Total Miles: 2847 – Through California, Arizona, Nevada & Utah

Wednesday – October 10, 2007

Meeting with Chanderjeet

My ride started out with meeting a fellow named Chanderjeet (CJ) who has come all the way over from India to ride the United States. It all started with a post by a local celebrity to the Adventure Rider crowd who goes by the moniker of StrikingViking (SV). As a result, donations were made, a bike was found, and Chanderjeet has come over for adventure. If you’re interested in how things are going you can read up on him here. On Wednesday I aimed my front wheel north towards Barstow California. I picked up Pete along the way and we motored on up to meet CJ. I told CJ and Bob to meet us at the In-n-Out in Barstow. Mainly because its easy to find, but as CJ is Indian he doesn’t eat cows. Pete and I pulled in to In-n-Out and I realized, “Crap, this isn’t Barstow.” I started to look in my GPS to make sure there wasn’t another In-n-Out in Barstow proper and CJ and Bob showed up. We crossed the parking lot to Panda Express and got some quick chinese food before hitting the road. Our goal was to get to Palm Springs to meet up with SV around 4 PM.

We took the 247 to the 62 down around the backside of Big Bear and through Yucca Valley. Pretty nice road, way better than motoring down the Interstate. It was pretty uneventful and pleasant until we came down the 62 into Palm Springs, then we hit the crosswinds. There’s a reason those big ass windmills are there. The winds were definitely 30 mph +. (I’d venture to guess closer to 50 as it got really quiet once we were on the 10 eastbound) We met up with SV at his close friends custom motorcycle shop. Very cool stuff. I have to admit, Glen AKA StrikingViking is a fricken giant. Even with that, his smile is infectious and he’s a super likeable guy. Afterwards we all headed over to another rider’s house for a BBQ.

Jonz hosted us at his house and made some of the best carne asada and pollo asada I’ve had in long time. We all got to hang out and trade stories and hear about CJ’s home. What a great bunch of people and a complete pleasure to hang out with. SV told us about a few of the places he’s visited, CJ told us about how things are back home. He rides a 110cc Honda back home all over the place. For a comparison to those who don’t ride, I have a 1200cc motorcycle, most people ride around a 600cc motorcycle, and most scooters are 150cc. After the BBQ rounded up Jonz was kind enough to let me stay with him along with CJ. Our plan was to head north, then part ways in Amboy, CA. Our route took us through some backroads into Joshua Tree, then out a part of historic Route 66. We stopped at a place called Roy’s which looked like it was once a happening place on the way out to California, now just another ghost town forgotten by time. As we split off of each other my last vision of CJ was him riding east waving to Jonz and I. If I had the time, and no-one to meet in Utah I would have kept on riding with him.

---

Thursday – October 11, 2007Into Utah!

I spent the first part of the ride with Jonz and CJ riding through some of the desert north of Palm Springs. After splitting off with them in Amboy, I aimed north through the Mojave planning to connect with I-15 in Primm Nevada. The ride through the Mojave was pretty uneventful, just like I like it. On Wednesday I was trying out some new riding shorts I had purchased, but by the end of the day thought “Boy, these really suck!” I stopped by Las Vegas BMW on the way to see if they had some other shorts but they only had the BMW ones which weren’t much different than the ones I had. It turns out that the new Ohlins suspension I installed changed the ride position of the bike making me slide forward into an uncomfortable part of the seat. At this point Kevin and his dad had made it to our rendezvous point in Payson Utah. I still had 350 miles to go and it was 3PM. I made it to Utah, stopped for gas and watched the sun set. Plowing up the Interstate isn’t much fun, plowing up the Interstate in the dark at 75mph in 40 degrees through the mountains with signs saying “Watch out for wildlife.” Now that’s…fucking nuts. Probably more stupid than anything really. Lets say I wasn’t too comfortable and I should have planned better. I arrived safely in Payson and found the guys at the hotel enjoying some cocktails and nice and warm. Since there was three of us, we got an extra cot. Kevin and I played Rock/Paper/Scissors and I lost thus getting the portable cot. Lets say, that it was marginally better than the floor, but I was so tired it didn’t even matter to me.

---

Friday – October 12, 2007Checking out the scenery

We woke up early to overcast skies. The night before Kevin and his dad wagered double or nothing as to whether there would be frost on the bikes or not. Kevin said no frost, Dad said they’ll be frost. It was no frost, but still fricken cold. We gassed up and set out to find someplace for breakfast. Not much was going on downtown but we found this little diner called One Man Band. It was an interesting experience. Basically it was required that you order your food following the precise directions via the telephone at your table. Know what you want, only one person orders, and don’t screw up. Then, you just chill there and wait for the phone to buzz and blink. Then you get your ass up and pick your food up, pay, return, and eat. The only notable thing about the restaurant was its pecular ordering process. The food was so-so and the place could have used a few repairs.

We rolled out of the restaurant and went looking for the start of the Nebo Scenic Bypass that goes through the mountains between Payson and Nephi. At first it looked like it was going to be a dirt road, but it turned out to be a spectacular road with gorgeous views.

