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My Ride Into Oblivion.

Day 5 (10-12-07)

It is so nice waking up to the sound of the Colorado River and looking out your tent to see the canyon walls lit up by the morning sun. I truly do believe it’s as close to heaven as I’m going to get.

After a quick couple of eggs, and some PowerAde from the night before it was time to break camp and get my little butt on the road. BTW, by this point setting up and breaking camp is less than a 10 minute ordeal. So I’d say I’m getting the hang of it quite nicely. Alright, off to Moab to fuel up and it’s time to find the reason that I came on this trip.

I’ll be honest with you, I was nervous. After dreaming of Monument Valley for so long I was worried that it wouldn’t be all that I have hyped it up to be inside of my head. “Would it be as grand as I pictured it?”, “Would it be the thing that I’m looking for?”, “Will it reveal itself like all the stories say it does?” And so on. I just didn’t want my dream for so long to be, well, you know, sub-standard in reality.

Well, I can honestly say that it was everything I was ever looking for and way, way more. If anyone goes there, please listen to me, like I listened to others before me. You NEED to enter it from the North on 163. Trust me, it’s worth it. It is revealed to you in a way that can’t be described unless you are actually there. Alright, enough with the chit-chat, on with the pics.

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See, I told you that the pictures wouldn’t do it justice!!!! You’re just sitting back thinking, “Man, those are some big rocks…..” But trust me; it is well worth the trip to go see in person. I would go back in a heartbeat just to ride though it again. And it’s a lonnnnggggg way out there and back.

From there I made it into Tuba City, Arizona where I met two guys on bikes. Ed was on a GS1200 Adventure, and his cousin Terry on an ST1300. I chatted with them a while and they were heading to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (the same place I was heading) so I asked if I could tag along for a bit. They said sure and off we went.

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Making great time, we scooted along around 90 mph to the town of Jacob Lake. Now I use the word “town” loosely. It’s a gas station, general store, and a restaurant. Yep, that’s about it. We topped of our tanks, bought some food for breakfast, and then set off on the North Rim Highway to try and find a spot to camp in the park.

Well, 60 some odd miles later we made it to the entrance and we were greeted with a “Campground Full” sign. Uh oh…. Not good because a front was blowing through from the North and we were afraid we would be setting up camp in the rain, cold, and dark. Not good if you ask me.

The Ranger at the gate (really cute I might add) told us to go park in the National Forrest somewhere and just setup a primitive camp. That was about our only option. So back down the road about 5 miles and then off on a little gravel forest road. What we found was a perfect clearing in a valley to keep us sheltered from the winds and weather.

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Ed and Terry….. Ed was celebrating getting laid off, and Terry, well… Terry was just out for a vacation to see some killer roads and scenery. Both guys are top notch if you ask me. I was very lucky to meet up with those two.

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After a dinner of Pad Thai, it was time for bed for what would be the coldest night of my camping career so far. Yes, I’m a fair weather camper, so don’t give me any crap about it. Tomorrow…. A big hole, lots of miles, off on my own again, and plenty of devils on the highway. Nighty, night everyone.
 
:tab Did you do the swing thing at the Royal Gorge? Quite a rush...! Did you ride out the back way on the far side of the bridge or did you go back out the way you came in? Did you do Skyline Drive on the West side of Canon City?

:tab Jacobs Lake... Ahh the memories. I think that was the first time I had ever seen gas over $2.00/gal for regular. Back in Texas is was still under $1.00/gal at the time. We had lunch at the Jacobs Lake Inn. It was like day of the living Zombie Waitresses in that place :wary: All the help were college kids that were there for the summer and lived on site. They ALL seemed to have that vacant staring over our shoulder look when they talked to us. Creepy... I downed my ice cream and we got out of there :lol2: The ride down the North side into Utah was great.

:tab Monument Valley is definitely cool. While we were stopped checking out a roadside market of local Indian stuff, a pretty good sand storm hit :eek2: Got my first scratch on my brand new VFR 800 that afternoon when I removed the tank bag :doh: I was cleaning sand out of nooks and crannies for weeks and weeks after that trip!
 
Great ride report. I'm hanging on my seat in anticipation of more. :)
 
Bill,

Monument Valley is incredible! When you ride in from the north and it starts looming in the horizon is breathtaking. Did you go to the visitors station in the park? The sight from there is awesome also.

Marco
 
Day 6 (10-13-07)

“Why am I doing this?” “This is just stupid.” “Gee, I wonder just how cold it really is outside?” “Too cold, that’s how cold….”

