Grand Canyon Loop: Ulterior Motives

Haha...hey - leave 'im alone. He warned upfront stuff will get mispelled.


I was completely mesmerized by Kaibab Plateau and the forest. Reminded my of the Sierras, but less people and more roads. Riding out to Sublime Point was absolutely killer. Me want more of that.

BTW, I had plans to come to the PNW early August, bring the bikes, and ride up Vancouver Island, catch the ferry at Port Hardy to Prince Rupert, see Hyder and Stewart, then explore BC Interior. Not sure if it's gonna gel now, wifey has been out of work for so long. That's supposed to change now so maybe we can still do it. Otherwise there's always next year.

My Dad is from Regina, I was born in Vancouver. Grandpa is from Scotland. My Grandma lived in Victoria for a number of years, Nanaimo before that. Everyone is gone now.

Yeah, Bob warned us....he talks pretty gud, tho

Give me a heads-up if you will be in the Kamloops area if you make that trip...

Inmate "Master Marine" posted earlier that we were enjoying Crosby Canyon and Warm Creek Bay:

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That was Crosby Canyon you drove down to get to Warm Creek Bay. I fixed lots of houseboats in that bay. It totally confused me to see that picture when you were talking about somewhere hours away. Hopefully you went up and looked off of Alstrom Point at Padre Bay and Navajo Mountain while you were in the area.

Great report so far!

You guys must have really wound around out there to see that truck in the canyon turned bridge, then hit Zion, then Lake Powell. That is the first time I have seen that truck on ADV. I can't remember the name of the canyon. Is it Johnson Canyon? I will have to look when I get home.
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MasterMarine )Quote

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The evening was warm and the vibes were good. I predicted the chance of rain before morning as the clouds had been dancing around in the afternoon....and, as an old Buffalo Hunter, I had learned how to foresee such things .

And, by simply looking at distant clouds with rain falling out of them, it wasn't really magic . The posse all took their turns doubting my prognostications, but I was steeled to their heartless taunting by this time....

Shit.....Kitty Milking ?!?! Yeah, I knew how to do that, predict weather, and how to tell jokes about Buffie.....you know....Buffie the sheep at the brothel.....seems like some of these guys also were aware of the need for stirrups with Buffie.

But that's another story...oser:dllama


So, as I was saying....the evening was warm, the sand and rocks were holding the day's heat, and we were kicking back as the evening introduced some stars. In the midst of my rain comments, guys were looking around for the potential rain clouds when, to the southeast, the sky was lit up by something shooting down out of the atmosphere...:eek1

A meteorite? A shooting star? The Space Shuttle? The psychedelics were kicking in??? We were not sure but it was a brief but memorable sight. It sparked conversations about meteors, their potential market value, and stories about other such recollections. As the sun gave up its daytime job for us, we meandered down the slope to a spot where a fire had been previously. It was in a small alcove set into the sandstone wall framing the north side of our beach. Some guys wanted a fire they could see from Ohio, and others realized we were limited to our wood supply....

So, the fire varied according to whoever had the urge...

Bob had carried his version of moonshine along on the ride...and several versions of his concoctions were passed around...

Dave, having enjoyed such an offering, resurfaced his willingness to jump off the cliff nearby into the lake:

"I will do it if you want me to!!!" was his perseverative rant for the next while....We all assured him we wanted him to, but doubted his ability to swim around the point to where he could crawl out of the water...or our willingness to assist him should he jump.

"I will jump if you want me to !!!"

Can you imagine his (gorgeous) mom saying to him as a kid, "If your friend jumped off a bridge, would you do it too just because he did?" ?

I can....and I can imagine his sexy red-headed sister smirking in the background as Mom did her maternal guidance thing....

After a while, Dave headed up the slope.....maybe in the direction of the Acapulco diving platform....or maybe to take a leak....or heave...?? We weren't sure and he didn't respond to our calling out to him.

