| Author | Message | ||
     Jerry_haughton |
DAY TWO, cont.  ...from this old Olds. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 28, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY TWO, cont.  this license plate has been lying here for a long time. i opted to leave everything as i'd found it. this stuff would make great garage art, but a sense of respect for the past, i suppose, prompted me to leave this living "museum" virtually untouched. my time here was quiet. perhaps two or three cars passed by on the highway in the 45 minutes or so i spent prospecting, and save for them there was no sound. Currant, Nevada was still, serene, and lonely. what a life it must have been for an old miner, back in the old days. maybe it was a BETTER life, certainly a SIMPLER life? maybe so, but without a motorcycle, and roads to ride, i'm not sure i could have survived. peace and respect, then, to the memory of the rugged, determined miners who helped settle the West. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 28, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY TWO, cont.  this is, for all intents and purposes, Great Basin Nat'l Park, looking from the west from Highway 6 a little southeast of Ely, Nevada. that's Wheeler Peak directly above the VFR, at 13063 feet. the park entrance is actually on the east side of the mountain, at Baker, NV, but i took this photo here to illustrate the serious problems Dino and i would have had camping at altitude there the night before, which was our original plan. the snow you see is VERY fresh, and the temps continued to drop - and the weather continued to build - the closer i got to the park. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 28, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY TWO, cont.  "Welcome to Utah", via Highway 21 southeast of Great Basin. as the trip progressed i got a little more proficient documenting the "Welcome to..." signs, such that in subsequent pix one can actually tell what the sign says without having to be told. also note the time zone change, a sure "sign" one is really on the road. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 28, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY TWO, cont.  these four pix were all taken in the same spot - where i'd been, where i was, and where i was going - in an effort to illustrate the beauty, and desolation, of this particular piece of our planet. this is on Utah Highway 21, somewhere between Garrison and Milford. quiet, peaceful, and absolutely stunning, and smack dab in the middle of nowhere. as Wheeler Peak receded in my mirrors, its influence on the weather subsided, and warm temps and picture postcard conditions became the order of the day. for not the last time during this ride Utah would impress me with a grandeur and splendor i had only previously imagined. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 28, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY TWO, cont.  (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 28, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY TWO, cont.  (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 28, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY TWO, cont.  (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 28, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY TWO, cont.  Torrey, Utah was my destination tonight, to rendezvous with a small, informal group of southwest riders who had put together a weekend curvefest called the "Torrey Convergence." Court (and Erik) know several of these folks, from the halcyon days of the Compuserve Rider's Forum (and the annual Porterville Rally), including Russ Madsen and Britta Rottschy (a sparkplug of a gal that i met at the first Blue Groove back in 1996), and it was just a happy fluke of fate that we'd all be in the same area at the same time. first, tho, i had to navigate thru weather again, as i got closer to Utah's Wasatch Mountains. i did NOT want to have to deal with one of these. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 28, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY TWO, cont.  here's another cell, dead ahead. serious stuff, which somehow i managed to avoid time after time throughout the afternoon and evening. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 28, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY TWO, cont.  just several miles shy of Torrey now, eastbound on UT Highway 24. sadly, the pic doesn't do the real thing any justice whatsoever. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 28, 2004) | ||
| Dino |
Hey, FB - Great Pics! Now can you knock off 'til later...I'm supposed to be workin'. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
you're s'posed to be working? that's funny, so am i!  DAY TWO, cont.  there's even weather threatening my mirrors. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 28, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY TWO, cont.  a welcome sight after a long day on the road. the lighting was sublime, especially with the contrast from the storm clouds lurking in the background. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 28, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY TWO, cont.  my digs for the night, the Rim Rock Inn in Torrey. can't beat the ambience, i was thinking. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 28, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY TWO, cont.  that's Russ's Super Hawk at the Rim Rock. there are those who say you can't seriously sport-tour on one of these - unfriendly ergos, small tank, poor mileage. Russ can, and will, ride most anyone you know under the table, yet does so with a calmness, grace, style and sense of humor that are both disarming and charming. the Torrey Convergence was his idea. had a great visit with the gang over dinner. my only regret was not being able to ride with them the following morning, but Colorado was calling my name. see y'all next year for the Porterville Rally. Dino, fuel you ask? you remember how i topped off before you u-turned west? well, Nevada is a big state, and i had some extra ground to cover since we had pulled up short the night before, so before long i was trolling across the high desert at a buck-thirty or so. i'd back off when i spied the outline of a car up ahead, to 90 or so, then morph back into three-digit territory after they