V4S To Utah And The North Rim

[BonusVFR]

Here we go again...Sport touring from San Diego to the North Rim Grand Canyon, then Utah and back! The tour plan included some of the best roads in America and a few of the iconic National Parks and sights in the USA. But you never know what will happen on tour. There were four bikes this time with two VFRs and a couple of ST1300s. A collateral goal of this tour was to establish whether I am moving on from the VFR or indeed from motorcycle touring period!

Last year was the first year in quite a while that I did not draft a trip report on one of my VFR tours. So here goes a BonusTour. I reviewed my records and it looks to me that I am in my 15th year of touring on my 5th gen. Man time flies even if my pace has dropped a bit!

I planned on drafting a sort of lessons learned from those years on the road to accompany a report on a mini trip that I took to Arizona in 2013 but I never got around to it. Perhaps because on my return to San Diego, I spent my time doing an online drivers education course instead of recounting my whirlwind tour to a favorite VFR hunting ground - AZ. But I need to let that experience go as obsessing over the event that precipitated the "Higher Ed" opportunity i.e. schooling will not help my mental health nor help my ongoing development as a good person ...huh! Chalk that up to stuff happens on tour which is a certainty that I relearn on every outing!!!!! More on this later....you see I am still holding on but therapy is ongoing after all life is a journey not a destination .

This 2014 tour was a V4 only event and was anchored around a June meet up with some long distance riders in Bryce Canyon in Utah. I hoped to tackle again some of the preeminent roads in the USA namely, RT 12 & 24! These are magnificent roads I had ridden before but from a different direction. The trip looked to be about 8 or 9 days and the mileage would be over 2,000 miles not one of my longest tours but a titillating prospect nevertheless.

Well 4,200cc of V4 power.

As mentioned, I am considering changes to my riding stable which currently comprises a VFR, a 1800 Wing and KLR. An large adventure touring bike seems the most likely candidate but time will tell. But wow I did see the new 800 at the dealer today!

Please jump in as with your comments or additions to my tale and your lessons from the road. For folks considering their first tour, I hope to outline some factors that you may consider in your endeavors.

Next: Trip planning, routing and bike prep.

[vfrcapn]

One of the best trips I took was through Utah and down to the North Rim, looking forward to the details and pics.

[BonusVFR]

The North Rim is special and Utah is not to be missed. It has been a while since I have ridden these roads so it was a delight to return!!!!

[Cogswell]

^^^ +1. Just got back from Zion/Bryce/North Rim last week (4 wheels) . . . took the 2 wheel tour last year including South Rim (still in Ride Reports). If you hit nice weather I'm not sure there's a better area of the country to ride.

[Dutchy]

i will get the popcorn ready....

[BonusVFR]

i will get the popcorn ready....

What no Assen TT??????????????????????????????? Now that is a trip I want to take!

[Dutchy]

Been to Assen since the early 80s, léaving the day before, camp in a farmers field, get silly drunk, watch the races the next day, ride home.Things have gotten more and more regulated and sanatised over the years. and, we used to go with a gang of 20 or so. but more and more got married got kids and the group shrunk

Last time was some 7 years ago, prefer going to WSBK now. Addmission to the TT preferred stand the GT chicane is close to 120usd.....

Besides, I need to het the house in order for the visit of a Canadian polar bear.....

[BonusVFR]

Yea Cathedral of Speed must be right up there. Have been to several MotoGPs and World Supers at Laguna but may head to Texas for next Springs race at COTA. 120USD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow!

VFR content...........at Laguna! Now who is that guy??? No drinking on Cannery Row?

[BonusVFR]

Here is what my 5th gen looked like on RT 191 AZ way back in earlier days. This North South road is one of the best in the USA and I got cold that day as it tops at 9,000ft ................Lean and Mean but I was still in my fifties toooooooooo!

BTW I was using a RAM mounted camera back then.............and I went thru a lot of them!

No camping on that trip back in the day. Forewarned is forearmed .......camping adds a lot of "stuff" to the equation! I guess I have to talk about the basics for communing with nature but more about that downstream. Camping gear here in 2007 but really small stuff ie backpacking....still not too much. Brand new tires here but not always....can you make it????

Now I have moved on to hard bags but let's be clear here ......adding more capacity does not provide extra room just more crap and weight along for the ride.

Rule #1 - Junk expands to the room available! Here is how she sits in 2014 ...ready for the road.

