Saturday May 29, Moab UT to Dolores CO
A great day. All three-star roads. River canyons. High mesas. High mountain passes. It still very cool at those high places. And kind of cool all day.
Returned back toward Cortez on UT 46 / CO 90. No wind this morning, so I made up for the ride into Moab. The road surface rates good to very good, some rough sections, some smooth sections. Lots of sweeper curves and some tight twisties. But you still have to get from the State Line to Naturita by way of Paradox, Bedrock, and Delightfully Descriptively Designated Desperation Valley.
At Naturtia I had to decide between CO 145 to Dolores and CO 141 to Gateway. Tough decision. So, I decide to do both. I would go to Gateway and turn around back to Naturtia and then take CO 145 to Dolores. A most excellent decision. Made for a perfect day in Biker Trash Paradise.
You have to see this countryside, I can’t begin to give it justice. CO 141 runs along the Dolores River to Gateway and then up to the top of the canyon to meet US 550 just South of Grand Junction. A wonderful ride in a river canyon with multi-colored walls. Riding down into the canyon bottom is a trip back geologic time. I don’t know the names of the epochs, but each one occupied huge chunks of time. Plus, you can see the same compositions and colors of the rocks in different canyons.
CO 145 from Naturita first heads up to the top of a high mesa and then at Norwood goes down to the San Miguel River and then goes upstream to the head waters of that stream up in the Telluride Canyon. Another beautiful ride in a somewhat narrow valley.
Out of Telluride, I don’t go to Telluride anymore, the road goes way high to Lizard Head Pass. Very cool way up here, but beautiful. And then a very long downhill run to close to Dolores. The valley is beautiful after the road leaves the canyon.
Friday May 28, Around Moab
Rode around Moab today. Started the day by riding along the Colorado River on UT 128. Down near Moab, the canyon is kind of narrow. As the road approaches the upper reaches of the canyon, beautiful big valleys are there. Bright green crops growing in these valleys. So are high-end frou-frou resorts / spas. I’m sure the last one that I putt-putted through belongs to the class, If you have to ask the prices, you probably can’t afford it. Sorrel Creek I recall the name to be.
Eventually the road moves out of the canyon and valleys and tops the high dry semi-arid plain. I haven’t been watching the miles so closely. And I see a thin-line road that parallels the I-State chunk that’s required to get back to Moab. It’s very very windy. I finally reach the intersection with the I-State and cross it to check the parallel road. A sign says, State maintenance ends. I give it a try anyway and soon enough the road surface disappears into a mess of rock, dirt, and chunks of asphalt.
Have to go back and use the interstate.
Should have gone all the way back to UT 128.
When I get back to Moab, I ride into Monument National Park and putt-putt around taking in some of the sights.
A quite day checking out Southeastern Utah.
Thursday May 27, Cortez CO to Moab UT
Left Cortez on US 491, a very big road, with the objective road being CO 90 / UT 46, and Moab Utah. The only part of the route to look forward to being West of Paradox CO. Even the thin-line roads around these parts are mostly straight and flat. And windy. Very straight, very flat, very windy. Check your maps to find the straight sections.
Not much to note except to say that the immense depression in which Bedrock and Paradox are located is a sight to behold. It’s a valley that seems to be closed in all round, but somehow the Dolores River manages to flow across the valley. In fact, I have not yet figured out the Dolores River and how it makes its way among these high mesas and mountains. This is the same river that flows through the valley on CO 141, where Gateway is located, and down to the town of Dolores in CO.
I stopped in Dove Creek UT for brunch at Deb’s Diner The first two road cafe rules were true, but the food didn’t make the cut. Can’t win them all, I guess.
After finally getting to the good road past Paradox, at which the road leaves the valley and starts to climb over the ridges and into the next valley, I ran into The Big Wind. Mighty Big. You don’t want to be hit with a Big Wind from the left when you’re leaned way over into a tight right-hand curve. The wind is especially bad at the tops of the canyons just as you start down the over side of a ridge. It’s been funneled up the canyon and is really hard.
As I’m putt-putting along, I can see the high peaks of a small mountain group in Utah. I noticed that only a very few clumps of Aspen have just started to get a few small leaves. Not long thereafter I was up at that altitude on UT 46, and it’s nice and cool up here. The Springline is still kind of low in these parts.
Soon enough, the roads starts to move down to the altitude of Maob, and it starts to get very hot, and it is still windy. I cruise through town eyeballing the motels and finally settled for the place that Mary and I stayed in 2004. This weekend is the official start for Summer and all the rooms in all the motels at the well-known destinations will have already been taken. It’s a problem for those who accept the journey to be the destination. No destinations, no reservations. The place is still well run and clean, with a grill and a covered space with tables. I’ll have my dinner out here.