We hadn't heard a splash or a crash....or the cries of an injured beast...and our concern grew. So we passed the moonshine around, convincing ourselves he was okay.

This was the evening the Chair Conversation turned to my Akido skills:


And I really appreciate you including a picture of me at Night Four....when one of the guys helpfully manoeuvres a small boulder for me to sit on (while you kitties pull out your chairs and plant your cheeks comfortably [except for the triangular ball crusher] ). As my old-dirtbiker knees slowly hydraulic my butt on to the soft contours of the stone, I think I have found its sweet spot, only to find that my downward motion , being assisted by those nefarious gravitational laws, continue and I roll backwards onto the sand. :huh

I don't know if it was the fall that entertained you guys or my akido-like roll that I have perfected over years of crashing on the trails.

Whatever it was, I considered that it was UM#4....: give the old fat guy an asymetrical boulder for a chair and see how a foreigner might manage ...at least for diversional purposes so you wouldn't be the only "old fart" target.


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We knew that the sun was going to be blasting down on us early in the morning and that, as we had no shade at all, we would need to pack up early. The plan was discussed around the fire...."What do we do tomorrow?" I was out of water and was feeling bad about mooching some from the others as they, too, were low on agua...but with their graciousness, I slacked my thirst for the evening.

I enjoyed this camp more than the others....the day's ride had been great, I managed the deep sand without significant incident, and the swim and powder-sand underfoot was my recipe for nirvana. I wanted to stay there while they rode into Page the next day for supplies and water....that way I had a beach day, and would keep an eye on our campsite ...and avoid what I thought was the deep sand exit.

They 86'd my suggestion with logic... and I promised myself I would return there some day for another campout....with firewood and water.

It was decided we would ride northwards towards Escalante the next day....after breakfast in Page.

We all slept well that night...

DAY FIVE:

The sun woke up before most of us...













Until next time....



It was a quick pack-up and the plan was to do another Coyote Bag shot in the canyon leading to our camp....Crosby Canyon....



















Some pics are fuzzy...



And some Cliff Divers were running a bit slower than usual...



Out of the Crosby Canyon, we headed back to Bigwater and then Page. Back through the moonscape north of Bigwater...













Kevin's ride....nicely appointed:









We hit pavement after about 1/2 hour on the moon....and rode into Page for breakfast...



He can cliff-dive....he can ride without even touching the bars.....AND ....he's a doctor...



Okay....behave when you boys get in to town....



And don't spit or throw things over the edge...

North side....Lake Powell:





South side...Colorado River:



And the dam....




Breakfast joint in Page...



A good start....but I was missing the beach...


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astonishing pictures,,,,,,,astonishing country to ride in.......i'm green with envy...looks like you were having a ball.

on a serious note, when camping or just sleeping in the open.....what do you do about snakes.....do they leave you alone mostly, or do you take any precautions, i'm thinking that if you grow up around them you learn what not to do what do you do if someone does happen to get bitten, we only have one venomous snake in UK (not deadly) and they are quite rare, and no other dangerous critters.....wer'e pussies really

Wal2,
The pics in this thread were taken by various guys on the ride....point and shoot cameras....and the scenery was changing every few miles...

Snakes? I don't like them :eek1 Rattlesnakes could be found in the areas we were riding, but as it was spring and cool weather, they would be usually moving slowly if we were to come across them.....and we did not see any snakes of any description to my knowledge.

I usually sleep in a tent, so I reduce my worries....some of the guys slept in the open....and they were so stinky that no snake in its right mind would want to take a bite out of them

One night, when I was collecting some kindling for the fire after dark, my headlamp illuminated something curled up that I noticed in my peripheral vision :huh....and the snake thing was in my mind....so I was startled and stepped back quickly....only to recognize the curled up circular mass to be a plop of dried up cowshit..

