378_c.jpg
IMG_2970 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

While I was standing there, two ladies in a Kia and headed westbound pulled over and told me they were looking for I-40 to Texas. “You won’t find it that way,” I told them. “I-40 is to your north and Texas is behind you.” She explained they had passed me & turned around & came back to ask for directions. They had a GPS but no maps, & had no idea how to locate the interstate with their Garmin. I got out my trusty Butler map, showed her, & explained, “Turn left in Socorro, right in Albuquerque, and hook ‘em east.” Hope they found it.

Not the fastest way home, but I opted for a detour. I love Cloudcroft from my El Paso days. So I cut south on US 54, picked up 82 in Alamogordo, and followed it up the mountain and through Cloudcroft, Mayhill, and into Artesia. For those of you who haven’t experienced that road, Alamogordo is at 4,000 feet, white-hot, and sandy. In fact, it’s the gateway to White Sands National Monument. But turn east on 82 onto this crazy mountain road, and 16 miles later, you’re at 8,600 feet and up in the pines. It was worth the detour just to feel the temperature drop from 91* to 71* in a matter of minutes.
27396358517_f03387318e_c.jpg
IMG_2972 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

41545471284_17c2a67955_c.jpg
IMG_2973 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Past Mayhill, I dropped through the dunes to the desert floor while the wind whipped up until it was gusting at 40mph, according to Weather.com. At the hotel, I had to angle the bike into it, for fear of a tipover.

Hotels aren’t cheap in Artesia, but as luck happened, the cheapest available on Hotels.com was a business-class joint, the Legacy Inn & Suites, for $89 + tax. Indoor entrances, ginormous rooms, thick new sheets & mattresses, and a dresser full of foofy skin creams & such. I spent an hour in the shower, taking a steam bath and rehydrating my desert-parched skin.

27396357847_f131294e15_c.jpg
Legacy Inn by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr
I climbed into bed with a book & was asleep before 10.

Today’s miles: 399

Saturday, May 19

I overslept in the morning (till 7:15am) but it was glorious; I needed the rest. Breakfast was precooked omelets, and biscuits & gravy. Good food for my sore mouth, and lots of protein for the dash home today. As I mounted up at 8am, the air was still & the temp was perfect for wearing just a wind shirt under my mesh gear.

41364900165_38dfaa0bfc_c.jpg
Route - Artesia - Arlington by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Out in that part of the world, you see plenty of this.
41364900855_637384c408_c.jpg
IMG_2974 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

And this. Red dirt country. Where my grandfather ranched in the 30s. Where my dad grew up.
27396358217_829fa5c047_c.jpg
IMG_2975 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

I love to travel, but this is always a beautiful sight….
28393518728_5c0bbeb23b_b.jpg
Welcome to Texas by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Artesia to Arlington is flat & straightforward. I ran west to beautiful Hobbs (yes, that’s a joke), through Seminole, and filled up at LaMesa. Apparently few people there had ever seen a motorcycle and nobody knew what a Camelbak was, because I was quite the star of the Allsup’s Station. The manager let me fill my bag with cold water, but I had to demonstrate to her how it worked. She thought it was a swamp cooler for my back.

Then I headed west through Snyder, where I saw this cool, restored old Sinclair station. Full disclosure – not my picture – I didn’t stop, so swiped this image off Pinterest.
41364899855_85b707a92e.jpg
Sinclair Station Snyder TX by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

Then SE onto US 84, which is where I ran into a wall of a headwind. Staring at my trip computer, I watched my cheap-o-meter drop from 45 mpg to around 35 mpg before I finally turned east onto I-20.

In Abilene, I gassed, took my last bio break, and chugalugged a Gatorade to tide me over for the 2.5 hour dash home. Somewhere east of Ranger Hill, I ran into my only rude traffic. I’d driven over 2600 miles surrounded by polite people, but on I-20, I came up on one of those vet riding groups. Inexplicably, they were riding in the left-hand lane of I-20, about 150 bikes, mostly trikes pulling trailers, and running about 55mph. Cars & trucks coming up had to pass on the right, and weren’t quite sure what to do. So they slipped by in the slow lane at about 60mph, while traffic bottlenecked for miles behind. Moreover, a few of the back markers occasionally side-slipped right, further slowing down interstate traffic.

I had moved up with the traffic and passed about the last 15 or 20 when the left lane suddenly ran out. As we slowed, I let one trike zipper in, in front of me. A guy beside me suddenly accelerated, veered on me, and swung his trailer at my front wheel, forcing me onto the shoulder to avoid an accident. I bit my tongue & kept my middle fingers to myself, & thought about how badly that kind of stuff represents both riders & veteran groups. Good time to pray inside my helmet to calm my temper & nerves.

Once the construction zone was past, they thankfully stayed right & traffic was able to clear quickly. I put the VStrom at 75 mph and didn’t slow down until I hit the Tarrant County line. I needed a bathroom stop, but didn’t want to encounter those guys again.