Not one of the better days in Biker Trash Paradise. But then, any day on a moto is a very good day. The good tiny-line roads only make it a perfect day.
Wednesday May 26, Chama NM to Cortez CO
Another perfect day in Biker Trash Paradise. Wouldn’t change a second.
A most wonderful experience way, way deep in the wild west boonies. I encountered several groups of wild horses. Four groups of four or five horses in each. Incredible !!!
Left Chama on US 64 West with the objective to not go to Pogosa Springs by way of US 84. That’s a great ride, but I’ve ridden it for I don’t know how many times. I think it is still too cool to head for the high Rockys.
So, where US 64 heads West outside Chama I took that fork in the road. It’s been many years since I took this route to Colorado. It’s a great ride and the road has never been patrolled whenever I’ve on it. The surface has started to deteriorate in several places, but not really bad yet.
Checking the Real Time Moto Road Trip Planner, I see a thin-line road out of Dulce that leads to several lakes and crosses the continental divide. Looks like fun. It’s a long-cut from US 64 back to US 64. The road doesn’t have a number on my map, but the map indicates that I should hit a T intersection at NM 537 and get back to 64.
I take the road in Dulce and it is way proved up with wide lanes, wide shoulders, and a smooth brand new surface. Nonetheless, I stay with the objective and continue. Soon, the brand new road ends and the expected thin-line road is what I’m riding.
Beautiful long views into Colorado and the Rockys, as well as the local mountains and valleys. At some places the road surface gets really bad, but it’s a great ride anyway.
Soon I begin to suspect that the map is not correct. While I can miss intersections when I’m eyeballing the scenery, I know I can’t miss a T-intersection. There have been no signs about anything along the road. Dulce itself is in the boonies and I left that behind many miles back.
I continue to explore and soon I encounter a few groups of horses beside the road. The presence and sounds on the bike really spooks these horses. There aren’t any fences in sight, and I haven’t seen any for many many miles. The horses sure don’t respond to me and the machine in the same way that domesticated horses do. I’m really really deep into the boonies. HVent seen any signs of civilization for many mNy miles. I conclude that they are wild horses. What an experience.
Eventually, the pavement ends. So I stop to review the situation. The only sounds out here are the sounds of the wind. And when the wind isn’t blowing, the only sounds are the sounds of nothing. It’s a beautiful valley that I’ve landed in.
I turn around to try to find the road that goes back to US 64, resigned to returning all the way back to Dulce if that’s what it takes. Which would double the pleasure of this long-cut ride.
I do make it to US 64, with the help of some locals who happen to be coming along the road.
US 64 from here to the next objective road is a joy. Nobody here but me, the machine, and the road. It’s a fun little run.
I stop at the Navajo City Roadhouse to sip a chilled Starbuck’s product and chat with a couple of guys there. Mostly, they chat and I try to listen. One of the guys must be a savant because he constantly throws out tidbits about everything from fusion energy to the density of various insects at different locations around the Navajo Dam Lake and the population and locations of several pre-history Pueblos and the relative size of the population of San Juan county then and now. And I don’t remember what else. He would not stop talking and would head of in a perpendicular direction all the time. He constantly used his hands and his eyes couldn’t look at you when he was talking.
The other guy would try to grab the conservation, but he always failed. I eventually simply said that I was going to ride NM 539 and left.
I take NM 539 across Navajo Lake dam and NM 173 to Aztec. The objective roads are a couple that lead to and across Red Mesa and leads me to US 160 West of Durango; NM 574, NM 170, and CO 140. Another great chunk of road and touring even when the wind gets big on the top of the mesa.
I ride into Cortez CO, settle in and do my laundary.
Another wonderful day riding, exploring, and touring the tiny-line roads.
Tuesday May 25, Santa Fe NM to Chama NM
A perfect day in Biker Trash paradise. Just perfect.
US 285 from Espanola to US 64 at Tres Piedras to Tierra Amarilla, then US 64 / 84 to Chama, then a ride up to the Cumbres summit pass on NM 17 and back to Chama.
That chunk of US 64 has got to be in the top 10 of my all-time favorite roads. Up over a high pass and then through a beautiful wide valley into Chama. Lots and lots of unsurpassed long views all along the route. As you approach Chama, the mountains in Colorado are right there in front. Beautiful. Five stars for sure.
The route that I took is about two times as many miles as taking US 84 directly from Espanola to Chama. But it’s ten times better, Biker Trash wise. And if you don’t stop for too long, it doesn’t take nearly twice the time, if you get my drift. The road speaks to you and it becomes impossible to not twist the throttle more and more.