If anyone would have been bitten by a rattler, we would have either just let them lay there (with a power bar and bottle of water, of course) as we rode on....or, if they were appearing to be in pain or otherwise suffering, we would have just shot him. The problem then would be the fight over his gear....each guy had something desirable in their kit...

yeah.....i'm not keen on them either, suppose you just be careful in the undergrowth and relax, :eek1 ..........anyone bitten.......i'll have a spare Arai if if you get his gear

Do you know with what sandstone is made of ??? ... Euh !? Sand actualy. Sand grains of various sizes glued together by weak calcium links. Sand is actualy at the very end of the geological process that grinds down mountains to nothing. The reasons why beaches exists, its because only sand (silica) can withstand that much beating. When the beating is done, only sand remains. Or sort of ... Some stuffs are harder, but they are not as common ...

In a nutshell, what it means is that those sandstone mountains are beaches that froze into calcium sand cakes that were eventualy scarfed by elements.

What is incredible, is that sand is only a very small portion of what was in the original mountain. When I see the openess of those pictures, I try to imagine the size of those mountains that has generated that. Nothing less than a huge and very high continent must have been grinded down to that dez.

Paul Jr 8

we got tons of shit that will bite ya and some that will kill ya but then so will a motor sikle
I aint skeerd

but you should hear Desert Dave scream like a little gurl when he sees a bull snake
its much worse if its in my hand

This camp site was one of the most comfortable site's that I enjoyed. I slept under the stars in the cool night. I thought about snakes for about a minute but fell fast to sleep. When I woke I didn't even think to check if there was a critter hanging around.

So because I have had battery issue's, but later determined to be a stator issue, not charging enough, I sometimes have to push start my bike. Unfortunately because of no kickstand, I parked in the only place that would allow my bike to stand upright, at the bottom of the hill. So when Kevin pointed this out, one of the youngins said, "Don't worry there is plenty of us to help you" Wouldn't you know it, 5 minutes later only Kevin and I remained. So as he looked on and crossed his toes fingers and anything else he could think of, I turned the bike over, Viola, it started. I looked over at Kevin and he had the biggest smile and fist pump that I have ever seen. Thanks youngins.

Just in case I missed it did we talk about the Sherwood Forrest??

Good times Good friends.

DAY FIVE (cont'd):

The first order of the day had been some Canyon pics, a fast ride into Page, and gas. At the gas station, a local recommended the Ranch House Grill, and we had a good breakfast there. Reconvening outside, some tasks were assigned: Bobby was directed to get some vodka at the liquor store....and he returned with Everclear....

BobZ was a bit miffed, I think....probably because it might give his own moonshine a run for its worth. Travis One had decided to wash his bike at a car wash and apparently had a hard time starting it....or something like that. I was focusing on digesting my omelette and wondering if the cowgirl waitress would marry me.

We had a chance to mull over the next stage of the ride: we were headed towards the town of Escalante.

Back on the slab with full bellies, icewater in our Camelbacks, Everclear in our bar, and good intentions all the way around...



... and it appeared that we would once again ride through the moonscape east of Big Water, pass the junction to Crosby Canyon, onwards towards Glen Canyon Recreation Area (or so the sign said)....and continue up to a serious series of switchbacks to someplace where the ground was on fire.:huh

This road was leading us up to the Kaiparowits Plateau... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiparowits_Plateau ,

The desert trail snaked its way up to the ramparts of a canyon wall. The switchbacks allowed us to rapidly gain elevation and look back to our approach:














Somebody coming around the corner...



Looking south from about half-way up the "wall"...



The road from Big Water and the Crosby Canyon junction......



Nearing the top of the plateau...






...where the riding was fast on some sweet red sandy double track punctuated with hard-pack gravel.



The guys found their way to an interesting spot where apparently lightening had struck the ground some years ago, hit some coal or something, and it was still smouldering...

Holy Smokes !!!!!:huh :eek1




From this vantage point, we could see the valley floor we had ridden from...Laake Powel and PAge off in the distance...





The plateau eventually allowed us to come down through some juniper and slickrock, and while we were at about 7000 feet, it was hot...



