big-t Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Last year I rode most of the eastern half of the TAT (Transamerica trail) Here are the links to those ride reports. TAT 1 TAT 2 TAT 3 TAT 4 ...continuing on from last years report. A new bike, some good friends to accompany me and another great adventure starts. Ready to roll,1500 miles to the point where I quit the trail last year. Mark claims he is working as Kenny takes over driving duty.. We arrived in Salida Co about 4 pm in a bit of rain and cool temps.After 2 days in the truck everybody was up for a afternoon ride to checkout Aspen Alley. We are pumped. Maybe we can get a few pics from Mark and Kenny Don't go away ,it gets better.. Link to comment
Huzband Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Well THAT was quick. Shortest ride tale evah. Link to comment
Firefight911 Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Well THAT was quick. Shortest ride tale evah. Perhaps Mark didn't quite grasp what he was reading when they all got together to write this. The Ultimate Sales Machine - Chet Holmes Link to comment
Kenny Haynes Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Between work schedules, mechanical issues and other pressures we were down to the last minute determining whether this trip would even occur. As little as 3 days before and I thought it might end up a solo trip for me. But in the end it all came together and we were all happy to be traveling together again. I often hear people complain about crossing the plains and how boring it is. Perhaps it has to do with the contrast to where I live, but I have enjoyed every crossing I’ve made. It takes a while to cross but I always find something interesting about it. Getting off the interstate helps. The large sunflower fields are pretty. Once the front range appears we start getting anxious to ride. Soon we are climbing around the hills near Salida in a little shake down ride. Man I love Colorado. I’ve been anticipating getting the 950 se out here for months. We are all very excited to be back. Despite a light rain, our little 60 mile ride delivers just what we needed. More to come... Link to comment
roadscholar Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Dang, this is looking good already, wish I could have met up with ya'll for some of that. I know, 'woulda, coulda, shoulda...' Todd I somehow missed that first part, that was great. Link to comment
big-t Posted September 25, 2009 Author Share Posted September 25, 2009 Dang, this is looking good already, wish I could have met up with ya'll for some of that. I know, 'woulda, coulda, shoulda...' We were expecting you to pop in,at some point in time. Link to comment
Kenny Haynes Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Mark is riding my trusty adult ridden pristine garaged well farkeled and impeccably prepared klr on this trip, and it was easy to see his excitement at the prospect of all that power on tap ;-) Big-T would be on his new xchallenge pictured before. I struggled for about 3 minutes over whether to bring my 450exc or my 950. Several people told me the 450 would be best out there, and it would have been a great choice for some of the off road bits, but we weren’t planning any single track on this ride and had some good distances to cover on several days, so the 950 won out. I was very happy with how it did. I remember when they first came out being surprised that something like this would even make it to production. Who would want that? Now I think it is the best do all bike ever made. Link to comment
LJR Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Sweeet! A new adventure begins. Link to comment
Huzband Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Get on with it already! Link to comment
ArmyGuy Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 I'm reminded of that catsup commercial...."anticipation, it's making me wait"... Link to comment
StretchMark Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 Well, I don't have many pics to add for day one. I was too busy thinking about the power of the KLR and becoming the Ultimate Sales Machine. It's been a crappy couple of years riding-wise for me. Between job stress, no job stress, and new job stress, riding just took a back seat. I gave myself a 1% chance of making this trip, but with a few days to go, and the offer of the KLR dangling over my head, I went for it. I spent 30 minutes packing on Thusday and was gone. I do not like riding across Kansas.....at all....but 8 hours of the Willy Nelson channel on Sirius made it fly by The Alpine Ridge trail out of Salida was a great start and just gave us a glimpse of all the good stuff to come. One of my few shots from day 1: Day 2: The mountains looked angry when we awoke the next morning and snow covered many of the peaks. So we loaded up and headed here: And started on the first of many climbs that trip: Back to you big-t Link to comment
