A great group of friends and I just returned from an awesome trip to Moab,Utah. A couple of us are MC/AL members. AlGoodwin,Fancher_SM along with Keith Farris, Brad Hollifield, Dennis Bradford and myself met at Allen's house Saturday October 6th and loaded our 6 bikes onto a trailer and all our gear into a passenger van and headed out.
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Some 27 hours later we arrived in Moab Sunday afternoon. A great meal at Moab Brewery and we settled in. And so did the rain. Moab gets 9.5 inches of rain annually on average. I think we saw about half of that while we were there. We got rain 3 out of 5 days we were there.
Monday morning and more rain. So what do we decide to do? "Let's ride the easy trail" they said. "It'll be fun!" they said. Yeah,right! Apparently riding the Shaffer trail and the White Rim Trail on a wet muddy day might not have been the brightest idea we had. Considering they are 2 of the most popular trails in the area, and also considering we were the ONLY PEOPLE out there, we might have made a slight miscalculation! (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181017/4664adee4a3e1c01d3dda4e30d2b726a.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181017/48c779e3d16e1cef7a009a52904cae30.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181017/7388af087599c0de4900a19989f58c52.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181017/204584ed4b064901b96d9660bfdded63.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181017/15135a5a370b2161ab30f31a29718042.jpg)
https://www.facebook.com/allen.goodwin.75/videos/10215776847286262/
(Video courtesy of Allen Goodwin)
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As the day wore on, the rain subsided. The mud did not.
I think we all bellyflopped in a mud hole at some point during the day.
"BUT I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!!!"
(You had to be there!)
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At the end of the day, we were all glad we had braved the rain and ridden the trails. It was an awesome day !
Tuesday morning we decided to take it a little easier so we headed out to do some sightseeing. Arches National Park is 1 of the most awe inspiring places I have ever seen. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181017/07376ddc19058c46ad1e800a8f6c1e50.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181017/f648651de5ee45851b075c06ea1c90ce.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181017/055d7357144766a1741ebfc0ff782942.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181017/1c64799912ce0cc9d8e388cc6e6cb8d1.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181017/f619e2c66989d1959384a727d6a66c0b.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181017/2be3c9562057c8de84faa384262360fd.jpg)
We decided to split up and everyone tour the park at their own pace. Allen,Landon and I took a large portion of the day riding,hiking,and photographing the scenery. Keith and Brad decided to take a dirt loop that would take them out of the park. Keith had a small incident on the trail that cracked the left side cover. This rocky terrain proved to be very unforgiving.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181019/4a8cdcd631d009853ba5ab0c710b14c8.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181019/7c468f9517a8e6777fdafc89e1f2aa7a.jpg)
After towing the bike to the highway and getting it with the truck, Keith and Dennis (aka JB Weld) repaired the side cover. Keith was ready to ride by the next morning. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181019/c452c273c8e98cf3b852a648a1cdba1d.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181019/75ef24e4723554cc229abbb8984bb4b8.jpg)
Wednesday morning the weather was good and we decided to go up and and find some snow. The La Sal mountains were visible from our condo and looked very interesting. Since we were going to ride in the desert I hadn't really thought about rain or snow and yet, we're experiencing some of both. I wasn't completely unprepared, but thin gloves and no neck cover and I was slightly uncomfortable. Alas,Dennis loaned me a neck cover and I just toughed it out with cold hands. It was a gorgeous morning and the views were spectacular from there. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/04a0e915cad0a115d5d05531a851edde.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/7885dc118e3d658918ce5db42508e3a9.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/0c82e3ae7e3e96ac0c58cdff341aa7dd.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/72d877243bbecc019a88e8f968cf6e28.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/24c78129ba6f1ce1d0bd08a8d2c5605d.jpg)
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The La Sal loop brought us out to Highway 128 aka Castle Valley. The road runs through the canyon and you are riding along the base of sheer rock bluffs with the Colorado River running right alongside the road.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/d82d6058dbc1f7fa39aaf955b1915a5f.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/13192a6836ed95e50899ca4e9aed05a3.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/ca6596919997c32e7cd74d8b0cb5692e.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/30c1f4a959fc483b74f48da67906ee43.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/fbf86185036450b73316a52ba295dd02.jpg)
I tried to get my phone balanced on my helmet to get a good group picture but it just wouldn't work. So Brad just walked out to the side of the road and flagged down the second car that came by. ( The first car wouldn't stop. I don't really blame them! Rough looking bunch in the middle of nowhere!) (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/37e0868a692f43feb4fcb6496ed66bdd.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/7224feb268a41c3d6caba12de365165e.jpg)
This was the group photo.
