[doch4m]

With the snowy winter keeping many of our bikes in the barn, here are a few photos of a recent trip. Maybe a reminder that Spring isn't that far off, and we'll be out more regularly again.

Last month, I flew to Santa Fe for several days for my Dad's 75th Birthday. From there I took a day and a half for some solitude and a little Southeastern Utah. Took my Dad's Honda........Accord (actually a fine auto). Was quite cold, but sunny and clear, with a dusting of snow that added to the incredible scenery.

Finally forsook the film camera and bought a digital before I left (Canon S3IS). Bought a 2G SD card, and took ALOT of photos while taking it all in. Here are a couple of "lonely open motorcycle road" type pics that I took...



261 North heading towards Moki Dugway

261 North above Moki Dugway

95 heading East towards Blanding

Spent the night in Bluff. Got up real early, and by a lucky guess after studying the atlas at the hotel, in the pitch black pre-dawn, went to the highest hairpin on Moki Dugway for an unbelievable sunrise. Saw no one else and no other vehicles for hours. Nothing but me, incredible views, and the bitter cold wind....




Looking east just as the sun appeared over the horizon

A minute or so later

Looking to the Northeast, a few minutes later

Found my solitude, had the roads and the area nearly all to myself. Can't wait to get my Glide out there one day.

If anyone else has photos of great places they have ridden, want to ride, or suggestions, especially anything out west for us easterners, feel free to add them to this thread.

BTW - Don't know what Moki Dugway is? Google Image it. An awsome unpaved, hairpin/switchback portion of Utah 261 that gets you 1100 feet up a cliff in 2.2 miles.

Ride on, Ride well.

Doug

 

[Flemse]

Doug.... Way to go... Very beautiful pictures. You must be experienced in taken pictures, or lucky, but the nature there is also awesome. I take a lot of pictures myself, with a Nikon D70 digital SLR camera, but unfortunately i don't have good sceneries like yours to capture.

 

[Coonass]

Wow! Those are some amazing shots!

 

[Genia]

Wow! So glad you posted this. We're planning to ride southern Utah on the way to the Grand Canyon in May. This road is now on the list!

 

[sfarson]

Great images for sure. One of the most unique and beautiful places on the earth -- southern Utah. I'd heard of Moki Dugway before but never looked to see where it was at.

Coincidently, ride plans with four others are coming together for an early May ride out of Denver, heading south for southern NM, crossing over to AZ, then riding the great 191 north out of Clifton... supposedly one of the finest two wheeled roads in the world. This will take us towards Monument Valley which I've never seen, and it appears we can make a turn north on 261 and see the Moki Dugway!

 

[REEFTEACH]

daytime

As great as the daytime pictures are, I bet being there at night is quite an experience also. The silence mixed with the darkness would be quit peaceful. Maybe a good spot to catch the Persiud meteor shower in August. You could probably watch them go from one horizon to the other.

 

[sfarson]

As great as the daytime pictures are, I bet being there at night is quite an experience also. The silence mixed with the darkness would be quit peaceful. Maybe a good spot to catch the Persiud meteor shower in August. You could probably watch them go from one horizon to the other.

Had a friend ride through this area on a July night last year. What he remembers was the 110 degrees around 9:00p! You're right... this would be quite the night ride experience. The Milky Way would certainly provide accompaniment.

 

[Harley Guy]

AWESOME!

18 inchs of new snow this week - yuk.

About 6 weeks until the cover comes off the bike - Hooray!

 

[doch4m]

Thanks all,

Glad the pictures were enjoyable. Was a fabulous trip. I was armed with Eva Cassidy and Fernando Ortega CD's. Time for reflection, solitude, prayer, and contemplation, with creation laid out as the backdrop. Also was a "pre-ride" for what I hope are some in the near future MC trips.

I love following other's trips on the atlas, so for those interested, here was my route...
550 to Farmington, then 160 West to Kayenta. North on 163 through Monument Valley, to Bluff, where I stayed in a hotel. Didn't get to MV until 4 PM, so I had the setting sun at my back. Awoke early and backtracked 163 South to 261, then 261 North to the top of Moki Dugway in darkness to await the sunrise. Then continued North on 261 to 95. Went West for a few miles to Natural Bridges National Monument. Checked in and payed at the Ranger Station, and then had the place to myself. Incredible. Then East on 95 to Blanding, and South on 191 back to Bluff. Then South again to 261, and back towards Moki Dugway to see it in the daylight. Had to be back in Santa Fe for the Birthday dinner, so I left at about Noon and hightailed it back. I saw Goosenecks State Park on the map, but felt I didn't have time to see it. Kicking myself now, as I have looked it up, and it looks really cool. It's only a few miles off 261 near 163.