passed. this is all well and good for making time, but i failed to factor in the hit my fuel mileage would take. from Tonopah to Ely is about 180 miles, which is normally about when the low fuel light on the VFR would make its presence known, leaving me another 40 or 50 miles to find gas. well, the low fuel light kicked on about 45 miles SHORT of Ely, leaving me with a pit in my stomach, and a limp throttle hand. i DID make it to Ely, cruising along at 50 mph or so to conserve fuel. the VFR holds 5.5 gallons of fuel. when i gassed up the bike took 5.4 gallons. by my quick mental calculations, i made it to Ely with about 4-1/2 miles of fuel left on board. i only got 171.9 miles on this tank (31.8 mpg), and learned a valuable lesson in fuel management. the extra 1/2 gallon of fuel i took on in Tonopah kept me from walking. my notes from the day include: "45 degrees in Tonopah at wake-up. The locals are even complaining about the cold." "News of Hurricane Francis on the Weather Channel." "I could live in Ely." (this would become my highest form of praise for an area of the country that i had not experienced before.) Baker, NV: "HATE to not visit Great Basin Nat'l Park. LOTS of snow!" Beaver, UT: "Colder, colder. REALLY starting to worry about weather. BIG clouds, rain anchored on the mountains, have a 7910-foot summit to cross (Highway 20) in about 20 miles. Wow, a Boss Hoss just went by, two-up, sounds SWEET!" and final note for the day: "New state motto: 'Ride Utah, it just doesn't suck!'" what a great day of riding. i could live here. TOTAL MILEAGE FOR THE DAY: 491.9 (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 28, 2004) | ||
| Dino |
Day 2...the consolation ride: Well, if you can't find a way to spend three weeks traipsing across the country with FB, it could be worse than having Tioga Pass through Yosemite National Park as your cut and run back home.  | ||
| Dino |
BTW, FB...you're not forgettin' to tell us the story 'bout that 1/2 gallon of petrol, are ya? | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Well, if you can't find a way to spend three weeks traipsing across the country with FB, it could be worse than having Tioga Pass through Yosemite National Park as your cut and run back home. Dino, you pretty much suck. nice pic, tho. BTW, FB...you're not forgettin' to tell us the story 'bout that 1/2 gallon of petrol, are ya? see edited post above. | ||
| Bomber |
Sir here's a tip for extending the range you've got, fuel wise go to a camping store, and pick up a bottle for camp stove fuel -- they come in a variety of sizes, painted red, natch, made out of aluminum, with good-selaing caps . . . when going walkabout in areas where fuel is thin on the ground, I usually take one or two filled up high-test -- they've only saved me from wlking once, but the peace of mind is worth it, I'm thinkin . . . . just remember to dump in the scoot, or lawn mower, when you get home | ||
| Mikej |
Yep, on my cross country jaunt I had two pints of petrol in the tailbag. Never needed them, but good to know they're there if need be. I've also heard white gas or Coleman fuel can be used in a pinch, but not positive. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
oh sure, where were you guys when i NEEDED you? DAY THREE: 9/5/04 the morning dawned crisp and clear. all the weather from the night before had vanished, and blue skies and sunshine prevailed. it was with some sadness that i disconnected from the Torrey Convergence, yet with much anticipation of the day ahead, and finally seeing my friend JB2 face to face again.  this is Chimney Rock, in Capitol Reef Nat'l Park just east of Torrey. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 29, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY THREE, cont.  petroglyphs in Capitol Reef NP. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 29, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY THREE, cont.  this is the Behunin Cabin, located in a narrow canyon along a small river in Capitol Reef NP. a family of 10 lived here. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 29, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY THREE, cont.  braided rugs covered the dirt floor. ends of dress material were used for curtains. there was a fireplace to cook in, and a water supply near the door. Elijah Cutler Behunin and his family built this cabin in 1882, but only stayed a brief time, as the river repeatedly washed away their crops. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 29, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY THREE, cont.  Mr. and Mrs. Behunin and the two smallest children slept inside. the boys slept in dugouts hollowed out of the cliff face behind the cabin. the girls slept in a bed outside made from an old wagon box. there are 13 individuals in this photograph of the Behunin family - the information at the site does not explain the additional three people pictured in the photo. looks to me like any one of these folks - man, woman, or child - could dish out some serious whoopass if necessary. peace and respect, then, to the memory of the rugged, determined pioneers who helped settle the West. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 29, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY THREE, cont.  looking southwest across the San Rafael Desert, just north of Hanksville, UT, just south of Goblin Valley State Park, on Highway 24. the sweet smell of sage, liberated by substantial rains the night before, permeated the air. the desert floor was moist, and there was a fair amount of humidity present, quite unusual for this part of the world. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 29, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY THREE, cont.  did i mention the desert floor was moist? ruh roh. i spent several anxious moments trying to get the VFR turned around. this stuff was surprisingly slippery, and provided no traction whatsoever. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 29, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY THREE, cont.  sigh, the stuff i'll do for a photograph. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 29, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY THREE, cont.  on I-70, nearing the Colorado border. no mention of proper speed limit for riding thru a mud storm... (Message edited by jerry_haughton on September 29, 2004) |
