Two Bob's Heart of the West 2014
- Thread starter DYNOBOB
- Start date
Right out of the gate I have to say Thank You!! to Tony Huegel (byways on ADV) for cooking up this epic route back in 2010 and to Frank Reinbold (DockingPilot) for sharing it with the ADV community. In fact, DockingPilot's RR was a big factor in me getting off my butt and buying a dual sport in 2011, it really did capture my imagination. Over the last three years we've been blessed to take some great off-road trips, but Heart of the West rises to a whole different level. Covering six states and 2800 miles; the historical elements, variety of terrain, and sheer quantity of top notch backcountry travel are phenomenal. Couple this with the fact that Tony's trip pack makes it easy, just follow the magic line on your gps - no straying onto private property or wasting hours on wrong turns. 500 waypoints for lodging/fuel/camping/POIs/etc - the quantity of info and guidance you get when you purchase the trip is an unbelievable value. I'd never met or talked to Tony before this trip, but he treated us like old friends and I can't imagine anyone taking more interest in your trip's outcome - just a great guy.
DockingPilot's original RR - http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=647968
Tony Huegel's H.o.W vendors thread - http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=845500
Anyhoo... I decided early in 2014 that this was to be the year - departing mid-September - two weeks on the bikes - now to gather the team.
I dragged Jim into dual-sport a couple years ago, helped him set up a TE630 to match mine, and he did our SanJuans/Moab trip last Sept. He goes with the flow, is easy to travel with, and was itching for a reason to buy a new Big Agnes tent/sleeping bag and Montana gps - You know he was up for this! :deal
Gary I knew casually from our monthly Cinci dualsport dinners...knew he was an experienced big distance off-road rider (CDT/NezPerce/etc), takes trip prep seriously, knows how to use his GPS, and heard him mention at dinner that a planned trip had fallen thru. I put a bug in his ear, we kicked it around, and he was in! He'll be riding his well set up '13 DR650 and he also donated generously to BigAgnes.
Dad - Bob Sr - Has a nicely set up KLX250S and has ridden CO/UT twice, but at 71 (w/ a bad knee) we felt the daily miles required would not be enjoyable, so he'd follow us in the Jeep instead. Having a support vehicle is a nice luxury anyway - he carried tools, tire stuff, cooler, food, water, and our camping gear. I also installed on-board air shortly before we left which turned out to be very handy, allowing him to air up/down and run a pace that didn't hold us back. Even when we skinned it across the Great Basin at 65mph he was always right there. It's hard to describe how dirty the Jeep was at the end - but the biggest thing - He got to do the trip!
Me - Bob Jr - On my trusty TE630 again and this trip it earned the name (risking questionable karma?) Deerslayer - more on that in a bit... Yes, I spend too much time planning trips. My friends will tell you I'm a little OCD about being prepared and they've heard my motto many times regarding hobby/leisure time - If you're not having fun, why are you doing it? Insomuch as possible, I like a plan that keeps it fun.
Quick overview - Our plan is for 15 days on the bikes to cover the 2800 miles at a reasonable, enjoyable pace. There are a handful of places I know we want to camp (thanks to other RRs) so daily segments are fit together to accommodate. We have in mind to take a rest/maintenance/laundry day somewhere, but leave it loose to maybe accommodate bad weather. We'll start the loop in Rawlins, WY going clockwise.
.
DockingPilot's original RR - http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=647968
Tony Huegel's H.o.W vendors thread - http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=845500
Anyhoo... I decided early in 2014 that this was to be the year - departing mid-September - two weeks on the bikes - now to gather the team.
I dragged Jim into dual-sport a couple years ago, helped him set up a TE630 to match mine, and he did our SanJuans/Moab trip last Sept. He goes with the flow, is easy to travel with, and was itching for a reason to buy a new Big Agnes tent/sleeping bag and Montana gps - You know he was up for this! :deal
Gary I knew casually from our monthly Cinci dualsport dinners...knew he was an experienced big distance off-road rider (CDT/NezPerce/etc), takes trip prep seriously, knows how to use his GPS, and heard him mention at dinner that a planned trip had fallen thru. I put a bug in his ear, we kicked it around, and he was in! He'll be riding his well set up '13 DR650 and he also donated generously to BigAgnes.
Dad - Bob Sr - Has a nicely set up KLX250S and has ridden CO/UT twice, but at 71 (w/ a bad knee) we felt the daily miles required would not be enjoyable, so he'd follow us in the Jeep instead. Having a support vehicle is a nice luxury anyway - he carried tools, tire stuff, cooler, food, water, and our camping gear. I also installed on-board air shortly before we left which turned out to be very handy, allowing him to air up/down and run a pace that didn't hold us back. Even when we skinned it across the Great Basin at 65mph he was always right there. It's hard to describe how dirty the Jeep was at the end - but the biggest thing - He got to do the trip!