The following major bike alterations and add-ons that have been incrementally bolted on over the years:

• Sargent Seat....this is one of my first and best improvements that proved mandatory after my very first tour to see Nicky Hayden (RC51) win the SuperBike Race at Willow Springs the year after I got my VFR. It only took one day of 300 miles and my bottom was fried. Basically after all these years I do not have a single "touch" point now that kills me after several consecutive all day rides. I am just tired but my back, shoulders, wrists or ass do not stand out as show stoppers. I still run the stock bars and screen.

• Heated Grips.....these along with a heated vest have proved there worth time and time again. Even in the summer, riding at high altitudes or up North in the rain can get cold especially after multiple days in the saddle as your/my resistance wears down. Remember, you can never forget your heated grips unlike gloves!! I have been very happy with my Symtec grip heaters.

• Aux Fuse Box and stem mounted aux powerlet plug............for all those gizmos and to charge all those devices etc. Switched aux power is essential for me so I do not have to worry about leaving something on while you have lunch somewhere. The Blue Sea box is still holding up well.....I would get a smaller one now with a built in relay.

• RaceTech Suspension front and rear............better cooking at home and more crap necessitated a stiffer suspension.

• Hepco Becker 30 liter luggage with quick release SW Motech side racks. I have also been thru multiple combinations of tail bags but have settled mostly on combos of North Face Duffels which are mostly waterproof, easy to pack/unpack and work better for putting more, you guessed it, crap on top!!!!!

• Ventura rear rack....my very first aftermarket luggage system subsequently augmented with Cortech saddlebags and tailbag. I use it now to steady the load and to carry a cooler.

• Y2K mirrors and extenders.............this was more a function of an unfortunate garage incident than issues with the handsome birth control devices that were part of the OEM suite.

I have written a few Tales of "Whatever" about my experiences with Motorcycle electronics, and dodads/farkles. Here is the current layout for this tour.

From port to starboard.

• Zumo 550.....I went mainline on GPS in late 2006 after many missed turns mostly in the Sierras. I used to write my directions on the screen but sometimes you get distracted....like after multiple passes on a mountain road....did I miss the turn??? I had run Bike to Bike communications but found that navigation was the prime subject of conversation so with the GPS no talking required. My Tales of Zumo thread is still up although most of my pictures have been lost. Note this failure of technology is similar to the recent mysterious disappearance of IRS emails..........completely innocent and I remain faultless! I would buy a Z590 today if my Zumo 550 died.

• AmpliRider ....This amplifier takes several inputs and pipes them into my headset. Over the years, I have tried earbuds often but they just do not work for me as I often pull them out accidentally when I dismount. Buds are a PITA for me! You do not need an amp if you use buds.

• Escort Radar Detector, Redline...............the aforementioned tour to AZ in 2013 encouraged me to get some protection (And I lost my condom mirrors), especially as I often lead my tours from the front. I will elaborate a bit on why I picked Redline down the road.

• SPOT II Tracker........This is a generation 2 device which my wife uses to keep track of me on the internet. It sends out a position report every ten minutes. The email/txt alert function is also handy if you are out of cell phone coverage which does happen out west a bit. SPOT just came out with a gen3 model which has some nifty features. The Delorme inReach also gets solid reviews from adventure riders.

• Wow one more piece of kit. My RAM mounted camera on the bars. I also did a thread on this a few years back. This camera allows you to snap often so you do not have to get off and then put all the gear back on. Currently, I run an older Fuji waterproof, dustproof, bug safe and shock resistant camera although the current stable of rugged cameras I am sure are better. Take your pick as dpreview.com regularly runs comparison reviews. Make sure your camera has a on/off button that you can work AND a metal tripod mount.

Ooops already behind schedule Trip Planning will be Next. But here is the final AZ/UT/NV section and that adjective "final" is key. Las Vegas is at the bottom on the left. I have NEVER done a tour exactly as planned.

[BonusVFR]

Yes let's discuss trip planning.

I have a deliberate process that is worth the exercise, primarily because the development of a tour plan also generates options which are helpful to appreciate when the plan decays. Typically, I review my previous tours to include planned routes and gpx trip logs, forum trip reports, State PR/Scenic area web sites, my hardback guide to Scenic Highways and Byways, a road atlas and IF I can remember the DOT sites for the respective states I will tour in. This is useful to determine road closures or Winter hazards (ice and snow). On this particular tour, I did not check which impacted our tour considerably.

