Idahosam Goes to Overland Expo...

By way of Nevada, southern Utah into Arizona and Back. Well the main reason I'm doing this is because I received a PM from Ladybug asking when I'm going to do a RR on this. I asked her how she knew I did this ride... she said she knows things:eek1 So, without further a due..

I was down at Happy Trails one day and Tim Bernard (the owner) made me an really good deal on a new product he is making now and then one thing lead to another and he asked me what I'm doing. Hummmm... let me check my calender; crap! whom I'm kidding I'm retired, I have more time than money. He asked me if I wanted to go to the Overland Expo! sure why not, where is it I retort? Mormon Lake Arizona... Cool.

So a week later we Meet up bright an early Tuesday morning for the departure. Tim explained to me he would rather do dirt he must concede we'll have to hit pavement too because he has to be there by Thursday afternoon as he is also an exhibitor. No problem, going someplace new for me... and as the Great Jackie Gleason use to say " and away we go.."





this is absolutely the best kind of ride, all I have to do is follow, no thinking, missing turns, just ride






OK Tim, this Highway 51 is getting boring..



Yea I know I feel your pain



Wooh a curve as we enter the Duck Indian Rez.. get gas in Owyhee and off we go






Here comes Ken on his well used 650 Strom




He set me up the day before with a communication device I believe it's called a "Scala Rider" That was so much fun and worked great. Since I ride alone so much it really changed how the ride went chatting, stating I gotta stop and pee, you know that kind of stuff.

We finally rolled into Elko gassed up and headed south towards Jiggs and Ruby Valley








OK, my butts starting to go to sleep now..



Finally Jiggs



Had a soda needed to go and well this seems like the right place



A quick look around






Off we go, and finally gravel dirt on into Ruby Valley it is beautiful.












we rode through some nasty blowing dust I mean really nasty and pasted some humongous mining operations that are way off the beaten path. We finally were discharged about 20 miles west of Ely on Highway 50.

We stayed downtown at the Hotel Nevada, which has a lot of character. Built in 1929 Rooms were clean and only $40 a night. Showered up we all ate in the in-house restaurant Prime-rib dinner for $12 and absolutely fantastic meal I highly recommend the place. We were so full and spent we just sat there all lethargic, time for bed been a long day Boise to Ely the back way.

Rose early, ate geared up and headed out, was a bit chilly and had to layer up a bit.






Headed east on 50 towards Baker where we met a couple of guys out of San Francisco we chatted for a bit and headed out








Riding across the Great Basin is... well, its hard to describe









We wanted to go up over behind Beaver but snow had it shut down then the road 14 I think was shut down for a bio-mass slide I think so to be honest I don't remember what road we took, you see thats the beauty of not being lead I just didn't care I just followed along. We finally stopped here... OH YEA Baby this is getting good.





Tim's decked out 990





Alright so since I'm running out of dialogue I'll just let the pictures tell the story of how this day was winding up. We ended up camping a BullFrog.























Lake Powell coming into view. You guys getting tried of this yet... I'm not.






Oh forgot to mention we had dinner in Boulder just as they were closing 5 PM but we got in

Sorry I'm a little out of sequence








Well to me the food was so-so, it filled the void. We entered this slot canyon soon after leaving Boulder











Overlooking Lake Powell I just had to stop and take it all in... Amazing!!





Ken joined me for awhile too









Well we needed to get to the campground as it was already 8 PM. The final decent. BTW the road is pee gravel you know the scary stuff.













God what a day I've had



So the end of day 2 It's late and I have more to throw up tomorrow; Good Night all

Very nice.

Damn, the traffic looks horrendous!

Did you guys ever even see another vehicle? When I ride through country like that after a few days I start expecting Rod Serling from "the Twilight Zone" to jump out from behind a clump of sage! :eek1

I was there too. Seems like I somehow missed all the ADVers that I should have met. I camped on the west side where we had to park bikes and walk in to pitch camp under the trees along the fence line. Great site for camp ..... but probably a little too secluded to meet many folks. Next time Sam.