Me - Bob Jr - On my trusty TE630 again and this trip it earned the name (risking questionable karma?) Deerslayer - more on that in a bit... Yes, I spend too much time planning trips. My friends will tell you I'm a little OCD about being prepared and they've heard my motto many times regarding hobby/leisure time - If you're not having fun, why are you doing it? Insomuch as possible, I like a plan that keeps it fun.
Quick overview - Our plan is for 15 days on the bikes to cover the 2800 miles at a reasonable, enjoyable pace. There are a handful of places I know we want to camp (thanks to other RRs) so daily segments are fit together to accommodate. We have in mind to take a rest/maintenance/laundry day somewhere, but leave it loose to maybe accommodate bad weather. We'll start the loop in Rawlins, WY going clockwise.
.
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So we had a few planning meetings, talked way too much about equipment, and before you knew it Sept 12th was upon us - Time to load up and roll west!
Had the room so we brought Dad's KLX and Gary's KLX as backups, one nice thing about this route is you're never more than a days drive from your trailer. I also made a hitch adapter so we could get a broken bike or rider out (set front tire in and strap bars to bumper).
We departed Fri at noon, drove straight thru, and arrived in Rawlins, WY around 4pm Sat.
This was a cool stop right on I-80 in Wyoming as you near Rawlins... luv that history.
On a tip from Tony, I had previously contacted the Rawlins Airport and made arrangements to park the truck/trailer, Mike and Bob (the managers) are super nice guys. After ******** chatting with them we unloaded the bikes, packed the Jeep, and got a room a 1/4 mile down the street. Very convenient, and we'll be ready to get on the bikes and roll the next morning. If you're coming from the east coast Rawlins is a great place to jump off.
After settling in, we had dinner at the Diner around the corner, fueled the bikes, and turned in at a decent hour. After 28hrs on the road, sleep came pretty easy.
Tomorrow we head south to Colorado!
Had the room so we brought Dad's KLX and Gary's KLX as backups, one nice thing about this route is you're never more than a days drive from your trailer. I also made a hitch adapter so we could get a broken bike or rider out (set front tire in and strap bars to bumper).
We departed Fri at noon, drove straight thru, and arrived in Rawlins, WY around 4pm Sat.
This was a cool stop right on I-80 in Wyoming as you near Rawlins... luv that history.
On a tip from Tony, I had previously contacted the Rawlins Airport and made arrangements to park the truck/trailer, Mike and Bob (the managers) are super nice guys. After ******** chatting with them we unloaded the bikes, packed the Jeep, and got a room a 1/4 mile down the street. Very convenient, and we'll be ready to get on the bikes and roll the next morning. If you're coming from the east coast Rawlins is a great place to jump off.
After settling in, we had dinner at the Diner around the corner, fueled the bikes, and turned in at a decent hour. After 28hrs on the road, sleep came pretty easy.
Tomorrow we head south to Colorado!
Sept 14 - Day One - Rawlins to Hayden, CO.
One benefit to living in the Eastern time zone...when traveling out west, it's easy to be an early riser. When our body clock told us it was 8am it was 6am local. As a result, we were up, fed, packed, and wheels turning by 8am most mornings.
One last stop at the trailer and finally... the magic moment when prep, planning, and anticipation changes to "We're actually doing this!". Maybe it's just me, but it's one of the few times that I'm ever conscious of putting the kickstand up - It's a great feeling.
Departing Rawlins, we do a few miles of slab and the good stuff starts pretty quick.
Love those long am shadows...
Time to air down...
Around lunchtime we roll thru Aspen Alley and then head for Encampment, WY to fuel up and eat at the Bear Trap Cafe.
After lunch, Wyoming starts to look like Colorado...
..and for good reason.
Even though it looks overcast at times, we didn't get any rain.
Seemingly in the middle of nowhere you come upon Three Forks Guest Ranch, and if you fly first class, this is your place. Three facilities like this one, rates from $10k-$36k a week.
We could have spent the night for $600/person...thought about it...but decided on the Midway Boardin' House in Hayden for $25/person.
...besides, we had a little more of this left.
Arrived in Hayden about 6pm with 250 miles in the book and a beautiful first day! Failed to get any pics, but the Midway Boardin' House is nice, inexpensive lodging. A shared living room and kitchen, private bedrooms, community bathrooms and showers down the hall. Nice little bar/restaurant across the street that was open till 9 on a Sunday.
