The Adventures of Tyson and Hobbes

Day 6

We woke up early and took time to stand in awe of the massive Redwoods shrouded by fog early in the morning.







Today was to be a fun filled day packed with sightseeing and a romp in the Oregon Sand Dunes to top off the day. My dad had done research on what we should see while we were in the Redwoods. The first thing we would do today is a hike through Fern Canyon. It has been used several times in films involving dinosaurs because of it's prehistoric feel.

We packed up most of our things and left them inside our tents while we left on our little excursion.



Once we left the highway to head for Gold Beach, we hit an eight mile section of gravel to get down to the beach. I could tell right away that we were gonna need to do something different, cause Dad was only doing about ten miles an hour on the Wing.

"Dad, you get to ride my Tiger again. We need to pick up the pace."

Once I was on the Wing, speeds improved to 25-30 miles an hour. There's a lot of stuff that rattles like hell on that bike! I don't think it was meant to be ridden like that off road!

We got down to the beach and headed towards the ocean.













The salt was really heavy in the air. We walked on the beach for just a short time. I could have spent all day there.

Fern canyon was just a quick jaunt from the parking lot, so we were there in no time. It was incredible!



















It was just a short hike through the canyon before we reached a fork in the trail. Straight took you back to our campsite. A 10 mile hike. Or left brought you up to the canyon rim and an easy hike back.





There were several stream crossing we encountered on the way in. Of course we had to get set up to document the Wing's crossing. It think it was one of my dad's first crossings. Good thing he was on my bike!





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The Volkswagen kinda ruins the adventure status of the crossing, but it's still pretty cool.

Back at camp, we finished loading the bikes and got all the gear on. Earlier in the day we had been talking to the ranger at the entrance to the park asking her where the best place to see the big trees was. We came in from the South and it's not like we were seeing them all over the place. She must have thought we were crazy! Turns out the old growth grove was 500 yards from where we slept!

For any international readers that may not be familiar with what the Redwoods are, click HERE. These trees are truly massive!! It is a completely different world walking through them.







This little tree we calculated to be almost 700 years old.













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A banana slug! I'd never seen one. We moved him out of the trail because we almost stepped on him.



We stopped at the visitor center and grabbed a few souvenirs. Time to start heading North.



We had one more stop to make in the redwoods and it was just up the Newton B Drury Parkway. It was Big Tree.















Back on the road...

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We now leave the Redwoods and California behind as we enter back into Oregon. It is a magical place that everyone should see. My map shows shows a ton of dirt roads through the national park. It would be awesome to do some exploring off the beaten path there someday.

The coast is beautiful! It's only the third time in my life I've seen the Pacific.



















We stopped for gas at this gas station in Southern Oregon. All they had was gas and oil! Sure hope nobody was wanting a Gatorade!



I also took the time to call ahead and tell the rental shop we were gonna be late for our reservation. We were pushing to get just North of Coos Bay. This was another one of my things I had had planned. I was taking the fam out for an hour of fun in a Polaris RZR 4 on the Oregon Dunes. Everyone was really looking forward to it.

The shop I had rented from, was gonna be closed! His wife broke down and he needed to go get her. Shit! This is when I'm really glad I have a smart phone. I called some other places and found one that was available from 6-7 tonight. We could make it! Barely. I had to cut the conversation short my dad and brother were having with a BMW rider. He had quite the collection of bikes and was on his way to San Fran.







We got to Steve's ATV rentals and went through our orientation. Steve owns three rental shops and happened to be at this one today. He took interest in us and decided to take us out and show us around. He jumped in his RZR and off we went. Put the hammer down!!!!!!

I took my GoPro off the bike and brought it along. I'll give credit where credit is due. Trevor has fine video skills!

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We were having a great time! Trevor and I were really impressed with the capabilities of this thing! After about 20 minutes of hauling ass around I let Trevor drive and I took some still shots.



















I was just getting ready to open my mouth to get Trevor to stop and let Dad drive when it happened. Trevor was flying along the bottom of a dune and we hit a depression and SLAMMED into the face of the up side. Dad started screaming "OW...OW....OW...OW....OOOOW....OOOOOW....OWWWWW"

We knew something terrible had happened. We finally figured out it was his back. He got out and walked around for a minute and we could tell he was in excruciating pain. We got him back in the RZR. Front seat this time. We were coming up on our deadline to get back. I had to drive very slowly to keep dad as comfortable as possible.