Enjoying your report!

Rob

You're killin me with this, I.S., I wanna go so bad ...

No puking please... and if you must.... NO PICS!

Another Idaho Sam thread!!!! Sweet, love these, keep it coming.

Thanks Everyone! so Ladybug be happy now.

OK, a little more and I am off to ride to some challenge points.

Woke up had breakfast in the Bull Frog restaurant meet some other riders from Texas whom we meet again at the Expo (small world)

I know we had to catch a ferry at 10 am so we all gathered on the ramp and started chit-chatting waiting.







There was more of us motorcyclist than autos.




Here it comes




We're all on a $15 for a three mile ride WoOh..








BTW, no bathroom on board.

Got to the other side and off we go. Not sure of the sequence of pictures as I was just a lollygagger



Here's our run on down to Arizona and Mormon Lake some 400 miles yet.










So how far is it Tim





Stop asking me that



OK, OK...... So, how many more minutes?...... it's getting hot (whinny voice)




My butt hurts...




Where's the bathroom




Would you two shut-up and ride.




OK, I'm leaving




Wh-what about me?





He can't leave me, I'll just catch-up


Beautiful, well I better get going.




There they are




See told you I'd catch-up



OOh, what's this



Oh joy-joy


















I sorta passed the guys moving to the front on the way down







I had forgotten I have that communication device and Ken informed me I was squealing like a 9 year on Christmas morning yups.


Tim was telling me I'm a goof ball..... Thank you I'll take that as a complement.



I resemble that remark




More to come but I have a beautiful sunny day and a need to get the DRZ out.

Sam
Got your hi in a PM from Belstaff................... Thanks

Next time you're 200 miles away give me a heads up before hand and I'll stop by and have a beer or three with you. Take care and good report. Skip

Skip, I actually did think of you... truly, but it was all short notice stuff. :huh Is Tucson only 200 miles away? or are you just looking for a excuse to pin a throttle, or no wait a minute that's Cathy

We'll try again, are you still interested in a Copper Canyon run? Maybe November.

Hi LB, just got home, and yes my DRZ and I had a Great time out. Did about a 130 miles today rode up to a lookout overlooking Sweet Ola Valley.

I'll get to throwing more pictures up soon.

That sir is an interesting question, and the traffic flow was such I could count everything I saw or passed on one hand, until we got just outside Mexican Hat.

Hi Al and you too Fishy Man. Been a lonnng time Hope to see you guys this year at the HC gathering. I am feeling better now so I'll have that drink with Fishy.

Well if you can't go just hang on you ain't seen nuttin yet. We should meet sometime I plan on making the Klim Rally.

Alright to be completely honest I think some of my chain of events may be a little out of order, but hey I was a lollygag-er not paying to much attention

On the way to Escalante... I think.






None the less it's all good. I remeber see a large group of strange automobiles which we caught up with a few in Mexican Hat.

Ops! No wait a minute how'd I miss Escalante... any-hoo while there we meet "The Desert Doctor" He has a cool shop and fetch you off the road (for a nominal fee) and fix about anything for the weary biker.







Thought I had more pictures so back to Mexican Hat..


...as I was saying strange array of autos, met some at the gas station.





I pulled up behind this guy to wait my turn and he couldn't get the thing to pump, so, I informed him he's attempting to pump with the diesel nozzle to which he exclaimed something like "Bugger me" "Thanks mate" I guess Green handle are something else in OZ



Anyway this is the event there are in.




Sure wish I'd caught more pictres as some of those cars were unique and classic.

We then did a decent into Monument Valley man is was hot , but beautiful. I thought of John Wayne..











After what felt like an eternity we finally climbed into the mountains made a couple of missed turns and headed out to Mormon Lake


Made it



More later my Pizza's ready.

We were on the same roads but in the opposite direction.

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=793976

I went home that way. Is it going to be at Mormon Lake next year?

Looking you site over and saw some awesome pictures there bud.

Oh and this is so funny, that's my tent on the left the orange one