5th June
I’m heading for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon this morning. I’ve decided to stay here at Hurricane tonight, which means I’ll be able to leave most of my kit in the room and ride the bike unladen for a change. I stop almost straight away to buy some bottled water and, returning to the bike, I’m dismayed to smell fuel again – until I work out that this is not unusual in a gas station…
I ride up through Zion National Park again. It’s an unusual place, in that the recommended way to tour it is by a ‘Park & Ride’ system of tour buses. I’m just using it as part of my (scenic) route to the Grand Canyon, so follow the slow moving succession of RVs through the winding roads and tunnels…
…past the Towers of the Virgin, before rejoining the Kanab road. Spying a GS Adv in a restaurant car park, I pull in for brunch. I meet up with Ron Ramsey, from Anchorage Alaska,
who has been out living under canvas in Grand Escalante for a few days and is on his way to take a few days off the ascetic life of the motorcycle adventurer - in Las Vegas
. We chat for a long time about the vagaries of travelling the back roads of the USA. He’ll be back in Alaska in August and gives me his card and invites me to look him up if I get there…
I also, whilst eating an excellent breakfast, get to meet Elsie Wilder, who runs the place – she is awaiting delivery of her Gold Wing trike (she reckons she’s too short legged to use a standard Wing) – she’s been riding bikes for decades – she’s been to Alaska a dozen times and knows everyone it seems – she’s just had by-pass surgery, but can’t wait to get back on a bike. Elsie gave me a card with her phone number on – “if you get into trouble or need anything, give me a call – if I can help – I will” – I don’t doubt she means it… She accompanies Ron & me outside to wish us a safe journey, and I take a quick picture…
I continue south towards the North Rim. I’m soon in the National Park and riding through beautiful lush, green, open meadows…
The bike feels really good without the weight of all my kit and it feels almost lightweight as I ride through the twistier roads approaching the rim of the canyon.
I arrive at the North Rim Lodge and walk down onto the ‘Sun Deck’ – which surely has one of the most breathtaking views of any restaurant…
As I sit and drink a bottle of water (despite being at high altitude, there’s no wind and it’s hot), someone in the lodge behind me is playing the piano. Playing it very well. There’s no other sound and, with the epic vista in front of me, I know that I’ll remember this moment for a long time…
I take a stroll down the ¼ mile track to Bright Angel Point. It’s hot and I’m wearing my armoured jeans and Daytona boots, so I take it easy. I pass a family coming back towards the Lodge – the 10yr old boy whining ‘So are we done with the Grand Canyon now?’ – clearly keen to get back to his Playstation…
I expect I was just as bad at his age
.
I get back to the bike and decide to go back to the motel the easy way – it’s hot, even up here at 8000ft, so I know it’ll be baking down towards Hurricane. I get kitted back up and set off, turning left along the 389 at Fredonia. It’s very hot indeed (I later find out it’s 107º F) and I stop regularly to drink and stretch my legs. I get back to the hotel at 1730ish and, after showering and cooling off a bit, go over to the filling station and buy a case of beer, as I’ve been invited by the Gold Wing guys & girls to have some pizza in the little lawn tonight.
For some reason, I find that I’ve failed to take a single photo of the Gold Wingers – an excellent, friendly and as hospitable bunch of people as I’ve met. Doug & Olivia Mullins, Wayne & Mary Harding and Tom & Sandy Raynor are visiting from Florida and we talk for hours as the sun (& the beers) go down. It’s an excellent, mellow evening & I retire to bed after midnight (and definitely after too much to drink). Unfortunately they’re all leaving (for the North Rim) early tomorrow morning – it would’ve been nice to spend more time in their company…
I’m heading for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon this morning. I’ve decided to stay here at Hurricane tonight, which means I’ll be able to leave most of my kit in the room and ride the bike unladen for a change. I stop almost straight away to buy some bottled water and, returning to the bike, I’m dismayed to smell fuel again – until I work out that this is not unusual in a gas station…
I ride up through Zion National Park again. It’s an unusual place, in that the recommended way to tour it is by a ‘Park & Ride’ system of tour buses. I’m just using it as part of my (scenic) route to the Grand Canyon, so follow the slow moving succession of RVs through the winding roads and tunnels…
…past the Towers of the Virgin, before rejoining the Kanab road. Spying a GS Adv in a restaurant car park, I pull in for brunch. I meet up with Ron Ramsey, from Anchorage Alaska,
who has been out living under canvas in Grand Escalante for a few days and is on his way to take a few days off the ascetic life of the motorcycle adventurer - in Las Vegas
. We chat for a long time about the vagaries of travelling the back roads of the USA. He’ll be back in Alaska in August and gives me his card and invites me to look him up if I get there…I also, whilst eating an excellent breakfast, get to meet Elsie Wilder, who runs the place – she is awaiting delivery of her Gold Wing trike (she reckons she’s too short legged to use a standard Wing) – she’s been riding bikes for decades – she’s been to Alaska a dozen times and knows everyone it seems – she’s just had by-pass surgery, but can’t wait to get back on a bike. Elsie gave me a card with her phone number on – “if you get into trouble or need anything, give me a call – if I can help – I will” – I don’t doubt she means it… She accompanies Ron & me outside to wish us a safe journey, and I take a quick picture…
I continue south towards the North Rim. I’m soon in the National Park and riding through beautiful lush, green, open meadows…
The bike feels really good without the weight of all my kit and it feels almost lightweight as I ride through the twistier roads approaching the rim of the canyon.
I arrive at the North Rim Lodge and walk down onto the ‘Sun Deck’ – which surely has one of the most breathtaking views of any restaurant…
As I sit and drink a bottle of water (despite being at high altitude, there’s no wind and it’s hot), someone in the lodge behind me is playing the piano. Playing it very well. There’s no other sound and, with the epic vista in front of me, I know that I’ll remember this moment for a long time…
I take a stroll down the ¼ mile track to Bright Angel Point. It’s hot and I’m wearing my armoured jeans and Daytona boots, so I take it easy. I pass a family coming back towards the Lodge – the 10yr old boy whining ‘So are we done with the Grand Canyon now?’ – clearly keen to get back to his Playstation…
I expect I was just as bad at his age.
I get back to the bike and decide to go back to the motel the easy way – it’s hot, even up here at 8000ft, so I know it’ll be baking down towards Hurricane. I get kitted back up and set off, turning left along the 389 at Fredonia. It’s very hot indeed (I later find out it’s 107º F) and I stop regularly to drink and stretch my legs. I get back to the hotel at 1730ish and, after showering and cooling off a bit, go over to the filling station and buy a case of beer, as I’ve been invited by the Gold Wing guys & girls to have some pizza in the little lawn tonight.
For some reason, I find that I’ve failed to take a single photo of the Gold Wingers – an excellent, friendly and as hospitable bunch of people as I’ve met. Doug & Olivia Mullins, Wayne & Mary Harding and Tom & Sandy Raynor are visiting from Florida and we talk for hours as the sun (& the beers) go down. It’s an excellent, mellow evening & I retire to bed after midnight (and definitely after too much to drink). Unfortunately they’re all leaving (for the North Rim) early tomorrow morning – it would’ve been nice to spend more time in their company…
