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Spring 2021 May 19-24


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21 hours ago, Dennis Andress said:

I won't make Spring Torrey. I just cancelled my  room at the Chuckwagon.

 

I always knew you were a drop out.  :-)  

 

 

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Dennis Andress
2 hours ago, Twisties said:

 

I always knew you were a drop out.  :-)  

 

 

 

I am. Seemed to have finished well all the  same.

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Well, my riding partners bailed out, so I will not be coming to Torrey. I just released my room above the general store.

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Some of the big kids actually go up there on their own.

 

I rode up from Los Angeles more than a dozen times on my own.  Larry said that's cause nobody wants to ride with me.  Long John would have rode up with me many times, but he wouldn't take a day off to go on Thursday. 

 

I did ride up once with another rider from Los Angeles.  He didn't want to go again, but that was not because of me.  It was because with a few inches of snow, and more falling, he wanted to turn around and go home.  Only since I was leading I didn't know that and just kept going and we rode on thru'. But he still complained about it a lot.

 

I was thinking of going down there tomorrow for lunch.  They expanded the lunch room.  There's not a lot of nice lunch places around here so that's a nice lunch ride.

dc

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trip advice please?  I will be riding from Durango to Torrey on the 18th and was thinking of coming north from US163 via UT 261.  Question on the dirt section; assuming it hasn't rained, are there any gotchas for a loaded RT that i should be aware of?  I've watched a couple youtube vids but I know somebody here will have ridden it.  Thanks.

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5 hours ago, bwpsg42 said:

trip advice please?  I will be riding from Durango to Torrey on the 18th and was thinking of coming north from US163 via UT 261.  Question on the dirt section; assuming it hasn't rained, are there any gotchas for a loaded RT that i should be aware of?  I've watched a couple youtube vids but I know somebody here will have ridden it.  Thanks.

 

Its variable ...    _most_   of the time   _most_    of the dirt is moderately hard packed topped with scattered gravel with medium ruts / washboard. Not much worse/better than what you'd see on a forest service dirt road.  (shots below when I decided to drive up 'cause I wanted to get some miles on my newly completed truck )

 

IMG_0572.thumb.JPG.043e001b087989bbdea02dc01573e90e.JPGIMG_0571.thumb.JPG.0b3349580663fa5b5c291afb90be0628.JPG

 

 

 

 

However I've also been through there when there are several short ( like 20-30 foot) stretches of somewhat sandy conditions.  (sorry no shot of that)

 

So it all depends on your comfort level with dirt ... but also with mild sand conditions.  I'm not a great dirt rider, but do I OK and enjoy a good dirt ride ... HOWEVER  even on a small dirt bike, sand gives me a problem ... so I'm a bit biased.  Having said ,  that I've managed through when there was sand, but that was on a Yamaha FZ1, not an RT.

 

If you're riding alone and have any qualms about light to medium sand ... I might skip it ... or you could get lucky and there would be no sand.  Just my opinion :cool:

 

I know there are others who've taken that route so maybe you'll get some other opinions.

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I think Blanding to Hanksville on 95 is much more fun and a better ride. 
 

Unless you have done it several times and want to try something new?

 

 

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1 hour ago, Whip said:

I think Blanding to Hanksville on 95 is much more fun and a better ride. 
 

Unless you have done it several times and want to try something new?

 

 

 

Ditto. It is a great ride. Very scenic.

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Thanks all!  I don’t like soft sand and will be coming across alone so I’ll skip it and hit the road through hanksville. 

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21 hours ago, bwpsg42 said:

Thanks all!  I don’t like soft sand and will be coming across alone so I’ll skip it and hit the road through hanksville. 

No fuel between Blanding and Hanksville.

 

125 beautiful miles. 

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I will only be in Torrey at the Chuckwagon the night of the 17th as I head westward.  I'll leave a Key West gift at the front desk.  Not specific to the gathering, but I'd like to ask about routes for several days I have planned as I travel from Taos westward.  I know several of you are very familiar with the area .  Would it be ok to post the questions here or in another forum.  Thanks.

Bill Walton

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Dennis Andress
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Zion park will be a parking lot. Bryce will be a bit better but not by much. The North Rim will nice. 

 

This is  

 

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Dennis Andress
Quote

Zion park will be a parking lot. Bryce will be a bit better but not by much. The North Rim will nice. 

 

This is  

 

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Dennis Andress
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Zion park will be a parking lot. Bryce will be a bit better but not by much. The North Rim will nice. 

Kolob Canyon is a part of Zion that is worth while.

Kolob Terrace Road is a good ride but turns to dirt.

Any road between Cedar Breaks and Torrey is good.

If you are camping, consider Kodachrome State Park.

Don't miss Escalante and Hwy 12 going north.

 

I have too many commitments and won't make it  to Spring Torrey. I could pull off a day ride though...

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roadscholar
3 hours ago, bwpsg42 said:

I will only be in Torrey at the Chuckwagon the night of the 17th as I head westward.  I'll leave a Key West gift at the front desk.  Not specific to the gathering, but I'd like to ask about routes for several days I have planned as I travel from Taos westward.  I know several of you are very familiar with the area .  Would it be ok to post the questions here or in another forum.  Thanks.

