Southwest Utah: Dual Sport Riding from St. George

[The Walrus]

It's bloody cold up here along the Wasatch and the air is so thick you can cut it with a knife. The Strip looks like a nice ride right now but I seem to remember that the elevation makes it susceptible to some colder weather and even snow.

We camped just at the power lines in October and rode to the Hurricane Cliffs that afternoon.



I also remember seeing a 690 heading south, late that Saturday afternoon....wonder if it might have been an inmate....

[RedRockRider]

Originally Posted by Bob

RRR, did you get out on the sleds?
Sent you a PM
Happy New Year!

Good snow at Brian Head during the X-Mas New Years week. Been up a couple of times skiing and playing around on the two new (to me) Yamaha sleds. Good times. Been having lots of fun pulling kids on inner tubes across the snow covered meadow (by Brian Head Town Park).

Also been stuck and rolled the sleds in soft snow a few times. No problems, but takes a little work to get loose. I'm sure we are making all the rookie mistakes.

A few pics with my nephew #3 from last weekend.




Still pretty easy to find lots on untracked snow on the backside of Brian Head Peak.




Rode some trails out to the High Mountain Meadow Overlook. Nice views of Cedar Breaks with Brian Head Peak in background. Still some fresh meadows in route, but too many trail/rental sleds in area. Trails get rutted and washboardy. Mountain sleds are better suited to the deep, loose snow behind Brian Head Peak.




The sleds have been wicked fun. When your 18-year old nephew ditches his girlfriend to go sled riding with you, something must be going right.

[RedRockRider]

Originally Posted by Desertwater

The honeymoon trail is hit or miss. It depends greatly on recent weather and the number of atvs that have been up it since that weather. The whole way up is loose gravel with a sprinkling of "baby head" rocks just to keep it interesting. There are two area with substantial rock bands crossing the trail that require good ledge technique as well as some off camber riding skills. If its monsoon season or after a heavy rain forget about it for a few weeks as it becomes severely rutted from runoff. I ride it regularly on my 690 and have been both up and down it on my old 800GS with no issues. That said if you are not comfortable riding the type of terrain described above stick to Warner Valley or the upper plateau. If you are comfortable I strongly recommend it. Not only does the top offer a fantastic view of the lower valley it opens up quite a lot of riding on top.

Thanks, Desertwater! Excellent intel on the Honeymoon Trail, obviously your backyard! I've been "on top" but only briefly. I'll have to take a long look around out that way. Beautiful area. See you out there riding.

[RedRockRider]

Thanks, guys. How about some stars? Best to all for 2013!

Recent inmates dropping by: purplesage, BMWJustin, Bob, ringokelly, UpST8, TheAdmiral, G19Tony, telejojo, o0synge0o, StG, Desertwater, The Walrus -- no knowledge of the KTM690 heading south onto the AZ Strip.

Appreciate all the PMs as well. Ride safe!

[Desertwater]

Originally Posted by RedRockRider

Thanks, Desertwater! Excellent intel on the Honeymoon Trail, obviously your backyard! I've been "on top" but only briefly. I'll have to take a long look around out that way. Beautiful area. See you out there riding.

No problem Red Rock Rider. I have followed all of your posts to date. You do an excellent job of showing off our little moto Mecca here in southwestern Utah. Please feel free to ask me if you have any questions about trails or roads that you guys think might be somewhat technical for dual sport riding. Chances are I've ridden them. For everyone else out there, though I don't endorse it, dual sport bikes are made to hit the deck, those lightly dashed "lines" in the Benchmark maps are the ones you WANT to explore. Have fun.

[SquidRavioli]

Great report, and a great time passer. What a beautiful part of the World.

[DirtyJohnny]

After nearly 40 years of snowmobiling I would have to say that one of the best inventions is the "Snobunge" This towing device allows a stuck sled to be pulled out with another sled. Glad you are enjoying your sleds! Got to go get on mine now. Hopefully the temp in NE UT gets above 0 today. Great posts. keep them coming. One of these days I will make one of your inmate rides or run across you out there. I'll be the guy with short legs on a KTM 950SE giving you the ADV salute.