We passed through some beautiful back country through small towns, rivers, lakes, coal mines, and many cows. We rode through another scenic road called the Energy Loop (BTW, they call the roads up here loops, but they aren’t). We rode through someplace that was marked as the town of Colton on the GPS, but there was nothing there, and then on up to Duchesnes (Pronounced Doo-Shanes). I took quite a few pictures while riding the bike to get a feel for the road. Some of them are worth checking out. We stopped for lunch in Duchesnes at a little cafe which had some pretty good burgers. At this point we discussed the weather conditions and whether we should continue with the original plan. A big storm was heading our way, and it appeared very likely that Kevin & Dad could get snowed in someplace as their ride home would take them up pretty into the mountains. We did some lookups on the phone, discussed some more and concluded it would probably be best for them to head home ASAP to beat the front. With that, I decided rather than continue north I’d head south to Bryce with the plans to meet some friends in Vegas Saturday night. Our paths parted ahead of schedule but it was for the best. We’ll rid again in the future, better to allow that to happen rather than put people under unneeded risk.

From Duchesnes I headed south on the 191 towards Bryce. Most of the riding here is still between 4000 and 9000 feet so it was still cold, and overcast as well. Utah in general is really pretty. The land is pretty, the women are pretty, even the cows are pretty. The roads are in great shape and a blast to ride. About 6 miles south of Duchesnes I was motoring along and I come around a turn to see a CHP with flashing lights coming up the road. He points out his window for me to pull over. I thinking “WTF? I just came around the turn, he must have super radar!” So, I find a safe place down the road to pull over and I park it. Five minutes go by, he hasn’t come down the road. I figure I’ll pull back onto the road again but keep my speed down so if he is coming after me its not like I’m evading him. About a mile further down the road, another CHP, lights on, pulls right into my lane ahead of me and comes to a near stop. I’m like “Oh shit, the other guys must have called on the radio to this one. I’m so busted!” He yells out the window “Get off the road now! Get off the road now!” I look over to the shoulder and there is none. I look up, and this truck is coming around the corner with some massive white thing twice the size of my house on it. Now I know why I have to get off the road. I yell back “Roger that!” I basically have to off road it down into the ditch on the side of the road. There wasn’t much of an option, thankfully I’m on a GS and its really not a super big deal. I find out later that the thing that was coming up the road at me was a scoop for a giant dump truck.

The ride down the 191 was pretty uneventful after that. It turns out there are a lot of coal mines in Utah. I passed quite a few on my way south. Some wild machinery driving in and out of those places. I finally hit the 70 and I’m equal distance from Hanksville and Moab. Hanksville is on my way, Moab isn’t but I know for sure there is lodging and gas there. I decide initially to head towards Hanksville but a sign on the side of the road that says “No services 101 Miles” makes me think that its probably not a good idea. I decide to turn around and head to Moab. On the way, I come across Green River which has gas and lodging. I fuel up, and talk to some of the girls inside the gas station and ask them if there is anything in Hanksville. I learned from the Alaska trip that just because there is a town on the map, doesn’t mean there is one. That was reaffirmed when we rolled through Colton earlier in the day, and there was nothing there. They said “Yep, there’s a couple of hotels and a gas station there.” (remember how I said earlier everything in Utah is beautiful? I think Green River defies that, I think they send ALL the ugly there)

I backtracked down I-70 to the exit for Hanksville and made my way south. Most of the way was pretty normal and just a road into the desert. The further south I got the more interesting it got. The sun was just starting to get low on the horizon so the sky was spectacular and I slowed down to soak in the views. Luckily I did, because 10 miles down the road there were three CHP just waiting for someone to come their way. I motored on past them happily knowing I avoided a ticket. Passing through Hanksville, there wasn’t much there. The ‘hotels’ looked really run down, and the one gas station didn’t look like it got much action. I pull up lodging on my GPS and it turns out there are a few places about 20 miles west of where I am. The canyon on the way to the hotel was stunning, I saw five places I wanted to stop, but it was getting dark so I motored on. I arrived at the hotel just after the sun set and found they have a room. Turns out the BMWMOA membership got me a discount, and the front desk woman gave me an awesome room at no extra charge. I highly recommend the Best Western in Torrey Utah. Got to hop in the hot tub for a little while, got some dinner, and went across the street to a place called the Patio. They had good beer and apparently great pizza. In the lobby after dinner I ran into two older guys on BMWs with German plates. Pat and Bob were two good friends just out for some riding before the snow came in. We hung out at the Patio for a little bit and talked about the different trips we had made. I eventually had to crash out around 10:30. Good times.

---

Saturday – October 13, 2007Bryce, Zion & on to Vegas

Woke up Saturday morning and it was 27 degrees out. I had hoped to get rolling by 7 AM but it was too fricken cold. As I was wrapping up on my packing Pat and Bob invited me to breakfast. Great couple of guys, I forgot to take an picture of them. I learned an important lesson this day. When the waitress suggests that you use the Tampico on your food to fight germs while on the road. Stop eating the food. Later that day and into Sunday morning I paid for that. Stomach was not happy. I wasn’t very far from Bryce so the ride didn’t take too long to get there. Bryce is stunning. There is no other place I have been that looks like this place. I’ll just let you look at the pictures below.

