+ Week Those Were the Days My friend.

[klaviator]

One more post without pics. I do have a lot more pics coming up soon.

Earlier in this thread I posted several times about going to the HSTA rally in Townsend, Tn. At some point that rally was moved to Dillard, GA. I believe it's still there every September. I went to that rally a few times. One of them really stands out because I ended up getting my picture in a major motorcycle magazine. Buried in my hundreds of old magazines I'm pretty sure I still have. Now if I could only find it I'd scan that pic and post it here.

Here's how it happened. I led a group of riders on a sporty day ride up into N. C. Some of the roads on the road where so twisty that some of the Sport bike riders thought they were too twisty

The guys on adventure bikes loved it. One of the guys on the ride was testing a Moto Guzzi Cafe Sport for Road Runner Magazine. He needed to get some pics of the bike so I rode it around a curve on 215 and he took some pics. A couple of months later on the last page of the magazine was a preview of the test of the Moto Guzzi. My picture was next to the preview. I think it was about one square inch. I couldn't wait for the next edition with it's full size pics

Unfortunately they had taken more pics and didn't use any with me on the bike

So I didn't become a famous moto mag model

I did get to ride the Moto Guzzi. It had a full Ohlins suspension but I didn't think it handled or rode as well as my GS.


On another day I was out riding my XT in N. GA. I ended up meeting and riding with three guys on KLR650s. The talked about a trip out to Moab, UT. I don't remember if they had done it or were going to do it. I think that ride did a lot to get the gears in my mind grinding

I had always liked the KLR since the time it was introduced in 87 but never really considered buying one. Now I was thinking about it

It had also been a long time since my last trip out west. I was way over due

I think those guys may have made me look into Moab. There was a group of HSTA guys who went out to Moab every April.

My time in the Navy would probably be ending the following year. I would have less time off and probably be taking a pay cut. If I wanted to take a long trip this would be the time to do it.

So I started planning. Steve was interested in coming along. So were Howard and Terri. I also had to decide on which bike to take. The XT350 would be great off the pavement but I also wanted to do some road riding. The GS was great on the road but way to heavy for me to consider any serious off road.

So in January I went up to the Kawasaki dealer in Canton and picked up a new 2005 KLR650. I can't believe I bought a new bike and didn't take any pics right away but that's what I did. I did quickly add a few things to the bike. A heavy duty skid plate, bigger front brake, and a few other things to make it more reliable.


Around this time I also went to local camera shop. They had a digital Casio camera on closeout. Marked down from $500 to $250. It was only 4 MPX but that was pretty good for that time. I was planning on taking it on the trip but I just never got around to taking it out of the box and figuring out how to use it

Embracing new technology was never my strong point.

Other than the Camera, plans for the trip were coming together. That's coming up next

 

[klaviator]

I decided that if we were going to go all the way out to Utah we might as well make it a two week trip. With a one week trip we'd spend as much time driving as we did riding. I figured a week riding around Moab then maybe a road trip further southeast, maybe all the way to Zion. Steve had another idea. Rider magazine had been doing a series of articles featuring the riding in a different state each month. They had recently featured New Mexico. Steve wanted to ride some of the stuff featured in the magazine. So that's what we decided on. We would ride Moab, then New Mexico.

I took two weeks plus one extra day off. We left Friday late morning and drove west. We had my new KLR as well as Steve's DR650 in the back of my Avalanche. We drove a little over two days got to Moab around noon on Sunday. We had lunch, checked into our motel, and unloaded our bikes. Howard, Terri and a friend of theirs came separately and would get in later in the day. They would do Moab but not New Mexico

Our Motel was nothing special but was fairly inexpensive and was within walking distance of downtown.

We had a half day to do a little riding. I wanted to do the LaSalle Mountain loop again. I still had great memories of riding it back in 1997 on my EX500. So we off we headed. Unlike last time, the entire loop was paved now although much of it was pretty crappy pavement. Dual sport bikes were perfect for this road. We also explored a couple of unpaved roads that branched off of the paved road. One of them took us up into some snow and mud and we couldn't go any further. It was April. Although it was mostly nice and warm in Moab, at the higher elevations of the Lasalle Mtns it was still cold and there was still plenty of snow.

I didn't bring my new digital camera but I still had my el cheapo 35 mm and I did get some pics. I think I rode some of this later in the week again but I'll just post all the pics here.

Along the Colorado River:

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In the Lasalle Mtns:

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[klaviator]

It was April and although it was nice and warm in Moab there was still snow at higher elevations.

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What a view!

 

[SandRdr]

To find the good off road stuff in NGA you really need to be local! I'll not forget the first time riding a local track.

 

[klaviator]

To find the good off road stuff in NGA you really need to be local! I'll not forget the first time riding a local track.