I dragged in at 4:10pm CDT, saddlesore, wind whipped, eye burned, & very glad to be home & see my wife, who graciously allows me to have my little adventures. Thank you, Jan. I love you.

Alas, because we cut the trip short, Mark & I didn’t get to ride the Devil’s Highway from Clifton to Alpine AZ. But it’ll be there and, together or separately, we’ll be back. Plus, next year is our 50th anniversary for the Class of ’69. Ride-in, drive-in, or fly-in, I hope I see Mark (and a lot of other old friends) there. Maybe Denver or Nashville; we haven’t worked the details yet.

For nearly 3,000 miles through desolate country and over high passes, the little Wee hummed along happily with its sewing machine motor never missing a beat. I’ve recently looked around at Beemers, Versys 1Ks, and a couple of other bikes. But the Wee just seems the perfect bike for me. Perfectly set up for my travel comfort. Everything I need, nothing I don’t.

Along the way, my trusty old Garmin gave out. The plug receptacle, not really built for motorcycle vibration, got loose. Once again, duck tape comes to the rescue to get me home.
27396358037_ae5485dae6_c.jpg
IMG_2977 by Tim Shelfer, on Flickr

I already have a new one ordered for my next trip, when I take my wife to Wyoming for a trailer camping vacation in June.

Today’s miles: 450

Some statistics from the trip:

- High gas mileage: 66.92 mpg, Socorro to Artesia
- Low gas mileage: 38.85 mpg, LaMesa to Abilene. I truly believe Abilene is the epicenter of all wind.
- Average gas mileage: 49.7 mpg
- High gas price: $3.58 / gal in Williams AZ
- Low gas price: $2.58 / gal in Clovis NM
- Total miles ridden: 2838 miles
- Total miles off pavement: 100 feet in motel parking lots. We had a dirt leg planned from Payson to Winslow, but that unfortunately got cut.
 
Last edited:
Re: Arizona Wanderings - forthcoming

Well... I am sure you did not plan for all that nastiness to happen, so this definitely qualifies as an adventure :-P

Definitely the kind of adventure I can do without, Scott. :giveup:
 
Tim,

Thanks for nice write up. So sorry for the medical woes. And that you had to cut the trip short. Bummer, but you keep to the sunny side of the street, don't ya.

Love seeing the high school photos.

...."But the Wee just seems the perfect bike for me.".... Yah, you know I agree with that! just check my sig line...
 
Tim, really enjoyed your ride report. Pictures were outstanding, but you left out any closeups that shows your swollen mug.
 
Tim, really enjoyed your ride report. Pictures were outstanding, but you left out any closeups that shows your swollen mug.

You can thank me later, Tom. Pie faced and with squintier eyes than Roy Rogers? I was not a pretty sight. Besides, my travel buddy declared a no-selfie rule, and HE wasn't about to scare his wife with a closeup of me!
 
Y... I was not a pretty sight.

:rofl:
You did a good job of getting as much of the trip in as you did with the troubles you were having. I have to admit that as I was reading about the curiosity of the folks in Hobbs, that I was thinking maybe they were just trying to be polite. After you and your camel-back left, they might have been asking each other, "Did you see that guy's face?"
 
:rofl:
You did a good job of getting as much of the trip in as you did with the troubles you were having. I have to admit that as I was reading about the curiosity of the folks in Hobbs, that I was thinking maybe they were just trying to be polite. After you and your camel-back left, they might have been asking each other, "Did you see that guy's face?"

:rofl: I've never had so much fun looking freakish. I'm starting to think about one of those 1930s horror movies where the mad scientist's wife yanks her veil down and screams "How would you like to look like THIS??!!" :eek2::eek2::eek2: Thankfully, the good people of LeMesa had never seen me before, so they probably all assumed that Metroplex people look funny because of the humidity or something.
 
Another great ride report Tim. You been having some bad luck on longer rides lately. I think we cut ours short by a day also? Hope your next one you do not have to skip anything. Wonderful pictures like all your ride reports. Wish I could have join in,looked like a lot of fun. What did your doctor say about the issues? Everything okay now?
 
Another great ride report Tim. You been having some bad luck on longer rides lately. I think we cut ours short by a day also? Hope your next one you do not have to skip anything. Wonderful pictures like all your ride reports. Wish I could have join in,looked like a lot of fun. What did your doctor say about the issues? Everything okay now?

Yeah, you & I lopped off 1 or 2 days from our Colo/NM trip when my mother got sick. I'm seeing my doctor in about an hour, to hopefully get to the bottom of things. I'll PM you later, Drew.

Maybe you & I can do something next year. I'd be open to any western state, as long as you promise not to do any unscripted offroading. :lol2: And don't forget about that chicken fried steak run to Okieland - I'm still waiting.
 
