Gettin' Dirty with the Wans: 8400 miles - UTBDR, KLIM rally, Canada, WABDR, OBDR +

I love the Wan reports. Keep 'em coming!

Love the report so far!! Got the OK from the doctors yesterday to start walking on it again!! So of course I am doing lots of walking, but she denied my request to ride my motorcycle I guess I still have to wait on that. Poor Poor DRZ.

Cant wait,

8400 miles and no Booty??????

Heeeey!

So nice to see you guys - it's killing me not to say "Hi" to each and every one of you!!

Hi,
bigdon, dave6253, Abenteuerfahrer, Scott_PDX, Bob, Alleycatdad,
j2beers, J-dub, Ladybug0048, VFR, Rwelch360, dvwalker, DingWeed,
Baja Ho, Tn. Walrus, Idahosam, eakins, RedRockRider, rider914, Loud Al,
oldtrucks, larryboy, wachs, Bgunn, adventuerik, killurtv, dickosaurus,
Questor, Gale B.T., madeouttaglass, and PDX Alamo!

whew. hope I didn't miss anyone.

hey, scottmac!

I got yer booty right here - comin' up at the end of day 3




Day 3: 6/24/12
Cherry Creek CG, NV to Red Creek Reservoir, UT 216 miles



Hit the road about 9am and dropped back into the desert.










It got kinda silty here.
Looking back at our tracks - you can see where Matt and I got all wiggly...



But it wasn't bad. Not like the silt we'd soon find in Utah...



This part was pretty fast.




Here, too.





We had been trying to get video of Aaron when we came across this little guy...





A baby antelope. With really spindly legs.




We watched for a bit, then rode away slowly. Hopefully Mom was nearby.



So, this was the long section that Matt had been worried about.
These roads went on forever.
Our fuel light came on right about here, much earlier than we had expected.
Crap.
Aaron thought he had more fuel than we did and, in the past, he had gotten better mileage than us.
But, this section had been sandy and silty and it was only a matter of time before his light came on too.




There was a highway up ahead and we had a decision to make:

1) Keep following the tracks that took us across the desert,
even though they were 5 years old and no one seemed to have used them recently
(not to mention, Boney and Luke had gotten lost during their ride)...

2) Let Norm reroute and see if he could find a faster way to Pioche (the next fuel stop)...

or,
3) get on the highway and hope that we would find a gas stop that was closer than Pioche...


We stopped on the highway and checked the GPS.
A nice couple on a Harley stopped to see if we were okay.
They told us our options for gas - I can't remember the details, but they weren't great.
Matt didn't think we could reach either of the gas stops on the highway,
and Pioche was even further away via pavement.


(useless map just to show Pioche from space)



So, it looked like our best bet was to continue off road.
When we told the Harley couple that we were going to cross the desert and go to Pioche via the dirt,
they looked at us like we were insane.

Which is funny, because when they pulled up wearing tank tops and jeans, I shuddered.
They were just baking in the hot sun and blasting down the highway with no gear!
Now who's crazy?




We were going to let Norm re-route us, but right away he was telling Matt to turn when there was no turn in sight.
Stupid box!
So, we went back to Luke's tracks.


They sent us through a gate that hadn't been opened in a long time.





A very long time.





The two track went on and on...





It's not often that we're happy to see pavement.





Yay!




So, after all that we only took 4.8 gallons. WTF?
We weren't that low after all?
Still don't know what happened there, but, I'd rather have the light come on too early rather than too late.



Had lunch at the Silver Cafe. They've painted it since 2007!










Another powerline road





Gate duty





Welcome to beautiful downtown Lund, Utah!
















heh. I don't remember what that face was for, but it makes me laugh.




As soon as we got to Parowan, we all had the same thought -
Uh oh. Utah on a Sunday!
are we going to be able to find beer?


The answer was, yes! 3.2%, but it's beer.



Cap'n underpants was jazzed!





Looks like we were sleeping in the Dixie Forest...





We found one potential spot, but it had bones everywhere and was freaking me out.





Norm was saying that there was a reservoir nearby.
I say we listen to the box!




Woo!
way to go, Norman

We were at Red Creek Reservoir (a.k.a. Paragonah Reservoir)


Bath time!
Cap'n underpants, sans underpants



(there's the booty you wanted, scottmac!)





Lots of happy campers tonight.





Improvised drying rack





the day's numbers





After dinner, I was writing in my journal when I saw the guys walking up the beach, carrying something to the camp.
what the...?
They had found an old backseat from a Suburban or something and decided to bring it home.
Really? You want to hang out on some nasty, filthy seat that's been lying here since who knows when?
Yep.