roadscholar Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 I remember when they first came out being surprised that something like this would even make it to production. Who would want that? Now I think it is the best do all bike ever made. That bike needs a sticker on the rear fender that says, 'Warning-stay back 100' when in motion, spewing debris may be hazardous to your health' : ) Link to comment
StretchMark Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 That bike needs a sticker on the rear fender that says, 'Warning-stay back 100' when in motion, spewing debris may be hazardous to your health' : ) I actually think that I'm dumping gravel out of my crotch in the background there Link to comment
big-t Posted September 26, 2009 Author Share Posted September 26, 2009 The next day was great,we were ready to go and Colorado did not disappoint us. View from the parking lot of the snow dusted mountains We soon entered the San Isabel forest and started the climb. Hancock Pass is first, right out of the gate...and fairly difficult in some sections. The new bike,short legs and lack of oxygen (about 11k at this point)is kicking my butt,so I pulled over in the middle of the rough section and took a short break,only to drop the bike from a standstill as I started to continue(short leg problem) I really didn't need that mirror anyway... Broke it off picking the bike off...Dum...As.... Looking up the trail from where I took a break. At the top. The road to Tomechi Pass Tomechi Pass Mark The road to Tomechi (click on pic) Looking back toward Hancock Pass Pitkin General store,80 residents live here fulltime Moving along The day ended in Lake City. Link to comment
Fubar Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 This is why you should always use a licensed contractor. Great pics, thanks for sharing. Link to comment
Kenny Haynes Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 There is nothing quite like the feeling you have pulling out that first day on a ride like this. All the planning, packing, bike prep is done and you are finally executing the plan. No more list checking or farkling to do, just get in the saddle and twist the throttle. Try not to be stupid and let the days unfold. That feeling is what makes us all keep doing it right? The rain the night before fell as snow on some of the passes, but we could see it burning off pretty quickly the next morning. We were greeted with a fantastic sky and great riding temps as we rolled toward Hancock pass. The morning could not be better. Climbing Hancock was the first of many highlights for me. It has some challenging bits and very rewarding views. On the way up. I think Mr. Davis is happy to be here. We were all stoked. The guys decending the switchbacks on the back side of Hancock. Hancock pass from Tomichi. Todd considers refilling his camelback team overkill style. We had a relaxing stop here for some delicious energy bars. As we sat there a fellow drove by in a tiny smart car. Some of the tough terrain had turned him around. I wonder if it was a rental. The se is tall, I’m not. So I share the short leg thing Todd mentioned earlier. Every stop is an exercise in planning so I can get the side stand down and be able to re mount the bike without falling. Todd arrives at Waunita pass. A few on the way to Lake City. Rain was on our tail and gaining ground. Lake City the next morning. More to come… Link to comment
bobbybob Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 Great video to Tomechi Pass!! Link to comment
ArmyGuy Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 Amazing, beautiful country. Keep 'em coming. Link to comment
skinny_tom (aka boney) Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 dear God! I think I know where I'm gonna be riding next summer! Link to comment
Huzband Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 WOW! Bill, we gotta go back out there. Link to comment
StretchMark Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 Salida (Suh-lie-duh).....Tomichi (Toe-mee-chee). Don't think I can top your guys pictures this day. After waiting for big-t for a bit near the top of Hancock, I decided to head back down to see if he was ok. I was greeted with this view and knew all was pretty much ok: I was trying to give Kenny a long-distance "thumbs up", which I guess looked like a "come back, we need help" from that far away. But we eventually all got back together at the top of the pass and big-t got down on his knees to : big-t can never resist a good cow picture. The bull (just out of the picture) was not happy at all with us: A little test to see how long it would take Kenny to get the SE turned around for a picture. Answer: About a mile. The rain was moving in fast: We didn't dodge all of it: Day 3: A great day and many passes await outside of Lake City, but wait...drama... Link to comment