Here are a few more pics (since you mentioned MV and since I filled up my 2G Memory card and have lots to choose from!!).



From AZ 160 just East of Kaynta, looking North towards MV

MV from 163, as I prgressed North, in the late afternoon sun

And a few from Natural Bridges NM

Steve, sounds like a great ride you have planned. I'll be in Santa Fe in early May also, (7th - 10th) for some golf with my Dad. Don't know what horse your bringing, but seemed to me that going up Moki Dugway would be OK on just about any streetbike if you're 1 up. Gravel, but well maintained. Think I'd rather go up than down it, though. Also, I'd check out Muley Point Road and Valley of the Gods Road. Both run off 261 (Muley Point Rd. just above MD and VOTG Rd. just below MD) and look fantastic if gravel roads are OK with you and the weather is good. Funny how I found all this cool stuff that was right there after I got home!!

Ride on, Ride well.

Doug

 

[sfarson]

Doug... More great images! Have never seen Monument Valley in person and the Moki Dugway has now been added to the ride thanks to your pics. Will be going the direction you did... from the south, seeing the wall, then ascending it. Too bad we're going to miss by a day. We'll be staying somewhere in northern NM the evening of the 11th, then heading SW towards Clifton, AZ on the 12th. Sometime, you should rent a bike in SF, head north on 285, I'll head south on 285 (I'm only ten minutes off it in Park County), and we connect for a lunch or something, maybe in Alamosa.

And you know what I think about Eva Cassidy and Fernando Ortega. Mmade a ride recording with her voice accompanying when riding Utah 12 through the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument May '05. But I think we've already discussed this when you noted crossing paths with her in the D.C. area back in middle school? Think I'll ride this again:

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument - Ride Vid

 

[Flemse]

Adding Pictures?

Hi doch4m,

How do you ad your pics inside your post? I have tried several ways, but can only make attachments.

Regards
Flemse

 

[doch4m]

Steve,

Would love to rent a bike and meet for lunch. I'll look around in Santa Fe for rentals when I'm there in May. I've checked into renting a Harley before, and there was nothing in Santa Fe, only Albuquerque. Might be a great opportunity to rent something non-harley, maybe an ST1300 or a Concourse or even an RT. I'd guess I'll be back sometime in the summer. I'll give you a shout if and when I know any dates.

Looking at the map, there are several good routes up that way from SF. I've done 17 from Chama to Antonito (several years ago in a car), and as I recall, it was spectacular. Then I could head west from Alamosa over Wolf Creek and back through Pagosa Springs (did that in the car as well). Sounds like a plan!

Also - correct on Eva Cassidy and Middle School. Thanks for the link to the video. That is my favorite video of yours, and I've seen a few of them. Whenever I listen to Eva now, I just feel Southern Utah, as having been there with her accompaniment, and having watched that video more than a couple of times.



Flemse,

Here's how I do it...There may be other ways...

I compress my photo to a reasonable size. I do it in Paint (comes with windows), but I'm sure you can do it other ways also. I open the image in Paint, and then hit the Image tab, then Stretch/Skew. Type in the same number for each dimension (I usually start out at 25 and go from there). Then save as to somewhere on your computer.

I have a photobucket account (they are free!!). I upload the photo to my account at photobucket.

Now go to HD-forums, and do the normal reply to get the box to type in. When posting, look at the toolbar and little images at the top of the message box. Click on the one that looks like a little postcard with mountains on it. When you scroll over it, it says "Insert Image". Click it, and you get a box that asks for the image ulr. Keep your photobucket open in another window. Copy the ulr from the image you want, and paste it into the box, and hit OK.

It doesn't show as a picture until you hit Preview Post or Submit Reply.

I know it sounds complicated, but it's easy once you do it once or twice.



Everyone else,

Still would love to see some other pics of great places you've ridden or want to ride!

Ride on, ride well.

Doug

 

[gaprider0]

incredible photography, those roads are dream rides

 

[sfarson]

Looking at the map, there are several good routes up that way from SF. I've done 17 from Chama to Antonito (several years ago in a car), and as I recall, it was spectacular. Then I could head west from Alamosa over Wolf Creek and back through Pagosa Springs (did that in the car as well). Sounds like a plan!

That would be a great ride! Planning is part of the fun... well, it is for me! On the group ride plan to southern NM, east AZ, Monument Valley, etc., Hwy 17 over Cumbres and La Manga Passes is on the list. Have never been on this road.

Have a vid from Pagosa Springs, over the great Wolf Creek Pass. Serious Colorado.