I was skeptical, but it turned out to be a brilliant idea...
Movie night!





We put slime (our hackintosh) on the pannier and it was perfect.

Settled in with some snacks, beer and...


Land of the Lost!



It was mucking AWESOME!

Hey, thanks for the fire engine pic! Awesome present in the middle of this great RR.
I would like to thank you for giving ScottMac the other pic,

Hi,
So nice to see you back safe to crowded BAy Area.
Thaks for that fuel pomp in Idaho and grate companionship.
Keep RR coming,
Cheers Bartek

Now I just need to wash my eyes out with soap...

Kelly and Matt, your efforts are appreciated. We-Who-Long-To-Go-On-Long-Remote-Rides-But-For-One-Reason-Or-Another-Cannot-Go salute your willingness to share your adventures with us. Let the fun begin.

Hey Kelly, wake up I need my morning coffee or trip pics.

It looks like one Coney's been abused by the gate crashers.



I'm late to the party, but I'm strapped in with a bucket full of Gadget Brand Popcorn!

oser

I'm glad you guys enjoyed the Booty!

Bartek!
hello my friend!
We were just so happy you were able to ride with us.
Lots of good pics of you coming up stay tuned!





Thanks for the anniversary wishes, Dustyrider!


Nice catch on the busted up cone, Nixels!
I hadn't even noticed that

Dude! It's saturday!
Chill.



Haha.
Actually, I just needed a little break.


Yesterday Matt and Cap'n underpants went for a little ride up to Stonyford.
I stayed home so Matt could do some standing up and enjoy the bike again.
They had a good time, until the end.
On the way home, they were riding through a section with blind corners and almost got taken out by a pickup!
Not even going too fast, just bad timing.

Luckily, neither of them is hurt but it was close for Cap'n underpants.
Aaron had to eject and got clear, but his 990 got nailed by the truck.
After a little work to get the bike in rideable condition, they were able to limp home.

They stopped to rest at a gas station and Aaron said, "Hey, it's really good to be riding with you again, matt."








But, yeah.
After all the thousands of miles we just did (with all the blind corners, dangerous places and questionable speeds).
We're feeling pretty lucky.
This is an incredibly stupid hobby. Especially the way we do it.

But even if you're cautious, it's risky.
I'm kind of scared for everyone on ADV...
Be careful out there!



And now that I've totally killed your buzz...





Day 4: 6/25/12
Red Creek Res., UT to Torrey, UT 185 miles




Movie Night: The Aftermath...





Poor Aaron.
Apparently, the Suburban seat was not as comfy for sleeping as it was for sitting.





He brought a tent, just didn't want to set it up.
I'm not sure what the reason was.
Me, I enjoy a tent. Keeps the bugs off.





We had a lovely breakfast of coffee and oatmeal, lounging on the Suburban seat.
Forgot to take a pic, but it was really nice.
The Reservoir was beautiful this morning





I was being stupid and tried to put on my contacts while standing over the bike seat.
I do it all the time and usually have no problems,
but today I was busy talking to cap'n underpants and I dropped one.
Right there.
In that pile of stuff on the the grass.





Motherbrother!


Luckily, Matt found it.
whew.
I got a big scolding for that one.
Yeah, it would have sucked to have been half blind for the rest of the trip.
And my optometrist recently passed away, too.
I have no idea where to get new eyeballs.



Cap'n underpants wanted to take another dip in the reservoir,
so matt and I rode along the beach, over to the far side of lake.
What a hugely bad idea.
Got bogged down in some thick, smelly mud and then had to ride up a hiking trail to get out.


Well, that was a crap way to start the morning. let's get out of here.





Monkey fighter!


BigWan and I had a get-off in this freshly graded sh..stuff.
It was super soft and we were going too slow
(matt was checking the mirrors to see if aaron made the turn)



No biggie, but the camera got a face full of dirt and grit. again.
This is getting old.
You might have noticed that we were running a Heidenau K60 instead of our usual D908 rally raid or Scorpion Rally rear.
Ugh.


I really hate that tire. It kept trying to kill us.
Matt says I'm not supposed to be hating on anything so early in the report, so we'll get back to that later...


Anyway.
a little while up the road, we ran into the source of all the torn up roads.
This guy.





At least it's pretty in the Dixie Forest.





And when they aren't freshly graded, the roads are pretty nice.
This was road 410.





Can you see Cap'n underpants?
he's that little dot in the middle...





It was nice to have some dirt and rocks instead of sand and gravel.




Cap'n underpants again...





Mmmm. Forest-y.





Cows.




We really enjoyed this ride.




A little sandy here, but still fun.





Here comes Cap'n underpants!





