George,
Great ride reports! Keep them coming. Thanks for posting; it makes me more anxious for my eventual ride out west.
Great ride reports! Keep them coming. Thanks for posting; it makes me more anxious for my eventual ride out west.
OP
OP
bicyclist
Guest
Today's journey took me out of Holbrook on 377 which heads southwest and climbs back up onto the Mogollon Mesa and becomes 260. It goes through a couple of small towns, but mostly travels through pine forest at 8000 feet. It was cool enough that I considered stopping to put on more gear. At just about that moment, the road pitched off the Mogollon Rim and dropped 3000 feet into a valley.
I turned north on 87 in Payson intending to ride to Camp Verde and up the Interstate to Flagstaff. At a gas stop in Pine, I noticed NFS 3 which runs up through Happy Jack to Flagstaff and decided that was a better option if it was paved. It is and turned out to be a beautiful road. Getting there meant climbing back up over the Rim into the cool air. Good deal. Saw a cell tower disguised as a tree.
I made it to Flagstaff around 1:30, checked in at the motel, then headed back out to get lunch and go look at a volcano. The Sunset Crater Volcano lies northeast of town and was created around 1100. It covered the whole area with black cinder. In a final burst of activity, red and yellow oxidized cinders fell onto the rim and led to the volcano's name.
Also in the area are several Pueblo remains that date back 800 years. As you ride away from the volcano, you descend into a painted desert and find these amazing structures. Over 20 miles from the volcano and the ground is still covered with cinder with red rocks poking out. The colors in the desert are wonderful. The pueblos seem to grow out of the rock they're built on. It takes a second look to see the division between rock and adobe. I was greatly impressed.
Then it was back to Flagstaff. About 300 miles for the day. The bike is doing great.
I turned north on 87 in Payson intending to ride to Camp Verde and up the Interstate to Flagstaff. At a gas stop in Pine, I noticed NFS 3 which runs up through Happy Jack to Flagstaff and decided that was a better option if it was paved. It is and turned out to be a beautiful road. Getting there meant climbing back up over the Rim into the cool air. Good deal. Saw a cell tower disguised as a tree.
I made it to Flagstaff around 1:30, checked in at the motel, then headed back out to get lunch and go look at a volcano. The Sunset Crater Volcano lies northeast of town and was created around 1100. It covered the whole area with black cinder. In a final burst of activity, red and yellow oxidized cinders fell onto the rim and led to the volcano's name.
Also in the area are several Pueblo remains that date back 800 years. As you ride away from the volcano, you descend into a painted desert and find these amazing structures. Over 20 miles from the volcano and the ground is still covered with cinder with red rocks poking out. The colors in the desert are wonderful. The pueblos seem to grow out of the rock they're built on. It takes a second look to see the division between rock and adobe. I was greatly impressed.
Then it was back to Flagstaff. About 300 miles for the day. The bike is doing great.
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Howling, almost scary wind today and in the 50s. I didn't have far to go, so I hung out and waited for it to warm up a bit. I wanted to see the Red Rocks area near Sedona, so of I went down 89A. Like the last couple of days, it runs along through Ponderosa Pine. It plunges suddenly into the Oak Creek Canyon, dropping down a series of switchbacks. The wind gusted fiercely and nearly blew me off the road. It's a very narrow deep canyon with lots of recreational attraction and swarmed with attractees.
Sedona is a tourist mecca, but with some worthwhile stuff. Unfortunately, it was crammed with the holiday crowd and traffic was stopped. I took advantage of my GPS and found some sidestreets to work my way around and bailed out of town. Red Rock Loop Road provided the opportunity to see some nice scenery.
The road continued through Cottonwood and made a left at Clarkdale, beginning a long steep climb to Jerome. Jerome clings to the side of the mountain for dear life. It's a former mining town that has been resurrected as a tourist destination. The pic doesn't really show how steep the grade is. There's just the one road and it goes for a ways and then switches up to the next level back and forth until it leaves town and climbs up through a cut in the mountain. Yet another steep winding climb! It was great. The Harley boys even moved over and waved me by. Yes! Over the mountain, down the other side and out across the Prescott Valley. There was a fierce crosswind that stacked the tumbleweeds so high against the fence you could hardly see it. Random escapees bounced off the side of the bike. Hope it dies down tomorrow when I head for Vegas to see Rick and Igo.
Sedona is a tourist mecca, but with some worthwhile stuff. Unfortunately, it was crammed with the holiday crowd and traffic was stopped. I took advantage of my GPS and found some sidestreets to work my way around and bailed out of town. Red Rock Loop Road provided the opportunity to see some nice scenery.