Here is the site for the Scenic Byways book, which I like to take on tour as well to review options when everything goes to hell on a tour. This book is in its 4th edition

.

http://press.nationalgeographic.com/2012/12/12/guide-scenic-highways-byways/

http://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Scenic-Highways-Edition/dp/1426210140

Most of the time, I use Microsoft's Street and Trips to outline the basic plan, identify overnights and then export the GPX file to Garmin's Mapsource to construct daily routes including options. I cross check the S&T database against Garmin's for possible hotels and campgrounds. If I motel, I look for stops that have some competition to ensure an inexpensive night, which is part of the routine or our shtick.........cheap is good.

I add route derivatives for loop rides or shorter direct rides in lieu of a longer scenic and twisty itinerary. I locate potential waypoints/favorites so I can quickly punch in possible detours without having to spell a destination correctly on the GPS when I am in a hurry. This allows much faster point and shoot nav when circumstances dictate.

I would change over to Garmin's new program, Basecamp, if I had the bandwidth for change but NO I will wait till I have to switch from Mapsource. Sometimes I take a laptop/tablet on tour IF I have room. Currently, I have a Surface Pro tablet which runs Mapsource/Basecamp if needed and does not take much space compared to a proper laptop. On this tour I left the Surface at home and relied on my phone for email and backup Navigation. I planned to use the Waze app to aid in ferreting out fuzz radar but frankly never got around to it. I did research radars in the enemies' order of battle to ensure my RD was tuned on the right frequencies.

Again, I repeat, I have never completed a tour according to plan because stuff happens and being adaptable is key to having a good time.

Rule #2 - Go with the flow and make sure your tour buddies have the same mindset. On this tour I was accompanied by two buddies with whom I have traveled extensively including three weeks in Alaska. Our 4th rider was on his first tour.

When I rolled out of the my work's parking lot with my BonusVFR in 1999, I never imagined I would be touring!!! Ever!!! Go for it!

Underway on V4 power.

So my tour plan lasted about ten whole minutes this time as we discussed the forecasted temperature prior to the sortie. San Diegans tend to be weather wimps and whine endlessly when the climate is out of our 60-80 comfort range. The original op order had us cutting thru Julian and some fantastic mountain roads before riding thru Joshua Tree National Park in route Boulder City, NV. There are many sensational roads in San Diego County but we could not afford the time. We opted instead to make a dash on the slab, Interstate 8, to avoid the impending desert heat as long as we could.

We made it all the way to El Centro before we pitted and donned our cooling vests .....93 degrees already! It was maybe 10 am! It got hotter and hotter and hotter. 93-95 is about the point when ventilation loses its charm. If in doubt run your wife's hair dryer on your face for an hour or so even six!

There is not much to see on this route as we headed north out of El Centro before hitting RT 78 thru the dessert (it was more like a wasteland i.e. desert). I have traveled this route many times as the traffic is light and you can carry some speed. This is the highlight...Glamis.

I snapped this shot on one of several business trips to Las Vegas on my Wing.

More of the highlights.... but it is what it is and you have to go through LA or this if you want to get out of San Diego.

This get out of Dodge mandate makes a 400 mile day almost a necessity.

Did I mention that the temp hit 113 and we did not beat the heat. We were charging our vests every hour or less. If the temp is a bit lower I can go almost two hours between vest refreshes. Mr. RWB VFR had a new technology vest that you did not need to soak. Today was his first sustained really, really, really hot ride. Tough to compare the performance of the vests though as riding a Motorcycle in 110 plus is not fun regardless. I will try to find a link to the new tech.

I had strapped on a CamelBack, which I had frozen beforehand, to ensure I was hydrated. That helps!

Finally Boulder City via lovely Blythe and Searchlight NV. And Air Conditioning!

There were the usual Harley tour groups....mostly Europeans looking to see the West.

Next Jacob Lake and the North Rim

[BonusVFR]

We pulled out of Boulder City before 0800. Today we are looking at a more reasonable and cooler day with two possible routes as we would wind our way up the western and northern shore of Lake Mead before heading East from Hurricane UT towards the gateway to the North Rim, Jacob Lake.

I use 300 mile days as a guideline for constructing routes. Obviously that does not work in all scenarios but I have found that that a good benchmark that allows for twisty and scenic roads plus the opportunity to stop and enjoy. Today was such a day with about 275 miles cranked in depending on the route taken.