After the ride through Castle Valley we went to Sand Flats Recreational Area. Several trails were there and we rode the Fins and things trail and Slick Rock trail. The name is deceiving. It's like riding on a pumice stone. If you can stay on the bike it will literally go anywhere. Steep climbs and descents, off camber across the rocks sideways, any angle of approach was possible as long as you kept your momentum. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/845ec8191a5f83426e1108e37c6c0e6b.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/14dc082b91fb0457dad2bbca6a589331.jpg)
Wednesday night and Thursday morning brought more rain. Buckets. Of. Rain. In the Desert. Go figure. So we decided to go downtown and do the tourist stuff. Bought some T shirts, grabbed lunch, and walked around town. We got back to the condo around noon and the rain was letting up. We decided to take a ride out to Dead Horse State Park. From this vantage point we could see some of the trails that we had ridden Monday. Shaffer and White Rim trails were visible and it was really cool to see it all from above. This is one of my favorite places we visited. The view is spectacular. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/f530938d72d19b7f7e3ffc846304ca1e.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/971bb53246ff1a6906910bf96b72d1b9.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/dc1eefc5fb7172a9a238eb47f61bf02d.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/cfe2ba0a9126c295f3cb4d8dc05d61af.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/3d02e412f4b0157e305eba2f647d703c.jpg)
Friday morning and great weather. We had talked about riding on the Poison Spider Mesa area and we headed out to give it a try. After about a half mile of banging and bouncing off rocks mixed intermittently with deep slick mud, and the fact that it appeared that every Jeep and side by side in Moab had decided to go there today also, we changed course and headed for the trail that had bitten Keith on Tuesday, Willow Springs Road. This was a relatively good trail if you are a fan of deep sand mixed with rocky hillsides. Personally I hate deep sand, especially when laying face down in it! But at least it's softer than the rocks when you fall. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/14999af121dac33543781c142be303cb.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/8718eddde1a2eded391db3462cb2a59e.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/e3c79020043b403696b5a4cb89ea92ad.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/1816ade8e158e1724b051da33e1e0bc0.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/74c3065d1bb876a8cc9ccdccaa6d1911.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/9c428f6f610e11c6b23452ec1e55fafe.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/4d2ca83a07929be43478a0015b01f06f.jpg)
The maps recommended that the trail be ridden from north to south, so naturally we went south to north! I mentioned earlier about the rocky terrain being unforgiving. Mid afternoon it claimed the next victim. I was climbing on a steep rocky hillside and reached a point where I had to stop. I put my left foot down and everything is going well. I rolled back to reposition myself and the weight shifted to my right. When I put my right foot down there was nothing . So I took a nice little tumble back down the hill! When I got the bike back up, the brake pedal had punched a hole in the oil filter cover. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/4ea61c955802c20d5fac48ea915d8e2a.jpg)
No problem. Just put a little JB Weld on it and wait a while.
"Who's got the JB Weld ?
Ummmm...... ummm...... it's in the toolbox back at the condo!"
So we tried several different things ( none of which worked)
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Btw a tire patch will not stick to aluminum! (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/a9b14d5e3f5718b2b5c64b59df98200f.jpg)
...And first aid tape covered with cloth electrical tape won't stop an oil leak either.