One benefit to living in the Eastern time zone...when traveling out west, it's easy to be an early riser. When our body clock told us it was 8am it was 6am local. As a result, we were up, fed, packed, and wheels turning by 8am most mornings.
One last stop at the trailer and finally... the magic moment when prep, planning, and anticipation changes to "We're actually doing this!". Maybe it's just me, but it's one of the few times that I'm ever conscious of putting the kickstand up - It's a great feeling.
Departing Rawlins, we do a few miles of slab and the good stuff starts pretty quick.
Love those long am shadows...
Time to air down...
Around lunchtime we roll thru Aspen Alley and then head for Encampment, WY to fuel up and eat at the Bear Trap Cafe.
After lunch, Wyoming starts to look like Colorado...
..and for good reason.
Even though it looks overcast at times, we didn't get any rain.
Seemingly in the middle of nowhere you come upon Three Forks Guest Ranch, and if you fly first class, this is your place. Three facilities like this one, rates from $10k-$36k a week.
We could have spent the night for $600/person...thought about it...but decided on the Midway Boardin' House in Hayden for $25/person.
...besides, we had a little more of this left.
Arrived in Hayden about 6pm with 250 miles in the book and a beautiful first day! Failed to get any pics, but the Midway Boardin' House is nice, inexpensive lodging. A shared living room and kitchen, private bedrooms, community bathrooms and showers down the hall. Nice little bar/restaurant across the street that was open till 9 on a Sunday.
Sept 15 - Day Two - Hayden to Dinosaur NP.
Today's ride probably covered the most diverse terrain of any day on the trip. It begins on the west slope of the Rockies, crosses the NW Colorado plateau, and finishes with Yampa Bench into Dinosaur NP. Unreal. To cap it off, tonight we camp at one of the locations we designed our route around, Echo Park.
I'm going to let the pics and vids do the talking today...
https://youtu.be/35csRF0tJKc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR3E-KMWA0Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3nT2-s4GX0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlSITspZc90
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQtXY23P6S4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSMQzgWCGrM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8kSf0MmSSw
More Day Two to come...
Today's ride probably covered the most diverse terrain of any day on the trip. It begins on the west slope of the Rockies, crosses the NW Colorado plateau, and finishes with Yampa Bench into Dinosaur NP. Unreal. To cap it off, tonight we camp at one of the locations we designed our route around, Echo Park.
I'm going to let the pics and vids do the talking today...
https://youtu.be/35csRF0tJKc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR3E-KMWA0Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3nT2-s4GX0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlSITspZc90
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQtXY23P6S4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSMQzgWCGrM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8kSf0MmSSw
More Day Two to come...
Day Two, part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZkPYs_XHiA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byQdPvU9Bak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=201kvuc0yLQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WuhNjReQuY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jZJY1t4aRY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5soo9R-U2gM
Echo Park campground is truly unique. You drive down into a dead-end canyon with 1000ft walls all around you. Talk about quiet.
Look close, the pit toilet in the bottom right gives the cliff some scale...
Day Two in the books - 240 miles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZkPYs_XHiA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byQdPvU9Bak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=201kvuc0yLQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WuhNjReQuY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jZJY1t4aRY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5soo9R-U2gM
Echo Park campground is truly unique. You drive down into a dead-end canyon with 1000ft walls all around you. Talk about quiet.
Look close, the pit toilet in the bottom right gives the cliff some scale...
Day Two in the books - 240 miles.
Tuesday Sept 16 - Day Three - Dinosaur to Flaming Gorge - 160 miles
After covering almost 500 miles the first two days, today we have a pretty easy day. I've tried to give us shorter days coming into or leaving camping so we can relax around camp a bit. We also want to spend some time at the Dinosaur Visitor Center.
The road in and out of Echo Park is spectacular!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RKAOMvFdWE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzsaU4QIwqo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXQ5r_2dTFo
View from Harpers Corner overlook.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upBr0BZu6Ts
One of the more infamous parts of Heart of the West is the long, steep hill near Harpers Corner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMmzssdG5mo
It goes and goes...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf7qJjcZtjQ
and rewards with awesome views...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlvyJnHPHuU
Visitor Center
This is the building built over the excavation site. Dinosaur is an easy stop, we were in and out in 45 minutes. Well worth it.
After covering almost 500 miles the first two days, today we have a pretty easy day. I've tried to give us shorter days coming into or leaving camping so we can relax around camp a bit. We also want to spend some time at the Dinosaur Visitor Center.