Down the hill towards Lake Mead.

Keep in mind that this is a National Park so be prepared to pay at the door as you run along the shoreline. Indeed you may want to consider an annual pass if you ride many of the Parks as it can be a PITA pulling out $$$ as you cut through the Parks. Most likely you will be able to break even on the cost as well.

I have a Senior National Parks Pass, a euphemism for a Geezer treat! This is a onetime lifetime fee of $10 plus only a charge of 50% on all camping sites. This is the best deal in the USA.

Lake Mead....need some water!

The Turn to RT 147 from LakeShore and then the NorthShore, RT 167, of Lake Mead. Lake Las Vegas to the left.

We gradually picked up the pace as the road flowed....and no traffic. Let me think a VFR road?

Rogers Spring...the binders went full bore as we approached the planned rest stop when my Redline went well RED! But I was warned by the audio mostly. I had tuned my RD for maximum sensitivity and it was. A solid save!

When you are out here ..... this Spring looks sensational....it is all relative. Do not drink the water!!!!!!

We considered stopping at the Valley of the Fire but after yesterdays' 110 plus temps we had a bad attitude about fire. Plus my Geezer pass does not work on State Parks. We pushed on hoping for a greasy spoon breakfast place in Overton...sorry! But after a serious rush down I-15 (watch for fuzz there too) we settled for an excellent late breakfast at Peggy Sue's place on the eastern edge of Mesquite.

The Virgin River Gorge can be incredible piece of slab but not today as construction was ongoing in the 100 degree heat. Ugh! We crawled along but fortunately we had donned the cooling vests by this time.

In Hurricane we broke up with half of the group opting for the alternate route, RT 9, through Zion while two of us selected the more direct and southerly rural route through Colorado City. Zion is normally not to be missed but I have been there numerous times and I had never traveled on 59/389.

Colorado City has an interesting history. Strangers are not welcome! We did not pop in. I cannot handle what I already have at home so there were no new lessons learned here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_City,_Arizona

We had started climbing to about 5,000 ft. immediately with the turn from Hurricane and with the altitude the temp dropped as expected. Little to no traffic too but not many corners.

Thankfully, we finally shed our cooling vests for the day at Pipe Springs National Monument. It is incredible what those folks did back in the day to survive and prosper.

After Fredonia and a plateau you start climbing again toward Jacob Lake, which sits a touch short of 8,000 ft. in cool air. We pulled in to the Jacob Lake Campground with plenty of time to rest and setup. Out came the chairs! About an hour later our compatriots rolled in from Zion via Kanab.

Have to love those RWBs.

My camping protocol has changed over the years. Typically now I like to setup camp and stay for two nights, otherwise I motel. This allows a short loop or scenic ride on the second day and precludes the annoyance of packing up after just one night. This campground site cost $9 a night (with the G pass) and that was split two ways. Not too bad! Another thing I look for is a site where I can walk to shop and or chow if we elect not to cook. We wolfed down something at the Cafe across the street. Jacob Lake also has an Inn and gas.

You can see here from my outgoing Spot OK signal that this campground met all criteria. Everything was a short walk to the south including the road to the North Rim.

And of course Ice was available and stored in the coolers for libations and or the required hydration as the evening progressed. I also store my cooling vest in the cooler for an immediate and exhilarating chill when I don the vest.

Next the North Rim and an easy130 mile day out and back on RT 67.

[Switchblade]

Great pic's !!!

[Cogswell]

I had the same reaction to Pipe Springs - how the hell did they survive in such desolation? Great write up.

[BonusVFR]

I had the same reaction to Pipe Springs - how the hell did they survive in such desolation? Great write up.

When I visit these sites whether along the Lewis and Clark trail or the Mormons or whatever out West I often catch myself complaining about the temp or weather and then saying something WELL by GPS we have only 50 miles to go! Of course these original pioneers, explorers had none of that let alone food, water or even a trail ....or a paved two lane road NOT. I think exploring and seeing new places is just as important to me as finding the ultimate twisty road. I enjoy the road less traveled and I get a vicarious thrill out of my own little bucket exploration! Kind of hard to put into words at least for me but I think this is one of the my prime movers to do these VFR tours. I hope I can keep it up.

[BonusVFR]

How did you sleep was the question? Lousy was the answer all around. I now sleep on what I started with some fifty years ago a Coleman air mattress plus an insulated Big Agnes mattress for backup. The rest just had a BA mattress although Mr. RWB has the latest 4 inch version. Great gear but that is not the problem is it.