While riding through Bryce I got to meet some fellow riders. I came across David just outside of the park. He was in the beginning of his ride around the world on a motorcycle. He started the ride on a bicycle then said to himself “This is taking too bloody long!” Bought a BMW F650GS in Utah and plans on touring around the southwest US and ending up in Mexico before the New Year. He’s originally from South Africa and decided to sell his business, liquidate, buy a house in England for his daughters, and travel around the world. Someday… I’m hoping to meet up with him when he arrives in San Diego in about a month. Perhaps if he heads into Mexico when I have some time off I’ll ride a few days with him.

I also met Ida inside the park. We didn’t get to talk for too long. She’s from Denmark looking for places to take people on Tours around the Southwest US. I checked out her site at www.moto-mundo.com. Looks like they take people to a number of places. Now that sounds like a fun job! I found it interesting how she packs extra fuel and water down in the crash bars on her Aprilia.

After I met Ida, I toured the rest of Bryce all the while watching the storm brewing to the west. I could see it raining about 20 miles away and figured I’d be able to get out of the park before the rain hit. Then, I hit the end of the road. I never actually looked at the maps of Bryce and assumed it was like Zion where you can drive through the park and end up on the other side. NOPE! So, I hustled back down the 18 mile road I came down hoping to make it to someplace with cover before the rain it. Fortunately it wasn’t much of a problem, just outside the park I saw a Subway on the side of the road. For some reason a hot meatball sub sounded great! Pulled over, got some food and put my rain gear on. Good thing too, about 10 minutes after I left Subway I got dumped on. It rained on me on and off through the afternoon as I made my way down to Zion with the eventual goal of making it to Vegas for the night.

---

---

The picture above was taken just outside of Zion. The rain coming down on the mountains as the sun was setting was quite pretty. I motored on to the 15 and aimed myself south toward Vegas. I’ve tried to call the gang in Vegas a few times but haven’t been able to get through. They had the rooms packed so I was hoping to get another room so I could have a bed and not sleep on the floor after 2000+ miles of riding. I couldn’t reach them, but I did contact the local hotels. $200 a night was the cheapest I could find so I figured I’d play it by ear. The canyon you go through just as you go through the short slice of Arizona on the 15 is pretty cool. The sun was almost down at this point, and since I couldn’t reach the gang I figured “Screw it, I’m gonna make it all the way home.” It was doable by midnight. There would be night riding which isn’t the safest, but on the interstate not so bad. Once I made it out of the pass it was a different story. It was windy as hell and the cross winds were blowing me across lanes and picking up all kinds of things. I figured I’d ride it out and see how far I could go before I was tired.About 15 miles past Mesquite on the way to Vegas I got a BIG wake up call in the shape of one of those trashcan sized orange barriers they use on the freeway. The wind picked one up and threw it down the freeway at me. I swerved hard to the right to avoid it and it glanced down the left side of the bike and my left leg. Fortunately I wear good gear so I didn’t get injured, and the crashbars on the bike just plain ignored it. I thought I was going to have a heart attack my heart was pounding so hard. There is absolutely nothing in between Mesquite and Vegas, and since I was right in the middle I decided to go on to Vegas and decide from there. I called the gang twice more, no answer. So I rolled on through Vegas planning to stop for the night in Primm.

Primm is a weird place, its on the California/Nevada border and its basically gas stations, fast food, and casinos. I thought about getting a room in one of the casinos but for some reason didn’t have a good feeling about parking my bike there. I knew Baker was 30 miles down the road and I remember some small hotels there. So, I had some McNuggets, gassed up, and shot down to Baker. I pulled into the first place I could find in Baker at around 10PM, it was the Wills Fargo Inn. I’ve stayed at some shoddy places, this wasn’t the worst, but it definitely wasn’t the best. No hot water, dingy showers, and I had the worst case of heebee-jeebees so I ended up sleeping with my clothes on.

---

Sunday – October 14, 2007

On to home!

I woke up early the next morning due to the Sun coming through the 2″ gap between the AC and the wall and hitting me right in the face. No worries, I threw my stuff on the bike and hit the road. Pretty much cruised down to Barstow and got some breakfast, then shot down the 15 towards home. Around Victorville I decide “I’m gonna check out Malcolm Smiths Motorsports new shop!” So I take a slight detour in Riverside and check it out. They carry BMW, Husqvarna, and Yamaha. But above all they carry KTM which they apparently love more than anything. I’ve never seen so many KTM marketing schwag in my hole life. Morgan would have loved it. The most ridiculous, was the bucket you see on the right. I guess they need a KTM bucket for all the shit talking KTM guys do about BMWs (/sarcasm) haha. After MSM, the ride home was pretty easy and I made it back by Noon.

A good trip over all, totally blew the plan out of the water. But, the adventure doesn’t start until things don’t go as planned.