The road in and out of Echo Park is spectacular!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RKAOMvFdWE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzsaU4QIwqo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXQ5r_2dTFo
View from Harpers Corner overlook.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upBr0BZu6Ts
One of the more infamous parts of Heart of the West is the long, steep hill near Harpers Corner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMmzssdG5mo
It goes and goes...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf7qJjcZtjQ
and rewards with awesome views...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlvyJnHPHuU
Visitor Center
This is the building built over the excavation site. Dinosaur is an easy stop, we were in and out in 45 minutes. Well worth it.
Leaving Dinosaur, we stopped in Vernal, UT for lunch and fuel. Hit a Walmart for supplies and adjusted a tight chain. There's a little slab after Vernal and when we turned back onto dirt heading for Grouse Canyon I realized we didn't have Tony's detour route for the swinging bridge that was recently closed (thanks a lot tractor driver...).
...
I could see the Jarvie Historic waypoint on gps which rang a bell, and a passing hunter confirmed we could get thru there and use that bridge. Lost about 15 min and I'm feeling we're a bit behind schedule, but we're rolling again... briefly... About a mile up the road - cruising 60mph - I had one of the luckiest moments of my 20yrs riding motorcycles.
The mule deer just appeared.
Maybe 15 feet away.
Vectoring into my path from right to left.
"Mule deer hopping" at full speed.
"This is going to be bad" flashed into my mind and I grabbed both brakes for a split second before I felt the impact... ...if you can call it an impact... ...the bars wiggled a little, and another split second later I'm still riding like nothing happened!
For a moment I thought I must have barely touched the deer... glancing down in my mirror, I could hardly believe I saw a deer laying in the road. HOLY CRAP! I JUST HIT A DEER AND SURIVED!
Turned around and went back as the rest of the crew pulled up. Jim was about 100 yards behind me when it happened and somewhat saw the whole thing. Apparently there were 3 deer, the other two passing so close behind me Jim couldn't tell if they went in front or behind. Gary and Dad thought I was just stopping to look at a dead deer as they pulled up. (Dad) "You hit it?" (Me) "Hell yeah I hit it!".
It happened so quickly, I don't know for sure what happened. I believe it must have mostly cleared my path and my left barkbuster hit its rear leg in mid-hop, spinning it and maybe breaking its neck. Its body must have passed the left side of my body. Some part of the deer hit my windshield and popped it loose from it's adhesive tape. That was the only damage to me or the bike.
With an obvious compound fracture to its back leg, I put it out of its misery.....mentally thanking it for getting clear of my path.
As soon as we started riding, a small herd ran across the road again, no wonder there are hunters everywhere here.
Sorry, my mojo for getting pics and vids was gone for the next few hours and I got nothing thru the beautiful Grouse Canyon and Browns Park. I finally snapped some about 30 minutes from our destination of Red Canyon Lodge in Flaming Gorge.
Jim and Gary in the distance...
Red Canyon Lodge was another overnight we built the trip around. The cabins and lodge are way cool and the air has that wonderful pine smell. Today, I was extra thankful to be here...
I could see the Jarvie Historic waypoint on gps which rang a bell, and a passing hunter confirmed we could get thru there and use that bridge. Lost about 15 min and I'm feeling we're a bit behind schedule, but we're rolling again... briefly... About a mile up the road - cruising 60mph - I had one of the luckiest moments of my 20yrs riding motorcycles.
The mule deer just appeared.
Maybe 15 feet away.
Vectoring into my path from right to left.
"Mule deer hopping" at full speed.
"This is going to be bad" flashed into my mind and I grabbed both brakes for a split second before I felt the impact... ...if you can call it an impact... ...the bars wiggled a little, and another split second later I'm still riding like nothing happened!
For a moment I thought I must have barely touched the deer... glancing down in my mirror, I could hardly believe I saw a deer laying in the road. HOLY CRAP! I JUST HIT A DEER AND SURIVED!
Turned around and went back as the rest of the crew pulled up. Jim was about 100 yards behind me when it happened and somewhat saw the whole thing. Apparently there were 3 deer, the other two passing so close behind me Jim couldn't tell if they went in front or behind. Gary and Dad thought I was just stopping to look at a dead deer as they pulled up. (Dad) "You hit it?" (Me) "Hell yeah I hit it!".
It happened so quickly, I don't know for sure what happened. I believe it must have mostly cleared my path and my left barkbuster hit its rear leg in mid-hop, spinning it and maybe breaking its neck. Its body must have passed the left side of my body. Some part of the deer hit my windshield and popped it loose from it's adhesive tape. That was the only damage to me or the bike.
With an obvious compound fracture to its back leg, I put it out of its misery.....mentally thanking it for getting clear of my path.
