Northen California to western Colorado and back

[fanowater]

Northern California to western, Colorado. 8+ days on bike, 1 day off, 3018.3 miles total for me. Can't wait for the next big ride!
(Sorry, try as I might I can't figure out how to insert the images, just the links)
A year ago, while having dinner in Markleeville, Ca on our annual Sierra Nevada ride, Scott said we needed to go farther afield on our next ride. So a year later, Scott, Steve and I set off for Colorado.
Friday after work we met up in Oakdale, Ca. Unfortunately, Scott's trip ended very quickly because his VFR kept dripping coolant. We spent an hour looking for the source of the leak, but it was not in a location we could fix in a motel parking lot without specialized tools.
Day 1 - Oakdale to St. George: 618 miles
https://goo.gl/maps/VJmYZ8hqowH2
Seriously bummed, Steve and I rolled out on hwy 108 up and over the Sierra's. Nearby fires made the air smoky and unpleasant to breathe, but it also kept the tourists away and we really enjoyed ourselves on the empty road. Later we headed out hwy 120E from Lee Vining. The road doesn't look like much on the map, but it is actually quite fun. Fast sweepers, hair pins, whoop-de-dooh's, good scenery. After a great lunch of BBQ in Tonopah, Nv, the fun ended. It was over 100F by now and we had a huge slog ahead of us to get to St. George, Utah. Over 7 hours of riding with temps between 100 and 104F. I think we drank as much water as we used gas on that stretch. The upside was we awoke very close to Zion, NP
Day 2 - St. George to Torrey: 256 mile
https://goo.gl/maps/RkVKTvmHPES2
The heat wave continued the next day as it was 95F by 10 am as we rolled thru Zion National Park. The sights made us forget the heat though - rolling thru Zion on a bike is the only way to go. Later that day it would rain on us 3 separate times, but it was so warm the roads quickly dried and we could enjoy the roads and the sights. Cedar Breaks and the vistas along hwy 12 rounded out an amazing day as we rolled into Torrey, Ut for the night.
View from the Zion visitor center : http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Zion%20-%20Visitor%20Center_zpsfap2obd3.jpg.html?o=26
95F at 10 am in Zion : http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Zion%20-%2095F%20at%2010am_zpswtjljouo.jpg.html?o=25
Hwy 12 near Boulder, Ut : http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Hwy%2012%20near%20Boulder%20Ut_zpslitv7rbe.jpg.html?o=24
Calf Creek Overlook, hwy 12 near Boulder, Ut : http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Hwy%2012%20near%20Boulder%20Ut%202_zpsbfdwpf95.jpg.html?o=23
Day 3 - Torrey to Durango: 314 miles
https://goo.gl/maps/R9GTdghF9H72Day 3 took us past Capital Reef and then down hwy 95. Hwy 95 from Hanksville to Blanding should be on every motorcyclists bucket list. Truly amazing scenery with really pleasant riding too! Fast sweepers with big canyon walls on either side. The day ended with a great meal and excellent beer at Steamworks brew pub in Durango, Co.
'The Castles' area of Capital Reef near Torrey, Utah: http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/The%20Castle%20Area%20of%20Capital%20Reef%20near%20Torrey%20Ut_zpstgzmtjuz.jpg.html?o=22 
Hwy 95 south of Hanksville approaching Glen Canyon Nat'l Rec Area:http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/hwy%2095%20appraoching%20Glen%20Canyon%20Ut_zps2ma2ijzp.jpg.html?o=21 
Great beer and food at Steamworks Durango, Co (I am wearing the hat):http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Beer%20-%20Durango_zpsa6o5ix1j.jpg.html?o=20 
A properly size Apple-Oatmeal skillet cookie. Steamworks Durango, Co:http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Apple-Oatmeal%20Skillet%20cookie%20-%20Durango_zpsrxnytavr.jpg.html?o=19 
Day 4 - Durango to Telluride 120 miles
https://goo.gl/maps/1DhS1VWQLDG2
Day 4 was a short day - up hwy 550 thru Ouray and around to Telluride. Due to road construction the road between Silverton and Ouray was only open from 12 noon to 1 pm. So we didn't have time to explore, but it was 50F, windy and raining periodically, so we were ok with just moving on to Telluride and getting off the bikes.
10,910' Molar Pass on hwy 550 headed to Silverton, Ouray, etc :http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/10900%20Molar%20Pass%20hwy%20550%20%20Colo_zpsgxrypomq.jpg.html?o=18
Me and the trusty FJ with every bit of gear I brought on at Red Mtn Pass: http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Red%20Mtn%20Pass%20hwy%20550%20Colo_zpsp7fef6vg.jpg.html?o=17
Hairpins and scenery, hwy 550 nearing Ouray, Co: http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Hairpins%20and%20great%20scenery%20nearing%20Ouray%20Co_zps4etr4yy9.jpg.html?o=16
Yellow runoff from the mines in the area:http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Yellow%20runoff%20from%20the%20mines%20near%20Ouray%20Co_zpsmadnf53z.jpg.html?o=15 
Rockies on the way to Telluride, Co:http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Rockies%20nearing%20Telluride%20Co_zpsyvusfsjl.jpg.html?o=14 
Day 5 we day hiked and drank a lot of beer. My body was grateful to be moving around, but hiking up to 12, 500' was pretty tiring since we weren't acclimatized.
