West Coast Ride Report 2008

[UNTMatt]

Ok, this is just the beginning and will include a bunch of photo's as I add on to it. We still have to sit down and sort photo's and I have to edit and assemble the day by day report. Dee was in charge of 99% of the photo's and with a 4 gig memory card there are over 1700 photo's to sort.

Stats:

• Total Mileage: 4,480
• Lowest Altitude: -196 ft (Furnace Creek, Death Valley NP)
• Highest Altitude: 10,850 (Wolf Creek Pass, CO)
• Highest Temp: 117°F (Death Valley NP, Ca)
• Lowest Temp: Upper 40's (5:30 am, Kaibab National Forest just outside north rim Grand Canyon gate in Az)
• Highest mileage day: 935 miles (day 1 GPS mileage log-FTW, Tx to Tucson, Az)
• Average MPG: 44
• Average Speed: 59 mph (95 km/h)
• Average Distance covered per ride day: 450 miles (724 Km)
• States covered: Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado

More later....

 

[Gilk51]

but was it FUN?

 

[treybrad]

• Total Mileage: 4,480
• Lowest Altitude: -179 ft (Furnace Creek, Death Valley NP)
• Highest Altitude: 10,850 (Wolf Creek Pass, CO)
• Highest Temp: 117°F (Death Valley NP, Ca)
• Lowest Temp: Upper 40's (5:30 am, Kaibab National Forest just outside north rim Grand Canyon gate in Az)
• Highest mileage day: 935 miles (day 1 GPS mileage log-FTW, Tx to Tucson, Az)
• Average MPG: 44
• Average Speed: 59 mph (95 km/h)
• Average Distance covered per ride day: 450 miles (724 Km)
• States covered: Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado

Wow, I'm already hooked... get those pictures up!

trey

 

[FirstMan]

I am also hooked. I live in Tucson, and the best part of your trip is that I do not have to do the 1k first day


Give me tips, I get to do a NW trip in a few weeks.

 

[UNTMatt]

but was it FUN?

I wish we were still out there...

The deserts were my favorites...DV being the crown jewel. Wish we would have had time to get to the Badwater Basin which is -282 ft. The day we did DV was the hottest day of riding with 90% of it in triple digit heat for the majority of the 550 miles we covered.

 

[Soozy]

This is gonna be good.....

 

[UNTMatt]

We are organizing the photo's tonight and I'll work on getting day one up soon...I promise.

 

[Duke]

 

[Sleepy Weasel]

This 3 day old thread is useless without pics.

 

[UNTMatt]

DAY 1
Wednesday July 16th
935 miles GPS Log
Fort Worth, Texas to Tucson, Arizona
Departure time-4:50am

Day one and two had one objective, get to Ramona, California where we would be staying, until Sunday, in the shortest amount of time possible. The map above shows that route which is a easy ride with only two cities posing any issues, El Paso and Tucson. Get the timing right and with an iron butt you can make good time to Cali. Our photo’s, however, did not start until NM due to rain at the very beginning of our journey.

I will save you some disappointment; all there is to see in West Texas is pump-jacks and not much else. That being said, personally, I find it peaceful and interesting. I will learn something about myself later on during the trip.

I was going to get a photo of the most beautiful site on IH-20W but just didn’t feel comfortable stopping on the side of the road. That site is located approximately 350 miles west of Fort Worth and has a big 80 on it. DPS apparently was on vacation on our way out. Woohoo. That being said, the speed is 80 not 85 and from what I understand, that will be explained to you if you push the limits.

The bike loaded and parked at a gas station in NM while we filled our Camelbaks again. I highly recommend some sort of hydration pack and we also recommend you purchase and carry with you a spare set of bite valves. Mine fell off at a gas station later in the trip when I was putting the pack back on. We cleaned it and went about our day. On the last day, Dee’s popped off at a gas station, we didn’t notice it right away, and had to go back for it. Thankfully, it was sitting there under the pump. In over two years of using Camelbaks we have not once had the bite valves come off. We have a spare set on order that will be here first part of next week so that will not be a problem.

This is what much of the highway looked like.

Getting close to Tucson, Arizona, Dee let me know that she was reaching her stopping point. We are at a rest stop taking a glance at a map. I’m really enjoying the views along the way and they were going to get better for a long while. In Tucson, we grabbed dinner at Macaroni Grill and parked overnight at a Hilton. We were planning on camping but night was falling and we had not located a campsite. This would plague us throughout the trip.

 

[RedPill]

More! More!

 

[UNTMatt]

Day 2
Thursday, July 17th
428 miles GPS Log
Tucson, Az to Ramona, Ca
Morning Departure

Day two was just the finish of Day 1 objective to get to Ramona, Ca from Tucson, Az. Here is a view outside the hotel:

Dee caught our shadow in the morning sun while riding out of Tucson.