As soon as we started riding, a small herd ran across the road again, no wonder there are hunters everywhere here.
Sorry, my mojo for getting pics and vids was gone for the next few hours and I got nothing thru the beautiful Grouse Canyon and Browns Park. I finally snapped some about 30 minutes from our destination of Red Canyon Lodge in Flaming Gorge.
Jim and Gary in the distance...
Red Canyon Lodge was another overnight we built the trip around. The cabins and lodge are way cool and the air has that wonderful pine smell. Today, I was extra thankful to be here...
Wed Sept 17 - Day Four - Flaming Gorge to Lehi, UT - 200 miles
Our segments for the next three days originally called for:
Flaming Gorge to Deer Creek SP campground - 175mi
Deer Creek to a primitive campsite in the Antelope Range of the Great Basin - 175mi
Antelope Range to Wendover - 180mi
We've decided instead to push further today and stay as far west of I-15 as we can find lodging, setting us up for one long day thru the Great Basin to Wendover. This gives us an extra day to use later for rest or weather. I regret this decision somewhat, camping in the very remote Antelope Range might well have been a highlight of the trip. However, having a rest day was nice for sure.
Anyway, We're greeted by another beautiful day as we load up and roll out. The first 100 miles today are thru the Ashley Natl Forest and the aspens are rockin'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cxz88-0pHg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvMeBlGzZN0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN-XWNXkm0s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu6mf2rcQjM
Snack break
No missing Jim's bike coming at you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEquA4l9Vgo
Beautiful spot in the middle of nowhere for lunch.
The last 100 miles today were beautiful pavement that climbed over 10,700 feet. UT Route 150 (Mirror Lake Hwy) is a gem of a motorcycle road that I bet few know about. In places it reminded me a little of the Icefields Parkway.
We ended up at the Days Inn in Lehi, which is a great location to start tomorrow's long day to Wendover. Also, out of curiosity we stopped by Deer Creek State Park - we missed nothing not staying there. Even if we had camped in the Antelope Range, starting from Lehi makes more sense.
.
Our segments for the next three days originally called for:
Flaming Gorge to Deer Creek SP campground - 175mi
Deer Creek to a primitive campsite in the Antelope Range of the Great Basin - 175mi
Antelope Range to Wendover - 180mi
We've decided instead to push further today and stay as far west of I-15 as we can find lodging, setting us up for one long day thru the Great Basin to Wendover. This gives us an extra day to use later for rest or weather. I regret this decision somewhat, camping in the very remote Antelope Range might well have been a highlight of the trip. However, having a rest day was nice for sure.
Anyway, We're greeted by another beautiful day as we load up and roll out. The first 100 miles today are thru the Ashley Natl Forest and the aspens are rockin'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cxz88-0pHg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvMeBlGzZN0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN-XWNXkm0s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu6mf2rcQjM
Snack break
No missing Jim's bike coming at you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEquA4l9Vgo
Beautiful spot in the middle of nowhere for lunch.
The last 100 miles today were beautiful pavement that climbed over 10,700 feet. UT Route 150 (Mirror Lake Hwy) is a gem of a motorcycle road that I bet few know about. In places it reminded me a little of the Icefields Parkway.
We ended up at the Days Inn in Lehi, which is a great location to start tomorrow's long day to Wendover. Also, out of curiosity we stopped by Deer Creek State Park - we missed nothing not staying there. Even if we had camped in the Antelope Range, starting from Lehi makes more sense.
.
Thurs Sept 18 - Day Five - Lehi, UT to W. Wendover, NV - 250 miles
This is the day of the trip that you had better think through, 235 miles between fuel, food, anything...and that's if you don't take a wrong turn or have to backtrack for some reason. Now I know this isn't crossing the Sahara, but for those of us back home, that's like driving the north/south length of Ohio without seeing a town or gas station. The Great Basin is big! (If you add the Antelope Range option, the number goes up to 335 miles. Even my 6.6gal Safari@48/mpg will be insufficient by itself.) It's also warm, temps in the 80's (mid-Sept) and no escaping the sun - bring plenty of water (and some extra). Although it's big miles, it's also huge, wide-open spaces with mostly hi-speed gravel, so from that standpoint it should be a fairly relaxing ride.
For us, this day turned into Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It was my favorite and least-favorite, the easiest and hardest day of the trip. For sure, it was the day we all remember the most...
Let's get to it... We start west from Lehi fully fueled. 15 miles later is the last gas of the day - we top up - .3gal - because it's better than pushing your bike 15 miles. In short order things get wide open and you're on the Pony Express Route.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1Cv_hAWwHc
Simpson's Spring Station. As you stand here and imagine a lone rider leaving on a horse, carrying a load of mail, very little for himself, and riding thru this terrain, you know - These were tough men!