A slow pace was the order of the day. We meandered up to the North Rim after tanking at the Chevron a Jacob Lake. At this fill up, I registered about 47 miles to the gallon after some lackluster initial 39/40s tanks motoring from San Diego on CA gas at the start. The mileage had improved throughout the trip....maybe new plugs and an air filter had helped.

This is my second trip to the North Rim on a Motorcycle and frankly I much prefer it to the South Rim, which is more orientated to tourists. To be sure there are more overlooks to the South but the North Rim sits about a thousand feet higher and back from the river further as there is more precipitation and the resultant run off to push back the RIM. Be aware that the North Rim is closed in the Winter. A couple of years back I went in on the first day of the season in May.

It looked like this but the road was clear. Call ahead to make sure you can get in.

You often find fire damage out west but eventually the trees comes back....and it has its own beauty as well as frequently opening vistas that one cannot imagine.

There are incredible high meadows on the drive out to the RIM and you reach almost 9,000 ft, which ensures a lovely, pleasant and cool day.

From the North Rim.

Of course there is a lodge at the North Rim too as well as cabins and campsite. We missed the brunch but.....you can always get an expensive sandwich.

Jacob Lake is the superior choice if you are going to spend two nights as it shortens the day coming and going and there is a much better chance of finding a spot at Jacob Lake if you are not into reservations. I think the only reservation I have ever made on MC tour is to catch the Ferry back from Haines Alaska. That was important!

This year we also rode out to Cape Royal overlook, which has a sensational twisty stretch with more spectacular views when you get there.

The road back is sublime!

We saw these strange creatures on the way back...... are these the Veefalos everybody is talking about. Everybody pictures a different AZ than this!

To get an early start we added the petrol again... wow 57 mpg! I think this is my best tank ever. High altitude running mostly over 8K at modest speeds delivers.

That evening across the street at the food counter, we discussed our plan for the following day and wrestled with the idea of not spending two nights camping at Natural Bridges Park as the loop ride we had planed after the first night was squelched by the "Screws" on the Hall's Ferry being well....screwed. By chance the subject of roads came up a dinner and what to our surprise the very road we were going to take in the morning was closed namely the RT89 from the intersection of 89A to Page. Out came the Zumo to consider options and we decided to go all the way to Tuba City and then head north to Kayenta and Monument Valley with possible stops at Goosenecks state Park and the Moki Dugway. Most likely we were going to Crapotel at Blanding but the plan was ...............developing.

Everybody was praying for a better night in the bag although the sleeping temps were ideal ...mid forties! They had been in the thirties the week before.

Next a rendezvous with destiny at Tuba City and more changes in the plan.

[BonusVFR]

Everybody reported they slept better except for one. We managed to get out of Jacob Lake before eight. You stay up high for a few miles before descending.

Marble Canyon Area and the Colorado River.

We loafed along 89A till we got to the junction at RT 89. Sure enough it was closed heading North and the temporary road was down the road about twenty miles so better to continue to RT 160 and Tuba City.

This is the highlight of Tuba City.

Denny's must be a new kind of restaurant...you think .....and they have a G breakfast special too.

At that point at a little over 100 miles for the day, RWB announced that after two nights of no sleep he was done and that he could barely keep his bike on the road. The Zumo said the closest "port of call" was Flagstaff at about 80 miles south and closer to San Diego. Despite his protestations, we could not let him go alone......period! So we detached one of our riders as escort back to San Diego.

I have substantial empathy for this position as two years ago, two of three riders on one of my tours ended up in the ER due to health incidents (Not MC accidents). So my 2012 Sierra Tour ended with a Kidney Stone attack at 0200 while in a tent (but saving money at a Big Bear Lake National Forest Campground...man I am good). My emergency dope stemmed the tide for about 5 nanoseconds till I realized I did not pack my emergency anti nausea elixir. Imagine my surprise.......in the TENT!!!!!!!!!!!!

My wife provided emergency transportation and an ignominious return to home base.

So now there were two and we pushed on. I have been through Monument Valley multiple times on a bike and despite what John Wayne and Forrest Gump say I have had enough. But you should go if you have not been there!

We did not stay long.

An interesting detour if you want to stay in Monument Valley is Goulding's Camp, which I visited in 2007. Take a left at the sign heading north.

