flatworld Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 Trip Dates: June 3-8, 2016 Pictures are HERE About me: I am a returning rider, coming back after 30 years. My last bike was a 1981 Honda GL500 Silverwing. Trip Overview: Rode 1677 miles from Mill Valley, CA and finished up in Denver, CO. Route HERE. I wanted to experience southern Nevada, Utah, and Colorado for the first time. I rode the 2-lanes the entire way, only picking up I70 the last 70 miles into Denver. Because of time limitations, I shipped the bike back home from Denver and flew home. Camping: I stayed at a mix of private and public campgrounds. Bike: 2015 Matte Gray FJ-09 with OEM side bags and 39L top case; rubber-topped foot pegs; mirror extenders; 22" Madstad windscreen; Brandon Cruise Control (still trouble shooting with Joe, as it will not yet engage); Crampbuster throttle assist until the Cruise Control is functional; stock seat was the weakest link for the long days, requiring stops every 60-75 minutes later in the day. Used a Garmin Nuvi GPS in addition to paper maps. Gear: [ul type=disc][*]Tent: I used an ultra light 10X12 tarp tent configuration[*]Dry Bag: I put all my camping gear and tools in a 50L dry bag that rode pillion. The bag made a great backrest.[*]Tank Bag: Stored a 2L water bladder, cell phone, snacks, maps.[*]I wore the MSR Alterra ADV jacket. Even though it is heavy, it is well ventilated. Worked well up both at 95 degrees as well as at 45 degrees with layers.[/ul] Daily progress: [ol type=decimal][*]Day One: 285 miles from Mill Valley California to Fort Churchill, NV. I rode up and over the Carson Pass on Hwy 88. Tent camped at the Fort Churchill State Historic Park[*][span style=background-color:transparent]Day Two: 360 miles from Fort Churchill, NV to Baker, NV; all day on Hwy 50, the "Loneliest Highway." Stayed in a room at a campground/motel.[/span] [*]Day Three: 298 miles from Baker, NV to Boulder, UT. I got off of Hwy 50 to pass through Bryce Canyon and Escalante Petrified Forest. I stopped off to visit a local church in Cedar City, UT. Stayed in a cabin at a private campground off of Hell's Backbone Road.[*]Day Four: 338 miles from Boulder, UT to Durango, CO. Passed through Capitol Reef National Park and National Bridges National Monument. Stayed in a cabin at a private campground.[*]Day Five: 296 miles from Durango, CO to Leadville, CO. Drove the majestic Million Dollar Highway between Durango and Ouray. Wow! I picked back up with Highway 50 for a time. I crossed the Continental Divide at Monarch Pass. I Tent camped at a private campground at 10,000ft elevation in Leadville. Overnight temperature got to 37 degrees.[*]Day Six/Seven: 100 miles from Leadville, CO to Denver. This last 100 miles took two days because I stopped in Frisco, CO, to explore for a day. The Plan was to drive to Mt Evans, the highest paved road in North America, but I was ready to get on in to Denver and skipped it.[/ol] Two riding skill challenges: [ol type=decimal][*]Tar Snakes - I repeatedly experienced momentarily loss of traction on the hot tar snakes on the curves of Cedar Canyon (Hwy 14) in Utah. It took me some time and miles to discover the reason why my tires wouldn't hold the road. I thought I may have had low tire pressure or suspension problems. Finally, I was able to attribute the slippage to the hot tar snakes on the road. Spent the rest of the trip with greater awareness of this danger.[*]Severe Cross Winds - Sudden, unpredictable wind gusts got my attention a number of times along the way. However, I experienced a severe, sustained cross wind from left to right for about 20 miles as I rode north on 550 in CO. Without hard and sustained counter steering, the wind was literally pushing the bike off the road.[/ol] What I loved: I'm glad i took the longer, scenic two lane routes. I got to see and experience areas of the mountain West that I've never seen. The Million Dollar Highway between Durango and Ouray was worth the entire trip. What I would do differently: Solo was great, however, riding with a buddy or two would add a different, but good, dynamic. Also, the stock seat is indeed a limiting factor for long days. Need to find a solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgmatt Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 Great post! Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member fanowater Posted June 18, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted June 18, 2016 Great trip! Thanks for sharing. I rode a lot of those roads with a bud last fall on my FJ. Awesome scenery and you are right. A bud is more fun to have along - safer too if something happens. Cheers 2015 FJ-09 2006 Triumph Daytona 675 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member keithu Posted June 20, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted June 20, 2016 Nice trip! I see you took NV-722 instead of US-50 east of Fallon. Great choice, that road is a little-known gem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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