Part II: Dockingpilot & NJ Crew Ride TAT West

Part II because we rode the eastern section of the TAT last Sept. Kentucky to the eastern border in Colorado. Excellent ride indeed. A couple of things first, excuse my spelling & grammer, it sucks I know, and quite frankly don't care. 2nd, I'd like to that Mark Sampson and Chuck "Ayroshark" for their insight, it helped us avoid screwups, bailouts and no-go's. Chuck, your 3 time TAT experience and advise was priceless and spot on. OK, on with the show as they say. I'll do this by state with a nice video of each at the end taken from my POV1.

We planned again for a early Sept. ride and we were 100% correct on this. The weather for the entire 2,500 miles could not have been better.
In NJ, mid August dropping the bikes at Allied to be shipped out to Trinidad Colorado were we would arrive on Sept.5th


We of course fly out to Colorado Springs


Were we have our ride waiting to take us the 130 miles south to Trinidad, the same town we left off last years TAT East trip and Valcom Motorsports were our steeds are now waiting. Yea, we do it right



As for the riders with me.
Duane "DK Kerzic 08' KTM 530, my close friend. DK is like having a living breathing Multi-Tool with you.
Multi time East Coast Enduro Asso Grand Champion & multi time USA ISDE rider and good friend Bruce "Redcorn" Kenny 07' KTM 950 Super Enduro
John "Boy" Pitts, a better guy to have on a trip there is not. 08' KLR 650
Prior Baja rider & good friend Jody Villa who will ride with us to Richfield Utah. 07' BMW X-Challenge
Meeting us in Trinidad and will ride with us to Green River Utah is my fellow Husky rider Dennis Spanker DeMarco. 08' Comp. Damp-"less" Husky 610
And lastly my good friend from Idaho Falls would ride his KLR down from there, leaving a week ahead of time and camp along the way, is celebrity outdoorsman and western backroad, byway expert, Tony Huegel. If it's a dirt road and it's out west, he either knows it or made it, if you doesnt know it, well it doesnt exsisit then . Tony would roundevous with us in Salida Colorado.
Oh, and myself of course, 07' Husky 610
Every bike had a loaded GPS and we would spread ourselves out on this trip. No obbical cord (Doc ?) needed on this journey. You could ride solo for the day if you wanted. Now sit back and I'll take you all the way to Oregon.
Our first meal and evening in Trinidad on the trip. Mexican. John looks half in the bag already (midship on the left)


We head out for Salida


Boy is this gonna be good !


Breakfast at our 1st fuel stop







We arrive 248 miles later in Salida where we link up with Tony


The 2 Huskies team up for the day. Salida to Lake City



We're now climbing and in awe at the vistas


Me

Jody

Tony

Bruce

John

Dennis








Relaxing in Lake City. Really nice town. We stayed at the Matterhorn. Yes, recomended.


On the way to dinner we give the salute



AM departure. Lower 30's. Here's Bruce fueling up his thirsty 950. Next stop Montecello Utah




Up & Over !

John boy


Tony twisting the throttle





Animas Forks



Ophir Pass



This driver had a bad day



We decended out of the San Juans and crossed into Utah unscathed.


Colorado was breathtaking and Utah will not disappoint. But if it's really remote, old west you want, stay tuned for Nevada

Colorado video clip as promised. Hope ya like John Denver
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UP NEXT: UTAH

Awesome, Frank!!! Love the John Denver!!

Looks like another great report

I don't want to miss any of this!

I am inspired!! Can't wait for Utah!

A lot of familiar sites there! Looks like a blast...the limo is priceless!

For you guys wondering, we fowarded our airplane travel clothes and the gear bags holding our riding gear on the bikes as they were trucked, to the last motel in Portland Oregon. They would be waiting on us there. We would not carry them across thankfully. We only had the nessecities, which wasn't much
"Light is Right"
Also, I learned from Tony that we were riding:
The Rockies
The Colorado Platue (Utah)
The Great Basin (Nevada), where water does not flow to either ocean, it just sinks. It was also a giant inland sea a very long time ago, its borders running from the Rockies to the Cascades.
And finally the Cascade Ranges.
Cool ha ?

OH Yea........... ..........been looking forward to this.

Don't leave us waiting. Give us more.

