Who takes leave in October?

[MikeO]

10th October 2014

After catching up with journal writing yesterday afternoon, I had an early night and tried to catch up on some sleep. For no apparent reason (other than my body clock not responding to time zones), this does not help much.

I get up and am showered and dressed before attacking the (quite good) buffet breakfast and then packing the bike. By the time I have filled up with fuel at the gas station opposite the hotel, it is about 10:20. There is virtually no cloud and the temperature is a very pleasant 64° F as I set off east towards Utah…

Just outside town is a reminder that I chose wisely when I decided to fill up…

I set a cruise of just over 70mph (the limit) and follow the undemanding, well-surfaced and almost deserted highway through the scrub desert…

It is an arid, bleak area - not quite the middle of nowhere, but having a good view of it. A sign warns that hitchhiking is prohibited, as this is a prison area. Shortly afterwards, a sign points to the right, where a Federal Prison is somewhere out of sight of the road.

I probably see a total of about ten other vehicles on this leg of the ride - everybody gives a friendly wave - I guess you stay on good terms with everyone out here - they may be the ones rescuing you if it all goes wrong...

I climb though a couple of passes and then descend into more huge valleys floored with dry lakebeds...

There is a military test range at Tonopah, and a sign warns of low flying aircraft - nothing today though...

After 100 miles or so I stop to stretch my legs and drink the lemonade I bought at the garage...

Onward!

The road descends through another pass, winding between the rocks...

Despite the sun being quite high, the day hasn't warmed much...

...but the temperature is pretty much perfect for riding...

I arrive at Ely, the much-advertised next gas station, at around 12:30 and fill up. I grab a quick snack and then go to the bank, where I am relieved to report I can use my debit card to withdraw $100 - Barclays have obviously worked their magic...

I have noticed that the handlebar bracket holding the GPS is loosening off. Unfortunately it has an 11mm nut - which I don't carry a spanner for (come on Tom Tom - who uses 11mm for anything?).

No snags - I stop at a Napa store...

...and am supplied with an 11mm combination spanner (called something else here - can't remember what) and effect repairs in the car park.

A couple of elderly residents spotted around town...

...any guesses for make/model/year?

Enough of this madcap revelry - time to get back on the road...

Blimey - it's a long straight one, isn't it? Doris cheers me up by telling me there is 149 miles until my next turn...

Beautiful mountains and cloud formations to my right...

Flat-bottomed valley scattered with wind turbines to my left...

For no apparent reason, the speed limit drops to 65mph (I think I may have missed the Utah State Line sign)...

I came across these lunatics fifty miles from anywhere - respect!

I'm putting my money on the owners of this place not being vegan...

The Adv happily thrums along at 4k rpm, eating the miles...

A fellow motorcyclist!

Just outside Hinckley stands a tree with shoes hanging from its branches...

Hey-ho

I stop at a gas station at Hinckley...

...that must be right on the cusp of going out of business. They only have one working pump and only regular petrol. I fill up and go inside to pay - to find the till held together by good will and ingenuity...

I have passed a time zone and I am now in Mountain Time, so it's getting late. Doris finds me a Days Inn in Delta...

Where, for $89 plus tax I get a large room with (measurably fast) free Wi-Fi...

I park directly outside my room and unload the bike...

It feels like it has been a long day (although it was only 320 miles). The AC feels good...

 

[Schtum]

A couple of elderly residents spotted around town...

...any guesses for make/model/year?

1959 Chevrolet Impala 4 door sedan and 1957 Buick Special 4-door Sedan - in that order.

 

[The Grey One]

I'm enjoying the report, great pictures too. In answer to your question Re 11 mm fastenings the answer is Citroen used them extensively. My tool kit has more varieties of 11 mm spanners etc than any other size,


John

 

[MikeO]

1959 Chevrolet Impala 4 door sedan and 1957 Buick Special 4-door Sedan - in that order.

Spot on

Going to have a stab at yesterday's?