Originally Posted by RedRockRider

Good snow at Brian Head during the X-Mas New Years week. Been up a couple of times skiing and playing around on the two new (to me) Yamaha sleds. Good times. Been having lots of fun pulling kids on inner tubes across the snow covered meadow (by Brian Head Town Park).

Also been stuck and rolled the sleds in soft snow a few times. No problems, but takes a little work to get loose. I'm sure we are making all the rookie mistakes.

A few pics with my nephew #3 from last weekend.




Still pretty easy to find lots on untracked snow on the backside of Brian Head Peak.




Rode some trails out to the High Mountain Meadow Overlook. Nice views of Cedar Breaks with Brian Head Peak in background. Still some fresh meadows in route, but too many trail/rental sleds in area. Trails get rutted and washboardy. Mountain sleds are better suited to the deep, loose snow behind Brian Head Peak.




The sleds have been wicked fun. When your 18-year old nephew ditches his girlfriend to go sled riding with you, something must be going right.

[samthg]

Waaaayyyy to quiet out of St. Geo....

Hello RRR,

I thought i'd share, without highjacking I hope. Found this book in the visitor's center at Capitol Reef back in July. I'm just starting to go through it. Although the last update was '99, it sure is fascinating. Talks of the landscape and the people that have settled the different regions of UT. So far, so good.

Pardon the interruption. Now back to our regular scheduled program.

[RedRockRider]

Yeah, samthg -- it has been too quiet on the moto front. Temps have been cold. Lots of ice around St. George in the mornings. Pretty unusual. Also been busy with all the regular routines of life. Plus starting a new Boy Scout Troop, and getting ready for my son's last Pinewood Derby race as a Cub Scout. We have lots of victories, so high expectations!

Your 1% clear day in SoCal post got a lot of deserved mileage. I've looked back through it a few times.

Regarding the Utah roadside history book -- probably good stuff. Exploring out of the way places and discovering the lesser known bits of local history has been a real highlight of the moto riding. Easy to find stuff most folks would never come across. In addition to amazing scenery, lightly travelled roads, and some very nice people, Southwest Utah is home to some very unique local history. I'll leave it at that.

[RedRockRider]

Originally Posted by DirtyJohnny

After nearly 40 years of snowmobiling I would have to say that one of the best inventions is the "Snobunge" This towing device allows a stuck sled to be pulled out with another sled. Glad you are enjoying your sleds! Got to go get on mine now. Hopefully the temp in NE UT gets above 0 today. Great posts. keep them coming. One of these days I will make one of your inmate rides or run across you out there. I'll be the guy with short legs on a KTM 950SE giving you the ADV salute.

Good call, DirtyJohnny. Had these on order before your heads up. Been sitting in my garage waiting for our next trip to Brian Head to play with the sleds. Will be happening this three-day weekend. I doubled down -- went for the hand pull extraction tool (Rattler), plus the sled-to-sled (Cobra).

Plug for website: http://snobunje.com/public/index.php Guy who runs the company will answer the phone.



Youtube clip of the Snowbunje Cobra in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgs8tfIZp-8

[RedRockRider]

Weather finally warmed up a bit in the last few days. Been spending time at Brian Head on the skis, and out with the snowmobiles. Bought a bunch of industrial strength tubes for pulling kids (and wife!) behind the sleds through the Brian Head Meadow. Great fun. My wife took over sled driving responsibilities and tried to launch me by accelerating through a turn and waiting for the "boomerang effect" to send me flying. Payback coming. All good fun! Kid loves to see the parents go sailing. He's very good at hanging on through the bumps! I'll try for a few pics next time.

Moto pic. Had most of the bikes out for a bit of maintenance. Took each for short spin around the neighborhood.




Our Cub Scout Pack just had its Pinewood Derby. My son's car won 1st place for the Webelos 5. He's had some fast cars over the years. Pics of past winners on page 15.




And a close up of the car. Note the graphite stains on the yellow paint near the rear wheels. We are liberal with the graphite. Makes the car look like a real racer!




Took the V out around town today. Business trip to San Diego in the next few days. Looks like the weather will be warmer and dry so riding the V looks like the way to go.




Always like the contrast between the green V and red rocks of Southern Utah. Thanks for checkin' in. Ride safe out there.