big-t Posted September 27, 2009 Author Share Posted September 27, 2009 The next day was a wash,We have done a number of trips together without any mechanical issues,so we were due...When I fired up the bike it had a rough idle,but by the time I got to the local grocery store it seemed alright,so I filled up with the best they had...87 octane ...,should work until I can get to somewhere that has the prescribed 91 stuff. Kenny and Mark filled there also. Loaded my gear and took off,all of 30 feet before it stalled,Hmmm,tried it 30 more feet before it quit,and then again.After a few more trys it wouldn't hit a lick.First thought was the fuel,but the others had filled there also and their bikes were running. First time disassembling the bike revealed I needed a lot more tools than was provided in the tool kit. Normally,I like to go thru the bike before leaving on a trip and make sure the tools needed are onboard,but in this case the bike was almost brand new and I really didn't have the time,besides that,everyone knows BMWs don't break down.. Spent several hours trouble shooting the basics,injector was pulsing,plugs were providing spark,bypassed the side stand switch and disconnected the o2 sensor,but the plugs kept flooding.Even bought a new set and it still wouldn't start,We were burning valuable riding time so the decision was made for Mark and Kenny to ride the 100 miles for the truck while I reassembled the bike and waited on a rental cabin porch in the rain. When they returned I loaded and headed for Grand Junction BMW,to be on their doorstop when they opened in the morning,since the bike is still under warranty.The others would continue on the route the next day and I would catch up later. Most of the next day was spent at the Grand Junction Harley/BMW shop watching the Harleys ride in and the BMWs being trailered in.Seems like there was an epidemic of dead BMWs that day... I explained to the mechanic at the dealer what I had checked and he got to work,no codes showing and a check of the fuel pressure revealed it was a bit low.Apparently he has replaced the pumps on several of these bikes,but before ordering a new one he wanted to remove the filter and recheck the pressure. Like most FI units the filter is in the tank. It was not long before he returned with the filter in hand and said the gas had a funky smell to it,maybe like a slight odor of diesel.He said” I'm going to try a long shot and dump all the fuel ,flush the pump,filter and lines and give it another try”.He was right on the money,bike fired and ran good. He earned a nice tip for his work..... Finally figured out the reason the other bikes ran,was when they filled, they still had a gallon or more fuel left in their tanks which diluted the bad fuel.Mine was almost completely empty when I filled it.DUH BTW:Thanks to you folks that provided the internet research while the bike was down. My only picture for the day The Potting shed,complete with electric fence to keep out the four legged critters....including BEARS.. Time for Mark and Kenny to report on their next day Link to comment
Huzband Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 At least you didn't have a jet fall out. Good news is, you're still in Colorado. Link to comment
roadscholar Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 WOW! Bill, we gotta go back out there. I know. I'm thinking... : ) Link to comment
Firefight911 Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 WOW! Bill, we gotta go back out there. I know. I'm thinking... : ) Can I come with ya? Link to comment
roadscholar Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 WOW! Bill, we gotta go back out there. I know. I'm thinking... : ) Can I come with ya? If we get something figured out, you bet. Link to comment
StretchMark Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 ...and pictures don't even begin to do this place justice! Well, after a soggy, windy ride to get big-t’s truck, Kenny and I decided it was time to do a little something just for ourselves. Something we rarely do…always thinking about and doing for others… Kenny and I headed back to some familiar territory and rode the Alpine Loop from Lake City to Ouray. Really fun stuff and not too technical. Kenny turned me loose on the Super Enduro for the climb up to Cinnamon Pass. Not sure what I was doing here, but it certainly was not a yawn. The SE is just an incredible bike for that climb! I think I will retire right here: Kenny and I checked out a couple of side roads that went nowhere: Then hit California Pass and Hurricane Pass: Then over towards Corkscrew Pass We decided to run into Ouray so we could get phone service and check on Todd. Still no progress on the bike, so after a little detour to Ridgway to find brake pads, we started to get back on Todd’s route. The route called for us to go over Ophir Pass, but the “been there done that” factor was high, plus we had some nagging regrets that we had not tried Black Bear pass last year. We blasted up Big Bear pass thinking “what’s the big deal?”