The pace was brisk as usual and we were allowing for the dust. Every once and a while a few guys would stop and make sure we knew where the others were...

I was stopped at one point and someone rode up and said that BobZ was having bike issues again. He said he would ride ahead and connect with some of the group (ie. Kevin)...I said I would ride back and find Bob.

This was Bike Fuccup #3 for Bob.....and we were really in the middle of nowhere....the previous problems waited for camp, shade, and a picnic table :huh. I found Bob at the side of the road in a pittance of shade offered by a Juniper...I parked my bike off the road, took my armor off as I anticipated a long break.

I felt badly for Bob: the perils of the 690 were slapping him around mercilessly this trip.

I will let him tell his version of the story...but it goes something like this:

--- Bike stops suddenly and won't start; he thinks:"Jeezuz, I changed the sparkplug, injector, fuel pump, and tidied up some wiring over the past two days...WTF could it be?" ...So I watch him take the Safari tank off again, fiddle with stuff, redo some wires and connections...and more.
--- I try to be helpful by staying out of his way and not offering suggestions....because I learned to do that as a kid when Dad was uptight....and because I am a moron with mechanical trouble-shooting...and because I don't know Bob well enough yet and what his boiling point is
--- Kevin arrives after a while (he also has a 690 and is mechanically adept)...he and Bob theorize, switch parts for a while (regulator, coil, or some fukkin electrical thing that confuses the shit out of my desert-parched peanut of a brain), only to find that Kevin's part won't make Bob's bike work and Bob's part makes Kevin's bike run like it is constipated and has dementia....
--- Bob wants to throw the 690 over a cliff but it is too far to walk to the nearest cliff...and I learn a few new things that a person could do with the KTM corporate structure...as well as what things KTM engineers could do with themselves that sounded biologically impossible to me :eek1 ...but that Bob might introduce them to if he had the opportunity.
--- Then Bob seems to succumb to the pressure of it all as well as the mid-day heat (90's) ... when I hear him talking about getting an old air-cooled Honda 600 cc motor (e-button, of course) and cramming it into the 690 frame so he could have a reliable scoot...cuz the 690 at least has good suspension ...
--- Bob and Kevin decide it is time to dig out the tow rope...
--- I feel real sorry for Bob ...Kevin tells Bob, "I will ride your bike and you tow with mine"
--- Bob pretends to protest this suggestion and sets up the tow-rope system (intelligently so that the rope is pulling from a central point so as to not pull the bike to one side...
--- I overhear that we have probably 50 miles of road with rocks, sand, rock ledges, loose gravel, and shit we hadn't even thought of yet...
--- I say that I will follow....and we head north to God-knows -where


At least Kevin and Bob manage the towing without incident (ie. dumping the bike)



The mood lightens a bit if only because we know what the next step is: ride to Escalante and rent a truck...Bob is DONE with this fukkin 690 piece of..... because it is like and it just makes Bob want to

and the effin thing , because all it is doing to him is


We ride for a few hours looking for a way out of the situation...and come down into a wet canyon with water running on the road....mixed with deep loose pea-gravel, mud, rocks, and some cool canyon walls...








I overhear the guys talking about how cool it would be to camp here and sleep on these ledges......

and part of me agrees, but my understanding of basic physics, uneven surfaces, gravity, frictional co-efficients, momentum, and how heat-stroke affects simple cognition...I mention that I will ride ahead for 10 minutes to see what is ahead while they explore this cool narrow canyon...













I follow the narrow canyon, splashing through puddles, slopping in wet pea-gravel, and almost submerging myself in a "puddle" that, unlike its 4" deep brethren, nearly swallows me and I get drenched as I nearly go over the bars....I stop and make a crude rock detour wall in front of this homicidal wet spot, so as to warn the others if they continue....
I go as far as to come out of the canyon within 10 minutes to where the terrain flattens out and opffers meadow-like terrain.

Maybe we will camp here...I turn around and within a few minutes see the gang coming my way.