The road continued through Cottonwood and made a left at Clarkdale, beginning a long steep climb to Jerome. Jerome clings to the side of the mountain for dear life. It's a former mining town that has been resurrected as a tourist destination. The pic doesn't really show how steep the grade is. There's just the one road and it goes for a ways and then switches up to the next level back and forth until it leaves town and climbs up through a cut in the mountain. Yet another steep winding climb! It was great. The Harley boys even moved over and waved me by. Yes! Over the mountain, down the other side and out across the Prescott Valley. There was a fierce crosswind that stacked the tumbleweeds so high against the fence you could hardly see it. Random escapees bounced off the side of the bike. Hope it dies down tomorrow when I head for Vegas to see Rick and Igo.
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Great reports and pictures. Truly wish i were there. What kind of camera are you using?
OP
OP
bicyclist
Guest
Thanks, the camera is a Canon G9. It's a point n shoot with a lot of manual adjustments. I mostly just point and shoot.:wink:
Thanks. You have a good eye.
What is your ultimate destination? Great write up. I am enjoying the ride along. I hope our trips and write ups will encourage more folks to get out and GO RIDE.
Love your pictures. And I truly enjoy the writeup. I was through Silver City NM in February, but unfortunately in my VW New Beetle Diesel, not on a bike. Just got my handlebars relocated (finished up today) using your throttle cable recommendations -- and you are right 2" is really all you need, but I did not see your update in time so mine are 3" also. Honda Transalp clutch cable, Rox bar extenders plus one inch risers also, and a Goodridge brake line & banjo ends. I'll do a writeup with pics soon. Keep up the reports, it's a bit like riding along. Perhaps I can get together with you, Chuck, and Phil should you come through Colorado -- if I'm not working that day.
Ken
Ken
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I'm going to Vegas to see Rick and Igo, then turn around and head back. My sister and a friend of mine are coming to visit my ancient mother and I have to get home for that. I thought I'd have time to visit the parks in Utah, but that'll have to wait til next time. If I'm lucky, my riding partner from Ohio will get an offer in September and retire.
I agree, we need more folks getting out there and doing ride reports.
OP
OP
bicyclist
Guest
Thanks.
The map shows that the Mogollon Rim runs all the way across to just north of Silver City and there are cliff dwellings up there. I'd like to see that. Glad you got your bars done. Sorry you didn't see the update in time. Oh well, it's done and it works so I guess that's what counts. I'll be interested to see your pics of the brake line and writeup.
OP
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bicyclist
Guest
Update on the wind. Some Harley boys from California are flopped at the motel. They said they were routed off the interstate at Winslow because the road was being closed due to wind. They were told 90 mph. Dunno about that, but it was brisk. Supposed to be calm tomorrow.
When I rode through last year, it was 90 in Amarillo and snowed on me the next day in Gallup. They closed the road for wind then, too. As my bicycle buddy says in his Scandinavian accent, "You got to pay attention!"
When I rode through last year, it was 90 in Amarillo and snowed on me the next day in Gallup. They closed the road for wind then, too. As my bicycle buddy says in his Scandinavian accent, "You got to pay attention!"
OP
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bicyclist
Guest
At the South Point Hotel Casino and Spa in Las Vegas, NV. *It was a brisk 37 degrees when I got up, but had warmed to 50 when I left at 8. *I had my electric gear on, but didn't need to turn it on. *The route took me up 89 to Ash Fork where I got on 40 and rode over to Seligman. *There, I got on old Rt 66 and made the long loop over to Kingman. What a pleasure it was to peacefully cruise along across the desert virtually alone on the road. *The other vehicles on the road were few and far between and mostly other motorcycles. *If daisies are - your favorite flower - keep pushing up - the miles per hour - BurmaShave. *I passed several sets of BurmaShave signs, reproductions, and later saw some that looked to be original, or at least ones that had been there for a long time. *There were some buildings that looked to be from the era, but it was mostly signs that were recognizable.
And there were lots of flowering desert plants to look at.
At Kingman, I jumped on 40 to make a loop around the town and got back on old 66. *That stretch is really beat up and primitive. *Rough, narrow lanes and ugly. *It takes off through a desert wasteland of beat up mobile homes, junk cars, old machines and general crap until it reaches the base of the Black Mountains. *There it writhes its way up the mountain like a wounded snake. *I wondered what the earlier travelers were thinking as they drove up that road.
Wild burros live in the hills and I was lucky to spot some.
Then it was over the pass and down the other side. *That side had a number of mineral extraction operations going. I rolled into Oatman to find a bunch of burros wandering in the street among a crowd of turistas getting ready to watch a wild west shootout. *I'd planned on stopping for lunch, but it was a zoo, so I pushed on down to Bullhead City and had lunch there. *After lunch, I crossed into NV, rode over to US 95 and up to Vegas. *Rick, from the forum, had given me a heads up on a perfect motorcycle parking spot in the garage. *I'm ensconced in a nice room on the 11th floor. *Tomorrow, I'll meet up with the boys and we'll do motorcycle stuff.