This wasn’t my original plan, but while I was up at the summit, the scenic train pulled into a station up there. I became a train spotter and started taking pictures. And followed along as the train made its way back to Chama.
I met Adam, who had a movie camera and high-tech microphone setup by the track waiting for the train. Adam is working on a film about the history of the scenic railroad, Cumbres & Toltec, because his grandfather help build the line. The film is his dissertation. He had selected an especially scenic spot, so I waited for the train with him and took some photos.
I took a lot of photos today, some might be worth keeping.
Monday May 24, White Rock NM to Santa Fe NM
Started out to get back up high in the mountains, on NM 4, but by the time I get to the top of the mesa, not even getting to the high altitude, the temperature is in the low 40s F (single digit in those other units). Decide to go into Los Alamos and wait for the temperature to increase. It’s very windy, too.
Chatted with a guy who said he was in high management at the La-bor-a-tory, the Nukey Bombs part. Now he’s into odd jobs for a property-management company. hhhmmmm. I wonder. But on the other hand I’ve always found Higher Management, especially Project Managers, could slip into odd-job maintenance and never be missed.
Higher temperatures are not coming on very fast. So I decide to get down off the mesas and check out stuff in the canyons. And that’s how I spent the day; just cursing around from place to place. Went up two dead end roads just to see what was there.
Northern New Mexico is beautiful, so riding around and exploring local places is a real pleasure. There’s not a cloud in the deep blue sky. Hasn’t been for three or four days now.
The bike needs a short service, basically an oil change, so I ride on down to Santa Fe hoping the dealer will work me into the schedule first thing in the morning.
Don’t yet know where I’ll head from here. Need warmer temperature to get into the really high mountains.
Another day in paradise.
Sunday May 23, Taos NM to White Rock NM
I continued to putt-putt around without any real plan. Mainly to see a few familiar sights. Left Taos on NM 68 to ride down into the canyon of the Rio Grande River. Turned out to be an excellent way to start a touring day. Took a long cut up into the canyon on NM 570. A very nice slow ride right on the river bank. Lots of folks camping in here and more showing up to float the river.
Rode back out of the canyon and picked up NM 75 with an objective to ride The High Road to Taos, NM 76, down into Espanola. NM 75 is an excellent road for running and touring, so I do some of both. NM 76 is being proved up near the intersection with NM 75. Lots and lots of cutting and filling and straightening going on. Later I discover that the work is a continuation of already completed sections of the road all the way down to the intersection with NM 520.
Took NM 68 out of Espanola heading for NM 520 to Los Alamos. Rode through the town to get the road up to the local ski hill to get some long views of the mountains and mesas. Then took NM 4 out to Valle Grande to take some pictures and then back-tracked to Bandelier National Momument. Just sat in the shade and drank a bottle of water.
It’s getting late in the afternoon and the temperature is hot. I don’t have many choices for a motel, so I’m going to park here in White Rock.
A most excellent day in paradise.
Saturday May 22, Las Vegas NM to Taos NM
Putt-putted around on some local roads, NM 518, 105, 94, and 434, working my way to US 64 at Angel Fire. Then into Eagle Nest, Red River, and finally into Taos on NM 522, which picks up US 64 just outside Taos. NM 434 is being improved, but the part past the State Park still wanders it’s way past the trees and rocks and stream. It’s a very narrow one-laner as jt goes up the canyon to the top of the pass. Stopped and sipped on a chilled Starbuck’s product along the way. Very good roads and beautiful mountains. Exactly what I’ve been looking for. It’s very cool up there in the mountains. Not any action in Red River yet, but the bikers will be showing up Real Soon Now.
Lost the road when I was viewing the countryside and arrived at two dead end roads. Agin’ hippie is in charge at the county recycle place. She’s originally from Pennsylvania and moved out West a long time ago. The port a-potty is painted pink just for her. Her husband also works for the county. I’ll bet there are almost no other jobs way out deep in the boonies.
Gated community here at these dead end roads. The idle rich do that to keep out the common riff raff. Dead end roads plus gated community.
Stopped on the way to Angel Fire. Stopped in Angel Fire. Stopped at Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Stopped in Eagle Nest. Stopped in Red River.
Beautiful, beautiful day.
Three-star roads, all of them.
Thursday May 20 and Friday May 21, Escape from Oklahoma
Met Ron here in Miami who has a contract to clean up some olde lead mines around these parts. Because it’s raining and doing other bad weather stuff his operation is in shut-down mode. Ron and a few other guys are planning a loop trip around TX, NM, CO, and back him to TX. All on dirt. I asked him to keep me posted on their plans and the trip.