Bill Walton

 

I posted this in another thread for someone Bill, might give you some ideas.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1KaHSXoCBwiN7jwCfo2X5KxxxvjGfQ8f6&usp=sharing

 

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Dennis, Love that area out west.  I used to own property up past Kolob reservoir and really enjoyed the road going up there as it passed in and out of the park.  I was lucky in my college days to work at a ski shop in Vegas and the ski rental at Brian Head each year.  I learned fly fishing on mammoth creek and out west in Pine Valley.  Rode my first beemer, an r90/6, through Zion in 76.  Really missed that area once I grew up, moved, and went to work, well maybe not grown up yet.

Bill, thanks for your map.  It closely aligns with my plan other that I am going further south in Texas so I can ride up through Cloudcroft and Ruidoso in NM after spending a couple days in the hill country of TX.  During the time I lived in Dallas that part of NM and up into Taos and southern CO were annual trips for a bunch of us.  My schedule is this after riding from Florida, weather permitting etc. Trying to keep each day about 350+- except the long haul to Tonopah.  Glad to have anyone along if it fits your schedule. Sort of a map attached.

5/8 to 5/10 Texas hill country

5/13 Ruidoso to Taos

5/15 Taos to Naturita via Pagosa, Durango, Cortez

5/16 Naturita to Moab looping up and around via  the grand mesa and Grand Junction

5/17 Moab to Torrey via Blanding and Hanksville

5/18 Torrey to Tonopah via hwy 12 south to Panguitch then up and over through Cedar City.

5/19 Tonopah west to 395 in CA then north to Reno

ruidoso-reno.pdf

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roadscholar
9 hours ago, bwpsg42 said:

5/16 Naturita to Moab looping up and around via  the grand mesa and Grand Junction

 

If you're taking 141 thru Gateway there's a cool road across US50 from 141 that climbs up the western side of Grand Mesa. It's gravel but hard-packed with maybe a little washboard here and there (no sand) the view’s not bad it's called Land's End (FR100).

 

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Thanks Bill.  I really like the looks of that.  It looks doable on my RT.  I see where it is on basecamp; and it continues on to 65 via something labelled in BC as Grand Mesa Scenic which is perfect.  Weather permitting I'm going to use this road.  I found this drone video on YT which makes it even more enticing.  Thanks again.

 

 

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roadscholar

114.JPG

 

Nice video, hope you get a chance to do it, Grand Mesa (largest flat top mountain in the world it's 600 sq miles) is pretty unique and gets overlooked by a lot of tourists because it's not pointy. At the top FR100 becomes paved out to 65 (there's a cool old Forest Service building on the edge, visible in the video) and there are lots of other forest roads criscrossing the mesa, a nice one you could do is FR121 that runs S to N ending in Collbran.

 

Also another scenic gravel road (Divide Rd) goes across the top of 10,000 ft Uncompahgre Plateau from near Ridgeway to 141/50, it's the big escarpment running up the east side of 141. This is the north end coming back down with Grand Mesa in the background.

 

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Bill, I've charted out Divide Road at roughly 100 miles from Ridgeway to 141.  Any idea how long it will take to ride?  Does anyone have a track they would like to share?  I hate to hijack the Torrey thread and can take any direct messaging or transfer by a moderator to another thread.  thank you.

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roadscholar
4 hours ago, bwpsg42 said:

Bill, I've charted out Divide Road at roughly 100 miles from Ridgeway to 141.  Any idea how long it will take to ride?  Does anyone have a track they would like to share?  I hate to hijack the Torrey thread and can take any direct messaging or transfer by a moderator to another thread.  thank you.

 

Probably 3-4 hours I usually figure 25-30mph average on dirt roads but Divide has some long desolate stretches where you can increase that. One more, Last Dollar Rd goes from the Telluride airport to 62 where you can pick up a connector to Divide, it goes over the Sneffels range so a good bit of elevation change but rideable if it's not wet and very scenic. 

 

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https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1xk-JLaOY-4VgoYHErmcyTuWtnOlzUAnN&usp=sharing

 

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1zlwn5U_zWiyKLRDLJdw1TVFKO7_-xNVx&usp=sharing

 

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roadscholar
1 hour ago, SwamperCal said:

Street tires work on that ride Bill?

 

Most likely as long as it's not wet they're just dirt roads, but conditions can change. That time Last Dollar was damp from a rain the day before, this was the worst spot.

 

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There's a shallow creek at the north end too but not a problem.

 

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roadscholar
3 hours ago, bwpsg42 said:

Bill, I've charted out Divide Road at roughly 100 miles from Ridgeway to 141.  Any idea how long it will take to ride?  Does anyone have a track they would like to share?  I hate to hijack the Torrey thread and can take any direct messaging or transfer by a moderator to another thread.  thank you.

 

Send an email Bill I can do it in Mapsource if you want (works in Basecamp too).

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Thanks all, I plotted it in BC just wanted to compare notes.  Thinking of riding up to it from Naturita and then north from there.