And there were lots of flowering desert plants to look at.
At Kingman, I jumped on 40 to make a loop around the town and got back on old 66. *That stretch is really beat up and primitive. *Rough, narrow lanes and ugly. *It takes off through a desert wasteland of beat up mobile homes, junk cars, old machines and general crap until it reaches the base of the Black Mountains. *There it writhes its way up the mountain like a wounded snake. *I wondered what the earlier travelers were thinking as they drove up that road.
Wild burros live in the hills and I was lucky to spot some.
Then it was over the pass and down the other side. *That side had a number of mineral extraction operations going. I rolled into Oatman to find a bunch of burros wandering in the street among a crowd of turistas getting ready to watch a wild west shootout. *I'd planned on stopping for lunch, but it was a zoo, so I pushed on down to Bullhead City and had lunch there. *After lunch, I crossed into NV, rode over to US 95 and up to Vegas. *Rick, from the forum, had given me a heads up on a perfect motorcycle parking spot in the garage. *I'm ensconced in a nice room on the 11th floor. *Tomorrow, I'll meet up with the boys and we'll do motorcycle stuff.
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No picture didn't hap....
OP
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Guest
Gotta offer a big thank you to Rick for treating me royally during my visit to Vegas. First, he recommended a place to stay with a very nice room for a very reasonable rate and turned me on to the best parking spot. Then he picked me up at the hotel so I could do an oil change in his garage. Afterwards we took a hot lap over to Lake Mead to witness the lack of water. You can see how much the water is down by looking at the waterline in the pics. The marina would be completely under water if the lake was full. We swung by the overlook for the new bridge at the Hoover Dam. What an improvement! I got stuck in the security traffic jam in broiling heat when I crossed the dam last year. After a huge lunch, I headed back to attend to a few things. Last evening we got together with Igo for dinner. Had a fine time. It was good to meet the guys and see most of the NTs in Nevada in one spot.
Got up this morning at 0530 and hit the road an hour later. Sailed across the new bridge and down to Kingman with no problem. Then it was a drone on I 40. Had a lot of crosswind all the way. A forest fire had western New Mexico all smoked in. Did 577 miles to Albuquerque. The bike cruised right along.
I probably won't post anything else until I get home.
Got up this morning at 0530 and hit the road an hour later. Sailed across the new bridge and down to Kingman with no problem. Then it was a drone on I 40. Had a lot of crosswind all the way. A forest fire had western New Mexico all smoked in. Did 577 miles to Albuquerque. The bike cruised right along.
I probably won't post anything else until I get home.
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Fantastic pictures, George. It sounds like you had a great trip. I hope you have good weather on the way home.
OP
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bicyclist
Guest
Great pics. Keep them coming.
OP
OP
bicyclist
Guest
Quick update. The Pig is in Saginaw, MI. Did 683 miles from Oklahoma City to Terre Haute yesterday. Missouri was like a swamp; hot n humid. Almost got to meet Gandalf, but instead of answering his phone at work, he was out screwing off. ;-) Since leaving La Vegas on Wednesday, the bike has done 2400 miles, running flawlessly in the 75 to 80 mph range. Average mileage for the whole trip so far is 49.4mpg. I was pretty well whipped when I arrived at the motel this afternoon, but I lucked out. When I rode around back to park, I noticed a dumpster full of old mattresses. I have a brand new mattress and pillows. I've already tested it out with a nap.
Tomorrow, I'll ride down to Ohio to visit my old friend and riding partner to plan our trip in July and then I'll ride home to Maryland on Monday. After some cogitation, I'll post some thoughts on the NT.
Tomorrow, I'll ride down to Ohio to visit my old friend and riding partner to plan our trip in July and then I'll ride home to Maryland on Monday. After some cogitation, I'll post some thoughts on the NT.
OP
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Guest
My local club has a rides "contest" every year. This year it's a scavenger hunt for route numbers and I needed US 10 just up the road.
If you haven't been here in 20 years, you might be surprised at the interstate. It's 8 lanes wide! Must be a lotta fishermen boiling up the road from the big city in the summertime!
If you haven't been here in 20 years, you might be surprised at the interstate. It's 8 lanes wide! Must be a lotta fishermen boiling up the road from the big city in the summertime!
OP
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I came up on I-69 through Lansing to Flint, and got on I-75 to Saginaw. The lower end of 675 is closed for construction so you have to detour up to the top end and come back down, which is what I did because the motels are located on 675.