April Turns Fifty and Gets Viola-ted: Grand Canyon North Rim

[klaviator]

When I grow up, I want to learn to take pictures as good as these

Oh yeah, a trip out west is on my bucket list too.

[dave6253]

Sorry for the delay guys. I'm battling intermittent internet outages.
Thanks for the new replies. I'll answer the questions soon.

There was no avoiding it. We had to ride Highway 67 one more time.

For the 3rd time in as many days we stop at the Jacob Lake Inn, this time for breakfast.
Any home-style restaurant that does it's own baking should at least have biscuits, right?
I understand this isn't the South, maybe one shouldn't expect gravy, but biscuits?

Diek carefully composes his coffee.

We were extremely disappointed to learn they don't do biscuits. NO BISCUITS!?
The pièce de résistance was the "Kaibab Pancakes".

After much grumbling, we both settle for the "Kaibab Pancakes" with Eggs and Ham.

The server promised we couldn't eat it all...

We gear up for the ride off the Kaibab Plateau.

Just as we reach the fun bits we get slowed by a long convoy of carnival trucks.
Apparently dinosaurs are limited to 15 mph in curves?

We pull over during a rain shower to wait for the trucks to get downhill.
I do a little duct tape repairs to a loose mirror.

Back in the desert.

We leave the rain and the Kaibab Plateau behind. (I'll be back.)

[refokus]

Great Ride Report and Photos. I need to head that direction.

[Shaggie]

Originally Posted by dave6253

Thanks for joining in on another report Shane!

heck Dave - its always an honour getting to SEE one of your RR's (and Viola-tor's!!!)


love! your! work!!

[Mr Head]

Great report and images again!

[dave6253]

Heading towards clear skies and the high deserts of the Navajo Nation...

and away from the storms. We've been exceedingly lucky with the weather this trip. When I saw the forecast
called for good chances of thunderstorms, I knew the trip could be great for photos, or miserably wet and cold.

We are nearing Gap, Arizona on the Navajo Nation when...

my little trusty Aprilia reaches a milestone. Not shabby since she has been my second bike most of her life.
Viola-tor is the only other rider to be at the controls for some of these miles.

..........

I give April some love for being such a good traveling partner.

She proudly poses for a few portraits.

We stop for icecream and fuel at the Cameron Trading Post. Diek and I visit for awhile and then part ways. My play time
has run out and I must head south to Phoenix. Diek is headed to the South Rim for more adventure. The man is a hardcore adventurer.
Much Respect! I'll let him tell you more about his Grand Canyon adventure either here or in his thread;
VIOLA-TING AMERICA - Chasing the dream of music and motos

This pic of a fire near Sunset Crater is the only one I got on the boring ride home.

I picked up the pace quite a bit and made it from Cameron to North Phoenix non-stop in only 2 hours. That's Moving!
I got home early enough to get April in for her annual rectal exam (State required emmissions test).

Thanks everyone for following along, especially to those who took the time to participate or comment.
It's alway good to hear someone besides myself is enjoying it.

I'm looking forward to a nice fall ride with the KTM. I've been thinking alot of S. Utah.....

[dave6253]

Originally Posted by Kodanja

Now this is a captivating report with excellent photos! I like your reporting style.

I also like how you group your riding reports under one heading in your signature and how you formatted your report page. Would you mind sharing how you did this?

From your signature it's apparent you already know how to insert a link into the text. I created this list in one of my ride reports. The link in my signature sends you to a single post, post #83 on page 6 of my ride report titled Southern Arizona Border Roads. If you click on the post number on the top right corner of any post you will open up only the single post. By grabbing this link you can share this single post.

To keep the list updated I simply edit the post to add new reports. (This report is already added to the list.)

I used to have all of my RRs listed in my signature like you do, but as the number increased I started only listing the most recent or the ones I was most proud to display. This is my 20th RR! The list is to long for my signature. Of course, the list would be shorter if I included only the ones after starting to learn photography in 2010.

By having the RR list in a seperate post you can use more room and make the list more informative. I've formatted mine with four photo thumbnails from each trip, the Ride Report title with inserted link to the first page of the RR, and a short description of the trip. There is now a nice mosaic of 80 thumbnails on the page.

I've considered moving this list to a site with an easier URL to remember for sharing on business cards, etc. The current link looks like this: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showp...8&postcount=83

Let me know if this didn't answer all your questions.
Thanks for the compliments.

[viola-tor]

The infamous coffee shot:



We ate what, three times at Jacob Lake? I kinda surprised they didn't lock the doors when they saw us coming! So good (and really the only thing around). That burger is great, the rolls, and we decimated quite a few exotic cookies...




Starting to heat back up as we drop in elevation.




Get a room!!!




Seriously, I was HONORED to ride that bike, even for a few miles, and ESPECIALLY on a fantastic road like the one to Cape Royal. I'm even more honored knowing that he's never let anyone else try it! It is a refined machine for proper Euro-bike snobs.

We sure had a great ride, but there is more work to do. I have a feeling we will be going back for more...


I'll just give a little hint at what my plans were for after Dave and I split off:

[aDave]

Fabulous pictures...you have given me new ideas for angles of shots while on the bike.

Love to hear about what looks like some type of camera tether system for shots while moving.

Wonderful job!
Dave

[dave6253]

aDave,

For info about the lanyard and other Shootin' on the Move considerations check out page 7 post 95 of this thread: The Art of the Ride Report - Planning, Tips, Opinions, Discussion

[Ladybug0048]

dave6253, I've always enjoyed your ride reports and love your photography then you add the Viola-tor to the mix and it's all just that much more fun.

I too like the link in your sig. line with your ride reports.

Happy 50th to April - - - Us old gals need to stick together but I will admit I'm a bit envious no one gave me a hug like that when I turned 50

[larryboy]

If April ever needs a new home, hit me up...I like old gals.


Nice pics guys!!


I like the link to your ride reports thing, great idea!! I've been wanting to use my sigline for links to stuff for sale and that looks like the way to do it.

[gumshoe4]

Great ride report and simply AWESOME photos. I ripped off a bunch of them to be used as screensaver slides. You have skill, no doubt about it, but there's a bigger force at work providing the landscapes you were able to document.

Your photos remind me about why we ride...

[Echo1]

dave6253,

Thanks for the ride report and great photos. April's hawt & looks like she has many more miles in her.

I was up there over Labor Day weekend and was seduced by the Grilled Cranberried Cream Cheese Chicken sammich at Jacob Lake Inn. Had to go back the next day for it too.

My favorite ride that weekend was to Sowats Point & Crazy Jugs. I didn't care for riding on the main gravel roads like 22 but riding 423-427-233 to Sowats Point was a really nice ride. I haven't seen any comments or pics of Sowats Point, so I thought I'd mention it. I think you'd probably work some of your photo-magic there.

[JaxObsessed]

Some of the finest shots of the canyon I have ever seen... So well done! Thanks for the story too.
You really are the ride report guru!