Durango To Durango Via Arizona And Utah

[JETS]

Had a great loop last week, originally planning to head up the Million Dollar Highway, 550, out of Durango, but rain was imminent and we knew that it would spoil the mountain passes and the curvy roads, so reversed the direction and went southwest to Arizona and up Monument Valley.

After snagging the ONLY battery for an SV650 in Kayenta, we belatedly hit the road north. FYI, reserve a room in Kayenta; they don't have a lot of rooms and at a late hour they double their rates. Ask me how I know.

Spitting rain up from Kayenta gave way to more continuous showers, but the desert had a mystery about it in the hanging mists and cloud cover. The smell of the moist desert was like incense, completely different from other earth aromas after rain.

The rain was never too heavy, but it buffaloed the cars and trucks, so we leap-frogged lines of them in the open places. Exhilarating to hit a few digits in the rain, but wet trackdays have given the parameters of confidence needed to be safe on clean wet pavement.

Utah was washed clean by heavy rains as we approached Moab, so the rainbow sunset was spectacular when we took a Hummer ride up onto the Slickrock formations above the city.

Waterfalls cascaded where it is usually bone dry, and the HumVee (real deal Hummer, Army grade) didn't give a flip about fording the hub deep stream beds or the 45 degree rock.

We toured the Arches National Monument.

Then followed 128 up the Colorado through the darkly varnished canyons, crossing to the more arid flats and past Cisco, the abandoned water stop on the rail. Eerie, that.

The farm country of Western Colorado yielded a path up through Rangely and to Meeker for a night. The White River Valley west of Meeker was just spectacular and verdant, but the road too narrow and winding to allow a quick pull-off for photos.

Steamboat was the northernmost town for us, then we wiggled back south over Rabbit Ears and Freemont passes, past Leadville and into Buena Vista.

A fall chill had arrived and we left in 38 degree temps to cross Monarch Pass, snugging up our collars even in full sun.

We came down the Million Dollar through Ouray and over Red Mountain Pass to Silverton, where we stopped to see the town.

Then we topped Molas Pass to hit Durango and crash into some good college town food and drink.

I chose to hit motels randomly so as to have destination flexibility, but since there are no alternatives in the vicinity of Moab, and now Kayenta, plan accordingly.

One bike had a battery fail, and a ten year old V-Strom 1000 dropped all its turn signal stems, but 5-minute epoxy clay and coat hanger made them last the whole 1100 miles. Louise, however, maintained her perfect record, having never let me down for a moment of anything. Yea Gen Four!

[mofo]

Excellent pictures and ride reports. Having been on all those roads myself I can't help it but wanting to go back again.

[Cogswell]

That part of the country has a magical quality like no place else. Great photos - hopefully you'll be posting more! BTW - that's a great looking paint scheme on your 4th gen. Very unique.