Recent ride to the Pacific photos Day by Day. I'll be adding when I can.

[..]

Cross country to Tupelo, MS and then a drone on to Van Buren, Arkansas 678 miles

Start mileage. Ignore the time. It was 6.30 a.m.





Breakfast





Crossing the Mississippi



One of a few seen along the way



Tick tock tick tock



Super 8  in Van Buren, Arkansas, right on the Oaklahome state line.

[..]

On to Clayton, New Mexico across the Oaklahoma panhandle

My friend rode with me pointing in the general direction I needed to go



Here comes the bloody wind



My friend decided we needed to go due east for a while



It's soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo flat



And few trees



An Oklahoma bump  



Agricultural cathederal



The wind does have some use I guess





Leaving I 40 west of Oaklahoma City I head NW with the wind at my back

At 80mph my onboard fuel consumption gauge shows a steady 57 mpg.  

Still flat



Windcatcher transport





Lunch break



They say the wind blows in these parts



Nice paint job





Lunch. The Coleman cooler was invaluable on the trip. Filled with ice every morning it gave me cool water most of the day



Did you know west Oaklahoma is flat?



Really it is



Storm brewing ahead





The storm ahead stopped me in Clayton, NM. I could see the storm right across the sky. At times I was running west whilst it tried to push south to get me

As I started to track NW again I decided not to push my luck. I had my ass whipped by a storm on I 40 years ago near Albequerque. I learnt to respect high prairie weather.



Watching the Weather Channel in my motel room the storm stretched from just NW of my motel to theGreat Lakes.  

Super 8  

[Spirited-6]

 

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

Your ride reports are too wordy.  Thanks for sharing 

[Popeye]

Have a safe trip Paul. 

Popeye

[Michael K (Az.)]

Welcome home! Are you going to post daily installments?

[..]

Clayton, NM to Montrose, CO

Main St. Clayton


Calupin Volcano

Calupin Volcano 7,877 feet	powered by Aeva

View from Calupin Volcano, NM	powered by Aeva

[ChromeDome]

You want flat, try Eastern Colorado/Western Kansas along I-70 .... that be some serious flat land.    In Kansas there are spots on I-70 where you can see the curvature of the earth. 

[..]

You want flat, try Eastern Colorado/Western Kansas along I-70 .... that be some serious flat land.    In Kansas there are spots on I-70 where you can see the curvature of the earth. 

Yep. Been there, seen that.

Worse to come in Nevada 

[..]

Turning right out of the Calupin Park I head north on Hwy 325 to Folsom, NM

[Detn8er]

You want flat, try Eastern Colorado/Western Kansas along I-70 .... that be some serious flat land.    In Kansas there are spots on I-70 where you can see the curvature of the earth. 

Whoa there..... What is this curvature of which you speak? I thought everybody knew the Earth is FLAT!!!! Please edyoumacate yoself Tom.         

[..]

PHOTOBUCKET.COM IS A WORTHLESS PIECE OF CRAP.

So here's a direct link to the photos that they keep making disappear here.

I simply don't have time to keep coming back and inserting them over and over.

http://s198.photobucket.com/albums/aa197/britman45_photo/Bike%20Pacific%20Day%203/

[hubcapsc]

I had my ass whipped by a storm on I 40 years ago near Albequerque.

should'a toined left 

-Mike

[..]

See link above for photos.

PHOTOBUCKET.COM IS CRAP.




Approaching Lake City, Colorado from the south



I'd like to stay inLake City for a week or 2





North of Lake City



I wouldn't stay here again. Briarwood Inn, Montrose

[..]

I had my ass whipped by a storm on I 40 years ago near Albequerque.

should'a toined left 

-Mike

From my 2003 ride report

Off to my right an enormous high plains late afternoon storm is forming. Within minutes it covers the ground from my one o’clock to my six o’clock and looks to be slowly moving my way. I increase speed to over 100 miles an hour in an attempt to get to Albuquerque and shelter before I get drenched. After 70 odd miles at high speed watching the storm grow in intensity, lightning flashes illuminating the clouds and ground to air lightning making an awesome display the storm catches me as I pull to a stop under the shelter of a gas station canopy. What a display of nature’s pyrotechnic fury. As quickly as the storm arrives it passes leaving a fresh clean smell and a complete rainbow in its wake.

Taking this is a good omen I pull back on to I 40 and within five minutes am soaked to the skin by the tail of the storm.

[JDW365]

Enjoyed Britman glad your having a good trip.