After coming to NGA from out of state to ride for over 20 years it was nice to be local.

 

[klaviator]

The big attraction for dual sport riders in the Moab is the White Rim Trail. Steve wanted to ride it right away but I thought it would be better to do something a little easier to warm up and get a feel for the riding in the area. So we decided to ride to Chicken Corner. To get to it we got on 191, the main drag through town, and headed south. Before leaving the town limits we took a right and got on a dirt/gravel road. It started out easy with an easy creek crossing. I think this next pic was taken somewhere near the beginning of this ride.

Then the scenery started to get really spectacular. We took a break to enjoy the view.

I don't remember the details very well any more. We worked our way over a mountain than down through a large valley. There was dirt, gravel, rock and sand. Some deep sand in the valley. I wasn't crazy about riding the heavy KLR through the sand. I know the secret to riding in the sand is to go fast but I couldn't get myself to do that. The ride went to a really cool overlook called chicken corner. At that place you can continue on if you are willing to go around a narrow ledge with a sheer dropoff. I walked around it but didn't ride it. If I took pictures of chicken corner I can't find them. Then we rode back out the way we came in. It wasn't a real long ride but a great intro to the area.

A couple more pics:

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Next up: The White Rim Trail

 

[klaviator]

Back when I was first considering this trip and researching Moab online I found out about the White Rim Trail. Back then there weren't a bazillion ride reports about it on ADV like today. The best info and pics I found on the WRT were in a blog by a guy who drove it in a 4wd pickup with a camper in the bed. I only found a few posts by motorcycle riders. Despite the limited info I knew that I had to ride the WRT. Just in case there is someone out there unfamiliar with the WRT it's a hundred mile long unpaved "road" in Canyonlands NP. While most of the roads in Canyonlands, the ones 99% of the tourists use, are up high on a plateau with a view down into the canyons, the WRT goes down into the canyons formed by the Colorado and Green rivers.

So here was our plan. We would ride north on 191, gas up at the gas station at the intersection of 191 & 313, then take 313 into the park and take a right on the gravel road leading to the WRT. Then we would ride the WRT counter clockwise and return on 313 and 191 to Moab. It would require a range of 130 miles to do this. This was not an issue for me riding the Supertanker KLR. Steve's DR had a 3.4 gal tank which should be enough. He brought a siphon hose just in case. Richard on an XR400 brought a spare gallon of gas. Howard and Terri would trailer their bikes to the start to reduce the required range for them.

We planned on meeting at the Gas station. Sometimes plans just don't work out. Howard and Terri drove up into the park, missing us at the gas station. We waited for them but eventually went on. 313 is a fun, curvy and scenic paved road that climbs up into the park. It was a chilly morning with a forecast high of around 70, perfect riding weather. We took a right on a dirt road that was fun but nothing super exciting for about 10 miles. Then everything changed as we came to the edge of a big dropoff.

We would be riding down that road

It was actually a pretty easy ride. The sheer dropoffs and view made it exciting. After that we encountered some sand, a lot of rocks, endless great views and a few steep climbs and descents. I took some pics but I'm not sure what order. Todays digital cameras which number the pics make it easier to keep track.

This hill was much steeper than it looks.

Richard refueling his XR.

The scenery was spectacular and unlike anything I had ever seen before.

 

[klaviator]

At some point we picked a scenic spot and ate the lunches we packed along. Then we continued on. It was a pretty rough ride and I was getting a real workout. I was also riding slower than Steve and Richard so when we stopped for breaks mine was shorter. After a while I was thinking: WOW, another spectacular view......are we there yet?

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Eventually we came to the shaffer trail which is a series of switchbacks even more spectacular than the ones at the beginning of the ride. I kept telling myself I should stop and take pictures but I was pretty wiped out by this time and only took one.

I told myself I really needed to come back and take more pics. It wouldn't happen on this trip but I did put it on my bucket list.

The few pics I took don't come close to showing what a fantastic ride the WRT is. Any way we finished the ride without running out of gas or crashing. We were all beat when we got back to Moab. It turns out that Howard and Terri had had ridden part of the WRT from the Shaffer trail side.

We still had a few more days of riding around Moab left

 

[klaviator]

The morning after riding the WRT we were all pretty wiped out and just took it easy. Eventually we got our butts in gear and headed out for a ride. I think it was afternoon by the time we headed out. This time we headed North on 191 and took a right at the Colorado River for a ways. Eventually we took another right on a dirt road. This would be one of the highlights of the trip for me. This road went into a narrow canyon along with a creek. The road crossed the creek 27 times in those five miles. Those of you who have been there probably recognize this as Onion Creek.

After that the road entered another canyon that was totally different. Then later the road did a series of curves along a ridgeline. Then the landscape changed again. It seems like every 5 miles or so the landscape changed. For the most part the riding wasn't real difficult but it was fun.