I was quickly discovering that I really enjoyed desert riding. So far most people believe I need therapy but that’s how it goes. The landscape I found to be rugged and beautiful. This was my kind of riding.

Dee wanted me to stand in the middle of the palm tree while at a gas stop. We found out later that it was one of the more expensive, slow growing palm trees. It was awesome.

More of the desert landscape along the way to Ramona:

The temps reached a high of 112°F during this part of the run and the Miracool vests were working like a charm. Along the way, there were signs that let drivers know of radiator water up ahead. Dee grabbed a photo of someone working out, what looked to be, heat issues with their vehicle. You can see the concrete water container that they put along the road filled w/water. It’s non-potable so no drinking!

Me and the bike at another gas stop. We took a pic of the gas sign thinking this was expensive gas but I won’t post that since it wasn’t even close. The highest we ended up paying was $6.50 per gallon and I’ll note that later in the report.

Dee thinks that we hit some nice roads a few days later in the Sunrise Hwy area. We realized when we got back, she had nabbed a photo of the sign on the way in.

Day 3 – 5 we are based entirely out of Ramona, Ca and I’ll have those days up soon.

 

[ekms377]

 

[UNTMatt]

Day 3
Friday, July 18th
Local trip to Birch Aquarium at Scripps​

Local only today and just to the aquarium just north of San Diego. My uncle had scored some tickets that he wasn’t going to use so off we went in search of something free to do.

The sign at the edge of the entrance to the aquarium.

I think these are supposed to be to scale but what do I know…

Bite me!

Yes, it was painful

Flounder!

Stingy!

Big tank

SoCal Pacific Coast

Please don’t bite…please don’t bite…

Back at the casa, relaxing for the evening!

Day 4 on the way…

 

[UNTMatt]

Day 4
Saturday, July 19th​

Short day. Went for a ride with my aunt and uncle around Ramona in the rag top jeep and ate Mexican for lunch. Yum. We have a rule, no Mexican food on ride days. Montezuma’s revenge isn’t a good thing, in the desert, miles from nowhere….so this was really a nice change of pace. After getting back to the house, we relaxed for a bit, then Dee and I took the Jeep into SD to meet up with a friend that she had not seen in 15+ years. The ride home was after dark, we didn't have the top of the jeep w/us so the heater was cranked on high. The evening temps were somewhere in the 60 - 65°F range. Very nice until you get moving in the Jeep...in shorts and a t-shirt!

Sophie and her dessert…

Our desserts…

Some sort of succulant I was fascinated by…

Day 5 on the way….

 

[UNTMatt]

Day 5
Sunday, July 20th
Meet up with ST-Owners from SoCal
110 miles​

We met up with some of the ST-Owners that live in the area, ate breakfast, and went on a short ride through the mountains. Thanks to Fred and the gang for setting up the breakfast meet and to Dana for leading us around. Wish we had more time!

Motomac and our paths crossed! It was cool to meet him again. I do want to apologize as I have a difficult time remembering names. Outside of Mac, I know/remember Dana and Fred but that’s it. I think it was Don that we followed back to Ramona but I apologize if I got that wrong. Dee doesn’t take photo’s when we are surfing asphalt so sorry that there are no ride photos…

After we got back to town, Dee and I put on our suits and headed over to a a pool party with my aunt and uncle. I’m going to save most of you from the torture of the ‘hot bodies’ running around the pool but will leave you with this one of Jim makeing a splash...or about too...

Our ride home after putting a dent in someone’s beer supply…

Day 6…On the Road Again…the Pacific Coast…coming soon!

 

[UNTMatt]

Day 6
Monday, July 21st
370 miles
Ramona, Ca to Santa Margarita Lake, Ca KOA

Mistake made today with some road confusion as to exactly when to get on the PCH or highway 1. This put a major delay in acquiring miles and distance. Although that doesn’t sound too bad, it cost us from getting farther up the coast line and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge. The time wasted going through L.A. was around 3 or 4 hours but that’s how the story goes.

If you ride the pacific coast, DO NOT get on highway 1 until you are NORTH of L.A. During the day you can cut through L.A. on the freeway to get there but go around if it is during rush hour. The PCH in the L.A. area is a joke and congested w/traffic. Some parts don’t seem like it is in the best area of town, either.

Dee self shot

Pretty sunset

Day 7 the Pacific Coast the way we wanted to see it…coming soon!

 

[RedPill]

There surely is some beautiful territory out there. I lived a couple of years in San Diego as a kid and my Boy Scout troop had some great hiking and camping in the Sierras. I'm looking forward to the PCH reports. Keep 'em coming!

