We had one big KTM and an SV1000 ridden by Ye Wilde Ryder, and His wife Lynn. This couple has been riding big bikes fast together for years. She hangs off his 6 about 20 feet and to the side. They've been doing this for the 10 years that I've known them. She is there like glue and he knows she's there. They are a great team.
Then there were the 4 boy down from the Denver area. One of those 4, Dave Ryder, was from Pittsburgh On a borrowed 1250 Bandit thanks to Matt Mcdonald. Matt rode his Long trusted '83 700 Magna for this week.
Actually, Matt Mcdonald and DeWayne organized this little get-together. Don Goldston was along just for the joy of riding on his newish FJRand he was a long time member of this group.
First we tried out Karla's for breakfast. Turned out to be kinda self serve style. They had three topping that they put on everything. Sausage gravy, Green Mx Chilly sauce, and Mx red chilly sauce. It was great. https://goo.gl/maps/tnXmLN5Tm3vq9RBh7
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
Ye Wilde Ryder and Lynn
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After breakfast Ye attempts a parking lot wheelie to set the ride's tempo. :clap :clap
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....and partner Lynn
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DeWayne on his very nice Honda liter bike.
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Dave Ryder on the Bandit
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Don Goldston on the FJR...
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Dave had his V1 radar detector with him. It seemed like a good Idea for him to ride point as we would be pressing the speed limit out there in the wide open spaces. The trouble with that was that Dave didn't know where he was going.
After some starting and farting, it became clear to me that I was the only one that had been to all the places that we were going to go today, so I took the lead and showed the way. Later I dropped back for a few pics.
...somewhere around Dove Creek on 491.
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
I love this shot with the crop duster...
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We passed Church Rock signifying 6 miles to the Needles Overlook road. Someone hollowed out the rock for some reason and gave the rock a name. That's a great looking rock...nearly symmetrical.
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
It was only another 25 miles to our destination. The red cliffs would soon begin.
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Looking behind us across the plateau is the majestic La Sal Mtns boasting Mt Beale as it highest peak.
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We arrived at the Overlook parking area...
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The first order of business was to pick up Don's FJR. His foot had slipped on the pea gravel and done a slow speed drop as he was backing in. Damage was a foot peg. Don easily replaced it with a passenger peg.
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
The Needles Overlook looked out at the Co River as it snaked past, and the Needles Outpost that I'd been to yesterday. Believe me, it was a completely different view from up here.
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
That's the Co River snaking along out there......
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
Ye, DeWayne, Lynn and Dave
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We spent an hr out there walking all over the place....it was worth the visit.
Matt and Dave......
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It wasn't easy to get the whole group together....and look at that sky, just f'n beautiful.
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
Then we move on to Blanding where we gassed up and had a bit of fast food for lunch.
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
......... NEXT THE MOKI DUGWAY..........
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Having gassed in Monticello, not Blanding, we all discussed how far it was to Moki and then Mexican Hat for gas. It was important because Matt's Magna was only good for 120 miles or so.
I figured it was a little over a 100 miles. It was easy for me to say as I wasn't the one that would run out. :evil But Matt took my word for it. I don't know if I'd have done that.
So we lit out down 191 to 95 east and then 261 South to the MD. There are some vast landscapes, gaps and cuts through cliff, and curvy roads on the way. The Dugway was about 90 miles away, and some pretty good riding if I do say so myself.
All this was out there....look at that little dirt road over there....
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
Recapture lake, I think, south of Monticello.
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
Finally we arrived at the 2000 ft cliff that is the reason for the Moki Dugway. Copied from a net search: >Indians had long had trails up to the top of Cedar Mesa. Then in 1958, Texas Zinc, a mining company, built the Moki Dugway, in its current form, so they could carry uranium ore from the Happy Jack Mine in Fry Canyon, Utah to a processing mill in Mexican Hat. The Moki Dugway descends 1,100 feet in 3 miles. It is the slowest 3 miles you will ever drive.<
Ye was the the only one capable to drive to the edge.
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
Does that look like only 1100 ft to you?
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
Finally a picture of Matt's 700. It was a sweet looking Magna, but lately it had begun to slip out of second gear and leak oil from behind the clutch slave cylinder.
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
It was getting late and we had another 100 plus miles to go, so we rode on into Mexican Hat and had something to drink. Some shed a layer as it was closer to a 100 down at the new lower altitude.
From there, It was pretty much 'make Jet' for the ride back to camp....but there were still things to see.
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
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| From Riding SM4C, Sabmag |
Lynn and Ye stopped in Cortez to get the making for a spaghetti dinner for everyone. That was beyond the call of duty, for sure.
They had a room at the RV park with pots and pans so we all took advantage of that, and chowed down heartily. We had a few beers afterward, but everyone was tired, and went to bed early. It had been a long day.
There were a lot of leftovers so I bagged it up for tomorrow.....remember there are lots of starving kids all over the world, and it's bad to be wasteful. :evil:evil
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