. It was rough, but really not too technical. Goind down the other side didn’t look so bad either: But it started to get a bit steeper: And steeper. This was a bit of a pucker moment as you had to let the bike roll over a ledge but still get enough brake to make the 90 degree right at the bottom. It probably wasn’t that bad, but the severe penalty of missing that turn probably made us think about it a bit longer than we normally would As soon as I saw this famous house I knew we were past the rough stuff and we could sail right into Telluride: We hooked back up with big-t’s route outside of Telluride and realized we still had a looooong way to go to Monticello Utah, so not many pictures here. We started flying through some of the smoother gravel roads trying to make up time and outrun all of the storms popping up around us. Right as the thunder and lightning started getting really intense, we ran into a fenced off portion of the trail so we had to backtrack. Luckily that took us away from the storms. We get a message big-t was on his way to Monticello. We didn’t make it in until well after dark. We cruised through town looking for big-t’s bike at a hotel or restaurant, but no luck. We decided to park our bikes under the lights at the first restaurant in town, grab an incredibly mediocre meal, and hope big-t found us. Finally we remembered the Spot Tracker. We called Christine and asked her to check where Todd was only to realize he was still 1.5 hrs away. The temps were dropping fast, so we decided to grab shelter for the evening. Unfortunately there was some BLM meeting, coupled with the opening of hunting season and some other event which filled up all 6 or 7 hotels in Monticello. Kenny decided to use his southern charm and boyish good looks to sweet talk a very nice young lady at the last hotel. She came through for us big time with a conference room and 3 roll-away beds. We were not too thrilled with the idea of driving another 60 or 100 miles for a hotel, so $15/head for a conference room was a great deal. It was also fantastic to have big-t back with us for the adventure I’m sure Kenny has a few other good shots from this very long day. Link to comment
Kenny Haynes Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 Though saddened by not having Big-T with us, I was elated to be back on the Alpine Loop trail again. It was so much fun when we were here in 2007. I wanted to get Mark’s opinion on the se in this terrain, so we switched out for the climb up Cinnamon Pass. I don’t think he minded letting me have the klr for a few miles. Though the road is a little rough in spots, it isn’t terribly technical. You can focus on the views which are spectacular throughout. Still, running off the road would be a very bad thing. We didn’t take as many pictures through here since we had been here before, but I did get some video from the saddle. There is still a lot we haven’t done in this area, and I would go back tomorrow if I could. Click the picture. Descending Corkscrew is another favorite. Black Bear pass as Mark mentioned, had it’s moments but what a payoff. If you have Neduro’s advance dualsport dvd, this pass gets some good video coverage in it. The little black dot over there is Mark. Zoomed a little. Telluride comes in to view. Click pic. Soon we were blasting through some national forest routes toward Monticello. Fun stuff through here. click pic. I soon noticed that our headlights were so dirty I could not see Mark’s burning. Turned out the geriatric klr had blown a fuse, so as darkness drew near we unpacked it and replaced the fuse. By the time we got to Monticello it was well after dark, we were cold and hungry, and every hotel in town and in each town within a 60 mile radius was booked solid. Many thanks to the folks at Inn at the Canyons for accommodating us. The good news was Big-T was back with us. The week was flying by. Tom, Bill and Danny, you would love this stuff. More later… Link to comment
bobbybob Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 Mark, what days were ya'll out there? We might have passed ya--we were riding the RT's but did some "cage DS'ing" in the Ridgeline up to Ophir Pass, Alpine Loop, Animas Forks, and Yankee Boy Basin. We were in Ouray 9-8 thru 9-12. Can't wait to go back with the KLR & 650GS! GREAT ride report!!! Link to comment
Highway41 Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 Great photos and video. The video going down the Corkscrew cured me of any notion to buy a dirt bike. Bill Link to comment
StretchMark Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 We were out there from 9/11-9/18, but didn't get over to Ouray until 9/15. We saw many RT's along the way. Link to comment