We made it back and dad wasn't doing well. He tried to walk it off while Trevor BS'd with Steve. It turns out Steve is an ex pilot and flew for the same company Trevor works for.

We got him on his bike and he said he could ride. We went North to find a campground for the night. We got to the Tugman State Park after dark. Trevor and I rode through the campground to find a spot before we could register. I decided after looking at my dad's face that he needed a bed to sleep in for the night. I convinced him to do just that. I ran back and grabbed Trevor who was holding the spot we had picked.

The hotel we wanted was closed since it was past 9:00 now. We had to continue North to Winchester Bay and didn't have any luck there either. Next stop was Reedsport. We found a place that had three beds for $70. We got dad upstairs and in bed with some ice for his back. Trevor and I unloaded the bikes.

I don't think anyone slept well that night. Trevor and I felt flat out shitty. Dad was worse. Trevor and I started talking about the possibilities. Dad was 2162 miles from home and I knew damn well he wasn't gonna be able to ride for at least a week. At this point we had no confirmation his back wasn't broken. Tomorrow would be a trip to the hospital and we could go with a plan after we knew the severity of his injury.

The day was amazing! It would have gone down as the best day of vacation so far. Everybody was having fun and really enjoying themselves. Then, this happened. What would tomorrow bring?

I think it went more like, "I give up! You win! God I just want a piece of straight open highway..."

Sounded just like Ewan McGregor as he's riding some of the most epic terrain in Mongolia, "Whatever happened to just a bit of tarmac, you know, just a little bit of asphalt? And what happened to third, fourth, fifth and sixth gears? Whatever happened to dry clothes? Whatever happened to being able to sit on a motorbike without falling off it?"

Different strokes for different folks. I could sit on my bike in several positions since I could put my feet on the highway pegs, normal pegs, or lay down like a rice rocket and put my feet on the passenger pegs. It didn't matter. My back hurt in every position. Unless the road was twisty, then I was fully concentrated on trying to brake later and hold more speed through the corners. It was the only place I could hold off the Tiger and also the only place that could keep my mind off the constant pain and fatigue in my back. Once the road straightened out I might accelerate up to 85 or 90, but the KLX is just tapped out and screaming at that point and I back off to a more comfortable speed. The straight open road was the worst for me, and here Dad is begging for it

I like when the GPS says turn right in 394 miles!

I Love all the Redwoods!

What's the hold up Ty? That's not how the story ends...

Yeah yeah. Working on it now

Day 7

When we woke in the morning, it was just as I had predicted. The was no way in HELL dad was going to ride anywhere. The first thing for the morning was to have dad get on the phone to his wife and verify what kind of insurance coverage he had. Was an ambulance covered? Because there was no way in HELL dad was going to ride anywhere.

Trevor and I went to get breakfast and brought some back for Dad. He managed to get himself in the shower while we were gone. He couldn't get his underwear on though and I had to help him.

"Is this a preview of what it's gonna be like in 20 years?"

"Yeah, except you'll have wiped my ass first!" Smartass.

We thought about other options to get him to the hospital, because even though Dad is in a lot of pain, he is still Dad and cheap. "Ambulance is too expensive!" So, I found a taxi cab in the area and called them to take Dad to the hospital. We got him in and they drove slowly away.

We still had no idea if anything was broken, twisted, bulging, or otherwise fucked up. Trevor had to be on the road in four hours to fly his route in the evening. I had to be in Denver for work on Monday. Things are not looking good at this point.

Assuming Dad was not completely broken, we needed to get him 200 miles to Trevor's house. He could stay as long as he needed there. Or, if he wasn't recovering fast enough, catch a commercial flight back to Wisconsin. The bike could stay in Redmond until next spring and we could continue our trip.

The problem was; how do we get him there? We looked at renting a Uhaul. Like 300 bucks plus fuel and a shitty ride for someone with a bad back. Nope.

I could ride to Redmond, get Trevor's Tundra and a trailer, drive back to the coast, pick him up, and then drive back. But that's a hella long day and I need to be leaving for Denver tomorrow.

It was decided that Trevor would leave at noon, fly his overnight route, and get back to Redmond in the morning. Then, drive to the coast, pick Dad and the Oldwing up, drive back to Redmond, and fly his route again. It was the best option. Dad and I would stay in the hotel in Reedsport again tonight.

