CVO Social > Ride Report
Rocky Mountain Tour 2020
JCZ:
I left our home near Tucson at sun up on Jun 12 and returned Jul 2, 2020. This solo ride would take me 4,673 miles before I got back home. A bucket list ride of the Rocky Mountains here in the US with the added motivation of the fact that it had already been in the triple digit tempretures for several weeks by the time I left.
I left and headed east, through Globe to Show Low. I wanted to get up high in the elevation as soon as possible so that I could ride more comfortable and I was successful. As it turned out, I rode the entire trip very comfortable. I had a few hours of high temps, rain and cold but never a long period of time.....I was fortunate.
My first day was only 208 miles up to Show Low, Az. Best Western.
Daylight, loaded and ready to ride..........
Riding through Tucson and Oracle, I can already see the smoke from the Bighorn Fire in the distance. This fire had been burning for four or five days when I left on Jun 12th. As of yesterday, this fire is 73% contained and has already cost $37 million!
https://kvoa.com/uncategorized/2020/07/04/bighorn-fire-now-73-percent-contained-cost-over-37-million/
My goall was to stay off the interstate freeways as much as possible and just ride the backroads and two lane highways. On the long haul rides, I've always scheduled to many miles each day so it was an additional goal of trying to keep it in the 200-300 miles max. a day so that I had time for plenty of stops and to explore things of interest along the way.
Arizona landscape changes greatly as you move around the state.....so does the altitude. Many people are surprised to learn that Mt. Lemmon, thirty miles outside of Tucson is 8,200' elevation.
Finally got up in to the pines where it's much cooler than down below.....
First night was the Show Low Best Western. 210 miles and five hours of riding (and stopping).
The next morning I headed out before sunrise. I wanted to be on the road to catch some of those famous Arizona sunrise shots......Arizona really does have consistently the best sunrise and sunset kodak moments of all of the places I've been on this continent.
From Show Low I headed north on Az 77 through Holbrook and Burnside to Many Farms where I turned left on Az 59 towards Kayenta and Monument Valley, Mexican Hat, etc.
JCZ:
We are getting very close to Monument Valley and the Navajo Tribal Park where many, many of the old western movies were filmed.....
The Navajo Tribal Park and all that it has to offer was closed. However, they did send out their offical pack leader to greet me.....
It has been said that the Navajo Code Talkers won WWII for us.....their code talk certainly helped to win more than a few battles. It was the only code that the Japanese couldn't break the code.....
And the famous Forest Gump location......
The San Juan River at Mexican Hat, Utah....
And the actual Mexican Hat Rock......
My second night was at the Super 8 in Blanding, Utah. 275 miles and 6 Hrs. on the road. Being a Super 8, I wasn't expecting much but I got the free upgrade so I got a room that had a jacuzzi tub in it. Second full day on the road.......it was much appreciated!
It started raining about fifteen minutes after I unloaded. It rained pretty good for a couple of hours but I was inside and my bike was under the portal in front! Out early the next morning and everything was dry.
JCZ:
By the way, due to low occupancy of all of the hotels (due to Covid 19) and my membership status with Best Western, Wyndham and Choice Hotels, I got a free upgrade at every hotel that I stayed at. All of the chain hotels from these three chains were paid for with my points. The few private hotels and motels that I stayed at I did have to pay for.
We're in Moab, Utah here. Rode around a bit then passed on through.....
I blew right by Arches National Park. Had been there in the past and wanted to get through the two big cities that were in front of me, Provo and Salt Lake City.
Castle Gate RV Park, Helper, Utah. This is where I went to Junion High School (I noticed they now call it Middle School) and where I became a teenager, turning 13 yrs. old......a few hundred years ago....
The balanced rock of Castle Gate, just outside of Helper. My brother and I climbed that rock when we were kids. My mother didn't believe us so the following weekend we made a flag out of a bed sheet and went back up. This is a rock that professional climbers come from all over the nation to climb.....we climbed it in our sneakers and cotton rope tied around each other.......just like kids would do.....barely hanging by the tips of our toes and finger tips in many locations. Too young and to dumb to have any fear at that age.....
Helper, Utah has become an interesting little town, lot's of art galleries, wineries, etc. and many, many of the old builldings restored and remodeled....
I got on I-15 north near Provo, Utah and shot through both Provo and Salt Lake City without any stop. My third night was the Days Inn in Brigham City, Utah. One of my longest mileage days at 370 miles and approx. eight hours of travel time including all of my stops.
JCZ:
I got on the road early and got off the road early each day. The next morning I'm headed to a beautiful little town in Idaho.......Salmon, Id. I-15 north through Idaho Falls to Sage Junction where I turn west on Id 33 west towards Salmon, Id. Once I got off of the interstate and got back on a two lane road it was again a beautiful, easy ride with very, very little traffic.
Is that potatoes growing out there?
At this point I was wishing I had my 4x4 so I could go up that road and see what is in that huge cave! I think that might be the Bat Cave!
Salmon, Idaho is a very nice mountain community. I made my way to the Super 8 for the evening where, once again, it started raining almost as soon as I got unpacked. I learned that the mid afternoon rains are the norm up there so be off the road by mid afternoon and you'll be fine. It was 320 miles from Brigham City, Ut to Salmon, Id and approx. 5 1/2 hrs. on the road.
JCZ:
From Brigham City, Utah to Salmon, Id was 320 miles and I spent approx. 6 hours.
Got up early in Salmon, Idaho and did my routine weather forecast for my next destination. Rut-rohhhh, cold rain forecasted for the day and rain forecasted for all four days once I arrive in West Glacier, Mont. Not good! But I have my Gerbing eXtreme Element jacket and pants which are water proof and I also brough my modular helmet so I'll stay dry but I still hate to ride in it!
Suited up, I'm headed north out of Salmon, Id. on US 93. As overcast as it was and what rain I did catch, it was still a beautiful ride. No traffic so I just took my time. I rode through the Bitterroot Valley and stopped at Missoula Harley Davidson. Sun was out so I took a break and downed a couple of cups of coffee and shed the Gerbing heated gear.
And my first view of Flathead Lake in Montana......
It's amazing that I managed to not get one drop of rain while riding through this valley. It either rained just in front of me or behind me but I escaped it....
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