Cheese Weasels Get Dirty In Utah

[Stichill]

Man. You guys rode past some great non technical slot canyons accessible from the road. Again I wish I could have been there to help you with a locals point of view. In 2006 I kayaked the Dirty Devil. Dragging the yak for the first 20 miles or so until the canyon walls constricted and there was enough water to consistently float. Basically it was almost 100 miles of quicksand in close to 6 days. I’m still flossing sand out from between my teeth.

And like the Cheese Weasels the Hite pumps saved old Frulk a number of times.

There's so much to do out there! We knew we were bypassing all kinds of great stuff, but of course we didn't know all the local secret places!

Man. You guys rode past some great non technical slot canyons accessible from the road. Again I wish I could have been there to help you with a locals point of view. In 2006 I kayaked the Dirty Devil. Dragging the yak for the first 20 miles or so until the canyon walls constricted and there was enough water to consistently float. Basically it was almost 100 miles of quicksand in close to 6 days. I’m still flossing sand out from between my teeth.

And like the Cheese Weasels the Hite pumps saved old Frulk a number of times.

A godsend. Turned out there were more stations strung along UT 276 that we weren't aware of.

Man. You guys rode past some great non technical slot canyons accessible from the road. Again I wish I could have been there to help you with a locals point of view. In 2006 I kayaked the Dirty Devil. Dragging the yak for the first 20 miles or so until the canyon walls constricted and there was enough water to consistently float. Basically it was almost 100 miles of quicksand in close to 6 days. I’m still flossing sand out from between my teeth.

And like the Cheese Weasels the Hite pumps saved old Frulk a number of times.

From misery come the best stories!

My stomping grounds. Been over that stretch many times on various bikes. Lot more exciting when it’s wet and turns to gumbo. Looking forward to more pics.

Yeah it was a pretty easy ride on a sunny day. It's very wide actually and there are no washboard sections, sand, or big rocks to contend with.

Riding out West is such a different vibe for us easterners! Really exciting!
Riding Day 2 - Wednesday Mid-Day - Muley Point & A Fork In The Road

When you reach the top of the Moki Dugway, there's a 5-mile sand / clay / gravel road on the left that leads to Muley Point, overlooking the San Juan River Canyon. To Frulk's point about rain-soaked "gumbo", there was a sign that said the road was impassable in wet weather, i.e. don't get caught in the rain on the other end! It was hard enough to ride on when dry.










We lingered a good, long time at Muley Point. It's a meditative spot.

Finally it was time to head back to the bikes.


And Then There Were Three

It was at this point that our buddy riding the GS decided he couldn't continue on the front tire he had on the bike. He was rueful that he had not replaced it before leaving home in Colorado Springs. He thought it had 1500-2000 miles left on it, but the abrasive "chip seal" pavement we'd been riding on in Utah was chewing it up and it had entered the soft compound. It was at that point where the tire can suddenly be on the cords in 150 miles. It had gotten into his head and he wasn't enjoying the ride as a result.

His phone had no service, but my Verizon phone had signal. "Can you hear me now?" He called the few bike shops in the area for a tire - no go. He finally found one back in Grand Junction at the BMW dealer. So the plan was made for him to continue north with us on UT 261 to the junction with UT 95, where he would head east to Grand Junction and we would stay with the ride plan and turn west & then north toward Lake Powell. He would get his tire replaced and then meet back up with us on Day 3 somewhere in the Fremont, Utah area.

Fork in the road at UT 261 & UT 95




The Cheese Weasels have a club motto: Leave No Man Behind...Unless It's Time to Go!

I had no idea you were going to Mars.

[url=http://mdrs.marssociety.org]Almost literally.


Riding Day 2 - Wednesday Late Afternoon - Burr Trail Road and Escalante

The final leg for the day was to ride BLM 12000 north to the junction with Burr Trail Road, take Burr Trail to Boulder, then ride UT 12 south to Escalante for our overnight.


BLM 12000 was a scenic road paved in chipseal.




Once you take Burr Trail Road, you quickly encounter the Burr Trail Switchbacks.










Once up on top, the trail changed back to pavement and went went through this marvelous canyon filled fantastical natural monoliths and wind sculptures. Again, an "in the zone" moment, so so pics until we did stop and explore a slot canyon.










We picked up UT 12 at Boulder and rode south to Escalante. UT 12 is a great motorcycle road! Not too far south of Boulder there is a hogback section with phenomenal views but nowhere to stop and take a photo!

We got ourselves checked in at the Circle D and walked right next door for dinner and a beer.






Back at the hotel, a guy in a pickup truck was scanning the lot for motorcycles. He hopped out to ask us if we had any mechanical trouble or needed tire repair. Turned out he was "The Desert Doctor" who's card I had been given at the motel front office. Apparently he services a 200-mile radius around Escalante. He said he had our GD buddy's tire size in stock. When we told that to our buddy he texted back, "Dang! He needs to get on the internet!"