We decided we should all turn in our Redneck cards since not a single one of us had any duct tape!
Brad attempted to tow me out to the pavement but after dragging me through a couple of ditches I decided to let Keith " ride " my bike and I rode his. They are experienced with towing each other since it had only been a couple of days before they had done the same thing!
The day didn't work out exactly the way we had planned, but that's why it's called an adventure.
Killing it! ;)
Saturday morning and we have to get back to reality. Loaded up the bikes and the van and headed out for Home.
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The crew (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/0d35e4f4e630af65051902c75669f74e.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/31e751831f1f52534810f9784f79ed29.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/f7b4026397c7fc6222d8b259a1185085.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/31b5ef7c4214361cc21cb598cc7213b6.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/03f3d09ef60eed75b7bf17a7c8b560f0.jpg)
We took the northern route home through Breckinridge, Denver,Kansas City and St. Louis. Lots of mountains for the first few hours and then flatlands and lots of wind farms.
This is what you do when you have a 30 hour ride home (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181021/d1795a115341304fbfa8650a3c616b04.jpg)
I'm thankful that we got invited on this trip. It was indeed an Epic week in Moab.
If you want to see more pictures and videos of the trip, my Facebook page will take you to a group page called Expedition Moab. I'm pretty sure it's been made public.
Wow! Awesome photography!!! So glad y'all had a great time! Thanks for sharing the experience!
Nice pictures. It looks like you all had a good time. Thanks for sharing your great adventure. Moab is on my bucket list hopefully I'll get there one day.
Genuinely happy for all you guys. Especial you Tony, because your son was there with you. That's a cool thing.
Quote from: Brian A on October 22, 2018, 07:10:09 AM
Genuinely happy for all you guys. Especial you Tony, because your son was there with you. That's a cool thing.
Thanks Brian. It meant a lot that we were able to do this trip together. Life gets in the way of living sometimes.
Glad you had such a great trip. It would be real hard to go to Moab, or almost anywhere in southern Utah, and not have an epic trip. I've been to Moab three times and can't wait to go back.
Thanks for posting this report and pics.
Awesome report Tony! Looking forward to planning the next one... I have heard that it always is raining in West Virginia!!!!! ;D
Awesome, Tony. And Tony, Jr. I enjoyed reading your report and seeing the pictures. I've rarely wanted to go to the desert, but you made me change my mind. I think i'll Jeep it though :-\
Quote from: Chitza on October 23, 2018, 11:49:42 AM
Awesome, Tony. And Tony, Jr. I enjoyed reading your report and seeing the pictures. I've rarely wanted to go to the desert, but you made me change my mind. I think i'll Jeep it though :-\
Karla, Southern Utah is one of the most spectacular places on earth. It may be mostly desert but it is not anything like what you would expect the desert to look like. Even if you stay on the pavement it's spectacular. There's no better way to see it than from a bike.
Thanks for taking the time to write this up!
I think I will start planning a trip to Moab with my dad!
Quote from: TFancher on October 22, 2018, 09:19:00 AM
Life gets in the way of living sometimes.
Ain't that the sad truth. Great report....green with envy.
Awesome pics. Thanks for sharing! Moab is definitely on my list of places to ride.
I started 2 days ago downloading downs more videos....nothing like getting things done quickly.
I'll post YouTube links soon....
This weekend for sure.
@Al Goodwin there is nothing in this beautiful world nearly as majestic as the sound of that KLR's engine echoing off of the canyon walls!!
Thanks for the vids!
Quote from: Fencejumper09 on December 12, 2018, 10:25:32 AM
@Al Goodwin there is nothing in this beautiful world nearly as majestic as the sound of that KLR's engine echoing off of the canyon walls!!
Thanks for the vids!
Some of the greatest music ever created by man.
Hated to see this report end. Thanks for taking us along.