 

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65 over Grand Mesa is paved and is a wonderful ride, as is 141 through Gateway (if time, stop in and see the Gateway Auto Museum).  If Moki Dugway bothers you, then I would skip the dirt over Grand Mesa, particularly at that time of year.  Very likely to be snowy/muddy on the dirt.  Remember that US-50 is subject to major closures and serious work.  65 is just as scenic, and super sweet riding.

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Calvin  (no socks)
On 4/12/2021 at 10:10 PM, longjohn said:

I’m guessing there are many here who have ridden up moki dugway on an rt. You’ll love the views. 

I"ve done Moki on 1200LT, 1200KGT, K12s, and K1600GTL. If that is any help.

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That is  a motivating statement.  I watched another video on YT this morning, FTA Adventures, with him visiting the road.   If the weather is right you never can tell.

 

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On 4/29/2021 at 11:08 AM, Calvin (no socks) said:

I"ve done Moki on 1200LT, 1200KGT, K12s, and K1600GTL. If that is any help.


Yeah, but YOU could ride those same bikes on a BMX track. 

Edited by Whip
  • Haha 3
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18 hours ago, SwamperCal said:

Do you guys think these dirt roads will be passable in three weeks??


Probably but not 100% certain.

 

 

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barryNmarin

Chuckwagon availability update:   I just spoke to Danika at the Chuckwagon and she said they had a "family Suite" with 3 Queen beds @$250 if that helps anyone out there.   Otherwise there is no availability on the days of our event.    She said they DO NOT maintain a wait list as it hasn't worked out for them in the past.    I was considering attending so if any of you people decide to cancel your reservation please give me a shout first so I can claim it.   Cell# 415-305-1328. 

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chrisolson
3 hours ago, barryNmarin said:

She said they DO NOT maintain a wait list as it hasn't worked out for them in the past.

 

Interesting .... all things change as time and management move on.

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On 5/1/2021 at 11:32 AM, barryNmarin said:

Chuckwagon availability update:   I just spoke to Danika at the Chuckwagon and she said they had a "family Suite" with 3 Queen beds @$250 if that helps anyone out there.   Otherwise there is no availability on the days of our event.    She said they DO NOT maintain a wait list as it hasn't worked out for them in the past.    I was considering attending so if any of you people decide to cancel your reservation please give me a shout first so I can claim it.   Cell# 415-305-1328. 

 

It would be great to see you!  Try the Torrey Trading Post right across the street.  Not sure if they've filled up, but it sounded pretty empty when we reserved a month or so ago.

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Looks like we're in.  RT is apart for maintenance and I "might" be able to get it done in time.  If not, we'll be on the GS.

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I guess someone has to be there with bail money.    Not sure if I am bringing the GS (I will need to have it fully serviced), maybe the Bullitt, but probably just the Sprinter and some mountain bikes.  Spouse is coming as well.   Key is it will be good to see you knuckleheads.  Plan now is to leave the Hacienda Thursday early and head home Sunday whenever.   

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chrisolson
5 hours ago, azkaisr said:

I guess someone has to be there with bail money.    Not sure if I am bringing the GS (I will need to have it fully serviced), maybe the Bullitt, but probably just the Sprinter and some mountain bikes.  Spouse is coming as well.   Key is it will be good to see you knuckleheads.  Plan now is to leave the Hacienda Thursday early and head home Sunday whenever.   

 

Damn ... wish I could make it ... would have been excellent to see you again !!

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On 5/6/2021 at 12:14 PM, azkaisr said:

I guess someone has to be there with bail money.    Not sure if I am bringing the GS (I will need to have it fully serviced), maybe the Bullitt, but probably just the Sprinter and some mountain bikes.  Spouse is coming as well.   Key is it will be good to see you knuckleheads.  Plan now is to leave the Hacienda Thursday early and head home Sunday whenever.   

Bring the GS with necessary supplies and we can do the service at the CW. 
 

 

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On 5/6/2021 at 11:14 AM, azkaisr said:

I guess someone has to be there with bail money.  

It has been waaaaaaaaaaaaay too long my friend!  I think the last time I saw you was a Death Valley trip many moons ago.

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Dennis Andress
On 5/6/2021 at 12:14 PM, azkaisr said:

I guess someone has to be there with bail money.

 

A good friend will show up with bail. A great friend will be in the cell with you saying "Damn that was fun!"

 

I need to be in Socal Saturday for a wedding. Torrey isn't far and I feel the need. I think I'll ride there and back on Friday.

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I just cancelled my reservation.  One should be available.

 

It was for 4 nights, Thu, Fri, Sat and Sun.

dc

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SwamperCal

Going to be in Torrey Friday Night. We leave Monday heading to Tonopah, Kanab, Monument Valley, Bullfrog, then Torrey for one night. Saturday heading out to Colorado for a few days, hope the passes will be open by then.

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Well I thought I was going to be able to get out of town and FINALLY make it for for a gathering.   Nope not in the cards...

I had a 1 queen bed room above the store from 5/19-5/24 for 2 people that I just canceled 

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