Yes, there really were wild horses in view...
I love the history here...
Found this on Google
Anyway, back to the trail.
About to enter the Dugway Range...
Up in the Range it gets rough in places. As usual, Gary makes it look easy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfRrR3xFO9Y
Five minutes later my GoPro caught one of the rarest sights in nature when I happened to look behind me...
The rare "Gary Off".
This is the day of the trip that you had better think through, 235 miles between fuel, food, anything...and that's if you don't take a wrong turn or have to backtrack for some reason. Now I know this isn't crossing the Sahara, but for those of us back home, that's like driving the north/south length of Ohio without seeing a town or gas station. The Great Basin is big! (If you add the Antelope Range option, the number goes up to 335 miles. Even my 6.6gal Safari@48/mpg will be insufficient by itself.) It's also warm, temps in the 80's (mid-Sept) and no escaping the sun - bring plenty of water (and some extra). Although it's big miles, it's also huge, wide-open spaces with mostly hi-speed gravel, so from that standpoint it should be a fairly relaxing ride.
For us, this day turned into Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It was my favorite and least-favorite, the easiest and hardest day of the trip. For sure, it was the day we all remember the most...
Let's get to it... We start west from Lehi fully fueled. 15 miles later is the last gas of the day - we top up - .3gal - because it's better than pushing your bike 15 miles. In short order things get wide open and you're on the Pony Express Route.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1Cv_hAWwHc
Simpson's Spring Station. As you stand here and imagine a lone rider leaving on a horse, carrying a load of mail, very little for himself, and riding thru this terrain, you know - These were tough men!
Yes, there really were wild horses in view...
I love the history here...
Found this on Google
Anyway, back to the trail.
About to enter the Dugway Range...
Up in the Range it gets rough in places. As usual, Gary makes it look easy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfRrR3xFO9Y
Five minutes later my GoPro caught one of the rarest sights in nature when I happened to look behind me...
The rare "Gary Off".
Captured only once previously that we know of... (credit ModalGuy)
Making light now...reality is, he was (and we were) lucky. He'd actually twisted his ankle pinned under the bike and it took us a minute to get back to him. It turned black and blue ugly over the next few days and I'm pretty sure it hurt worse than he let on. It never affected his pace or the trip though - tough guy. Hurts just to look at it...
Anyway, we'd been riding since 8am and our mojo levels were dropping, time for our mid-morning break. You can see in the background one of the dry washes that intersects the road, these were nasty in places from the recent rain.
Just up the trail is where Dad mistook the next dry wash for the trail when we got underway.
Luckily, I stopped to take these shots a couple miles up the trail and we realized he wasn't behind us.
Damn fortunate it wasn't 10 miles before we stopped or this could have been much worse. As it was, we knew within a short area where to start looking. Still, it's a bad feeling when your Pop disappears.
Hmm... those look like Jeep tracks going up that wash. Actually, right here the wash almost looks better than the road, you really had to watch the gps thru here.
That pic however does no justice to what it looked like a few corners later - it got way too rough for me to ride, so I jumped out of the wash and rode above it until I caught him. When I caught him, he was out of the Jeep rolling rocks to fill deep ruts so he didn't get high centered. Had never looked at the gps to see if he was still on the track... All's well that end's well, got him out of the wash and we went cross-country to get back to the road (basically across the middle of this pic).
Making light now...reality is, he was (and we were) lucky. He'd actually twisted his ankle pinned under the bike and it took us a minute to get back to him. It turned black and blue ugly over the next few days and I'm pretty sure it hurt worse than he let on. It never affected his pace or the trip though - tough guy. Hurts just to look at it...
Anyway, we'd been riding since 8am and our mojo levels were dropping, time for our mid-morning break. You can see in the background one of the dry washes that intersects the road, these were nasty in places from the recent rain.
Just up the trail is where Dad mistook the next dry wash for the trail when we got underway.
Luckily, I stopped to take these shots a couple miles up the trail and we realized he wasn't behind us.
Damn fortunate it wasn't 10 miles before we stopped or this could have been much worse. As it was, we knew within a short area where to start looking. Still, it's a bad feeling when your Pop disappears.
Hmm... those look like Jeep tracks going up that wash. Actually, right here the wash almost looks better than the road, you really had to watch the gps thru here.
