Salt River Canyon ride

[flynrider]

After a few hectic weeks (and weekends) at work, I decided to take the day off. Most of it was spent catching up on backed up chores and errands. About 2:00 PM, I was all done. I had time on my hands, great weather (about 80F) and a CB1100. All the ingredients required for an impromptu road trip.

I didn't have any particular place I wanted to go. I just wanted to spend some quality time on the CB11, preferably in the mountains. I decided to ride out to Salt River Canyon. A nice ride through the mountains, about 125 miles each way.

I left early enough to beat the Friday afternoon traffic jams and was in the foothills by 2:45. I just followed U.S. 60 east out of town and kept on going. It started getting a bit chilly as I approached 4,000 ft. Luckily, had a heavy flannel shirt in my backpack and some warmer gloves.

Stopped in Queen Creek Canyon between Superior and Globe to snap a pic of the Queen Creek tunnel. One of only two highway tunnels in AZ.


After a few hours on the road I descended down the winding road to the bottom of the canyon.


Spent a little time wandering around the river before hopping back on the bike and heading home.


Overall, it was a great way to waste an afternoon and about $15 bucks in gas.

The only real excitement came as I was riding the last 30 miles down the freeway, directly into the setting sun. Visibility was rough, especially with plenty of bugs on my visor. I had just moved left to pass a pickup truck that was hauling a 9 ft. couch. The couch was too long for the bed, so one end was propped on top of the cab. Just as I moved left to pass, the forward end of the couch lifted up off the cab. One of the large cushions flew off and missed my head by about a foot (at 75mph). As I watched from a few feet away, the whole couch caught the wind and flipped right out of the bed of the truck. The moron hadn't used a single rope or strap to tie it down.

I'm not sure what happened after that. There was fairly heavy traffic behind moving at 75 mph, with poor forward visibility. I'd be amazed if it didn't cause a minor pileup. All I could tell for sure was that most of the traffic behind me wasn't there anymore. How do people this dumb manage to get a license to drive? Sheesh!

Anyway, fun was had, gas was burned and I still have two more days off

Ride Safe!

[ride4now_imp]

After a few hectic weeks (and weekends) at work, I decided to take the day off. Most of it was spent catching up on backed up chores and errands. About 2:00 PM, I was all done. I had time on my hands, great weather (about 80F) and a CB1100. All the ingredients required for an impromptu road trip.

I didn't have any particular place I wanted to go. I just wanted to spend some quality time on the CB11, preferably in the mountains. I decided to ride out to Salt River Canyon. A nice ride through the mountains, about 125 miles each way.

I left early enough to beat the Friday afternoon traffic jams and was in the foothills by 2:45. I just followed U.S. 60 east out of town and kept on going. It started getting a bit chilly as I approached 4,000 ft. Luckily, had a heavy flannel shirt in my backpack and some warmer gloves.

Stopped in Queen Creek Canyon between Superior and Globe to snap a pic of the Queen Creek tunnel. One of only two highway tunnels in AZ.


After a few hours on the road I descended down the winding road to the bottom of the canyon.


Spent a little time wandering around the river before hopping back on the bike and heading home.


Overall, it was a great way to waste an afternoon and about $15 bucks in gas.

The only real excitement came as I was riding the last 30 miles down the freeway, directly into the setting sun. Visibility was rough, especially with plenty of bugs on my visor. I had just moved left to pass a pickup truck that was hauling a 9 ft. couch. The couch was too long for the bed, so one end was propped on top of the cab. Just as I moved left to pass, the forward end of the couch lifted up off the cab. One of the large cushions flew off and missed my head by about a foot (at 75mph). As I watched from a few feet away, the whole couch caught the wind and flipped right out of the bed of the truck. The moron hadn't used a single rope or strap to tie it down.

I'm not sure what happened after that. There was fairly heavy traffic behind moving at 75 mph, with poor forward visibility. I'd be amazed if it didn't cause a minor pileup. All I could tell for sure was that most of the traffic behind me wasn't there anymore. How do people this dumb manage to get a license to drive? Sheesh!

Anyway, fun was had, gas was burned and I still have two more days off

Ride Safe!

'Things' flying off cars, out of trucks, or run over by the 'idiot' in front you can be deadly. You're lucky! Just tonight driving through Atlanta, I heard on the radio about a couch on the interstate. A couch!!!! I guess they have dumb people everywhere!!

[Rolls_imp]

Sounds like a great way to waste an afternoon, indeed! Awesome pics, Flynrider. Nice job staying clear of that cushion (and couch), too.

[flynrider]

Sounds like a great way to waste an afternoon, indeed! Awesome pics, Flynrider. Nice job staying clear of that cushion (and couch), too.

Just dumb luck. Five seconds earlier and that couch would have been hitting the pavement about 20 ft. in front of me at 75 mph.

[Cormanus]

Great photos Flynrider. Sounds like a good ride. I'm pleased the couch missed you.

Years ago I worked for an educational assessment organisation. We used lots of teachers for bits and pieces of work and used to lend them our one office car when we could. One day an inoffensive older woman was driving it down the highway when a wheelbarrow parted company from the back of the truck in front of her. It sailed through the air, handles first and one of the handles went through the windscreen of the car missing our teacher and her colleague by inches.

She was lucky too, I guess.

[the Ferret]

Awesome place to ride it appears, by the great pics Flynrider

One of the toughest things to do is recognize possible future issues and set your self up accordingly. My little brother is excellent at it. Me not so much but I am getting better. Hope I live long enough to get good at it

Learning to leave enough room behind vehicles in front of you is tough, because we tend to ride faster than general traffic and end up behind trucks and cars, but trust me, you need to train yourself to stay off peoples bumpers. Trucks will run over a wooden skid, or a muffler, or a dead critter lying in the road and you wont see it until it pops out right in front of you and you have no option but to brace and try and run over it without going down. The 3 second following rule is a good one and could save your life.

[Pterodactyl_imp]

Once again, what to say! See comments in ferret's thread CLOSE ONE.

Cheers

PS. great pics Flynrider. AZ looks like good motorbike country

[Cormanus]

One day I was riding along and a car in front of me ran over a wee snake. It popped it up into the air. Luckily I wasn't too close and it missed landing on the tank. Or me.