What was I doing up at Sunrise?????? Great camp & Cabins. Hotel too!

We stopped at the San Juan Inn in Mexican Hat for a brew as it was about 100 degrees. On another MC tour, I stopped there once for the night. Ok as it is the only game in town. After discussing, ad nauseum, the pro and cons of the route, we finally decided to forego camping at Natural Bridges and head for Blanding UT.

Because we have stopped there before we elected to push on and skip Goosenecks State Park and the Moki Dugway/Hwy 261. You should not bypass these spots.

There is primitive camping on the rim at Goosenecks.

My Redline was still on watch although I was having connection problems.

Bluff Utah

Our Hotel in Blanding

Perfect MC accommodations right out the door and a steak place within 25 yards.

Life is good and we got an email and the SPOT tracks confirmed that our cohorts made Flagstaff safely and real beds! We logged about 300 miles for the day and we were ready to stop. Blanding is about 6,000 ft. so the temps had dipped a bit and at this point we were getting a chill if temps went into the eighties...sort of!

Check out the picture in the Lobby. The original owners, Mom and Dad, look like Bonnie and Clyde.

Next a highlight reel for Sport Touring!!! Incredible

[BonusVFR]

The trip from Blanding to Bryce Canyon ranks as one of my best days ever on the VFR. This route has everything from twisty roads to stupendous scenery, vistas, 9K mountains and no to little traffic. The route is Blanding to Hanksville via RT 95, then RT 24 to Torrey and RT12 to Bryce. I think you run out of fingers and toes counting all the parks etc. I have been on RT 12 & 24 before but unfortunately took 95 north out of Hanksville heading to Moab. This ranks as my worst turn ever!!

RT 95 to Natural Bridges NP (the one we were going to camp in)

Sure enough the Ferry was crapped out.

Tracking down a BMW

Sport touring on RT1200

Natural Bridges

From there a succession of sweepers and scenery not to be missed. Ten times better than Monument Valley....ok five times!

Approaching Glen Canyon

We dropped down to Hite Marina for grins

Kind of dry from here.

Crossing the river.

Do you see any cars?

OK some V twins coming down from the Hite Crossing overlook. Mostly these were tour groups with one on the SAG wagon/trailer.

Hite Crossing

You can see the boat landing back at the "Marina".....some day it will be back.

On Top of the world and cool too.

Never ends.

Finally Hanksville and there was one stretch of maybe ten miles of kind of boring stuff just before town.

Harley guys here!

And the trailer.

BMW guys eating steak and lobster!

Next continuing on to Torrey and Bryce

[BonusVFR]

Glen Canyon was special and Capitol Reef, Grand Staircase/Escalante and several State Parks interspersed were next.

Just out of Hanksville the landscape changes once again and it would continue to morph all the way to Bryce.

Capitol Reef

We took a few breaks in the shade but temps were relatively mild....clouds and altitude kept it that way.

We stopped in Torrey. The West end of town is rural and also has several sets of cabins available. I got stung right here ....my third bug attack on tour and all on the VFR.

We ate at Slackers. Jennifer is the owner. It lived up to the reviews!

Turning on to RT 12 out of town the road starts climbing and the clouds looked ominous. Watch the cattle!

The rain started and colder.

Too bad as I might have pulled the trigger here.

The top was at 9,600 ft. The temp was 50 degrees. The jacket was zipped and I finally slipped on a fleece. This reminds me I left on one tour with a defective zipper. Don't ever do that as of course it failed totally in the rain at altitude. Heat grips are handy for an up and down leg as well.

Yes that is a freefall.

It looked like more rain but NO! This guy let me through quickly. Man I love the VFR on roads like this.

Great overlook right after I got by the cruiser.

This really says it all. This is what sport touring is about.

We hooked up with some riders that were joining us at Bryce. Keep the pace!!!

Closing in on Bryce......the end of an incredible days ride of about 350 miles.

Ruby's Place is just outside the Park and has all the amenities. We were in the group site.

We setup and relaxed. Our original riding mates made it to Yuma and all is well. Next an easy day in Bryce Canyon and a blast home.

[Switchblade]

Great write up ..

[BonusVFR]

Great write up ..

Thanks but ...............I had great material to work with. The west has some really great MC trips whether you are into turns, the scenery or both.

[vfrcapn]

Looks like a great trip, enjoying the pics!

