Southwest Utah: Dual Sport Riding from St. George

Thanks, Inmates (Admiral, Superhawk, AZwheelin).

Yeah, big grin from Pop. Here's a pic from today's ride. No dumps, and Pop's girlfriend said he looked like a "badass" wearing my black riding jacket. Apparently, no permanent damage from crushing his balls. He and the girlfriend "slept in" and missed breakfast. Go Pop go!




And Pop in the "badass" riding jacket.




Will post up more pics later. Very fun afternoon ride with Pop and my dad. Pop very happy to be back on the TW200.

A few pics from the Petroglyph ride with Pop and Dad. Pop and I at the sign, just over the Arizona border from Utah -- exit at the new St. George airport road. This is 10 miles from my house and the beginning of the AZ strip.




Pop with the bikes, ready to roll. The scrape on his arm from the two dumps yesterday is all fixed up (wife is doctor), and Pop is ready to roll.




And the close-up. As Pop says, "I'm one lucky guy."




Pop and my dad arriving at the Petroglyph site. This is an easy ride on smooth dirt, very accessible from St. George. There are great rides that continue further south, deep into the AZ strip. More details on that later. Today, was all about a pleasant afternoon jaunt with Pop and Dad.



Observation: Rock looks very southern Utah "red" for being called the "Little Black Mountain Petroglyph Site"


A few petroglyph shots:




Dad with his Honda. This is really a great little bike. Don't hesitate if you are considering it.




Bikes on the open road, headed back to St. George.




Final shot of our little trio, me excluded. Very fun afternoon with Dad and Pop. No dumps and Pop has his mojo back. He wants to go to Brian Head this weekend, perhaps to mess around with the bigger road bikes up there. Have to keep him calm -- no passengers, especially not the new girlfriend. Might be best to stick them on the ATVs and let them have fun that way.




Thanks for ridin' along, inmates. Highly recommend the AZ strip if it fits your plans. Will post more in future, but next rides will likely be Brian Head area or higher elevation. Almost time for fall color. Ride safe.

Good weekend with Pop at Brian Head, but he decided to back off the motos. The Vulcan 900 looked "daunting" in the garage, and the ATVs looked fun. Pop and the girlfriend both got on the ATVs and had a great time.
She was an ATV newbie, so at age 62, this was a big accomplishment. Pop was so proud.

The fall colors at high elevation were starting to shine. The next few weeks will be primetime. Gorgeous. Go for elevation, inmates, if you can.




Bonus: Name that diner . . . on the long way back from Brian Head (to St. George) we stopped for food & drink. Lunch on me for the first inmate to name the restaurant/location. Did you try the pie?



Pop wanted to stop here. He liked the sign

So cool that you can ride with your Dad and Pop.

I've always just driven through St. George, but it looks like I'm missing out on miles and miles of great riding.

I'm subscribed!

Thunderbird. Just had a slice there 3 weeks ago.

Dead on, Sam. Let me know the next time you're in St. George. Lunch on me. Fun to ride a bit together if that would work out too.

Will do! Thanks for the invite.

You really are starting to build a great post highlighting the beauty of So. Utah.

Sam

Thursday in the day the cleaning ladies come to our house. I work from a home office, so often I take off on the bike for a bit as they are finishing the vacuuming -- too loud!!!

Today, only enough time to cruise town and do a few errands. Very easy to pass by the center of town and take a photo at Dixie State College -- a tribute to inmate MSH, an alum from a few years back.




Enrollment at Dixie College has been booming. Major new construction on campus. Alumni contributions, anyone?




And the final plan. "Centennial Commons" -- it will be a showpiece!




Ride safe,

I live in SunRiver and am always looking for a riding companion. Here is link to my Torrey ride last weekend

http://www.district37ama.org/forums/showthread.php?t=48108

my email is tgregg6721@yahoo.com

Hey Gregg -- Yeah, thanks for the "heads up." I'll be in touch. My work schedule is fairly flexible, so I ride on weekdays fairly often. There is another guy with a TW200, often with free time on Wednesdays, who lives near me in Green Valley (I live in Shadow Mountain). Perhaps we have a few rides in our future -- rubber side down.

Heading to Brian Head for weekend. Should be near peak color at the highest elevations. Ride safe.