 

[MikeO]

I'm enjoying the report, great pictures too. In answer to your question Re 11 mm fastenings the answer is Citroen used them extensively. My tool kit has more varieties of 11 mm spanners etc than any other size,


John

Buy your Citroen a TomTom...

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Great stuff, just one point about the pics

Do you have the camera on a Ram Mount and activate it remotely, when you get a good vista?

Ahem.....

 

[The Grey One]

Buy your Citroen a TomTom...

And spoil a good car?

John

 

[ianboydsnr]

it won't be a 11mm spanner, rather it will be the imperial equivalent, ram mounts use a 11mm as well, I think it's a 7/16


some french stuff use a 9mm bolt as well!

enjoying the report!

 

[MikeO]

it won't be a 11mm spanner, rather it will be the imperial equivalent, ram mounts use a 11mm as well, I think it's a 7/16


some french stuff use a 9mm bolt as well!

enjoying the report!

You're right of course - it was a RAM handlebar mount so had non-metric fasteners...

 

[MikeO]

Ahem.....

All pictures are hand-held and nearly all are taken with a Canon S100, which lives in a pouch on my belt. I occasionally use a Canon G12 which lives in my tank bag to take pictures when stationary. 90% of the pics are taken with the bike moving - please don't attempt this if your are not confident you can do it safely yada yada yada...

 

[Schtum]

Spot on

Going to have a stab at yesterday's?

There was a '61 Buick Lesabre 4 door sedan and a '65 Chevy Impala 4 door sedan in there somewhere.

The 40's sedan is a Dodge...? Then there's a '66 Olds Cutlass 2 door sedan.

How bad does Mono Lake smell at the moment...? As for Lee Vining, I think you might have to pay me to sat there.

 

[rjsmith26]

I have obviously been on another planet, this is the 1st ride report by Mike I have read. Superb, great pictures and love the commentary - can't wait for the next installment .

 

[Schtum]

The 40's sedan is a Dodge...?

I should trust my memory more. Yes, it's a '47 / '48 Dodge sedan. The last one I saw was in '77 when Robbie Coltrane left a brown one parked in a lane in Edinburgh when he went to London to pursue fame and fortune. He used to claim that it had been Éamon de Valera's staff car. It hadn't but, to be fair, we didn't have the Internet in those days.

I have obviously been on another planet, this is the 1st ride report by Mike I have read. Superb, great pictures and love the commentary - can't wait for the next installment.

Try this - http://www.ukgser.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?89-Mike-O-s-Inspection-of-the-Colonies

 

[MikeO]

11th October 2014

At last – a good night’s sleep

I ordered a small veggie pizza whilst writing up yesterday’s journal…

…then, after giving my crash helmet a facial…

…went to bed at about 20:30 and managed to sleep through to 07:30 this morning.

I forgo breakfast and pack the bike – for the first time this trip I have booked an hotel in advance and I want to make tracks – the reasons for this will become clear.

Doris steers me out of town and down some country highways…

…before depositing me on the Interstate for a few miles – to position for other roads. The speed limit on the Interstate is 80mph…

I’m soon turning off onto Utah Highways and travelling through some green and pleasant country.

Don’t get used to the colour green – OK?

At around lunchtime I arrive in the little town of Salina and decide to stop at Mom’s Café for brunch…

…where the lovely Whitney, Shaelee and Charity together provide me with…

…the Country Breakfast…

Struggling to zip up my jacket afterwards, I continue on Highway 50 south, before joining Interstate 70 (the Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway) East for a while.

OK, it's an Interstate...

...but it's not like commuting on the M6, is it?

Eventually I turn off onto the 191 heading south towards Moab.

One of the reasons I have booked an hotel in advance is that today is Saturday, and Moab and the surrounding area is going to be packed with tourists and people trying (very successfully if YouTube is any guide) to get their Jeeps stuck on hard rock trails.

At least this owner's licence plate shows he's a realist...