Those were the things I was saying while curled up in my sleeping back, freezing my butt off. I kept looking at my watch all through the night waiting for morning to come around and the sun to come up. For some reason the sun was playing tricks on me and taking what seemed to be an extraordinarily long time to peak above the horizon. I was not amused. Finally the sun poked his head up over the edge of the hill and into the valley below where we were camped. It was a sight for cold eyes.

I crawled out of my tent and got into full riding gear to try and keep some of the heat in. It wasn’t working so far. Ed and Terry slowly awoke and crawled out soon after. I asked Ed if his Beemer had an air temp sensor on it and he told me that it did. So we flipped it on and it was reading a balmy 21 degrees. Yep, it’s cold out.

Now I’ll bet your wondering why I don’t have a picture of that. Well, my camera went on strike when I pulled it out of the bag and the 21 degree air hit it. I don’t really blame it. I would have been on strike too if someone had yanked me out of my protective little case into some sub-freezing temps for one lousy picture. Also note, my Colemen camp stove refuses to light, and my micro-torch also refuses to operate at those temperatures. But thanks to Ed and his mighty MSR camp stove which lit in a grand ball of fire (apparently normal for that model), we were back in fine shape and I was on cooking duty while they broke camp.

After camp was down and we were packed it was time to see the “big hole” that Mother Nature blessed us with. Yes, I know some of you will be furious that I just called it a big hole, but serious now, isn’t that what it is?!?!?! I mean yeah, it’s pretty and all, but I can’t help but call it what it is.

Alright, so here are the pics that I got once I actually got my camera to function. Kinda purty if you ask me!!

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I came, I saw, now it’s time to ride….. I got places to go and roads to ride!!

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Alight, so back on the road again heading towards the crazy Indian town of Tuba City where come to find out the festival was in full swing and I’d bet my bottom dollar that every Native American in the greater Arizona area was there. That place was packed to the gills. Kids and dogs just running amuck all over the streets, roads jammed with cars, people acting all happy for some strange reason…..

Oh yeah and guys with shopping carts that look like this….
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Well, in Tuba City I noticed that my chain had stretched quite a bit so I needed to do some chain maintenance. I told Ed and Terry to go ahead and ride on without me, but they wouldn’t have it so they patiently waited for me to finish tightening up my chain and we headed towards the land of devils.

Well, we made it…. Finally…….
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Now, I know what you all are saying, “Bill, that sign is in Utah, not Arizona. What gives?” Well, the only place that research has told me that still have some of the old signage is on the Utah portion of the road. So I actually snapped this pic earlier in the trip but didn’t want to use it until now. Sneaky huh?

Alright back to the story. Ed and Terry were getting a little fatigued and had decided on a motel for the night. I wasn’t completely opposed to the idea, but on the middle of the devil’s highway options were limited. We found one where 191 crosses interstate 40 and decided to stop to check it out. Not bad, but they were wanting $65 + tax a night and I just didn’t want to really spend that much on a room. So that is where I said my goodbyes to Terry and Ed. I hope to hook up with them again on some not so distant journey. They truly are some good people. Off I went on my own down 191 to find a little state park that seemed to have some camping.

Alright, I was spooked. This road is eerie, very eerie. I don’t know if it is just the legends that surround it, or just my mind playing tricks on me, but I will tell you, I’m glad to be off that road. At least the part between I-40 and Lyman Lake State Park. The road is just dead straight and you can see absolutely nothing for miles, upon miles, upon miles. No cars, no animals, no people, no houses, no trees, nothing but road and grass for over 50 miles. You just have to be there to feel it I guess.

Alright, I made it to the park and it was too late for the Visitors Center to be open so I just went in and found a camp site to bed down at. Ed, Terry, if you guys are reading this I’ll tell you something. You guys missed out. This place was nice! Hot showers, clean restrooms, and a pretty good view of the lake from camp. But ah well, next time maybe.

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Before heading to sleep I met a local Arizona biker that had given me some useful info on the upcoming stretch of road I was planning on doing tomorrow. He had told me that I needed to make sure that I stopped for fuel in Hannagan’s Meadow, as it was the last place for fuel for over 100 miles. Good info…. Remember that tomorrow….. LOL (Trust me, you’ll see what I’m talking about.)

Well, camp is set, I’ve had my dinner, took a hot shower, and now it’s time for bed. See y’all in the morning. Tomorrow is ripe with stories of copper, no fuel, lots of curves, a little highway, and the scariest 120 miles I’ve ever ridden in my entire life. See you later.
 
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Tomorrow is ripe with stories of copper, no fuel, lots of curves, a little highway, and the scariest 120 miles I’ve ever ridden in my entire life.