big-t Posted September 27, 2009 Author Share Posted September 27, 2009 WOW,great stuff guys,sorry I missed that section,but kind of glad I missed the "pucker"section of Blackbear. For me the plan was to trailer to Montrose,dump the truck and ride on to Monticello to meet up with the guys. 5PM and I'm ready to ride.Punch in Monticello on the Zumo and have a look.The route makes a large U to my left.Looking that direction its solid black with lightening strikes every few minutes.A quick check to my right reveals the same,but its clear in the middle and MR Zumo shows a yellow squiggley that runs in that path.Cool....Lets ride.........BIG MISTAKE. The first few miles were good,a few drops of rain on the road.As I started the climb up the edge of the Uncompahgre plateau the road turns to gravel,no problem,gravel is fun,but the rain is increasing which brings out a flaw with this bike.Front fender is too short and the water is slinging out the front and flying back into my face.Oh well,reducing my speed a bit will help somewhat. A third of the way across the gravel turns into a light coating of mud.Now vision is becoming a problem as my visor and the headlight are getting splattered with mud.Too far down the road now to turn back. At the halfway point I'm in 2 inches of mud, riding with a rag between the fingers of my left hand to wipe the visor and headlight clean as I go.Its pitch black,raining slightly and the lightening strikes are still on both sides.I'm down to 20 mph and I can barely see the Mule deer that cross in front of me. There is absolutely nothing out here but me and the critters.. Now there are cattle standing in the road.I slow as they move out of the way.It couldn't get much worse than this.........WRONG I see a sign that indicates the road narrows ahead......that can't be good...It narrows to about the width of one car and it looks like its just been newly worked........and the mud is 4 inches deep and I'm constantly fighting the sideways slides.Shoulders start to ache. Time to Man-up and get the job done.I know Mark and Kenny are sitting in a warm room,sipping a cold one and watching me on the Spottracker,while laughing their asses off at the dumb decision I made.... Finally the road gets wider,the mud a little less,but still just as slippery.Seemed like forever before I get to the hardsurface.Now,only 78 miles of dark lonely road to Monticello. Shower and a cold one will be great..........I know the guys have me covered....Wrong again.. Even though the bathroom is in the lobby and there is no AC, the conference room is looking pretty good and its great to get back with the guys. Pic of the bike next morning,I was afraid to get off in the mud,rain and dark to attempt a pic.Pretty sure that would have resulted in a busted asssssss. Tomorrow will be a better day,will get started on it shortly Link to comment
StretchMark Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 Shower and a cold one will be great..........I know the guys have me covered....Wrong again.. We were thinking the exact same thing as we rolled into town, tired and shivering. We just assumed you would arrive waaaay before us. I like the way the next day started with a nice warmup and the mountains tempting us in the distance: ...take it away, big-t Link to comment
roadscholar Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 A third of the way across the gravel turns into a light coating of mud.Now vision is becoming a problem as my visor and the headlight are getting splattered with mud.Too far down the road now to turn back. At the halfway point I'm in 2 inches of mud, riding with a rag between the fingers of my left hand to wipe the visor and headlight clean as I go.Its pitch black,raining slightly and the lightening strikes are still on both sides.I'm down to 20 mph and I can barely see the Mule deer that cross in front of me. There is absolutely nothing out here but me and the critters.. Now there are cattle standing in the road.I slow as they move out of the way.It couldn't get much worse than this.........WRONG I see a sign that indicates the road narrows ahead......that can't be good...It narrows to about the width of one car and it looks like its just been newly worked........and the mud is 4 inches deep and I'm constantly fighting the sideways slides.Shoulders start to ache. Todd, I noticed that road (FR402-Divide Rd.) on a map a few years ago and have been looking for a good report on it ever since. Thanks, we appreciate it. Link to comment
big-t Posted September 27, 2009 Author Share Posted September 27, 2009 Its great how a new day dawns and everything changes.We woke up to a beautiful day,a bit stinky from lack of facilities. Today we head to Greenriver UT and pass thru Moab. Smooth riding after yesterdays mess. Leftover snow Look whats on the Horizon Moab Sand flats road coming into Moab lunch break at the Moab Brewery Climbing out of Moab We ran into lots of this type road surface. Gemini Bridges area Close to Greenriver E.O.D Link to comment
big-t Posted September 27, 2009 Author Share Posted September 27, 2009 Bill, I was on Rt90 out of Montrose that cuts the corner of the plateau,on the Zumo it looked like a paved road, Going back and checking it out on mapsource confirms its a dirt road. I had us routed on the Divide Rd,for the return trip,but we had to change plans,so I'll have to wait for your report on that road Looks good Link to comment
roadscholar Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 That was really fantastic you guys! Oh well, guess I'll have to ride it : ) Link to comment