That pic however does no justice to what it looked like a few corners later - it got way too rough for me to ride, so I jumped out of the wash and rode above it until I caught him. When I caught him, he was out of the Jeep rolling rocks to fill deep ruts so he didn't get high centered. Had never looked at the gps to see if he was still on the track... All's well that end's well, got him out of the wash and we went cross-country to get back to the road (basically across the middle of this pic).
Carrying on thru the Dugway's.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DtIXhHzm80
About to head down to the flats. It's hard to get your mind around how big this space is. Can you see the car in this pic?
Well, ^ that ^ was the last pic before our day took a turn for the worse. Through an unfortunate chain of events, Jim and I got separated from Dad and Gary. From noon until 6:30 in Wendover we never saw each other again, creating a very stressful situation for all of us. At the end of the day we had frazzled nerves and frustration all around. For Jim and I the remaining 150 miles out of no-mans-land unexpectedly went from supported to unsupported. Again...this was not being lost in the Sahara, but my preparation OCD did come in handy. I started the day with 8 bottled waters and tons of snacks/spam singles/etc so we had lunch and water. Our 6.6 gal Husky supertankers would be fine on fuel. At some point you remind yourself to enjoy the ride and look after yourself and machine.
And it was awesome riding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHFwNVL-6qE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfFOYfadA3Y
UPS really delivers, this was prob 30 miles from pavement. Told Jim he does the route every day. He also confirmed that a tan Jeep and motorcycle were ahead of us on the road.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihn7vujPgs0
Just a few miles after the pic below and vid above, the route turned left onto "Three Miles of Hell" trail. It was hands down the worst stretch we rode the entire trip. The two track had been eroded severely by recent rain to the point that the tracks were two foot deep ravines with very little to ride on. In places, you just had to bail and ride the thick sagebrush on either side. It was slow going and was now after 5:00 so we were tired too.
About 1/2 way thru, I gambled on the two track again and lost - the bike dropped into a deep, narrow rut - the front tire hit a boulder in the bottom - forward progress suddenly stopped - and I did a forward 1/2 flip over the bars and landed on my back. The bike was sitting perfectly upright, resting on the bottom edges of the tank and Wolfman bags - I'm not sure the back tire was even on the ground. Thankfully Jim was with me, my back hurt, and we had to lift the bike out one end at a time and lay it on its side to drag away from the rut. Epic fail on getting any pics.
Arriving in W. Wendover, we regrouped, vented, and got rooms at Montego Bay Casino for some welcome rest. I also called Tony to talk about the "Three Miles". It was so uncharacteristic for the route that I knew conditions must have recently changed it. He agreed and got a re-route out for others. To my mind, that's part of the value to using him. A trip this size is challenging enough, give yourself every advantage to keep it enjoyable and avoid problems.
Fuel notes: Dad's fuel light was on when he got to town, he didn't get the range we expected for sure. 24gal@15mpg should have been enough range to include the Antelope Range...hmmm (was it left in 4WD after the wash?). Gary put 5.2gal in a 5.1gal tank I believe. Jim had a gallon left and I had 1.5gal. Dad is carrying four 1gal Rotopax.
We recommend the Casino, the nicest, cheapest place we stayed.
Tomorrow we ride the original Transcontinental Railroad bed.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DtIXhHzm80
About to head down to the flats. It's hard to get your mind around how big this space is. Can you see the car in this pic?
Well, ^ that ^ was the last pic before our day took a turn for the worse. Through an unfortunate chain of events, Jim and I got separated from Dad and Gary. From noon until 6:30 in Wendover we never saw each other again, creating a very stressful situation for all of us. At the end of the day we had frazzled nerves and frustration all around. For Jim and I the remaining 150 miles out of no-mans-land unexpectedly went from supported to unsupported. Again...this was not being lost in the Sahara, but my preparation OCD did come in handy. I started the day with 8 bottled waters and tons of snacks/spam singles/etc so we had lunch and water. Our 6.6 gal Husky supertankers would be fine on fuel. At some point you remind yourself to enjoy the ride and look after yourself and machine.
And it was awesome riding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHFwNVL-6qE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfFOYfadA3Y
UPS really delivers, this was prob 30 miles from pavement. Told Jim he does the route every day. He also confirmed that a tan Jeep and motorcycle were ahead of us on the road.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihn7vujPgs0
Just a few miles after the pic below and vid above, the route turned left onto "Three Miles of Hell" trail. It was hands down the worst stretch we rode the entire trip. The two track had been eroded severely by recent rain to the point that the tracks were two foot deep ravines with very little to ride on. In places, you just had to bail and ride the thick sagebrush on either side. It was slow going and was now after 5:00 so we were tired too.