This plan was all contingent upon Dad being somewhat ok. If he had to stay in the hospital for any reason, that plan was totally fucked. We didn't even wanna think about what will need to happen if he is more severely hurt than some muscle spasms. Unfortunately, that is still a very real possibility.

Trevor and I had to move rooms while we were waiting on news. The room we were in was reserved and needed to be cleaned. We dropped all of our stuff off the balcony downstairs to a room the lady was nice enough to let us put our stuff in. I told her we might stay another night if Dad isn't kept in the hospital.

It's 11:30 AM and we still haven't gotten a phone call. Trevor and I decide to go there because he has to be clicking off some miles home in the near future. We miss the turn (my fault) and have to double back. We make it there and arrive just as he is getting the news. Drumroll..............nothing broken, twisted, bulging, or otherwise fucked up!!! It was such a relief you can't possibly imagine.

The past 18 hours have been hell not knowing and forecasting the worst in my head. So, just spasms. I say "just" spasms. They still are extremely painful and will take a long time to heal. But, we can move forward with the plan.

Wave for the camera Dad!!! Ok, the Adv'r salute will work too.



Trevor said, "I'll see ya tomorrow!" and took off to the East. We called the cab again for gimpy and I followed them back to the hotel.

Dad went to go see a holistic healer in the shopping center next door to the hotel. He was willing to try anything to make the pain go away even a little. He said it had potential over time, but nothing doing in the present.

There were tons of dirt roads just out the back door here and I had time. But, I spent the afternoon watching TV and being lazy in general. I hadn't had a lazy day in months! It felt great!! I also had route planning to do. Since the street bike wouldn't be with me, I HAD to get some dirt roads in on the way home!!!

Dad and I had Chinese food across the street that night. It was pretty good and we enjoyed our time together that was growing short. I was supposed to have had another few days and 2000 more miles with him. That fact was starting to set in.

Dad went to sleep pretty early. I couldn't get to sleep. Tomorrow I would leave my father next to the Pacific Ocean as I began my solitary journey to the East back towards the reality of daily life.

Got my finger crossed for ya dad and a quick recovery!

As to your problems of not getting to sleep - use the right kind of whiskey! Single malt ONLY!

Just so you know, both boys took real good care of me after they 'took real good care of me'.

Day 8

I awoke to the alarm on my iPhone signaling the start of my long journey back to Denver. I was sad about leaving my dad and the events that had unfolded over the past day and a half. I packed my things and loaded the bike. I ran to McDonald's and brought my stranded, bedridden dad some food to get him through before Trevor arrived with the Tundra in the afternoon.

As we ate the mood was somber. I know my dad was really bummed too. Our time was cut short and there are only so many opportunities to spend time with family.

I said goodbye and pulled out of the parking lot. I headed immediately inland on 38 which follows the Umpqua River. It was a very dreary day near the coast and the weather matched my mood.





I soon left the river as I headed South on 138 towards I-5. The sun began to come out and my mood improved.





I had almost 5000 miles on the stock Battlewing rear and it was nearly toast. I could have squeezed out the rest of the trip on it, but I knew I was heading into some rough stuff and I wanted to at least have a spare. I had called ahead to Hansen's BMW Triumph in Medford, OR on my off day to get a new tire there. The guy gave me a great deal on the Tourance.

As I was getting closer I was thinking that a rear tire flat fix with no center stand wouldn't be any fun. They were really busy and I knew I was asking a lot to see if they had time to just put the new one on. I asked if they had a stand and I could at least get if off the bike and back on again. They rolled one out and I had the tire off in less than five minutes.



Not 15 minutes later they came out with my new Tourance on. Out the door in 45 minutes and less than 200 bucks!!! These guys were fantastic and I highly recommend stopping if you are in Medford. They will always get my business anytime I'm back in the area. Thumbs up guys!!!!!!

Back on the I-5 for just a few more miles before getting off to head towards Klamath Falls. I ran my gas really low. To the point my computer was telling me 0 miles to empty for three miles! Still had .5 gallons left. This is good information to know and partially the reason I did it. If I am super easy on the throttle, 275 miles on a tank is possible. The way I drive, I'm lucky to get 220.

I took highway 66 to the East. What a fun road! Very little traffic and lots of curves.









There was a sign at the top of the pass pointing towards a look out that was only 2 miles down the dirt road to the right. Sure! Why not?