At one point we went down a pretty steep hill. Eventually we went up again and came to an intersection. We took a left but didn't ride to far before we decided it was time to head back. It was getting late and possibly Terri on her Gas Gas 2 stroke was running low on gas. We really had no idea where we were but looking at maps later I figured out we were on Polar Mesa. The name was appropriate because it was pretty cold and I think there was even some snow in spots.

Taking a break on Polar Mesa:

Then we went back the way we came. Somewhere in Onion Creek I went ahead to get some pics:

Howard on his KTM:

And Terri on her Gas Gas:

I can't believe I didn't get any pics of the creek crossings!

 

[klaviator]

The next day we did some more riding. I'm not sure exactly were we rode but we did end up at Gemini Bridges.

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I'm pretty sure you can't ride past the parking lot anymore.

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From Gemini Bridges you can see down into a big canyon. We rode into that canyon. I remember a lot of deep sand and struggling to get my KLR through it. The scenery was really awesome. At one point I rode up a side trail and took one of my favorite pics of the trip.

 

[klaviator]

We had one or two more days of riding in Moab that I didn't get any pics of and don't remember all that well. I'll just post some of the stuff I do remember.
One thing I will never forget is going to the Moab Diner for breakfast and getting the Blueberry pancakes which were on special that day. They were the best blueberry pancakes I had eaten. We went back the next day and ordered them again but they weren't on special and weren't as good. When they were on special they premixed the blueberries and pancake batter ahead of time and the blueberries really permeated the pancakes. Since then the Moab Diner had changed owners and they no longer have that special.

Steve changed out the rear tube on his bike with a 17 inch tube. Later we stopped by Arrowhead Motorsports and got a spare. it was a really cool place that specialized in dual sport stuff. I picked up a Farkle or two for the KLR.

One morning Steve rode to Arches NP. This seems to be by far the most popular National Park near Moab. I wanted to ride, not be a sight seeing tourist so I headed out with Doug, a friend from the HSTA and we headed up the Poison Spider Mesa trail. I know this would be challenging but figured I'd go until it got to tough then turn around. It started out real rocky and I got a few dents in my aluminum Skid plate. Most of the traffic was serious 4 X 4s and ATVs. We finally got to a place where the trail went pretty steep up an enormous rock. We watched for a while as the 4 x 4s spun there tires up the rock leaving a trail of black rubber. many needed several attempts. One guy came along on a little CRF150 and zipped right up it. What made it so difficult was that the run up to the rock was deep sand. I didn't want to drop my KLR so that's as far as we went. If I had been on my XT I might have tried it.

That's it for Moab. Next we would head for New Mexico and our next adventure. I had reaaly loved the riding around Moab. I think it was not so much the technical part of the riding itself but more the awesome scenery and incredible sense of adventure. Later when describing Moab to others I would say it was "off road heaven" I put going back to Moab on my bucket list but figured it would be a few years before I had the chance.....

 

[klaviator]

We loaded up our bikes and stuff into the avalanche and headed for New Mexico. Since it wasn't to far out of the way we decided to stop and visit Four Corners. On our way there we passed this spot in Bluff and stopped to take this pic.

I think Steve took some pics of four corners but I didn't. Later I found out that the tourist spot with the four corners plaque was actually not accurately placed. i did call Debbi while there and told her "I'm in Colorado, now I'm in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah.......

We went south on 550 in New Mexico. One thing that Steve and I noticed was the over abundance of signs. Every 1000 feet of elevation had a sign. There were so many signs of all kinds we figured maybe the Governor's brother-in-law owned a sign company.

Eventually we took a left on New Mexico "highway" 126. It was a two lane paved road.....until it became a dirt road. The a while later the road became a muddy quagmire. Even if the avalanche were 4WD I wouldn't have attempted to go on. It was already dark and now we had to backtrack and take the long way around to the small resort we would be staying at.

So we called ahead and told the manager we would be late. He was hanging out around a campfire with other guests. By the time we got there they had headed off to bed. We checked in and went to sleep. When we got up the next morning we went outside and saw this:

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Not exactly the weather we were hoping for. Oh well, we could ride in a little snow. Then a little later the water went out. It turned out that the water pump for the resort had gone out and there was no telling when it would be fixed

So we checked out and head to Bernalillo. Bernalillo was at a lower elevation and instead of snow it was just a cold rain there. We found a generic chain motel and checked in. We hung out for the rest of the day and maybe the next waiting for the crappy weather to pass. Neither of us had any desire to go riding in the cold rain.

 

[klaviator]

When the rain finally stopped we were ready to ride

It was still cold and gloomy but we had a lot of place we wanted to see so we hit the road. Our first stop was something that had really caught my eye in the Rider Article that inspired this ride. So we headed north on 550, north on 4 and took a left on some small twisty back road that passed through a small Indian village or two.