Kenny Haynes Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 If you went to sleep on Geyser pass and woke up a few miles later in the Moab area, you could easily be convinced you were transported to a different planet. The changes in scenery are dramatic. Aspens on the road near Geyser pass. A few miles outside of Moab Climbing out toward Gemini Bridges area. Click pic Easy to get a little stupid with the throttle in here, but we managed to behave. As we got closer to Green River, I couldn’t get that CCR song out of my head. There were no barefoot girls dancin’ in the moonlight though. Time for laundry and some chow. Link to comment
johnlt Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 Hey Mark, great story and ride. Unless I missed it, did you have some specific GPS tracks you were following? I'd love to have them. johnlt Link to comment
StretchMark Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 John, big-t actually put the routes together. I believe most of what we did is part of the TAT route that Sam Correro put together over a period of time. TAT Map Web Site - Click here. I'll let big-t respond about sharing the routes. I believe there is somewhat of an uspoken rule about protecting Sam's hard work. I know big-t had to prove he purchased the maps before GPS files were shared with him. Again, I don't have many pics to add to this group. We had been missing the mark on just about every meal this trip. I hate that! Finally this Chili Verde at Moab Brewery really hit the spot: Probably my favorite part about traveling with big-t is the way he soaks up every experience....always a smile, a thumbs up: Of course Kenny's battle cry of "Less talk, more throttle!" always gets me going: The battle cry and this sign seems like a good lead in to the next day of riding...which was EPIC!! Who wants to kick off Black Dragon/White Rim?? Link to comment
big-t Posted September 28, 2009 Author Share Posted September 28, 2009 Gonna be hard to top yesterday.......or maybe not.We are already realizing the ride thru Torrey will be impossible to accomplish,so a new plan is devised to visit Black Dragon Canyon and possibly run part of the White Rim trail.........,All in one day ??? A short run down the slab brought us to an overlook at the Black Dragon canyon,where we noticed some figures lurking down in the canyon,we were pretty sure they were The Kopelli's.Often seen as the “humpback flute player” in primitive indians drawings. Mark was quick and managed to catch a few on his camera. Found the road down into the canyon Quick check to ensure we are on course Nothing to worry about here A couple of returning 4x4s that found the canyon impassable Finally First sign of things to come Starting down into the canyon Nobody has been in here for a while If I could have some wishes, my second one would be for longer legs,Mark just duck walks that KLR thru the roughest places. getting better It was rough going in,but worth every effort I really hate to follow Kenny on the rough trails,especially when he stops at a bad spot to survey the trail ahead,then drops out of sight....you know then its going to be UGLY... ...sorry no pics,You could not pry my hands off the bars. Pictographs from another age As usual the pics cannot convey the magnatitude of this place This pic of Mark will give you a little better insite and the gate back onto the slab AWESOME......Gonna take a break,but the day is only half over,stay tuned Link to comment
StretchMark Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 The yoga "Tree Pose" cracked me up too. It was a little embarrassing to see that several others had pulled in the parking lot after we got there. I'm sure they were wondering what the hell we were doing. So I guess the riverbed is now the trail??? Of course I had to take this one. It's not often I see Kenny in this predicament. I had nearly busted it in some deep stuff the corner before, so I kind of chuckled when I saw him: Is big-t ready to shoot himself? I convince them it's not too bad...keep coming! I was really amazed how capable the KLR was through all of this stuff. I really bonded with it this week and thought seriously about selling both my GS and DRZ and giving Kenny the $600 he was asking for the bike (It's worth less now). Two thumbs up this time: Little Kenny is such a tiny thing...takes up no room at all: Daylight ahead and we are finally out of this canyon: I did a little research on the canyon, and we apparently missed some of the really good pictographs/petroglyphs. Guess we'll have to go back! Now let's moto down to the White Rim Trail for the second "half" of the day... Link to comment