Uh oh.
That side bag is trying to make a run for it!





Get that sucker back on there.




At least it wasn't hurt. The starboard side is pretty good.
Look at the port side bag...



Too many rock massages.



We stopped in Panguitch for gas










This guy was a real character. Gary.
He charged us a dollar for this photo.
It wasn't worth it.




Haha, just kidding.
Gary was nice enough and wanted to give us some tips about the area.
When Matt told him where we were going next (following the tracks),
He said, "nah, you don't want to go there. I do ATV tours so I know all the roads.
You want to take Hwy 12. It's the best scenery. "


But, that's pavement.


Anyway. Gary was very insistent that we listen to him.
Aaron wanted to see some sights (and not just desert), so he was game.
Hwy 12 would go through Bryce and Grand Staircase - Escalante,
and Gary said that we could do Hell's Backbone, which is dirt.


Sigh.
OK.


I hope we don't regret ditching perfectly good tracks for a guy in an Arby's hat...





here's a map I stole from the internets.
Hell's Backbone is #11




Apparently, Scenic Byway 12 is quite famous.
if you go to the website and download the route guide, you can read all about it.


Slab












At least it's starting to look like Utah!

Fantastic! The movie night and carnage at Red Creek Reservoir was particularly amusing. I'm gonna have to go find that car seat. Very familiar with area from Pioche to Parowan to Panguitch. Lots of riding in this area. Great to see you enjoying it. Little photo from Paragoonah -- note the spelling on the sign by the locals. :huh

Hi RRR!

Yeah, the names in that area are something.
Between the unusual names and my sloppy handwriting,
I had to triple check to make sure I didn't mess up the spellings in my journal, especially "Panguitch."

Have you ridden that road, 410? I wasn't sure if I got the info right.
I think that's what the sign said, but I didn't get a photo of it.

We spent a lot of time in Utah this trip and had some top notch riding.
thanks for checking in!

Hi Wans,

Boy, am I glad to run across your RR.......I've followed along on all of them (from my recliner of course!) and have never been able to stop reading until it was almost time for bed. I hope this one sees you through pretty much safe and fairly all intact. Thanks much for taking the time for old farts like me, who can at least still read! Happy 15th, maybe a little late....

Gary "Oldone"

Grampa’s Lake Superior Ride
Grampa’s National Monument Ride

Hi Gary, nice to see you!

Hey iDave! what's up?
yay, zombie dick!
heh, I love that movie.




Day 4: 6/25/12 continued
Red Creek Res., UT to Torrey, UT 185 miles



Where were we? oh yeah,
Red Canyon












I thought these tunnels were in Bryce, but the route guide says they’'re actually in Red Canyon.











Time for lunch.
Gary recommended Fosters, he said it'’s one of the only places around that doesn'’t rip off tourists.





It was good! I had the veggie stir fry, but totally forgot to take pics.
Aaron was reading the menu and said, “"Girl Squatter?! what kind of beer is that?”"





Who wants a Girl Squatter? Aaron does!





OK, back on the slab





Yes, it was scenic.





just not as exciting as we were used to.





You see a lot more bikes when you'’re on the pavement





Guess we'’re in Grand Staircase - Escalante





Cap'’n underpants was pretty happy, he had really been looking forward to seeing Utah.





With a name like "“Hell’'s Backbone,"” we thought this road might be kinda interesting.





It wasn'’t.
Wide, flat, washboardy gravel.





with a side of pretty.





The bridge was cool, though.
It was built in the 30s to connect Boulder, UT to Escalante, UT.











We were looking down over the Box-Death Hollow Wilderness.


















It’'s hard to capture the depth of the canyon. The GoPro does it best.





It was a nice place for some photos





and a water break





Cap’'n underpants wanted to visit the Anasazi Museum,
but BigWan and I were in a hurry to get to Bicknell.
We were waiting for parts for our stupid headsets.
At this point, I could hear Matt, but he couldn't hear me.
It was really pissing him off.

We left Aaron at the museum and headed to Bicknell.
It was almost 4pm and we knew the post office would be closing soon.
The more we talked about it (i.e., the more Matt ranted and couldn't hear my responses),
the more anxious we got.
We really wanted those parts ASAP.


Google says that drive should take 57 minutes, but we got there in under 35.




So, after risking life and limb (and missing some beautiful overlooks)
we got to Bicknell only to find that the mucking post office had closed at 2:30pm.

Son of a flipping biscuit!



Also, there had been a time change somewhere and we were 1 hour behind.
There was no way in hell we could have gotten there in time.
Sigh.