Our destination:

This was the Gilman Tunnels. It used to be railroad tunnels. Now it had a paved road that led to some dirt roads and trails. For once on this trip I wasn't trying to conserve film and took several pics.

Looking back.

Steve's DR posing in front of the tunnel.

The other side of the tunnels was just as scenic.

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Just past the tunnel the road turned to dirt but unfortunately there was a gate and it was closed. It's probably just as well as I'm sure it would have been a muddy mess.

 

[klaviator]

We back tracked and headed further up 4 to the place we had spent the first night.

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The water was still out. After that I wanted to ride HWY 126 back to the spot where we couldn't get through on the truck due to the giant mud holes. We rode a little ways and.......

There was snow on the ground and it was pretty cold. We continued on for a while until...

We were riding in the snow. We continued for a while in the snow but soon realized it might take us forever to get anywhere at our slow pace so we turned around.

 

[klaviator]

We rode back by the La Cueva lodge and took a left on route 4 and rode north into the Jemez mountains. It was a cold ride with a little light rain. Luckily it was only occasional light rain because Steve was wearing Jeans over long johns. My gear was all waterproof but I was still pretty cold. Route 4 had some real niice curves in the mountains. Due to the cold and over abundance of law enforcement in the area we didn't get too carried away in the curves. Our next stop was at Valle Caldera. This a huge 13.7 mile in diameter volcanic valley. We stopped and enjoyed the view for a while. I'm pretty sure Steve took some pics but if I did I can't find them. Then we rode on to Los Alamos. When we got there we were cold and hungry. We rode around looking for a decent place to eat lunch but all we could find was McDs and Sonic. It was to cold to eat outside so McD's it was.

After Lunch we headed south and to lower elevations. It was warmer.....until we headed up towards Sandia Peak. The road going up the mountain was a fantastic ride, smooth pavement and great curves.

As we got up to higher elevations we started to see some of that white stuff again. At first it was just on the side of the road making for some nice scenery.

Eventually the road started getting covered with snow and ice. My rear tire was nearly worn out so I stopped before getting all the way to the top.

Steve who had fairly fresh tires on his DR rode all the way to the top. Then we headed back down. Another pic:

Part of the way down we took a left on to an unpaved road that was a shortcut to Bernallilo. The top part of this road was covered with snow and ice so it was slow going.
It was a full day of riding. The next day we would head south into the desert.

 

[klaviator]

The next day we headed down through Albuquerque and then did a loop to the Southeast through the desert. This was one ride where it was nice to have big thumpers instead of smaller dual sports as we 80-90 MPH speeds on the wide open and mostly deserted roads.

We stopped for lunch at a place in middle of nowhere. I remember that Steve had an elk burrito.

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We stopped and visited some historic sites.

Then we headed north back to Sandia Peak. A day of sunlight had cleared the road and this time I made it to the top.

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Then it was back to our hotel. It was also our last day of riding on this trip. The next morning we began the long drive back home. We had originally planned to stop and ride a day in Arkansas but we were tired and neither of us were motivated to do it.

 

[klaviator]

When you are young, your whole life is in front of you, almost anything is possible, things will stay the same or get better and there is plenty of time to do things you like again or do the new things you want to do.

Changing the words a bit in the theme song for this thread:

… Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd fly and fly forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd ride and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days...

Then you get older and things start to change. One of the biggest changes is that you now realize you have to close chapters of your life and move on. Things change and you can't always go back and do it again

When I got back from the trip out west I only had a few months left in the Navy. I had a lot of leave accumulated and did use some of it to go riding. I think I rode to the HSTA National Rally in Lexington , Ky. I sometimes took a few days off just to do some local riding. But as retirement got closer I realized that I would miss being in the Navy and tried to enjoy those last days at work.

A few days before my retirement I closed another chapter of my life, that of being a Naval Aviator. My last flight in the Navy was a short training flight in the C-12. The Navy does have some traditions and one of them is to make the last flight memorable. There was a Navy photographer on hand to document this tradition.

The crowd gathering awaiting my return. You can just see that they are up to no good

A fire truck was waiting to stream some water on the plane.

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Setting up for an ambush!

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[klaviator]

You didn't think I would be caught unprepared did you?

Even my own family was out to get me!

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But I forgave them

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A few days later was my retirement ceremony. I can't find any pics of that.
And just like that, a 21 year chapter of my life was closed.

Now I had to try to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up

Well, that's not completely true, I knew I wanted to continue being a motorcycle rider

Not everything in my life would change.

 

[BornAgain]

Did you retire as a Commander I can't tell if the oak leaf is silver or gold.

 

[klaviator]

Did you retire as a Commander I can't tell if the oak leaf is silver or gold.

Yes I retired as a Commander.