Kenny Haynes Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Black Dragon came highly recommended but we were a little apprehensive regarding the conditions. There had been a good bit of rain in the area over the last few weeks and a friend told me that the canyon was essentially a wash. If too much rain had fallen, it could be impassable. It sure started out beautiful though, and we wanted to get through it. Click pic Hard to tell where the road went, or if there was one in some places. Mark convinced us to keep plugging away at it, and we are glad he did. It was quite stunning scenery though. For the most part, the traction was great and there was very little deep sand here. What there was I managed to find. I wonder how good an idea it is to have a bike that you can’t pick up. I dropped mine twice in the canyon and had to get Marks help both times to right it. Thanks man, saved me from unloading the thing. I never thought scenery like this could become routine, but we barely scratched the surface of what is here and it seemed to go on forever in all directions. Almost out of the canyon here. By any measure a great day of riding already. But, if some is good more is better right? A quick blast back to Green River on I70, then off to the White Rim trail next. It starts off with a bang. Click the pic. Link to comment
big-t Posted September 28, 2009 Author Share Posted September 28, 2009 With the Black Dragon experience still on out mind,a short slab toward Moab to check out the White Rim Trail is the next order of the day.Reports of 6 to 8 hours to finish make us realize that we will probably have to turn around at some point and get out before dark.. The top of the canyon at the entry point. 100 feet later.the infamous Shafer switchbacks There are 2 cars in this pic,can you find them? Finally at the bottom New arch forming,come back in a million years and it will be ready Glad I wasn't here 2 days ago Click on pic There are plenty of places that will allow you some suckup time Notice the “white rim” I mapped out the trail in Mapsource and it showed 120 miles from Moab to Moab and everybody was enjoying the beauty and concentrating on the ride to even consider turning around........Until a mishap happened and then we realized how bad it could have been.Absolutely no cell service and it had been quite a while since we had seen anyone and still about 60 miles of hard terrain to cover. Kenny picking up the KLR while Mark looks on. I'm pretty sure Mark said ”it wouldn't be nuttin for me to ride 60 miles outta here in the dark with a broken foot and cracked/bruised ribs” We tried to hustle along but it was hard not to stop and take photos Minor repair to get the lights on Kudos to Kenny for leading us out for the last 3hrs in the dark,(even though we almost got buried in a sand )...It was almost impossible task,on the solid rock sections the trail just disappeared and in the dark the little turnoffs often sent us the wrong way. ...and I'm glad we paid for that executive suite.........since it was the only room left in town.. Should you try the White Rim trail,be prepared,it just keeps coming at you,rocks,ledges,tough climbs and decents in loose stuff with ledges,rut and sand washes. Not saying you should not do it,just be prepared.Its recommended you carry 2 days worth of food and water here,just in case.The only Park Ranger we saw was 1.5 hrs from the end of the trail. Link to comment
StretchMark Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Yeah...those switchbacks were really something! I've been wanting to come here for a long time. Another checkmark. A multiple thumbs-up day: Probably the favorite of my shots for the trip. What a place! And then stupidty creeps in. You know you still have a looong way to go to get to Moab, you know you are running out of daylight, the roads gets a little smoother, so you twist the throttle....but you just can't stop peeking at the scenery: Shortly after this picture, I was peeking off to my right. When I focused my attention back on the trail I noticed a decent size step-up ledge in the middle of the trail. I hit the brakes hard and tried to swerve to the side, the front started to tuck, then hooked back up and I went flying. I slid into the ledge, then the bike plowed into me. I knew I'd screwed up something, but also knew we had to get the hell out of there. The next few hours were pretty rough. I couldn't stand on the pegs so I was taking the shock of all the bumps. Even in pain, I couldn't resist stopping for a last few pictures: Riding in the dark the last 3 hours made it that much worse. I was so glad to get to the hotel and even more thrilled that big-t was a rolling pharmacy of pain meds. At that point I knew I could at least make it the last 200 miles to the truck. I sure hated to end the trip this way. Tomorrow we would have to ride past the Grand Mesa and the Great Divide trail thinking of what could have been. ...and were not quite done yet.... Link to comment
Firefight911 Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 This is like a great action novel. Keep it coming boys. This is great stuff!!!! Link to comment
roadscholar Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Off the scale, almost epic. Link to comment
SageRider Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Tag team ride report! Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment
Huzband Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 I think I just ran out of popcorn. This is awesome! Link to comment
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