A little more about Lukachukai Pass in eastern AZ. Climbing up the east side, the pavement is narrow, rough, broken in places. I was riding on this crumbly stuff when I spotted a sign that read "Bad Pavement Ahead." And I thought to myself, ahead? What the heck am I on now? Once I crested the pass, it started getting better and the road widened out. It wasn't bad riding going up the pass, but I was frustrated that there was simply no reasonable place to pull off & snap a pic. I do, though,. definitely recommend that ride - Shiprock to Red Valley AZ, over that pass, & through the Navajo reservation on the west side.
 
Yeah, you & I lopped off 1 or 2 days from our Colo/NM trip when my mother got sick. I'm seeing my doctor in about an hour, to hopefully get to the bottom of things. I'll PM you later, Drew.

Maybe you & I can do something next year. I'd be open to any western state, as long as you promise not to do any unscripted offroading. :lol2: And don't forget about that chicken fried steak run to Okieland - I'm still waiting.

Cool working on the Okie deal. Will watch for the PM update.
 
Hey Tim,

You have an excellent ride report. The pictures are awesome too. The ride from Lukachukai over the pass to Red Valley in Arizona has arguably some of the best switch-backs in the west. I am glad you had a chance to experience it.

I hope you allergic reaction is now behind you. I wonder if Benadryl might have alleviated the initial symptoms?

RB
 
Tim, that was a great ride report and really helped to show the great riding opportunities that we have out here. I appreciate the details on 273/261 as I haven't had the opportunity to ride it yet.

I also haven't ridden the Chinle to Shiprock route, so I'll need to add that one to the list.

I take it you didn't bother to ride the rim of Canyon de Chelly? It's my favorite place in Arizona.

I agree on the Williams comments. It's a great little town. Touristy, but not overkill.

Tuesday looks like it was a great day; Sedona, Jerome, Strawberry, Pine, Payson, Christopher Creek. I've never stayed there, but we've been there several times for breakfast. That allows us to leave the valley early, have breakfast, and then get home before it gets blistering hot.

I just cancelled my reservation at Sportsman's Lodge. The AZ Beemers are planning a weekend there in October (heated gear mandatory), but then the IBA announced the annual Big As Texas party is the same weekend, so it looks like I'll be coming to Texas instead of freezing my tuckus off in AZ.

I'm glad you liked the Bear Wallow. They have some GREAT pie, and the staff is always nice and very rider-friendly.

Again, great report and thanks.
 
Hey Tim,

You have an excellent ride report. The pictures are awesome too. The ride from Lukachukai over the pass to Red Valley in Arizona has arguably some of the best switch-backs in the west. I am glad you had a chance to experience it.

I hope you allergic reaction is now behind you. I wonder if Benadryl might have alleviated the initial symptoms?

RB

When the rash on my arms broke out, I used Benadryl cream and it nicely controlled the itching. What was going on inside my mouth was a little too potent. Benadryl pills may have been helpful, but I wouldn't have been able to ride. I was very thorough talking to a pharmacist about that. However, a good time was had anyway. I saw my doctor today. She's making some adjustments so that, hopefully, this won't happen again.

I really enjoyed the pass, and driving through Red Valley before it, and across the reservation land after the pass. Great country. I'm sure I'll look for an opportunity to do so again.

Tim, that was a great ride report and really helped to show the great riding opportunities that we have out here. I appreciate the details on 273/261 as I haven't had the opportunity to ride it yet.

I also haven't ridden the Chinle to Shiprock route, so I'll need to add that one to the list.

I take it you didn't bother to ride the rim of Canyon de Chelly? It's my favorite place in Arizona.

I agree on the Williams comments. It's a great little town. Touristy, but not overkill.

Tuesday looks like it was a great day; Sedona, Jerome, Strawberry, Pine, Payson, Christopher Creek. I've never stayed there, but we've been there several times for breakfast. That allows us to leave the valley early, have breakfast, and then get home before it gets blistering hot.

I just cancelled my reservation at Sportsman's Lodge. The AZ Beemers are planning a weekend there in October (heated gear mandatory), but then the IBA announced the annual Big As Texas party is the same weekend, so it looks like I'll be coming to Texas instead of freezing my tuckus off in AZ.

I'm glad you liked the Bear Wallow. They have some GREAT pie, and the staff is always nice and very rider-friendly.

Again, great report and thanks.

Ya know, I had actually put a waypoint by a lookout for Canyon de Chelly. Then on Sunday morning, I shot by & was wondering "Hmm, where did that waypoint come from?" I realized a few miles down the road, & wasn't gonna go back. Oh well, 'nother time.

I loved the Bear Wallow. Great food, really nice people. Last time I was in Alpine (around 2000), there was exactly one restaurant and it was never open the whole week we were there.

I'm looking forward to getting my wife back there in the next year or so. We've stayed at the Alpine Divide campground just up the road, and really loved it there.

I could spend a little more time in Williams exploring sometime. It was fun and, as you say, not TOO touristy. I love finding places that aren't overrun by kitschy stuff and preppies in pink alligator shirts. You can read this to say I like Alpine, Gunnison, and Leadville. Not so much Aspen and Telluride.
 
Back
Top