I stop at Denny's in Moab (think Little Chef, but cheaper and with better service - actually the latter part isn't hard to imagine, is it?) and have a milk shake and a lemonade. One of the other customers is clearly another visitor to these shores...

Joanne, my waitress, tells me that there's a Radio Shack at the other end of town, when I enquire as to where I might get a charger (I am now battery critical ). I ride up...

...and Shawn sells me a Universal Charger for just under $40.

Onward!

I have refuelled at Moab - the Regular fuel I put in yesterday, combined with the speed I was cruising at on the Interstate has hit the consumption.

Heading south out of Moab, the scenery just gets prettier and prettier...

I've never stopped at the Hole in the Rock, but must have taken dozens of pictures of it over the years...

Those of you with good eyesight will notice a jeep right up on top of the rock - hope he's left it in gear...

I ride past Wilson Arch - not far to go now...

Past Church Rock...

Hmm - the weather ahead is starting to look interesting...

Come on, you're not going to rain on me with only 20 miles to go?

Luck is with me and - although I ride on wet roads for a few minutes - I manage to dodge between two showers...

I enter Blanding...

...where autumn is in full swing, and arrive at the Super 8 motel and my reserved room...

I unload the bike and put one of the dead batteries into my new charger. I upload today's pics so far and then get them uploading on the hotel's fairly slow Internet connection.

I return to the car park and see this odd looking rig - looks like a caravan that concertinas vertically.

I load the tank bag back on the Adv and set off for a lightweight circuit...

More later...

 

[Arsey]

Great pics and report,Mike.

Hopefully I'll be a regular visitor to Portland as of next year as we start direct flights from LHR when I transfer to the Boeing's Plastic Fantastic.
It looks like an amazing place.

How much longer are you on the road ? You going to head north to Idaho and then back to Portland ?

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I have obviously been on another planet, this is the 1st ride report by Mike I have read. Superb, great pictures and love the commentary - can't wait for the next installment .

He does a great job with them

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

All pictures are hand-held and nearly all are taken with a Canon S100, which lives in a pouch on my belt. I occasionally use a Canon G12 which lives in my tank bag to take pictures when stationary. 90% of the pics are taken with the bike moving - please don't attempt this if your are not confident you can do it safely yada yada yada...

Thanks Mike

 

[2 wheel humvee]

Great report Mike really enjoying this

 

[MikeO]

11th October 2014 cont…

Opposite the hotel I see this old gentleman…

…which I know has been here at least eight years, when he had a For Sale sign in the window – any guesses?

I set off south out of Blanding and turn right at Shirttail junction and head towards the Lake Powell ferry…

I won’t be going that far, though…

The road is empty, with a great surface and full of wide sweeping bends…

Life is good.

After 20-odd miles I turn left…

…these signs give a hint of what’s ahead…

Eventually I reach the Moki Dugway…

I have been here several times before…

….but I don ‘t think I’ve ever seen the air this clear…

…with the lowering sun casting stark shadows on the rock formations…

The Moki Dugway descends about 1100ft through a series of gravel switchbacks…

I slowly make my way down to the bottom, where I immediately turn left onto Valley of the Gods Road…

Which is about 30 miles long and has changed little since my last visit…

It’s a beautiful ride, although you have to keep your eye out for where rain has washed areas of the road out – I come across several of these, marked by areas of deep sand…

I get through by using lots of throttle in first gear…

I stand on the footpegs for the entire ride – both to lower the centre of gravity on the bike, and to absorb the shocks from the occasional ruts I encounter…

The sun is going down and I don’t want to be caught out here at night…

Although the setting sun...

...is bringing the colour of the red sandstone out beautifully...

Eventually I make it back to the highway and take a brief breather…

Then set off north towards Blanding, some 40 miles north.

I stop at Subway and get a sandwich and a drink, before arriving back at the hotel just after sunset.

Great day

 

[Bryn]

Great pics Mike ... I stole one for my desk top