My heart rate quickens when I think about what lies ahead of you. :giveup:
 
And I flash back to one of the most incredible rides of my life!! :dude:
 
:tab Did you do the swing thing at the Royal Gorge? Quite a rush...! Did you ride out the back way on the far side of the bridge or did you go back out the way you came in?

Why yes, yes I did do the swing. Twice actually!!!! Talk about something to make Squeaker have a heart attack. Being swung out over a 1200 foot drop and hitting zero gravity for a second would have done it!!!:lol2: I couldn't go out the other way because this late in the season they close down the other exit. I was there too late for most of the touristy stuff, but it was really nice to have the bridge pretty much to myself.

Did you go to the visitors station in the park? The sight from there is awesome also.

Marco, I didn't go there. I was kind of on a time crunch to get to the Grand Canyon before dark. And I just barely made it as it was. But I don't think that will be the last time I'm in Utah.....

Old Highway 666 between Alpine and Clifton? That Hannagans Meadow? You have my sympathy. :eek2: This should be good. Did it on my TW last summer.:trust:

That'd be the one. AKA, my new favorite road in the U.S so far.....

definetly enjoying this

I'm glad you like it Jonathan! I'll try to finish it up in the next day or two.
 
Day 7 (10-14-07)

Hmmmmm, you know what sounds good? Some coffee!!!! But where could I obtain such wonderful things? I know, HOUSTON has some coffee, anddddddd they also have a Monday night get together just to drink coffee!!!!! Yep, I think I can make it to Houston just in time to crash a Monday night bike night...... decision is made!

Okay, actually it didn’t go down quite like that. But to know the real reasons behind why I went to Houston you will have to know me quite a bit better than you do. And since you don’t…. well, let’s just leave the above story in tact.

Onward with the journey!!

I woke up this morning to a surprisingly not freezing night. No frost covering the bike, the stove worked, the camera was working slowly, but still working, things were looking good. I packed up camp and then proceeded to make some egg sandwiches for breakfast, yummy.

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Yes, I took pictures of my breakfast, so what??

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After breakfast it was time to get on the road and make some good time to Hannagan’s Meadow for some fuel and off on the road I’ve been looking forward to since Day 1. Let me tell you, the ride from the State Park to H.M. is gorgeous. Lush forest, beautiful meadows covered in dew (which had turned to ice as I climbed to 9k feet), cows, deer, and elk wandering the road, and so much more. Oh yeah, I didn’t even mention the butter smooth pavement, and awesome curves!!! How forgetful of me.

I made great time to H.M. and once it came into sight I made a beeline to the general store to fill up and be on my way. Well, or at least that was the plan. However, the store had other plans for me that day. As I pulled up to the pump I was greeted with a cute little sign saying this:
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Hmmmmmmm……. 100 miles till the next fuel stop, and right now my Strom is sitting on 165 miles. Yes I know Squeaker, that is plenty of fuel to make it another 4000 miles but for some reason I didn’t want to chance it. LOL So it’s time to backtrack 23 miles to Alpine where the gas station actually had “gas”, go figure!!! I chatted with a cute little cashier that apparently was quite a bit tougher than I was since she didn’t seem to mind that it was below freezing and she was in shorts and a T-shirt. Alright filled up and time to go.

Back through H.M. for the last time and now time for some good curves. I know what you’re thinking, there has to be some great pictures coming up. Well……… kinda…… okay, not really. You see, every time the road would get steep and twisty I was having way too much fun actually riding on it to want to stop and take pictures. So yes, I’m selfish. But at any rate, here are a couple that I did manage to stop and snap.

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All I can say about the Devil’s Highway is that it is my new favorite road that I’ve ridden so far. 100+ miles, no traffic at all, elevation changes from 9k to less than 4k in 60 miles give or take, and the view are amazing. I will say this about it, the pavement left a little to be desired. Quite a few corners were laced with trails of gravel, and there are more pavement composition changes that I could keep track of. But other than that, it is close to my idea of the “perfect road”.

As I got to the southern end of the road I came across something that amazed me, and yet saddened me all at the same instant. I’m referring to the Phelps Dodge copper mine. Words can’t describe how massive this place is. It goes on for miles upon miles. They are basically chewing up entire mountains at a time for that precious metal which makes our world turn. I understand the need for it, but it still doesn’t make the once picturesque views any better. But still the kid at heart in me was fascinated by the motions carried out by all the machinery. It was like one big ballet, but with thousands of multi-million dollar pieces of equipment as dancers. Here are a few pics I snapped from the lookout point.

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Yes, here’s another shameless photo of my pretty bike that got me all the way out here!!!