There were a ton of forks and no more directions. I kept taking the fork that I thought was going to take me higher. Pretty soon I realized the last thing I needed was to get lost on some logging roads only a few hundred miles into my day. I decided to abandon the lookout and head back to the highway.

It was then that I noticed I was missing something. MY GO PRO!!! FUCK!!! I carefully retraced my tracks scanning for the little gray box that contained all those wonderful videos you have seen. Found it !!! Thank God.





Of course it landed lens first. No more GoPro videos from the trip. I need to buy a new case and find a more secure way to mount it.

Back on the highway....





I stopped in a little podunk town called Merrill, OR only a few miles from California on hwy 39. I forget the diner's name, but there was quite the posse of toothless farmers with their very obese wives in there. They just thought it was the coolest thing I work on airplanes and was out touring around the country. I'd venture to guess these guys don't go very far from home.

Mt. Shasta was in view now. That is one huge mountain!!!



Back in Cali



They were doing chip sealing here. I'd like to thank the State of California for all the chunks of tar that fused to my rims and frame. I'll always have something to remember you by.



139 to 299 was a long stretch. And it was frickin hot!!!



I was doing about 85 average here.



I arrived in Alturas, CA sometime later in the afternoon. I was trying to get a spare front tube before my dirt sections. I have no idea why I didn't have. It was probably the only thing I forgot the whole trip.

While I was looking for the only store that might have one, I asked directions from a guy sand blasting outside his body shop. He told me they were closed and saw the dejected look on my face. "Can you hold on for a few minutes? I'm pretty sure I have one at my house." This guy left work and I followed him about a mile to his house. He had several Honda 450s in his garage. He was unable to find one, so he called a friend that had one. This guys was gonna drive 15 miles each way to give a traveler a tube. I was amazed by the level of effort these guys put into trying to get a stranger hooked up with a spare. I respectfully told him not to bother. That's a lot for little old me. "I'll just get a patch kit, and if something happens, I can limp to a bigger city." So that's what I did. I picked up a patch kit at Napa. Thanks friend from Alturas. I don't think I ever even caught his name.

I was back on the highway and heading for the desert. Finally some dirt roads to ride on my adventure!!

Was very relieved that there were no fractures. I had just been to the doctor after jumping off this bad boy



Doctor told me I probably didn't have any compression fractures since it was the middle of my back that hurt. When you get compression fractures it's usually at the top of the spine or the bottom depending on if you hit your head or you feet/ass. Dad was holding his lower back so I thought it was entirely possible that he had a compression fracture in his lower vertebrae. Anyway I said goodbye to my father and brother and hit the road.

This was the most fun portion of the ride







Pretty pathetic compared to the passes in the Rockies...



Dee Wright Observatory, pretty cool place



It has all these view finders formed into the walls pointing at the different craters and mountains





From up above



From way up above (taken from the BE99, not the KLX)




I made it home in time to swing by a friend's house to borrow a trailer. There was no way I was going to ride the Goldwing into the back of my Tundra Evil Knievel style like I do with my KLX.



So from my calculations, I had just enough time to drive from Redmond to Reedsport and back, allowing an hour to load up the Oldwing and have lunch. I asked about getting the day off but we just didn't have the pilots available. Hence the reason I had to come back from vacation a day earlier than I had asked for in the first place. So my rescue time line went something like this.

9pm Wednesday night I get to my place in Portland, have dinner, in bed by 10. Wake up at 3:30, to work by 4:15. On the UPS ramp by 5. Loaded and ready for departure by 630, in Redmond by 715. I briefed my First Officer on the situation and said he would be on his own unloading the plane and that I was just going to do the post flight inspection and split. I was on the road and headed west around 815. Fun drive over the Mckenzie pass even in a lifted truck on mud tires pulling a trailer. Gave me an opportunity to get some shots of the road because there was no way I was going to slow down on the bike.









The road was tight enough in one hairpin turn that the Garmin recalculated because it thought I turned around!

Sweet fog on the Mckenzie River



and really blue water






Ok fast forward, and I'm in Reedsport. I park in the parking lot and put the ramp down on the trailer, I take a run at it with the Goldwing and ckckkckkkaaaakkkkachchh! Smacked the engine on the transition from ramp to deck. Hmmmm, too steep of a breakover. Need to find some structure around here so that we can get a better angle. Drove around the block on the Wing, found a spot that might work, pulled the truck and trailer in, no better. Drove around some more and found a suitable spot. Had the ramp practically level with the deck of the trailer. Drove the wing in, shit this thing is long! It really is the party bus! I can just barely get the ramp/tailgate closed with this behemoth in here. Ok wing in trailer, ramp closed, time for tie downs. Uuuuuhhhh, where's the frame? What the hell do I tie to on this thing? With any of my dirtbikes, it 2 straps on the handle bars and done deal. Not this old girl. No access to the frame. What we lacked in suitable tie down spots I made up for with abundance of straps. I think I had about 7 tie downs on it going in all directions.