Cool Vespa: http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Cool%20Vespa%20-%20Telluride%20Co_zpsgomthpp6.jpg.html?o=13 
At 12.500' on the Wasatch Connection trail. Telluride down below. http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Telluride%20Co%20from%2012500%20on%20Wasatch%20Connection%20trail_zps9fgmvzji.jpg.html?o=12
Day 6 - Telluride to Green River :305 miles
https://goo.gl/maps/N1aQLKtujPz
Day 6 saw more excellent canyon riding as we made our way north and west towards Moab. Due to bad planning I found out the FJ will go 209 miles on 3.93 gallons of gas. Not sure why the low fuel panic mode was active the last 10 miles - isn't it supposed to come on when there is only 0.6 gallons left?. When in Colorado and Utah, gas up every chance you get because the 'little dot' towns often don't have a gas station. It was 96F when we got to Moab and reasonably priced lodging was nonexistent. Since we had explored the area pretty thoroughly on a mountain bike trip a few years before, we decided to roll on to Green River, Ut and go in search of high mountain roads the next day.
Hwy 141 headed towards Gateway, Co - traffic is heavy as usual:http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Hwy%20141%20heading%20towards%20Gateway%20Co_zpsmpnulnif.jpg.html?o=11 
Hwy 141 again: http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/hwy%20141%20Colo_zps7zxumaoz.jpg.html?o=10 
Hwy 141 - pretty representative of this trip - great views, gentle sweepers, empty roads:http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/hwy%20141%20colo%203_zpsthfbxabt.jpg.html?o=9 
Hwy 128 from Cisco, Ut heading towards Arches, Np and Moab, UT:http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/hwy%20128%20heading%20to%20Moab%20Ut_zpswxasn7ho.jpg.html?o=8 
Hwy 128 near Arches NP:http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/hwy%20128%20near%20Arches%20NP%20Ut_zpswpp2rbkt.jpg.html?o=7 
Day 7 - Green River to Ely: 409 miles
https://goo.gl/maps/uwmH4HKxzEr
Day 7 saw us heading south on hwy 72. This super fun, sportbike road has oddly low posted speed limits (30 and 40 mph), but luckily no one was around since we averaged over twice the limit. After gassing up in Loa, we headed up to Fish Lake for some mtn riding with temps below 50F. We either froze or fried this whole trip! Ha Ha. Fish Lake area: http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Aspen%20in%20Tushar%20Range%20Utah_zpsgqlgvwj7.jpg.html?o=6Heading south on hwy 62:http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Hwy%2062%20soutbound%20Utah_zpsf5qzzqjl.jpg.html?o=4
Later we road up the east side of hwy 153 which is all dirt. Except for some washboard sections and a few patches of deep gravel/dirt in tight hairpins the road was smooth and the FJ handled it without issue. Big vistas and lots of Aspen changing color made it a really nice diversion. Also, 153 dropping down into Beaver was paved and a lot of fun as well.
On the world's mellowest dirt road:http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Worlds%20mellowest%20dirt%20road%20-%20hwy%20153%20eastside_zpscdogh6id.jpg.html?o=3 
At 10k feet on hwy 153 east:http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/10k%20feet%20on%20hwy%20153_zpsz4igaarf.jpg.html?o=2
colorful aspens: http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/More%20Fall%20color%20Utah_zpsc400oknb.jpg.html?o=5 
After lunch it was time to head out into Nevada. Nevada is an interesting state to ride across. When riding east-west it is a steady stream of fun corners as you climb up and over a mountain range and then long straights as you cross the big basins between them. Hwy's 21 and 50 would have been a lot more enjoyable earlier in the trip, but the miles were racking up now and we were getting tired. Ely, Nv turned out to be packed as it was having a street bracket race the next day - cars racing in classes over a 95 mile stretch of hwy. Forgot which one.
Day 8 - Ely to Markleeville: 386 miles
https://goo.gl/maps/CiapXsQxzkw
Day 8 saw us going continuing west on Hwy 50, with a side jaunt on hwy 722, and finally over Monitor Pass and ending up in Markleeville, Ca. What was really sad was that California looked the driest and most parched of any place we road. Nevada was 'lush' by comparison.
Markleeville is one of my favorite places to end the day. Tiny, but with great beer and food.
Hwy 722 and hwy 50 in general - ride some twisties over the mountains, then cross a big basin and then do it again and again, and..
http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Hwy%20722%20Nevada%20-%20mtns%20%20basin%20mtns%20basin%20repeat_zpsohtszywb.jpg.html?o=1
Steve and I very near Monitor Pass, Ca:http://s296.photobucket.com/user/daleh627/media/Steve%20and%20I%20at%20Monitor%20Pass%20Ca%20-%20driest%20place%20on%20the%20trip.%20%20So%20sad._zpspkswf7ti.jpg.html?o=0 
Day 9 - Markleeville, Ca to Santa Rosa, Ca :243 miles
https://goo.gl/maps/XTpsBQmGrpK2
Day 9 took us over hwy 4 for a change of pace. Tighter and funkier than the other trans Sierra highways it was a nice way to start the day since the end of the trip was a slog back to our homes.
I bought the FJ in June to do this trip and could not have been happier. It buzzed a bit at speeds over 70 (but I think I'll be able to fix that), but handled well, got great mileage and was the perfect mount for being a moto tourist on. The Sena Bluetooth's worked out great and tunes saved my butt on the roll thru Nevada and bay area slog. I didn't include the detours to get gas in the maps - it looked like an error.
Cheers, Dale