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Here is where the story will get shorter, and the pictures will get fewer and further between. I finished my trip down the Devil’s Highway and it was around 2 PM Texas time. Yep, that’s right, I’d done less than 200 miles and it was already 2 PM and I needed to make some miles so I could stay on par to hit Houston in just over 24 hours. Lets just say interstate 10 and I got very familiar with each other!!! Through the last little bit of Arizona, all the way through New Mexico, and finally into my home sweet home of TX!!!!

I stayed on track and on time all the way to Fort Stockton. It was pitch black dark as I was nearing town and I was starting to be greeted with one of the scariest lightning shows I’ve ever seen in my life. It seemed to be not very far ahead of me and I would be riding right into it in the not so distant future. I used this opportunity to stop, fill up and call Squeaky and see if she could pinpoint where exactly this storm was. Being dark out, I could only make out the clouds when the lightning would illuminate them for me.

Note to self…. Don’t ask Squeaky about the weather… LOL Her response after looking up the weather on the computer was, “Nah, it looks clear to me….” Oh great!!! I’m riding into a ghost storm that even the radar systems can’t see, oh what fun.

Still being too early to stop for the night I pressed on hoping to make another 50 or so miles before finding my one and only motel on the journey. Well, it wasn’t 50 miles, it was more like 125 miles. Trust me, I wish you could have all been with me for that part too. Here, let me try to paint a picture that you could imagine. Freeways… soaked with water from a storm that had just happened. Sky… dark as you could imagine, only being lit up with the bolts of lightning streaking about….. Other traffic… yep, none. Or so it seemed. I think I may have passed 3 or 4 cars going the other way and that was about it.

Then to top it all off, I keep seeing signs saying “beware of animals on the roadway”, “watch for deer”, “watch for livestock”, and so on. Meanwhile, I passed three deer that had been obliterated on the freeway from hitting passing vehicles. I’ll this while trying to watch the storm and figure out which way it was moving and wondering how long till it hits me.

To my surprise, it never does. It seemed to be moving north as I was moving Southwest and I must have just skirted it. I made it into Ozona where I found a nice little Travel Lodge and bedded down for the night. Oh, how nice it was to have a real bed for the first time in a week. It was nice to have walls, nice to have a hot shower that’s not next to the public toilette, and nice to have a real roof over my head in case the storms come back, and nice to be warm……

745 miles today, yep, it’s going to be a good night's sleep!
 
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Hmmmmmmm……. 100 miles till the next fuel stop, and right now my Strom is sitting on 165 miles. Yes I know Squeaker, that is plenty of fuel to make it another 4000 miles but for some reason I didn’t want to chance it.

:giveup:
Yes, I would have gone for low RPMs and headed for the gas station 100 miles away...

Yes, here’s another shameless photo of my pretty bike that got me all the way out here!!!

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Hmm... What's that on the side of your pannier Bill? The letters. Hard to make out really... Might we see a close-up? :trust:

Note to self…. Don’t ask Squeaky about the weather… LOL Her response after looking up the weather on the computer was, “Nah, it looks clear to me….” Oh great!!! I’m riding into a ghost storm that even the radar systems can’t see, oh what fun.

In my defense...

...trying to watch the storm and figure out which way it was moving and wondering how long till it hits me. To my surprise, it never does. It seemed to be moving north as I was moving Southwest and I must have just skirted it.

You can tell everyone reading this that I was right. Go on. Nothing stopping ya... :mrgreen:
 
Where would she sit? :scratch:

Well, for this trip she'd be SOL. The camping gear takes precedence when on trips like this one.:trust: Besides, thanks to some shameless vandals (aka Squeakers friends) the sticker is no longer on there. Ah well, now I've got a killer ADV Strom sticker to replace it. THANKS ELZI!!!!!!
 
You coulda made it.:trust: Sign.. "10 mph next 11 mi". I shut off the engine and coasted for miles!!:lol2: Coming back up was another story though,I knew I couldn't make it (TW200 1.8) so I bought a 2litre bottle of coke, poured it out, rinsed it, filled it up and strapped it to the seat. I made it back to Alpine.:zen:
Thanks for a great report, I loved it!!:clap:
 
But wait, it's not over yet folks! :popcorn:

Yep, not over yet. I tried to finish it tonight, but had some things come up that kept me from doing it. So I really, really do have every intention of finishing it up tomorrow night.
 
Day 7 (10-14-07)
Then to top it all off, I keep seeing signs saying “beware of animals on the roadway”, “watch for deer”, “watch for livestock”, and so on. Meanwhile, I passed three deer that had been obliterated on the freeway from hitting passing vehicles.

Eek! I saw more deer on the Interstate between Kerrville and Fort Stockton that I'd seen in my entire life! :eek2:

Glad you didn't get any trophys.
 
waiting patiently... or not so patiently
 
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