[BonusVFR]

We had a Subway for dinner and more scotch. It is always good to have a balanced meal. In the morning after I had finished bitching about the hole in my air mattress, we rode out to the end of the park and started hitting the overlooks on the way back. Take your pick! It is all good. Better to take in the sights coming back as most of them are on the east of the road which means an easy right turn in and less to fear from fellow tourists . Maybe we did 50 miles for the day! This was just about right and just like the North Rim you are camping at about 8,000ft and you climb to 9,200ft or so on the swing in the park.

So cool in every way ...south end of the out and back trip.

All of Utah's parks are unique.

Near the park entrance there are some NP campgrounds but you will have to ride your bike to get anything.

I had the Halibut at Ruby's third tier restaurant ........ What was I thinking? That evening we decided the plan was to head straight for the barn in the morning foregoing any diversions. As RT 89 was still closed south of Page, this was not a hard decision and we anticipated the heat had not abated in the valleys so better to make tracks on the slab mostly. Interesting I had looked at this as an option before the trip dependent on my tire wear. I home left with 5k on my PR2s and they both still looked great....to include, the tread, profile and the wear pattern. My best mileage tires ever when we rolled into San Diego.

Next heading home.

[Lorne]

The American southwest has amazingly varied scened along with some terrific motorcycling roads. Your story & photos are giving me ideas for next year's ride, thanks.

[BonusVFR]

Lorne, you are welcome. I threw in some alternative places to consider as well. Post up with route on the area ride forums when you have a starter plan and I am sure folks will jump in. Also if you have any questions about this trip jump in before it dies. Thank you.

[BonusVFR]

We started packing up by 0700 with hopes of clearing Ruby's in an hour. My pack up time has not really improved since I added to camping the VFR itinerary. A couple of the guys at the group campsite at Bryce just roll the whole lot of it into a big bag with compression straps and are done with it.

While I am now more efficient and consistent where I repack the crap I do have more of it. For instance I had to deploy two air mattresses this time as my Coleman was weeping...plus I pack a chair now.

When you start MC camping of course you can exploit a lot of the gear from your backpacking and car camping lockers. Inevitably you tend to augment the collection based on your needs and how much your body atrophies!

Rule #3 There is a direct linear relationship between the dimensions of your camping gear and your age.

Here is how my tents have evolved. One of my first MC trips was to Death Valley in the winter. I used a six man tent for two guys. This ranks right up there with my turn north out of Hanksville as one of my dumbest mistakes ever. I had remembered splitting up a tent between 3 guys on a backpacking trip and how it had all worked out. The key point now is that I was younger then!!!!!

Rule #4 Divide advertized tent people capacity by two for real world MC adequacy.

I then opted for a two man backpacking tent, which served me for many years including Alaska and all sorts of places out west.

My biggest problem with this tent was you have to get into it like a dog instead of rolling in like more modern designs. This spot was at Great Basin NP in Nevada....and again at altitude. See a pattern here!

You can also see my chair on the left which is an expensive Kermit but it is extremely comfortable and does pack away to a relatively small size. If you gag at this price opt for an REI chair which is less $$$ and packs smaller. Another advantage of the Kermit is that when Rule #3 ratchets up again you can always buy the accessory legs to raise the chair like my buddies on the right. Of course, I acquiesced to this certainty a few years ago as well.

Currently I am packing a four man tent which I can stoop in as well as more easily dressing. Grover Hot Springs and my 60 inches high residence.

I can also put my chair in if it rains etc. But there is no way around it .....bigger packs bigger. Also larger tents generally have longer individual pole length segments which means that they are difficult to get in hard bags or stick out and block your mirrors.

That is why I never opted for the quick setup rig from Cotoma, which otherwise would float my boat.

As regards pads....Rule #3 also applies. I am not sure I have found my ideal setup and I have tried numerous mattresses to include several Thermarests, REI generics and the Big Agnes insulated blowup as well as the inexpensive and expansive Coleman. My Coleman is comfortable when there are no holes in it but again ....BIG. Upon returning from this trip, I bought a bigger BA 4 inch x25x78 insulated pad that my RWB buddy had. But I have not tried it out yet.

If you have any questions jump in.

Despite all the hassle camping does add immensely to the Lewis and Clark gig albeit I sleep better in a bed for sure. On this trip I ended up camping for four nights and crapoteling for three which is about average for my wanderings.

Finally for you guys ....the Dash for Home.