We agree to check it out and a few scouts take off in a westerly direction to see what's what.






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More grandpa Ged... More. It's getting good.

Travis,
You're up late for such a young feller, aren't ya?
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Wow! I always like to see the area from someone else's perspective. I need to get down there again someday. I really miss it.

That road you were on that climbs that grade is called Smoky Mountain Road. I guess you found out why. I believe the grade is called Kelly's Grade. I am glad to hear the Ranch House Grill is still good. It was the only place worth eating breakfast in when I lived down there. I enjoyed many a breakfast there before heading out to explore the desert by land or sea.

Here is a link to the BLM map page for the area: BLM travel brochure

I am pretty sure the intersection you are seeing in this picture is actually where the road going toward Alstrom Point / Romana Mesa cuts off. The intersection to go down Crosby Canyon is way over to the southwest from there and I don't think you would be able to see it.

What a bummer about the 690 failing in there. It is some sweet riding for sure. I always liked to twist the throttle up on that long straight stretch headed north after the grade. What a great ride!

Just got back from an Australia trip. My sleep sched is all out of wack.

MM,
Thanks for the orientation.....Kevin and Bob will have a much better sense of the specifics as I was "following". What I do know is the road in that pic is the one from Crosby Canyon /Warm Water Creek T-junction (which we later returned to from another more westerly/northern switchback heading south....returning from Escalante to Page the next day)...

My compass bearings in my head might be 90' off here....

How about this? ...I may have overdone it a little bit.


Before:





After:

Stefer,
That is an improvement....it was an overcast day....thanks for bringing the reds and greens out.

Those horses certainly added a powerful dimension to the feeling of riding the plains....they embodied the spirit we were aspiring to...

Bob was towing Kevin....over dozens of miles of varied roads....they were doing a great job and their spirits were better than mine would have been in such circumstances . These guys can roll with the punches

We decided on a spot north of the picturesque canyon....it was backed by some slickrock cliffs, flat sandy areas for the tent, and it seemed like another primo find for the tents and a fire...folks had camped there before and it seemed to not too far off the beaten track...







I found a spot for my tent in front of the handy alcove shelves:



While the others weren't so picky:







Most of the guys were scrambling on the sandstone slickrock behind the campsite...







"I'll jump if you want me to!!!", said Dr. Dave:


















Bob was doing a plant study (in a previous life he was a conservation officer...)...

Lupine:


What I thought was Indian Paint Brush:




Some kind of grass:


The "grass" looks more like some kind of Yucca now that I see the flower:




Shrubs ( ):


Cacti....with a blush of pink:


I dunno:


The material used for stock KTM 690 seat:



I was off gathering firewood...scrounging dead branches...



I used my belt to bundle my collection:



...and missed the surprises on the slickrock:



The guys were stoked....walking in the footprints of dinosaurs....:eek1 ...







Dr. Dave being a dinosaur:



https://bobzilla.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/giantloopgrandcanyon2012/22765589_355C9X#!i=1853333479&k=2DhFCDB&lb=1&s=A





And as the guys returned to camp from their time traveling with big lizards, they found some firewood....




And then found a tree trunk that four of them could barely lift to drop over the edge near the firepit (I think that's Bobby waving "Hello"....a nice guy always wanting to acknowledge others ):









This thing easily weighed a couple of hundred pounds as it was incredibly dense wood. We did NOT burn it, as Bobby recognized it as a functional piece of natural art.

I finally had THE camp chair SUPREME....




Random pics of that place....



























Dr. Dave finally having his 15 seconds of fame:
https://bobzilla.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/giantloopgrandcanyon2012/22765589_355C9X#!i=1853338978&k=3s5rvP9&lb=1&s=A

The evening was settling in. We had firewood, Everclear, herbal remedies (for sore muscles, eh!), and Power Bars.

What else could some cowboys on the range want?














Especially a Great Chair...









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Erosion... Makes for some great photos.

Thanks for the report guys.