Stop by Subway and hit the road. We were able to make a stop at the Mckenzie bridge airfield, just a little grass strip. Nothing special but a place to stretch the legs. Next stop was at the Dee Wright Observatory. Up until this point I had only driven by and never gone up to see it. This was the third time I was driving by in 24 hours so I was going up!

I had brought my uniform with me in case we got back late and I had to go straight to the airport Well this ended up being the case and we drove straight to the airport and I was there for my 625pm showtime. I call in to dispatch and change in the parking lot. Shit. Where are my dress shoes? "Dad, get in the truck I forgot my shoes!" "What?" "Get in the truck!" thankfully I have a short commute or I would have been in a full Airline Captain uniform with Keen sandals...

Day 8 continued

I left Alturas with a bearing of 90 degrees. After a quick ride I was in Cedarville. There was a pretty decent little mountain pass I went over.







After Cedarville, the road cut across an intermittent lake. There was actually water in it this time of year.



The Nevada state line is about a mile ahead.



In Nevada and on gravel!



84 miles of NOTHING!!! Except a pristine gravel highway where I can go as fast as I want with no worry of other people.



Excitement is mixed with a little touch of nervousness. I'm a long ways from anybody or anything and navigating roads I've never been on without a GPS. There is just a little uneasiness as I wonder about marked roads or turns. Not to mention what the conditions will be like.





















75 miles of gravel have gone past at this point and I've only passed one car. There sure are some desolate places in this country. There wasn't a single house, ranch, or farm on this stretch either.



This route was intentional. Every year a city grows out of the Black Rock Desert for the Burning Man Festival. It is a counter culture event that is unique on this planet. You can read a little about it HERE. Black Rock City, as it is called, becomes the third largest city in Nevada for a week. It is always the week preceding Labor Day and I knew things would be ramping up. I went in 07 and had an amazing time. The things you will see here, you may not see anywhere else in this world.

A few shots from my week on the playa in 07.

Burning man from the air.









The dust storms out here are intense!!



It doesn't stop the party though.



And it all ends when "The Man" burns on Saturday and the Temple burns on Sunday.



You can see the Temple built in the pics below. "The Man" hasn't been built yet.











Besides seeing the festival kicking off, I wanted to do a high speed run on the playa!!!!

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Yes, I was doing almost 100 with one hand on the throttle and one hand taking the video.

As I was heading out on the playa, a truck was shadow boxing me to keep me away from the orange fence that borders the festival which covers ten square miles. I can only assume it was cop. "Don't worry mister officer, I'm only out here to see how fast I can go. And there's not a damn thing you can do about it!!"

This shot is currently the background on my desktop. And will be for some time. It's my favorite pic I've taken of Hobbes.







After my photo session, it was time for my real high speed run. This time with both hands on the bars and cutting my own path across the playa. Not following the outer track like I was in the video. Hammer down!!! 60 comes quick on this bike. 100 not long after that. 110......115......117......118.....119......119.....120!!! Not bad for being fully loaded with panniers on. Good thing I was low on gas. I ran out of top end, but certainly not room to run. This playa is huge!!!

And since I was low on gas, there was only enough for one high speed run. I could have done that all day. I knew the gas station in Gerlach was going to be packed with burners getting fuel for generators and art cars. I was right. Next fuel was 60 miles and my light was almost on.

Back on the highway heading South.









As I was riding along, I was trying to think about where I would spend the night. There wasn't much camping out this way. Good camping at least where you can find wood and make a fire. Hmmm..I used to live in Reno, who do I still know? Ballzano!!! I made a little call while I was gassing up and he answered first ring. "I know it's short notice but what are you doing tonight?" "Let me guess, drinking with you?!" "Hell yeah buddy! I'll be there about 930."

Brian lives up in South Lake Tahoe, California. I met him in 07 when I was doing my internship in Reno. Good kid this one. I will always consider him a friend and we've managed to stay in touch over four years since the last time we saw each other.

