Ed on the Trans American Trail

It's good to be back with another story to tell.

Isn't there a famous old west female outlaw burial site not too far from Coweta somewhere?

Day number three I wake up with great anticipation. I know this is going to be great because I will be crossing many mountain passes and I have seen pictures from other ride reports going through here.
First the ride to Salida.
























I couldn’t resist this next one If you remember when I was going through Arkansas I found a place that had two water crossings right beside each other. One had tubes under it and the other just let high water over it. You had your choice. Here is the picture of it.




They do the same thing in Colorado. Here you have your choice of going over the cattle crossing or the road beside it. Either way was effective.




More in a minute. I have to fill my water jug.

Next into Salida for gas and food and then up into the high mountain passes. This is what I was really looking forward to. It did not disappoint and I hope all of you get to see some of these scenic vistas someday. I will let the pictures speak for themselves but as usual they do not do the area justice. You need to be there in person to truly “see” it.

St. Elmo






























Unbelievable beauty. More of the high Colorado mountain passes coming up.

This was fabulous riding on the southern Colorado Trans American Trail.



















































On some of those pictures you can see my bike is not on much of a trail. There is a point on the roll chart that says “ right, jeep rd. to Corkscrew. Find It !! “ which lead me to believe it would be an unmarked somewhat obscure turn off. Of course there were no gps coordinates for it. I located a right turn but it was about a mile short of where the track I had drawn on Mapquest said I should turn. Maybe it was the high elevation or something impairing my judgment but I thought I would give it a try. It started out as a decent two track but after crossing a summit it began to deteriorate very quickly. I was going down down down in tight switchbacks and loose rock. The trail was getting less and less visible and my gps said I was off track more and more. I was thinking to myself there is no way I can make it back up what I just came down. This has to go somewhere I’ll just ride it out. As it became less and less a trail I began to start thinking about what supplies I had and what my options were. I knew I wouldn’t die but this could turn out real bad. About that time I came to a spot where the side hill ( do you call a side hill on a mountain a side hill or side mountain? ) had a rock slide completely blocking forward progress. The trail had vanished altogether and the only way down started with about a 50 foot drop to a creek. I could see rock road many miles distant downhill. My options were to abandon the bike and walk / climb there or go back the way I came. Not much choice so I struggled to get the bike turned around, rested a moment and put it in attack mode. I used a lot of the clutches life. The rear tire was punished. Whenever I could get momentum I would go as fast as I could jarring everything on the bike over the rough surface. The switchbacks were difficult because they were so tight and steep with very loose rocks of all sizes. I dropped it a couple of times and it always took a lot of effort to start moving again. I had to rest a few times but in the end I was so relived to pass back over the summit and to the trail I had turned off of in error. A mile down the road there is a sign for corkscrew. It was not obscure turn at all and I just pulled a three hour dumb move.

It was a good workout and a great adventure but I am now off schedule time wise and out of range of my planned fuel stop. I made a detour off the trail into Telluride and back to the trail. I wasn’t able to make it to Monticello Utah as I planned so I camped at West Deloris. I got there right at dark and setup camp. Great day in the saddle.






I will work on day four tomorrow.

Day 4 and I am up early packed and moving.
The rest of Colorado is still pretty but a changing landscape. Some of it appears to have burned recently.














I could tell by the maps Monticello is just a gas stop and out of the way if you don’t need it so I took a short cut. Along the way I found another historic marker. I love those things.






I was just south of La Salle store when I met two dual sports coming at me and turning at the same place I was . It turned out to be trailryder42 and imgoing from Texas.. They were riding the Trans Am Trail from Boise Oklahoma to The Oregon coast. They had just blown the corner and came back to it. Because I was just about at my turning home point we weren’t going to get to ride together . We exchanged names and screen names and headed on. Good luck Derek and Noel. Ride safe and I look forward to reading your ride report. Derek on a KLR and Noel on a KTM.




My plan was to leave the Trans Am Trail at Kokopellis Trail and detour off of it to see the Top of the World outlook. That would be the climax to my trip and the turning point to go home. I ended up riding the La Salle loop and when I got to Kokopellis Trail I was not sure on my fuel range. Rather than make another bad judgment call I decided to ride into Moab, get gas and then ride to the Top of the World and Kokopellis Trail.







I stopped in Moab just long enough for food and fuel. While I was sitting at Wendys eating, the yellow sign caught my eye.




I have been to Moab a couple of times and it is one of my favorite places. I am going to save spending any real time there for the future when my wife can see it. Here are a few pics of the area as I sped through.













I made it to the Dewey bridge and rode Kokopellis Trail to the Top of the World turn off.







The trail to the Top of the World gets real technical. I struggled on for quite a ways until I came to an area of huge rock steps. I looked it over awhile and although I think I could get over them I decided it wasn’t wise to try it by myself. According to my gps it was only about another mile and a half to the overlook. I decide to hike it. I switched to shorts and a sun cap, strapped on my camelbak and away I went. I left my bike and gear unattended and unsecured. I was reasonably sure there would be nobody showing up to this remote location. Besides it's just a three mile trip, I’ll be right back.

