Journey's End

Journey's End

So What Have You Done To Make You Feel Proud?


Saturday 29 March 2008

Out of Gas in the Utah Canyons

Monday and Tuesday, March-24th & 25th

Monday morning we leave our motel in the northern district of Las Vegas - an area well away from the hustle-and-bustle of ‘The Strip’ (to where we’ll be returning in early April) - and get under way after breakfast. Just 130 miles northeast along I-15, cutting across the top LH corner of Arizona, and into the state of Utah; ending today’s short journey in the township of Hurricane where we reserve our overnight lodgings in the local ‘Days Inn’ motel.

The weather is still quite glorious, despite the rest of the country apparently suffering from extremes [... for just how long can this good fortune continue, eh?]

The following morning, Tue-March-25, we ride just 25 miles to the Visitors’ Centre of Zion National Park and catch a free shuttle ride around the peaceful and pristine sanctuary of Zion Canyon.

Click here for a better view



Click here for a better view

By mid afternoon we’re off again, further north-eastwards, for Bryce Canyon National Park, famous for its unique geology of red rock spires and horseshoe-shaped amphitheatres.

... great scenery along the way .. :o)

4:15pm and we pull into the Park

Bryce transcends 2000 feet [650 m] of elevation, from around 7,000 ft to just over 9,000 ft at Rainbow Point

The current ‘snow line’ here is almost right inside the entrance, say around 7,500 ft



Here's the vista at Rainbow Point

My GPS unit confirms that we’re now at (+/-) 9,100 feet







By around 6:30pm sunset approaches and we need to be outta here and on our way to Escalante Township, 80 miles to the east, where we’ll be spending the night.

We ride cautiously down the twisting snow-curtained Parkway towards the entrance

Our last photo opportunity at Bryce is at Sunset Point, which coincidentally, is right as the sun sets behind us on the westward horizon. Bloody lucky timing .. again, eh?!

.. a damn fine sight for Cornish eyes

----------------------------

Wednesday, March-26

The following morning we're on the road again by 09:00am and head northeast along Hwy-12 into the Dixie National Forest - through the adjoining counties of Garfield & Wayne, which takes us over Boulder Mountain.

At this height - of 11,317 feet [3,449 m] - the temperature drops to 5ºC [41ºF], which is easily the coldest I've experienced in America so far. But my word, the riding is simply glorious in the clean & clear .. windless air up here ..

.. ya just can't help but smile .. :o)

Then, for the next 200+ miles [322+ km], we loop down and around in a big anti-clockwise circle, at lower altitudes, towards our destination of Moab, located just to the south of Arches National Park.

This next 200 miles proved to be the most stunningly beautiful journey of my entire life.

.. through landscapes the like of which I have never seen before ..

.. these pictures don't do justice. Here's the Colorado River ..

.. the panorama is on a HUGE scale that my camera is quite simply incapable of capturing





Crossing over the Colorado River - heading east [& looking south] ..

.. in warmer temperatures ..

.. along fast, deserted roads .. :o)

-------------------

Then we hit a 'snaggette' ... ??

Mack's Kawa Concours is almost out of gas. [eek!]

So we nurse him along Hwy-95 for another 30 miles or so, until ..

8 miles short of Natural Bridges National Monument, and just 3½ miles away from the nearest gas station .. Mack's Connie runs dry.

There's something to be said for a big powerful touring bike that has a tank range of considerably well over 300 miles .. like my ST1300 Pan-European .. ;o)

So with still over a third of a tank left in the Pan, I make the short journey up to the gas station just south of Blanding on the 95/US-191 junction - and buy Mack a gallon of petrol.

Mack calculates that, on a good day, he might get say 240 miles out of his Connie's full tank.

One-up for the Pan then!

85 northerly miles later we arrive in Moab, by around 6:00pm. Tomorrow we'll go take a look in and around Arches National Park.

----------------------------

Thursday, March-27

Into the Park. Thank Gawd for our extremely good-value-for-money [at $80 US] National Parks and Federal Recreational Land Passes; otherwise I would be another 20 dollars down .. and it's not yet even 10:00am!

The Park's rock formations are fascinating ..

.. Rainwater continually dissolves the natural cement that holds the sandstone together. This process combines with the pressure from water freezing in tiny cracks and causes the sandstone to flake and crumble ..

.. that eventually create these odd-shaped formations



.. including the famous 'arches'

I guess erosion will continue over the millennia ahead, and in time .. well after we're all gone from this fine Earth ..

.. [think on this] ..

.. the same forces of relentless weathering that created the arches and these weird and wonderful rock formations .. will destroy them. In the interim, and for the time being at least, let's just 'enjoy' it all ..

.. while we still can

Click here for a better view

----------------------------

And now for something completely different:



Notice the new 'modified' and streamline RH side mirror housing!

(NB - I collect the new replacement parts this Thursday .. ;o)