About 1/2 way thru, I gambled on the two track again and lost - the bike dropped into a deep, narrow rut - the front tire hit a boulder in the bottom - forward progress suddenly stopped - and I did a forward 1/2 flip over the bars and landed on my back. The bike was sitting perfectly upright, resting on the bottom edges of the tank and Wolfman bags - I'm not sure the back tire was even on the ground. Thankfully Jim was with me, my back hurt, and we had to lift the bike out one end at a time and lay it on its side to drag away from the rut. Epic fail on getting any pics.
Arriving in W. Wendover, we regrouped, vented, and got rooms at Montego Bay Casino for some welcome rest. I also called Tony to talk about the "Three Miles". It was so uncharacteristic for the route that I knew conditions must have recently changed it. He agreed and got a re-route out for others. To my mind, that's part of the value to using him. A trip this size is challenging enough, give yourself every advantage to keep it enjoyable and avoid problems.
Fuel notes: Dad's fuel light was on when he got to town, he didn't get the range we expected for sure. 24gal@15mpg should have been enough range to include the Antelope Range...hmmm (was it left in 4WD after the wash?). Gary put 5.2gal in a 5.1gal tank I believe. Jim had a gallon left and I had 1.5gal. Dad is carrying four 1gal Rotopax.
We recommend the Casino, the nicest, cheapest place we stayed.
Tomorrow we ride the original Transcontinental Railroad bed.
.
Fri Sept 19 - Day Six - Wendover to Brigham City, UT - 185 (228) miles
After yesterday's goat rodeo, we were ready for an easy, relaxing ride today. We made it a little easier even by short cutting the Silver Mountain loop at the beginning of the day. Not suggesting this is the thing to do, but it was hazy, we felt like we'd seen the Great Basin, and we hoped to make Promontory Point Visitor Center before they closed. It shortened our miles from 228 to 185.
We did opt to take a 14 mile two-track alternate to the main gravel road. It was rumored to be impassible from the recent rain, but it was actually AWESOME! Tony has now put it in the main route.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dncB06jVM3o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AytYa1N6pFs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AytYa1N6pFs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuBm4A4910o
One of the things that really grabbed me in DockingPilot's report was getting to ride the actual bed of the first rails to connect the country east to west. The Transcontinental Railroad truly was a landmark accomplishment for our still young country. It was in fact, the first time in history you could cross any continent by rail, and a development not lost on the rest of the world. The USA is growing up... Getting to ride it at the historic place where the east/west construction met is icing on the cake for a history nerd on this trip.
100 miles to Promontory Point!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSORHdmiT7A
After yesterday's goat rodeo, we were ready for an easy, relaxing ride today. We made it a little easier even by short cutting the Silver Mountain loop at the beginning of the day. Not suggesting this is the thing to do, but it was hazy, we felt like we'd seen the Great Basin, and we hoped to make Promontory Point Visitor Center before they closed. It shortened our miles from 228 to 185.
We did opt to take a 14 mile two-track alternate to the main gravel road. It was rumored to be impassible from the recent rain, but it was actually AWESOME! Tony has now put it in the main route.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dncB06jVM3o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AytYa1N6pFs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AytYa1N6pFs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuBm4A4910o
One of the things that really grabbed me in DockingPilot's report was getting to ride the actual bed of the first rails to connect the country east to west. The Transcontinental Railroad truly was a landmark accomplishment for our still young country. It was in fact, the first time in history you could cross any continent by rail, and a development not lost on the rest of the world. The USA is growing up... Getting to ride it at the historic place where the east/west construction met is icing on the cake for a history nerd on this trip.
100 miles to Promontory Point!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSORHdmiT7A
Having lunch where the trains rolled...wow!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3osUZZmEoAE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvJqtiHOdko
Our timing was perfect! We arrived at the Visitor Center at 4:00, just as they stoked the trains to put them away for the night.
In places you can still see the parallel rail bed, especially as you near Promontory. Pretty cool.
Some of Dad's famous detail shots...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVVnwb5gEq4
If you're a history buff, getting here in time to check things out is worth planning for.
30 miles of slab remained to Brigham City, we got a cheap hotel and Dad went to wash off six days of trail.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3osUZZmEoAE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvJqtiHOdko
Our timing was perfect! We arrived at the Visitor Center at 4:00, just as they stoked the trains to put them away for the night.
In places you can still see the parallel rail bed, especially as you near Promontory. Pretty cool.
Some of Dad's famous detail shots...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVVnwb5gEq4
If you're a history buff, getting here in time to check things out is worth planning for.
30 miles of slab remained to Brigham City, we got a cheap hotel and Dad went to wash off six days of trail.
.