I got behind a car that wanted to do 90. I'm game! I hung back about a half mile and followed this dude for 40 miles. I made some good time getting to Carson City, NV



Just a little drive up the mountain and I'm home for the night. I even have a spot in the garage for Hobbes!



Brian and I had a good number of beers sitting in his garage catching up. It was great to see him again. I'm really happy his new company is doing as well as it is. Life is good in SLT!

This was the next morning as we said goodbye, but this is the appropriate place to put the photo.



Soon it was time for bed. I'd had a very long day. The second longest day of the trip at 653 miles. I started out at the Pacific Ocean 15 hours ago! I was out like a light.

Day 9

Another exciting day was in store. When I left Reno four years ago, I took highway 50 across central Nevada. Unfortunately I had a late start and didn't get to drive much of it during the day. Today was my chance to ride "The loneliest road in America."

I left Brian and hit the road pretty early.



I knew I had a lot of miles to ride, so I just stopped for a quick second to get a pic by Lake Tahoe.







It's not quite as blue as Crater Lake, but it's still an amazing sight. I'd now seen the two deepest lakes in the United States on this trip.

Heading down the mountain into Carson City.



And out across the desert. Now, I head into the emptiness of Nevada again.





Sand mountain OHV area. Wanna go Dad? Maybe they rent RZRs!







Of course the loneliest road was still too crowded for me. I took 722 as a little side trip that wasn't too far out of the way. It is the old Highway 50 and I only passed two cars in about 50 miles.

Near the top of Carroll Summit would have been a good place to camp last night if I didn't have the option of an old friend in SLT. That was the goal until I had the bright idea to call Brian.



Look! Trees for firewood! I'm getting pretty good at looking on the map to find a place to camp. The area I would have been shooting for last night would have been perfect. Just a little confidence for another time when I am in the unknown and looking for a good spot in the area. Find someplace high with hills and there will be something good.







As you cross Central Nevada there is a pattern. First, a mountain pass, and then a really long and straight section of road across a valley until you reach the next mountain range. The mountains are thin and don't take long to cross. Then another reeeeally long straightaway to the next mountains. Do this four or five times and Nevada is done!















I got gas in Austin when I picked up 50 again.









There is so little traffic on 50, when you have to pee, just go ahead and park in the middle of the highway, pee, take a pic, and continue on!



It's HOT and I sure hope I can get a few drops of that rain!





Yep! I went from sweating to shivering! I almost put my jacket on, but I was already wet. And besides, I saw sunshine about 30 miles ahead.





Looking back at what I just came through.







There was a couple from New York on this ZX-14. I played with them a little over this pass. Then they hit the upcoming straight and were GONE!





Are you seeing this pattern yet? Mountains, straight, mountains, straight......














It was somewhere in these last few pics that I missed my turn. I had planned to take 21 to Milford, UT and then to Beaver, UT. I was gonna camp somewhere in the mountains to the East of Beaver. Then, I was gonna do a route through Southern Utah with some dirt sections. Bretedge, a fellow Tiger owner did a fantastic report of what I had planned to ride if I made my turn HERE. Guess I F'd that plan up. I was 50 miles past the turn when I realized my mistake. On to Delta, UT!





And that was the last pic of the day as I passed Delta. I didn't have a place to camp picked out for the night. I've done over 1200 miles in two days and a hotel sounded pretty damn good. It's the fist time in my life I've even been able to think about getting a room. I've been pretty broke so far and things are good nowadays. Hotel it is! Econolodge in Salina, UT is home for the night.

Awesome! Cool to see pix of places I've been. I did Crater Lake in October of last year. I did Oregon Dunes in July of last year. I've lived off and on in Reno since 2002... ridden quads over every inch of Sand Mountain. Been on Hwy 50 across Nevada a couple of times in each direction (but not on a bike). Explored a lot of the state on ATVs.

Great RR, looking forward to more! Gotta get me a Tiger 800XC one of these days... but winter is coming so a snowmobile i s on my short list.

Rob

Day 10

As I was sitting in my room after my shower, I was of course route planning. I had quite the route laid out through Southern Utah and then up and over two passes in the San Juans of Colorado that I have wanted to do for a long time. The problem was, I started adding up the mileage and my route would have to get trimmed if I wanted to make it home tomorrow night. I had decided that it would be best to get home on Saturday night and have Sunday to relax before I had to get back to my crazy work schedule.