About a ¼ mile into it I am gassed out. I was climbing in the hot sun and the rock ledges were getting bigger. Even if I would have made it over that section with my bike it got bad enough on up that I would have had to walk anyway. I thought constantly about giving up and turning back but this was after all the climax of the trip and the turning point. I have to make it. I finally did and all I can say is WOW. It was worth it. I wish the pictures were clearer. I am told it is probably the California wildfires causing the haze but even so it was spectacular.














My 27th anniversary is in a couple of days and I couldn’t help but think about how cool it would be to share this view with my wife. Since she wasn’t there I thought I would take a special picture for her.



Bet you can’t go find that one honey. Hint: it is on the rock that juts out by my head in this picture. It is kind of uneasy to stand on it.





The hike back to the bike was much easier going down. Rode back out and along Kokopellis Trail.




Ended the day at the state campgrounds in Fruita Colorado.
Isn’t $20 a lot for a place to plant a tent overnight? I guess it helps they have showers. Then I find out you have to pay extra for the showers. I wined about it but didn’t let it ruin my day. Like all the others on this trip so far it was a very good day.




That is it for day 4. Just two more days.

Great RR ED!

Day number five.

For the trip home I had routed myself with mapquest through northern Colorado back roads and mountain passes. It was as good as riding as any.


























Put in a big day that ended in Nebraska.

O.K. time to finish this thing up.

DAY 6

I got up the next morning for the final leg home. It was day six and I was getting homesick.

In the words made famous by Davis Dudley in one of the greatest songs of all time. “ Six days on the road and I’m gonna make it home tonight.”

The fog was as thick as I have ever seen. You know how wet that is to ride in. I donned my wet riding gear including the fancy shoe protectors.





I know it's not the latest or the greatest but none of my stuff is. What I have is functional but not fashionable. Take my bike for instance. Old school air cooled thumper. It is a 2002 DR650 bought it in 2004 with 3500 miles on it for $2500. I have ridden it in many states over every variation of road and terrain and it is showing no signs of weakening. I can’t think of anything bad to say about it.

Going across Nebraska I was better off than most travelers because I was not on the interstate. Having said that sometimes there is just nothing better to do than make time. Back to some more words made famous in the same great song by Dave Dudley
“ my rigs a little old but that don’t mean she’s slow”.




Dave Dudley again,

There's a speed zone ahead, all right,
I don't see a cop in sight.
Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight.


Another Historical Marker. This one is particularly interesting.




Disreputable men and women were it’s principle attractions :huh??? Yes a picture of that marker definitely belongs on this sight.


Back to Dave
My hometown's coming in sight,
If you think I'm happy your right.
Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight.


This tire wore a lot faster than the last one.



Final mileage.







It's good to be home


Next installment will be the far west section next year I hope. I bought an old one ton extended church van that I think I will haul the bike in to Oregon. I will just sell or abandon the van there and ride the TAT back to Moab.

Anybody interested in splitting the gas to get there? If the old van breaks down part way we can just unload the bikes and head on.

Thanks for posting this report. I did the eastern TAT from TN to OK in August, and your pictures brought back lots of great memories. I saw so many wonderful sights in those 4 days, but I can't seem to remember most of them until I see a picture and I feel like I'm there again. Not sure if it's old age or just too much information in a short period of time.

I would like to do the western part next year and might be interested in splitting the gas with you. Riding the van out to Oregon and starting fresh on the bikes heading east would be ideal. What time of year are you thinking about?

I am open on the time of year. I don't like cold though.

Same here, would rather be hot than cold.

I'm no expert on the subject, but from what I've read on this forum, some of the mountain passes out west can still be snowed in in June. July might be the best month.

Anybody who knows more than I about the best time of year to ride the western TAT, feel free to chime in.

More toward 1st of Aug has been best for me.....as far as snow goes
anyway. Have seen snow above 8' on both sides and only reason I got
thru is that the Dozer had been thru recently and that was in August

Nice report Ed!

Great RR so far Ed. I started out on the TAT from VA around August 8th or so, and made it about 40 miles west of Denio Junction in Nevada before my KLR decided it had gone far enough. Hanging out in CA right now at my brother's house getting a new-to-me '01 DRZ-400S outfitted so as to get back on the trail and finish the TAT!

I really enjoyed looking at your pictures and seeing a lot of the same spots I'd recently ridden through. Trust me, there's still a bunch of great stuff to ride through, and by the way....I hope you like sand!

Good luck with the next section whenever you get around to it.

Very Cool Ed, Great RR.

Ed,

Sent you a PM.

Great report Ed. It was good to meet you. Glad you made it home ok.

Shortly after that turn off where we met, I stopped on the road to see the bear that was out in the open, not 75 foot off the road. Bet you were wondering why I stopped and pulled over suddenly as you went by.

As you finish up the TAT on your next trip, you're going to love Nevada.

I enjoyed following your trip also Derek. Noel had sent me a message that you guys stopped for a bear.

It was an intersection so I thought you guys were having trouble navigating. I thought I would just go on by and you could follow along. Stupid me I should have stopped.

I think you have a picture of me from when we met up. Can you post it here if you find it?

Hey Ed,
Somewhere between transferring pics from my SD card to my netbook I lost some pics. Lost my pics of you and the bear I got pics of. Here's one I got from Noel that he took tho.

I also enjoyed your trip very much. Thank you.

If you had to do it again Ed, what bike, tires or accessories would you have brought/done differently?
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Same question for Trailryder42.
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