We sat at the Bicknell gas station for a couple hours, waiting for Aaron.
He really enjoyed the museum and the ride out to Bicknell.
When we met up again, we agreed that we should spend the night in Torrey.



Stopped at The Nielsen Grist Mill on the way back (well, stopped at the sign at least)
You can read about it here.
Apparently, it’'s the site of a geocache, too (see link).
Thank you, internets!





The motel in Torrey was full,
But we got a couple cabins at the Torrey Trading Post and that was even better.





They were nice. 35 bucks for a furnished cabin (with bedding and a tv)
Nice clean showers/toilets just across the courtyard.
It was so extravagant, after camping. Showers!!





We had some takeout burritos and beer from the market across the street and called it a night.




Tomorrow - Capitol Reef and Cathedral Valley

I was just about to ask about that. It was recommended to me for my DR650, but I didn't think it would fit my riding style...then again, I've never tried one. When it's more appropriate to start hating on things fill us in.

I've ridden hwy 12 several times & it is a beautiful ride. Probably not so much if you like dirt but I ride a sportbike. I would last about 50 feet on the stuff you like but the scenery there is nice as well. At least you don't have to camp with touristas with screaming kids.....

Always cool to see familiar places from another POV

+1

-M

hi acesandeights!
Well, if you can wait, I was planning on doing the tire rant in a couple days.
Today I have 60 pics and tomorrow there are even more (plus video).
After that, I have a dead spot that is perfect for the stuff about tires.
Of course, if you need a tire right now and are on your way to the store...shoot me a PM.


Once we get to the tire day, I hope that rider914 will also chime in about his experiences with a K60.

hey VFR - you're right, it's a lovely ride.
It is.

But, I think that once a person sees huge vistas and incredible rock formations from remote dirt roads,
(with no one else around)
it kinda ruins the highway rides.
So many cars and trucks. Huge RVs. All that ugly man made stuff.
It's akin to viewing a beautiful wild animal in its natural habitat,
vs. seeing that same animal locked in a cage at the zoo.

I'm exaggerating, of course, but you get the idea.
Anyway, I don't mean to diminish your experience as a street rider...
I just hope to encourage you to get out in the dirt!


(p.s. I think we camp with touristas and screaming kids 1 night on this ride - Yellowstone)



OK, rider914 - capitol reef coming up!



Day 5: 6/26/12
Torrey, UT to Salina, UT 139 miles



Matt got up early and went over to the Bicknell post office to get our parts.
Thirty minutes later, he was back to install them.
(he did the speed limit this time )


Break out the tools. Fiddle, fiddle, fiddle.
Then we did some testing...
We put on our helmets...




Matt:"¿Escucheme?"
me: "Bueno!"
I could hear him even more clearly now.






Now it was his turn...
me: "Can you hear me? can you hear me? what about now?"
Matt:"Bob Saget!! "

He STILL couldn't hear me at all. Not a bit.




Hoo boy. It was not a pretty morning after that.




There was wifi at the cabins so Matt hurriedly ordered brand new intercom units and had them overnighted to Salina, UT.
Which seemed to be our next destination.
There had been talk of Aaron coming with and doing the Black Dragon Wash with us, but now...



Matt and I were pretty wound up and I think our negative energy was harshing Cap'’n underpants’ mellow.
Aaron was on vacation and wanted to sight see and enjoy the ride.






Meanwhile, us Wans were in “trail uber alles” mode and only cared about hammering out the miles.




Now, with this intercom drama, it seemed like a good time to part ways.
We had only planned on riding another day (or 2) together in the first place.
If he left now, Aaron would have enough time to go to Vegas and visit a friend,
instead of iron-butting straight home.



It was getting late, but we decided to stop at the Capitol Reef info center and get some maps.
Also, Cap'’n underpants realized that he was screwed if he got a flat by himself,
so he went to go look for a pump or something.
He found a hand pump at a bicycle shop next door. Lucky!





Heading towards Capitol Reef.










Here'’s a map





We started with Goosenecks Overlook





Say cheese!





It'’s a long way down...





And then we moved on to the Scenic Drive.





Saw this van at the entrance.
The Dangerous Crosswinds car is in front, but it’s hard to see.
Click on the linkies for more info about the film and the spot-the-van contest...
















We took a gravel road, hoping that it would go through and we could ride a loop...









No luck. It dead-ended at a touristy walking trail parking lot - full of corollas and minvans.
Nope. That's not going to work...


Sigh. Back the way we came.





We stopped to look at some petroglyphs.
There'’s cap'’n underpants, down on the boardwalk...











They'’re a little hard to see...
People





Animals (sheep)





Okay, we need to get this show on the road - it'’s almost 1pm and we need some dirt!
Real dirt, without minivans.