Home of the Ho Made Pies. Great thread. I love riding Southern Utah. Beats the brown dirt and rocks we have here in Vegas.

Good stuff RedRockRider. Most of your photos look familiar from past rides I've been on. I usually leave a couple of bikes in St. George during the colder months so my wife and I can go there and ride if the skiing/snowboarding isn't so great up north. Needless to say, I've not managed much riding in your area the past couple of winters, even though the bikes have been there.

If the weather forecast is correct for next weekend, I may have to head south though. We aren't far from the your area. Silver Creek, just south and east of the Dixie/Sunset intersection.

Thanks, Scribe. Yeah, St. George area has great riding. I was in Brian Head over the weekend. Lots of guys from the Las Vegas area around. They all love to get out of the heat during the summer, and do outdoor stuff -- mostly dirtbikes, ATVs, and in winter, snow machines.

Will post up a few pics of fall foliage shortly. At 10,000 ft. colors are at peak, and will fade fast. At slightly lower elvevations next 1-2 weeks will be prime season.

Woot!!! This is great my Dad and I live out by Apple Valley.

Hey Inmates -- spent the past weekend at Brian Head. At high elevation, fall colors are at their peak!!!

Hiking and ATV riding with family, then I cruised around a bit on the Vulcan 900. Rode it back down to St. George via Cedar Breaks (UT 148) and Cedar Canyon (UT 14) down to Cedar City, then back to St. George on I-15. Still have the Versys at Brian Head. Some good riding time up high (but not much). Will want to get this bike back to St. George also before snow. No need to have the V at Brian Head during winter.

On to the bike pics in a minute . . . first . . . the weather was blustery, on and off through the weekend. But, the fall colors are in full glory.

Here is a shot from our condo balcony after a passing squall -- hail included. You can just see the tower for the Navajo chairlift on the left horizon. Open hillside is part of Wildflower ski run.




Spent some tome in nearby Duck Creek. Just fyi for inmates, a nice (small) Yamaha shop and reliable gas. Duck Creek also has food and assorted lodging -- all quite "rustic" as my wife says.




Awesome fall colors Along with a family friend, this was the main event for the weekend.




Aspen Mirror Lake, near Duck Creek Village.




Got to have one shot of me and the man! Right on!




Extensive ATV trails in the Duck Creek Area. And a typical "easy" trail -- dirt road.




On to the biking. The 2009 Vulcan 900 LT. 100% stock. Very nicely equipped for asphalt cruising.




Yours truly, sporting the good guy white helmet. Face shield down to protect against cold blast.




Open road with fall colors, ascending up out of Brian Head (towards Cedar Breaks) in late afternoon light. Chairlift towers on left horizon. "Dot" on top of Brian Head Peak is Summit House, photo in Post #10, p. 1 of this thread.




Cedar Breaks from Point Supreme (visitor center) just before sunset.




Turning right, going down Cedar Canyon to Cedar City and St. George. Highly recommend the asphalt loop from Cedar City up UT 14 to Cedar Breaks National Monument, then through Brian Head and down Parowan Canyon. 5000+ ft of elevation gain in relatively short distance. Great curves. Awesome scenery. Very easy to extend this trip in many directions, and also to incorporate significant dirt. Good to be street legal because hard to piece together some of the best bits without touching asphalt.




Ride safe, inmates. Here is a final pic of the Vulcan at the top of Cedar Canyon.




Needless to say, the final leg down I-15 to St. George was in the dark. No problem. The Vulcan cruises 70-80 mph very comfortably. Kind of fun to be tucked in behind that big ol' windshield and feel the air gradually warm as elevation drops away.

Thanks for ridin' along and all the positive comments. Get out and go!

How have I missed this? Awesome RRR. Great intro, great narrative, great photos. Good for you and job well done with your father. I'm loving this. THANKS!

Thanks, benwiggin2. Amazing video of Chad Reed "get-off" and "ride-away" you posted up. :eek1 :eek1 :eek1

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=707501

Huh! Cool, you saw that?

Hey, DirtReeper & Dad. Have to get a ride together. Lots of good stuff out your way -- Smithsonian Butte Scenic Backway, Smith Mesa, Fort Pearce Wash -- done some of it, but not all of it.

Glad you are home safe from your service. Thanks.