• There has been a recent cluster of spammers accessing BARFer accounts and posting spam. To safeguard your account, please consider changing your password. It would be even better to take the additional step of enabling 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) on your BARF account. Read more here.

Utah Fever

SD Hornet

SD Hornet

rider
Joined
Nov 4, 2008
Location
San Diego
Moto(s)
Honda CB600F, VT600CD
BARF perks
AMA #: 1102494
The Kiwi's Southern Wanderings thread has spurred my interest in visiting Southern Utah and Northern Arizona in April.

The preliminary route is http://goo.gl/cBEr0z

Plan is to go light and stay at motels. Touring on a Shadow 600 or a Hornet 599. Gas range is 130 and 160 miles per tank respectively. Asphalt roads only, goaty is fine, Moki Dugway is on the list, just no 20 mile dirt roads so far away from home please.

What are the things that would be on your list as a must ride, must see, must stay, must eat, must do? Perhaps a musn't do might be in order too!

Thanks,
SD Hornet
 
Last edited:
Right on--I'll be out there in a truck. Keep in mind that the nights in the S. Utah high desert are often down at freezing this time of year, so heated vest/grips are not a bad idea.

Carry a rotopax? Sometimes gas can be a little far. DEFINITELY Hwy 12 between Escalante and Torrey and Boulder. If weather allows, the road up to Cedar Breaks is rad, but it may be closed due to snow (up to 9-10k feet up there). I was able to take a 919 with hard bags along the Valley of the Gods dirt road (Moki Dugway is partially unpaved through the switchback section to, if I recall correctly), and the small dirt roads near Hovenweep as well. The former is awesome if you like geology, the latter if you like Anasazi ruins. Moab is a fun and lovely area to ride through, as is Monument Valley.

Another fun thing to do, if you have locking bags, is to park at the Zion visitor center and take the bus through the valley. You can stop wherever and jump off for a hike or a view, then jump on the next bus. Surprisingly easy and convenient.

There won't be any ripe fruit to pick in Fruita at Capitol Reef Nat'l Park, but it's still a cool area. You can ride down the paved scenic drive past the campground and take a short hike down Capitol Wash, too. Neat place.

Not a whole lot of foodie culture out there, but there's a place called the Swingin' Steak in Mexican Hat Utah that was profiled by Alton Brown when he had that motorcycle/restaurant show a few years ago.

Southern Utah is bloody fabulous for geological scenery.
 
I want to go!
 
I have a heated vest and use it to "travel light". Heated grips I don't have. If my electrical system had oodles of excess capactiy, I would add the heated grips.

Thanks for the tips, Nemo, and the reminder that it will definitely be cold. I keep having a mindset of a warm Southern Arizona in April. I have to keep remembering the lowest elevation in Utah is 2200' ! Much of the route is 4000 -7000 feet elevation. So if the weather is very cold, I'll probably end up in Arizona instead.

I am undecided, yet reluctant, on carrying spare fuel. Maybe buy a 1 gallon can in St. George if I am on the Shadow. Really don't have room on the 599 for a can.

I'll have to look up Hovenweep and Anasazi on the map tomorrow. Probably won't be heading to Moab this trip.

:thumbup
 
SD Hornet said:
What's stopping you? You should go! :ride

If I could go when it was warmer in June or July, I would. April is my last chance at some vacation time for awhile.
Click to expand...

$$$$$ Once the Kiwi gets back we'll sell off his bike and that will free up some cash for a trip :)
 
I think you should hop in the Grand Viagra and join us!

Escalante, UT weather forecast (it's 37 degrees F as of this writing) http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/escalante-ut/84726/weather-forecast/336158

I'm steeling myself to car camp in those conditions, whee!

SD Hornet, I made it through Utah fine with the 919's 160-170 mile range, but with 130 I'd want a little extra.
 
Last edited:
Are you an extreme animal lover? Do you believe in rescue organizations, if so read on.
Visit Best Friends.

Located here.
As a passionate animal lover, this place is amazing.
However, it can be locked out to us by snow in the winter, and gets really hot in the summer.
 
ThumperX said:
$$$$$ Once the Kiwi gets back we'll sell off his bike and that will free up some cash for a trip :)
Click to expand...

That's the spirit!! I can't wait to read Kiwi's trip report too.

Nemo Brinker said:
I think you should hop in the Grand Viagra and join us!

Escalante, UT weather forecast (it's 37 degrees F as of this writing) http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/escalante-ut/84726/weather-forecast/336158

I'm steeling myself to car camp in those conditions, whee!

SD Hornet, I made it through Utah fine with the 919's 160-170 mile range, but with 130 I'd want a little extra.
Click to expand...

Nemo, the hornet is becoming the bike of choice for this trip. Due in part to the gas range, but I also checked my bike service logs today. The hornet is ready with minimal prepping. Uh, the shadow's chain let me know audibly today that it wants to stay warm and at home. I did get 26.5k out of the chain though! Not bad for a chain that's cleaned/lubed only at oil change intervals. I also have a new rear shock assembly to throw in, but that won't happen before the trip.

Mr Pepsi said:
Are you an extreme animal lover? Do you believe in rescue organizations, if so read on.
Visit Best Friends.

Located here.
As a passionate animal lover, this place is amazing.
However, it can be locked out to us by snow in the winter, and gets really hot in the summer.
Click to expand...