[Duhfactor]

Wow!! This thread has been fun to follow, I had to blow through it just so I could see the pictures! Not trying to hijack your thread, but your definitely the guru for southern Utah, so I need to ask you a question. My brother in law and I are planning to come down to St. George the third weekend in march with our bikes. We may have two, single day ride opportunities, and wondered if you have a recommendation. The only thing I could find is the Toroweap road out of southern St. George, which we may take, but would prefer more single track trail like places. Any thoughts Red Rock Rider? My son may come too, so nothing too technical for at least one of the days.... Thanks my man, and if you'd prefer PM, I'm happy to do that.

Thanks!

Duhfactor

[RedRockRider]

Hey Duhfactor - Thanks! Gotta hand it to you on the name.

Two best areas for single track riding around St. George are: 1) Warner Valley (east side) and 2) past Navajo Drive in Bloomington (west side). Warner Valley is much more extensive although both areas offer multiple days of riding including single track and dirt roads (various quality). I ride from Navajo Drive more often as this is my backyard.

The ride out to Toroweap (and back) is an all day affair. Most of it is fast, smooth dirt. The last few miles are the most scenic, but all of it displays the vastness of the AZ Strip. The route directly south from St. George (River Road) via Mount Trumbull Schoolhouse is slightly longer, but better than the straight dirt roads from Colorado City or Kanab.

The Toroweap Overlook is perhaps the best for the entire Grand Canyon. Sheer cliffs drop to river level with views of water straight below.

Lots of rides listed on page 1. Also a few $$$ for a Benchmark Map is well spent.

Late March should be a great time for riding around St. George. But, be cautious on the AZ Strip if recent rain (snow). Elevation is higher than St. George and some of the roads are really prone to sticky, slick mud. 60 miles is a long way back to pavement if your back wheel won't turn due to mud.

[Duhfactor]

Originally Posted by RedRockRider

Hey Duhfactor - Thanks! Gotta hand it to you on the name.

Two best areas for single track riding around St. George are: 1) Warner Valley (east side) and 2) past Navajo Drive in Bloomington (west side). Warner Valley is much more extensive although both areas offer multiple days of riding including single track and dirt roads (various quality). I ride from Navajo Drive more often as this is my backyard.

The ride out to Toroweap (and back) is an all day affair. Most of it is fast, smooth dirt. The last few miles are the most scenic, but all of it displays the vastness of the AZ Strip. The route directly south from St. George (River Road) via Mount Trumbull Schoolhouse is slightly longer, but better than the straight dirt roads from Colorado City or Kanab.

The Toroweap Overlook is perhaps the best for the entire Grand Canyon. Sheer cliffs drop to river level with views of water straight below.

Lots of rides listed on page 1. Also a few $$$ for a Benchmark Map is well spent.

Late March should be a great time for riding around St. George. But, be cautious on the AZ Strip if recent rain (snow). Elevation is higher than St. George and some of the roads are really prone to sticky, slick mud. 60 miles is a long way back to pavement if your back wheel won't turn due to mud.

Thanks my man, I think warner Valley or out in your neck of the woods sounds more fun for this trip. I was hoping my brother in law was going to make it with us, but it looks like he's not going to be able to come. I may not have anyone to ride with potentially. I will be able to ride thursday March 21st, and Friday March 22nd. Any chance you'ld want to get together and do a little riding? I'm also wondering if Warner valley is doable on a big bike, like KTM 990? I don't want to sound presumptious here, but I don't like to ride alone for safety reasons, one cracked rib and....... I was hoping to get a little more familiar with the area so that I can bring family back later on to ride again. Heck, maybe there's a group of people who would like to go?Do you have a map recomendation? I'm assuming a Utah trail map?

Thanks Partner, I appreciate the help!

[RedRockRider]

Lots of variety in Warner Valley -- dirt roads, open washes, single track, sand. KTM 990 will be fine for most. Might be a handful for some areas. Benchmark Maps are the best. Buy the Utah book, covers the whole state. Smaller detail not shown, for that you can try some Google Maps, or just go check it out in person. Nothing beats a first hand look.

Not sure of my schedule that far out, might be Spring skiing, might be working. Generally, there are at least a few people around in Warner Valley.