 

[UNTMatt]

Day 7
Tuesday, July 22ed
Dee’s Birthday
437 miles
Santa Margarita Lake, Ca KOA via Aptos, Ca to Bakersfield, Ca

The run today was gorgeous along the pacific coast! The temp never got over 68°F, usually hanging around 65°F. Big Sur showed the tragic outcome of fire but new life will come again…it’s all part of the cycle. The roads were twisty, the scenery was to die for, and at times we were riding in the clouds. Enjoy the surf, temps, and greenery today….desert is the next few days. This was Dee’s favorite day of riding and the photo’s just do not do this road justice.

Our first campsite at the KOA. Went very well the first time around and was quiet throughout the night.

Dee with the appropriate shirt on…

We stopped at Hurst Castle and took some photo’s at the visitors center. The tours were expensive and would have taken all day. It’s a big house with expensive furnishing. Dee and I both could have done without stopping here but some of you all might enjoy it.

Back to our regularly scheduled ride. Note that highway 1 is like this for miles and miles. Nothing but twisties and coast line.

Self shot

Waiting on a repair crew to let us pass. They were repairing some rock fall damage to the road. Apparently, around here, you’re supposed to look up. Personally, I don’t want to know…

Big Sur and the fire damage…we grabbed a quick sandwitch here.

We made it to Aptos, Ca just south of SF then turned southeast to Bakersfield, Ca. We would rest up in a expensive roach motel for the night there before starting my favorite days.

Day 8-The Desert Run through Death Valley, coming soon!

 

[FirstMan]

Wow, this was a world wind trip! There is just so much to see.

 

[UNTMatt]

Wow, this was a world wind trip! There is just so much to see.

We sport tour so don't blink, you'll miss something. We already know we'll be headed back that direction....we want to see Yosimite, the Redwood forest, and Badwater. The roads in Cali trump just about any other state I've seen. One has to make decisions...ours was to see as much as possible in the time frame alotted. We almost decided to stay in the SD/Southern Cali area and just ride the heck out of that area but the few plans we made on this trip, changed.

That's something else...we made few plans. We knew not where we would stop just general ideas on what we wanted to see. If we missed something, oh well. That's just another excuse to head back out there.

 

[UNTMatt]

Day 8
Wednesday, July 23ed
507 miles
High Temp: 117°F
Bakersfield, Ca to Washington, Ut via Death Valley and Las Vegas

Hot. There are no other words to describe the temps today and, me being a sick and demented Texan than I am, loved every single second of it. Once we crested the 100°F mark, it did not go below until after sunset. After the 117°F run through DV temps went down to around 109°F or so until the sun started to set where we stayed at around 105°F until dark.

The ride to Death Valley was twisty and scenic.

Self shot

Ok...this is Bobcat alley...or that's what we call it. Along this stretch, Dee was shooting photo's and, out of nowhere about 50 feet in front of the bike, shoots a large Bobcat (which I would assume is male since they get larger than the females). I squeeze on the binders and watch the cat disappear into the woods on the other side of the road. I propmtly ask, "did you see that!?" Dee responds..."see what?"

Continued in next post….

 

[UNTMatt]

Day 8 Continued

Dee thought this was the main part of DV...it wasn't...not even close.

Somewhere around this point, Dee said, “I’ve only seen a bird and a fly out here”

I promply responded, I’ve seen a bird, a fly, and a Hornet!

Disclosure statement: The ‘Hornet’ belonged to the U.S. Navy, was banked in a hard starboard turn so the only part you saw was the top of the aircraft. Dee missed it…she was taking other photo’s. The Hornet appeared between two mountain peaks and disappeared after that. It was cool.

Furnace Creek Resort...only open during the winter season. Couldn't figure out why. This was the peak of the heat...stayed at a balmy 117°F for a good while until we started exiting the park.

Met this rider who's name was Dan just outside of Las Vegas. He was on a 2.5 month tour of the U.S. before starting his last semester at college. He happened to be in the DFW area this past Saturday and stopped by our breakfast meet. I will admit, I am/was a bit envious of his trip.

Both of us could do without ever seeing LV again. It's just not our thing...although, we will admit that the only time to see it is at night and we went through in the day. Do not do this...do not do this...do not do this. We lost out on the Hoover dam due to this delay. Another reason to head out west!

Sunset!

Holiday Inn Express in Washington, Utah. They have 14 or so bike garages. I can highly recommend this hotel if you're wanting to see the Grand Canyon and Zion NP's. A little on the pricey side but good accomodations.

Day 9-Zion NP and Grand Canyon NP...our second night in a tent! Coming soon!

 

[Gilk51]

The ‘Hornet’ belonged to the U.S. Navy,

They were checking you out since you so brazenly bypased Ridgecrest and the China Lake Naval Weapons Center (not that you could have gotten in ). Rest assured that they monitored your entire progress...

great story and photos!

 

[donroger1]

Cool Stuff Matt!