I had "get-home-itis" at this point. I don't think it matters weather it's a day trip, weekend trip, month trip, or year long trip, at some point you just wanna get home. That's where I was at. So, I made the sacrifice and cut out my Southern Utah stuff. It was a tough choice, but the San Juans were a higher priority.

I ate my free continental breakfast and was on the road at 7:15. When you leave Salina, it's 110 miles til the next services on I-70. That's a long time on the interstate without a gas station. I remembered this section of the highway was really pretty and I would at least get a dose of the Utah desert.









I was following this storm through the desert. It's always really cool to see a rain storm in the desert. But this did make me wonder about some of the dirt I had planned for this morning. I know the desert is nearly impassable when it gets wet. Especially with the tires I have on. We'll just have to see how this one plays out.













So as it turned out, the storm went off to the North and I took the Blue Hills road to the South after I got gas in Green River.

Once again I had my normal feeling of excitement as I headed into the unknown.











Back on the highway and heading towards Moab.



I didn't stop for anything in Moab, I just rolled right on through.





I made a left onto 46 which bent around the southern edge of the La Sal mountains. A really beautiful range that is on my list of mountains to climb someday. I'll bet there is one awesome view across the unique canyons and plateaus of Utah.





COLORADO!!









Sometimes you really should remember to turn around and look where you just came from. An awesome shot looking back at Utah and the La Sals.



The beautiful San Juans are coming into view. It's getting to be late morning now. I know that T-storms like to brew in the high elevations in the early afternoon. And they were starting already. I got shut down for these passes earlier in the summer by my job and I was determined not to let that happen today. Even if it meant a questionable decision heading into a high elevation T-storm!

















Telluride has been on my list of place to see since the early 2000's when I was living in Breckenridge. I finally made it in 2011! Let me just get this out of the way; Telluride is quite possibly the most beautiful mountain town I have ever been to. Period. There, I said it.

There's also a number of people that live there or go there that have great taste in enduro bikes. I got two thumbs up from two different groups of pedestrians for my Tiger and I saw my first Super Ten in person parked on the side of the road. There was also a KTM 950SE parked next to it.

















I'm hungry. Telluride would be a great place to stop and soak in the beauty for awhile. The problem is, those clouds are getting darker right over the pass I am headed for. I tell my stomach to shut up and I press on.







Finally I make my left onto Ophir Pass. I need to learn some photo finishing, cause these shots could be way better. But, even with the photos being raw, I'm sure you'll get the idea why I was so determined to make it over this pass and see it in person.













Ophir Pass can be seen in the pic below heading through the crotch of that mountain.



The storm I was successfully avoiding.



Looking back to the West



Looking ahead













The top of the pass and looking down the other side for the first time.













Yes.....I took a shit ton of pics.











These are an interesting few shots. It took just a brief second to figure out what I was looking at. Colorado had a retarded amount of snow this year. And hence, there were probably a lot of avalanches. Like this one that came down from here...



And took out all these trees here.



Pretty cool. That'd be awesome to see and feel from barely a safe distance.

Ophir Pass is in the books!! On to Silverton and the start the pass I've really really been wanting to do!





Ophir pass is up there somewhere






I got behind a group of 3 Harley riders all on the same model and wearing the same leather coming into Siverton. Then, there's me. I couldn't help thinking in my head, "One of these does not belong." A guy on a GS passed going the other way. He picked out the one. Didn't wave to single Harley, got to me, pointed, and gave a salute.

Going up Engineer Pass! Finally!! And the weather appears to be holding.





Everywhere you look here, there are old mines. Literally everywhere.









































Now is good time to sate that this place was a ZOO on a Saturday! Quad-tards and jeepers all over the place clogging the road. This place is so beautiful, it is very understandable there are so many that want to come see this.

Animas Forks was decent sized town and huge mining operation back in the day. Much of it is still intact. This place was really only inhabitied during the summer months due to the very harsh winters at this altitude.













The really pretty stuff is coming up! I'm gonna take a break and go do a ride. Kingston Peak is calling me!

Dude this is an epic ride! I've thoroughly enjoyed the pics, video and even your narrative. I hope to do a phat trip like this some day. By the way, thanks for the link to my ride report of southern Utah. I rode Ophir and Engineer going the opposite direction you did. Both were a blast, despite rain and mud and dropping my 2 day old Tiger on Ophir. Your pics remind me of the trip. We've gotta get together and do a ride some day.