I went North out of Miami into Kansas to put a little distance between me and the storms. The original objective road had some touring value, but I’m thinking it might be better to go for the big straight roads and get as far away from stormy Oklahoma as fast as possible. Took US 69 North to pick up US 166 just North of the sate line. The roads in Kansas run due West in very straight lines. I make it about half way across Oklahoma up in Kansas and then go South back into Oklahoma so as to get aligned with my objectives in New Mexico. I ran into only one small wet spell and the sky got less cloudy as I moved rapidly West.
Covered lots of ground zipping through many very small places. Several seem to be place names with nothing there. Others have a little stuff, but no gas and no motels. Finding motels is a major problem when you’re exploring the boonies on the tiny-line roads. And it’s compounded out here where the land is big and there aren’t many people. You never know that if you bypass a motel opportunity it might be 200 miles to the next one.
We’ve seen many dead towns almost every where we’ve ridden. Dalhart TX was a classic case. The original downtown is a ghost town. M someone must have had the idea that if the downtown streets were paved with bricks, people would flock back and revive the place. Didn’t work. And now the brick streets are decaying along with all the boarded-up buildings. Not a pretty sight.
I have brunch at a local place that has the owner’s name on it. She tells me that Haliburton had an office here at one time. When that moved out the town collapsed. Now the place seems to be based on feed lots for cattle. Lots o’ feed lots. Lots and lots and lots of cattle.
I’m not in the grits belt anymore. Spuds for breakfast.
Rode US 166 to South Haven to get US 81 South back into Kansas where I picked up OK 11 and continued West. OK 11 runs right into US 64 and I kept on racking up the miles, usually in one to one-and-a-half hour chunks. Now we’re getting into seriously straight roads. Stopped in Buffalo to inquire about motels on down the road. Guymon City was said to be the only bet. So I fired up for another couple of chunks. Along the way, US 64 picks up a few other US roads, including 270, 83, and 54, I think.
It was a very long haul today, well over 400 miles of plain hard riding on The Big Roads.
All zero star roads today.
Friday May 21 Guymon City OK to Las Vegas NM
US 64 heads too far North and will go directly to Taos NM. I’m thinking I would like to see some country South of there and try out a few thin-lines roads to get me back into Northern NM. So I take US 54 out of Guymon City.
I continue down US 54 southwesterly toward New Mexico. The objective road is NM 39 out of Logan NM. I have considered heading deep South into NM, but it’s already getting to be very warm, and most of the roads won’t be very good. Generally, there are chunks of NM that offer excellent roads and scenery, but these are scattered around the state. And, while the roads will be great after you get into a chunk, the chunks are connected only by The Big Flat and Straight Roads. And it’s very hot down there.
NM 39 turns out to be an excellent choice. Very good surface but, as expected, very straight. Out of Gallegos the road climbs up to the top of a high, and very, very flat Mesa. Probably the flattest Mesa I’ve been on. I stop in Mosquero to take a break and let the joy sink in. A beautiful ride and it’s much cooler up here. Mosquero is exactly like any small isolated village / town out here in the West. It’s very quite, there’s not much in the place, but there are always places to get food and drinks. It the case of Mosquero, you get these in the same place. There’s a juke box and pool table along with the bar and tables. All-in-service. And the juke box will have mostly olde cowboy and country classics available. There’ll be beer drinking and pool games accompanied with juke-box tunes tonight, I’ll net.
I continue riding the top of the mesa to Roy where I pick up NM 120, another wonderful road. Not far out of Roy the road starts to drop down off the mesa. I know what’s coming. There’ll be a river at the bottom, we’ll cross the stream and then head back up to the top of another mesa. And so it is.
NM 120 takes me to Wagon Mound NM. It’s another wonderful ride through beautiful country-side. And as a bonus, the elevation continues to increase and it’s nice and cool up here. At Wagon Mound I inquire about motels in the intended direction of travel. There aren’t any. Las Vegas NM is my only choice as it’s been two long hard riding days. And I have to make the last leg on the I-State. I hate it when that happens.
Well, it hasn’t been easy getting here, but I’ve made it. And the last two roads are just a taste of what’s to come. Biker Trash Paradise is just a twist of the throttle away now.
Wednesday May 19, Miami OK to Nowhere
More severe weather West of here, the intended direction of travel, and blowing this way fast. Large hail, big big winds, electrical storms, with bonus tornados in the pm.
It’s now about 6 pm and I’m watching tornados live on The Weather Channel. The storms are West of here, but I think they are South of my intended travel. And a report of an 18-wheeler blown over by high winds.
Maybe I can ride tomorrow, but the forecast is not good.
Apparently our Fair Weather Crystal is now worthless. I hope saying that doesn’t make the Crystal seek weather revenge on me.
Models Methods Software 