Mr. Pepsi, thanks for the link. I am not an extreme lover of animals, but could see how someone might drive away with a newly adopted pet after visiting if they were in a car!

I really appreciate everyones posts and insight.
 
Last edited:
Nemo Brinker said:
Right on--I'll be out there in a truck. Keep in mind that the nights in the S. Utah high desert are often down at freezing this time of year, so heated vest/grips are not a bad idea.

Carry a rotopax? Sometimes gas can be a little far. DEFINITELY Hwy 12 between Escalante and Torrey and Boulder. If weather allows, the road up to Cedar Breaks is rad, but it may be closed due to snow (up to 9-10k feet up there). I was able to take a 919 with hard bags along the Valley of the Gods dirt road (Moki Dugway is partially unpaved through the switchback section to, if I recall correctly), and the small dirt roads near Hovenweep as well. The former is awesome if you like geology, the latter if you like Anasazi ruins. Moab is a fun and lovely area to ride through, as is Monument Valley.

Another fun thing to do, if you have locking bags, is to park at the Zion visitor center and take the bus through the valley. You can stop wherever and jump off for a hike or a view, then jump on the next bus. Surprisingly easy and convenient.

There won't be any ripe fruit to pick in Fruita at Capitol Reef Nat'l Park, but it's still a cool area. You can ride down the paved scenic drive past the campground and take a short hike down Capitol Wash, too. Neat place.

Not a whole lot of foodie culture out there, but there's a place called the Swingin' Steak in Mexican Hat Utah that was profiled by Alton Brown when he had that motorcycle/restaurant show a few years ago.

Southern Utah is bloody fabulous for geological scenery.
Click to expand...

I concur with the cold, it is VERY cold up above 5000 here. The winds might die down a bit later but I've had a couple of 60mph wind days that weren't much fun.

Capitol Reef is really cool. Just did that yesterday. You must drive thru the gorge at the end of the scenic drive. Might have a photo of it up on my thread in a day or two. Crazy cool. Not a long ride but worth it.
 
I think if you're going to attack The Maze in Canyonlands, it'd be wise to take fuel (and water) too. I didn't manage to do it because I ran out of water, then got blown out of plan B by the weather. Wish I could've though. There's fuel in Hite and Hanksville but it's a long way between. A couple of wrong turns and I might've been pushing... Haha
 
If fuel might be a concern, think about MSR bottles from REI. Larger bottles can hold 30 fluid ounces, which is just shy of a quarter-gallon. A few of those and you've solved your range problem. :thumbup
 
Kiwi Vagabond said:
Oh right, didn't read the "asphalt only bit"... Cancel The Maze idea! :troy
Click to expand...

Maze cancelled!! Looks like a nice area for a dual-sport though.

I don't have any problem riding a graded dirt mile here, a graded fire road mile there on my street bike. I just don't think it's prudent to ride the Burr Trail on my Hornet or Shadow alone.

I have never been to Utah. There is plenty for me to see from the asphalt. Please keep posting your photos taken from the wild! :twofinger
 
SD Hornet said:
Maze cancelled!! Looks like a nice area for a dual-sport though.

I don't have any problem riding a graded dirt mile here, a graded fire road mile there on my street bike. I just don't think it's prudent to ride the Burr Trail on my Hornet or Shadow alone.

I have never been to Utah. There is plenty for me to see from the asphalt. Please keep posting your photos taken from the wild! :twofinger
Click to expand...

There is also gobs of no problem, dirt roads taking off of the paved roads.
That you don't have to go far on, Just better to be with your bike, than leaving it and being away from it. You can tell by looking, is it no problem or No way, not doing that. You'll see when you get out there.:thumbup
 
louemc said:
There is also gobs of no problem, dirt roads taking off of the paved roads.
That you don't have to go far on, Just better to be with your bike, than leaving it and being away from it. You can tell by looking, is it no problem or No way, not doing that. You'll see when you get out there.:thumbup
Click to expand...

I agree with you about not ignoring dirt roads, Lou. Which ones in the vicinity of my proposed route are a must do, even on a streetbike in the month of April? The proposed route is subject to change, with BARFer input. :thumbup

The preliminary route is http://goo.gl/cBEr0z

Thanks,
SD Hornet
 
Last edited:
There is no way, this can be identified from here. You just see the road when you're there.

Where it looks like it's going, and how the surface looks.

I never went by maps, and..who says there is a road sign? Or the road is on a map?

The dirt roads I used didn't have a road sign. The best one's had been abandoned for so long, they didn't look, quite like roads.
Then, without a track on them, You know that no one is going to be there, that night...You find a get out of sight, excursion from that road, to camp for the night.
 
Last edited:
Hey SD Hornet, Woodschick is your gal. Take a look at her ride reports and you will get some fantastic advice. WC, Lou, Nemo-thems are your peeps ;)
 
WoodsChick's trip reports are sublime. Not only does she paint pictures with her words, she speaks volumes with her pictures.

WC's and Nemo's trip reports are always a treat. Even though neither of my bikes have knobbies, their trip reports nourish my soul.
 
SD Hornet said:
WoodsChick's trip reports are sublime. Not only does she paint pictures with her words, she speaks volumes with her pictures.

WC's and Nemo's trip reports are always a treat. Even though neither of my bikes have knobbies, their trip reports nourish my soul.
Click to expand...

:x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top