JDW

[..]

Enjoyed Britman glad your having a good trip.

JDW

I got back home on Saturday night. 

[..]

Montrose, Colorado to Hanksville, Utah

South from Montrose to the Million Dollar Highway

I reached down to take this photo with the camera hanging around my neck. Oops it's not there. Back to the motel. It's laying on he bed. This is what can happen when you do the last check of the motel room whilst wearing sunglasses.









Main Street Ouray from the north



Looking back at Ouray from the south































Approaching Mesa Verde









I was here in 2005 so on this visit I took a look at some of the smalelr groups of buildings away form the tourist masses.

Very disappointed that they haven't fixed up the buildings yet  

[Jess from VA]

Thanks.   

[..]

Four Corners.

What a dump

View of tourist junk booths at Four Corners	powered by Aeva

[~ Timbrwolf]

...Great Ride Report ! 

. ..." Then I took a wrong turn. What a great mistake.

Hwy 72 to Raton was beautiful. "

. ..aint them the BEST kind of rides ! 

....great picz of New Mexico...that state is definitely on my "Bucket List"...

. ...some great piczzz my friend !

...but....boils on their genitals ? 

. ....Hope I never piss ya off Paul !   

[ChromeDome]

You want flat, try Eastern Colorado/Western Kansas along I-70 .... that be some serious flat land.    In Kansas there are spots on I-70 where you can see the curvature of the earth. 

Whoa there..... What is this curvature of which you speak? I thought everybody knew the Earth is FLAT!!!! Please edyoumacate yoself Tom.         

And ALL the planets, earth included, rotate around the sun. 

[..]

Passing thru Seiling, OK at noon on June 14th I was lucky enough to be right by the fire station as they sounded the tornado siren.

Nearly had a bloody heart attack. 

The same is done here in Roswell, GA every Wednesday at noon to make sure the alert system is working.

[Michael K (Az.)]

HA! Great trip! Don't stop now!!

[..]

I had to photograph the water. I didn't see very much H2O.



Hwy 41 in south west Colorado is flat and straight






I shared some food and water with her at tha gas station in Anteth, Utah. I f I could have taken her with me I would have.

















Here's where i go off route again. Unexpectedly I see a sign for Hanksville, my destination for that night. Hwy 261.

OK I've got enough gas to see where this goes.

Nope I don't get a map out to see where it goes. Where's the adventure in that?



UH OH  

I'm no stranger to dirt/gravel roads on the ST but out here I'm a long way from anywhere. Weeeeeeeeeell, nothign ventured, nothing gained.



I can see the paved road ahead of me but I can't see where it slices thru the mesa wall ahead of me.

A BMW tourer and a Concours 1400 come towards me. If they can do whatever is ahead of me so can I

That's the road I approached on.



The dirt road is rough. It's so rough it reset my electronic trip meter to 0     

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

Thoroughly enjoying. Thanks again 

[..]

I thought I had recorded a short video panorama of the view. Well I recorded my feet as I walked away from the view. Bummer, it was a stunning vista on a really clear day. After this snafu I made sure to check the future recordings to make sure I hadn't messed anything up.









Not even a happy one?







I visited here even though I had previously. Still boring. National Parks pass makes it easy to visit.

The road through the park is fun, one way.





On to Glen Canyon















Hite Overlook Hwy 95, Utah

Hite overlook. UT Hwy 95. Colorado River.	powered by Aeva

Whispering Sands, Hanksville, UT. Good motel

[gordorad]

Great stuff Brit....too bad we didn't cross paths!!

[..]

Hanksville, UT to Hurricane, UT via Capitol Reef, Grand Escalante, Bryce, Red Rock and Zion Canyons.

View 2 Grand Escalante, UT June 17, 2012	powered by Aeva

View 2 Grand Escalante Hwy 12, UT June 17, 2012	powered by Aeva

[Spirited-6]

Again , Great  report and pix. Thanks.
Ride on. 

[BigAl]

Great Scott,,

What a report, that is the best documentary of a long trip I have ever witnessed on this board.

Congratulations on making it out and back and managing the photos and movies to watch by us

non traveling bumms.

Thanks Again.

[NCGhostrider]

Great Pics!!!   It is good seeing some of those places.  You are right the road from Folsom to Raton is a hidden gem.  I try to cut thru there when I head up that way.   Ouray and western CO are some of my favorite places.  I haven't made it into the section of Utah you went thru.  It is good seeing it!!!