Day 10 continued...

As I began to climb and claw more altitude past Animas Forks, the road became more difficult. Of course, as is usually the case, I'm working too hard to keep the rubber side down to get any good pics. Plus, right in the hardest section I encountered, I was passing two Jeeps in the middle of a switchback with a pretty decent rock ledge I had to climb up.

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Y'all know by now I like my flower pics

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The most difficult part of Engineer Pass is down in the those switchbacks. After I made it down the other side, I realized I ran it the hard way. West to East. East to West would be a little easier I think. Feel free to argue if any of you have done this before.

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I had to get a little run to make it up this climb.

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Are you ready for the 360 degree panorama from the top? Looking to your right...

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Not bad huh?

Some zoom shots...

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Of course a few of the bike

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The sign for the pass is actually lower than where I was taking the pics. I'm guessing just short of 13,000 where I did the 360 view.

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Another panorama. Looking right again.

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Some more zoom shots.

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This is a fun one. The guy in the Jeep tried to get me to stop so he could ask if this was Engineer Pass. Even though he passed not less than four signs below this point. I put my foot down on the wet rocks and I went over. He was so apologetic. I thought it was funny more than anything. That's why I have all those burly ass Happy Trails guards on!

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An old dam for the little mining town here.

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Another avalanche aftermath! See the trees all lying the same way?

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I was finally over Engineer Pass and in Lake City, CO. I accomplished a dream that I'd had ever since I first read about this pass nearly two years ago.

I had managed to avoid rain all day. I still only had my Thor Impact Rig and Klim Mojave vented bright ass orange pants on. It really started to come down as I entered city limits. I grabbed my jacket off the back and in my haste forgot to redo the Rok straps. I made it about another mile down the road before I found a suitable place to change my pants. My bag was still there! Barely. I changed in the bathroom of an ATV rental shop. I figured they'd understand. I got all the Gore Tex Klim on and headed off into the rain. This time I remembered the Rok straps.

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149 North had some awesome stuff on it. It followed the river for awhile and then went into the open. Then I opened up the throttle! There were some fantastic high speed sweepers. There were about ten in a row that I was pretty leaned over doing about 75-80. At the intersection of 149 and 50 just to the West of Gunnison, I was met with more rain.

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I stopped a Mexican joint in Gunnison and grabbed some food. IT was a big restaurant, but empty. I sat myself and didn't see a single employee for ten minutes. I guess they were all out back smoking. I ordered a fajita burrito and it was awesome. Took another few minutes to get him to bring the check. Then I was off again.

Up and over Monarch Pass I hit snow. Yes, snow. Winter's coming in the high country of Colorado!

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I was haulin ass again. I seriously love this bike on pavement.

I turned North on 285. The highway that would bring me all the way back to Denver. I thought this was going to be may last pic of the trip. My memory card has 1 picture left on it and I picked this opportunity to take this one. I thought it a fitting picture to the end the trip on. The sunset coming through the 14,000+ Collegiate Peaks.

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Now I'm back on the same roads I wrote about in my last report just before I started this one. Back across South Park to Fairplay Colorado where I had to get gas. I needed just one more pic. I deleted a crooked one somewhere so I could take this.

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Now that is a fitting sunset pic for this trip!!!

I hit some serious rain going over Kenosha Pass. It was downright scary. Thanks to my Klim gear, I was warm and dry. But, I couldn't see a damn thing. Following a truck's red tails, in a downpour, in the dark, over a pass isn't the most fun I've ever had. Home was so close though!

Soon the rain stopped and the temps warmed as I lost altitude and got close to Denver. Just a few more miles to go!

The end of the adventure is here. I'm home.

So here's the whole trip. I couldn't get google to connect the final dots between Telluride and Denver, but you get the idea. It was a pretty massive trip. Hope you have enjoyed reading about it. I have two new day trip reports to write about. I'm processing the photos now. Stay tuned.

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We're totally gonna have to go ride sometime. Bummer that winter's coming and my play time is over for a bit. I figure I need 4 days total to get a decent ride around Utah and back to Denver. I doubt I'll be able to get that time off before the snow flies this year. But I may be back in Idaho next summer, and there sure is a lot of great riding to do up there! Might be worth one of those write off trips for ya!

All around awesome, Tyson—great images, great riding, great to be with family. I look forward to having you back in Boise for some rides.