UTAH
We spent the night in Monticello Utah. We did our laundry which was a nightly task, showered and went to eat. Monticello is a Mormon town, so no alcohol available. Good food and nice folks non the less. After a swim in the Days Inn pool we hit the rack. I watched my nightly installment of Nancy Grace and passed out. Bruce would be my room partner for the whole adventure. The first couple of nights he said "what the hell is that shit ? Nancy Grace ?" Ah, but by the end of the trip I think I had him hooked !

As I said before, we were all self suffcient and spread out during the day. We would arrive at the motels at different times. here's Tony pulling in.


Todays route would take us over the La Sal Mountains, into Moab & up the Shaffer Switchbacks thanks to Tony, and into Green River. The Schaffer Switchbacks should be incorperated into the TAT in our opinion. Its easy to include it and it's not to be missed. You''ll see it good in the Utah video clip at the end. Its takes around 1'000 above the Colorado River.



Me and Bruce taking a breather


As the sign implies, the TAT would route us through Geyser Pass


Decending down out of the La Sals we see our 1st glimps of the real Utah !


Sand Flats Road leading into Moab



Ill be back:

Dramatic changes in landscape from Colorado


We stop in Arches National Park after brunch in Moab. Moab.....ah a bit over built for our tastes.


Heading into Canyonlands and the Schaffer Switchbacks

This is awesome. I hope to do this trip soon and will be following along closely.

What are your thoughts as to the size of the bikes to do this trip. My riding buddies have a F800GS, 1200GS and KTM 990. To big for this section of the TAT?

Well, depends on the rider of course and how much you want to work. Bruce rides that 950SE like most guys ride 250's. The 1200GS might be a bit much. But you can take the big bike alternates with no problems. Dont overload the bikes.

Yes, they are too big. I have a 990 KTM and almost rode it on our TAT ride ( Okies do the TAT RR). I rode my 525. It is rideable on a big bike if you are a good dirt rider. BUT it wouldn't be as much fun as on a smaller bike. Hundreds of miles of 2 track with rocks, gravel, and sand. The sand is what will wear you out on a big bike. Lots more work on a big bike. I am an Expert/A class rider and I would NOT want to ride my 990 on the western TAT. BUT....... if that's all you got, then go for it. Just ride a more relaxed pace and take the big bike bypasses. AND watch out for the silt beds.

Well we rode the Switchbacks wich were unbelevable and then on up into Green River for the night. All of us arriving at different times but all within an hour and a half and well before dusk.

Here's DK showing the ladies of Green River what a NJ man is really like


Now, I have been breaking Dennis's balls about his "overloaded" Husky. I mean the man had everything ! Cold weather gear, warm weather gear, rain gear, night wear, boots, shoes, hats, gloves, hairspray, 5 pairs of Levis, a Snap On tool truck load of tools (ok, thats a good thing), air pump, no not a small one a regular bicycle pump you have in your garage !, 6 cartons of Marboros, a log splitter and chain saw.
Here you can clearly see the happier Husky
Mine


His :eek1

of course it was not more than 5 mins after the photos were taken I was asking him to borrow some tools
Dennis is a great rider it the load didnt bother him in the least. Of course he didnt ride Nevada with us ! Dennis would also have to circle back and head east and home. Good bye my friend, it was great rinding with you this far. Your a good friend and great guy.

Here we head out early and shoot under (not over ) the tracks, thanks Mark !


we ride this abandoned road to the Black Dragon Wash


Tony, who has been in the wash many times in a 4Runner would opt out of this section and meet up with us coming out of it.
Bruce "Redcorn" Kenny going in


Cont:

Seems like I've been waiting for this report longer then it took Axel to finish Chinese Democracy.

OK, into the Black Dragon Wash we go. This place was super cool !

Hey, is it me or does it look like my Husky has chunks of KTM 950SE coming out of its tailpipe
yea, right.......



DK rounding the cornor on the 530


Ill be back and show you where we see Swazye Cabin then enter Eagle Canyon, it's in there we see our
1st of many wild Mustangs. And yes, "it's caught on tape"

Dang---I was wanting a front row seat for this ride............

And here I am in the nose bleed section already.

Now let that Husky eat Frank---so glad I was able to help you out on this ride.

The western TAT is still my favorite ride I've ever done---so far.

Great ride report. Looked like lots of fun. The more I see of the west the more I'd love to get out there and ride sometime. Thanks for all the great pics.