I wonder what "ending" is on the sign???   I have ideas, but I hope I am wrong.

Glad you had a safe trip.

Craig
NcGhostrider
99 I/S

[Scott in Ok]

Passing thru Seiling, OK at noon on June 14th

My home town.

Wish I had known you were passing through Paul...

-Scott

[..]

Passing thru Seiling, OK at noon on June 14th

My home town.

Wish I had known you were passing through Paul...

-Scott

No plan just a prospectve route. No idea as to when I'll start a day (I'm a school bus driver - I wake early) no fixed end to the day.

FortunAtely it works out most of the time.

HOWEVER if I hadn't stopped in Clayton, NM I would have been SOL between there and the Calupin Volcano 

[..]

View 1 Bryce Canyon June 17, 2012	powered by Aeva

Bryce is not a favorite of mine. I prefer being in the canyon bottom looking up.

View 2 Bryce Canyon June 17, 2012	powered by Aeva

Crow, Bryce Canyon, UT JUNE 17, 2012	powered by Aeva

Leaving Bryce heading south I committed the cardinal sin of NOT slowing down when water runs close to the road side. In the desert denser vegetation grows along the water ways, of course.

2 deer appear on the road side on the right.

No oncoming traffic. Check mirror. Move left. Brake. Don't go too far left. Keep on the road. Check mirror. Brake, brake, brake. Grip the tank with legs. Transfer body weight forward to maximize my force if an impact happens. Brake. Don't go too far left.
KEEP LOOKING WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.
Deer coming at me. Where other deer? Other deer gone. Brake. Deer close HIT HORN NOW NOW NOW
Deer veers away slightly. Grip tank with legs. Don't death grip the bars. BRAKE, BRAKE, BRAKE.
Dont run off left side of road. KEEP LOOKING WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. Imapct on right side of bike
Bike running straight. Release brake. Check mirror . Move right to my lane. Check mirror .Deer spinning in road. Hope it's dead. Bike running straight

Brake gently with rear so I don't overbrake the front approachign the grass verge.

Check mirror

Stop bike

Deer gone. Not dead. Bastard.

Check bike.

No damage visible  

Keep eye on any traffic approaching from behind. Don't want to get hit.

Right fork mounted spot bent down slightly

Right rear crash bar bent back

No other damage. BLOODY HELL.

Because I was squeezing the tank I had moved my right foot tight against the bike. I did feel the deer on my outer lower leg but the hidden tip over bar forward of my right foot and the rear crash bar protected my leg from heavy impact.

I later found that the bent rear crash bar stopped me from opening the saddlebag completely. I removed the crash bar, flipped it over and all was well.

How it should look.



How much it bent. This shows it flipped over.





Red Rock Canyon is what Bryce would look like from below.

[santa]

did all your stuff fit into your saddle and trunk bags?

[..]

Just before the entry to Zion

[..]

did all your stuff fit into your saddle and trunk bags?

I had a small sports bag of ziplocked clothes on my passenger seat.

[..]

I "took a day off from riding" to spend it in Zion.

Zion touches my inner core. It's a really special place to me.

I have a lot of photos of Zion so I will post a link to the album and post just a few here.

Here are some short video panoramas

View 1 Zion Canyon June 18, 2012	powered by Aeva

Yeah I know it's sideways. Got carried away trying to use vertical.

View 2 Zion Canyon June 18, 2012	powered by Aeva

View 3 Zion Canyon June 18, 2012	powered by Aeva

View 4 Zion Canyon June 18, 2012 (Embedding disabled, limit reached)

[Jess from VA]

Thanks again for posting.

I like the crow vid.  I once rolled into a rest area on Skyline Dr, and as I parked, I saw a crow occupying an SUV roof rack.  He was huge and old with feathers sticking out.  As I walked over to get a closer look, he got irritated and began squawking and pacing back and forth.  So I stopped and talked to him, but he was unresponsive.  I took a step or two closer and he got into a defensive posture, and gave me the evil eye, so I went and used the facilities.  When I came out, some others had gone over for a look, but he ran them off too.  I was curious to see how the SUV owners were going to get their vehicle back, as he had clearly claimed it as his own, but they were off hiking down the trail.  I bid him good day and he squawked back at me.  Supposed to be the smartest bird on the planet.  He was a character.

My grandmother had a several year feud with a crow that would come to her close line and pull the clothes pins off her wet laundry and drop it to the ground.  He just did it to see her get mad and chase him off.  She threatened to shoot him with grandads old .410, but never did.