Southwest Utah: Dual Sport Riding from St. George

[RedRockRider]

One of the marquee hikes of Zion. Easiest with some rope skills. Permit required.

At the beginning of the interesting part.




My KLR buddy Eddie dropping down one of the first obstacles.




Couple of swims through places like this. Much more of a slot canyon than the Narrows.




The famous "north pole" tree.




A recent flash flood left debris on the right-hand shelf, at least 10 feet above the sandy watercourse. Good place for lunch in the sun.




Rappelling down into the "subway" itself.




RedRockRider in the subway!




Beautiful red ledges and small waterfalls as you exit the subway. Lots of water for late summer. Still lots of hiking and a climb out. One of Zion's best adventures!

[Superhawk]

The subways on my list too - great pics !

[mknight]

Thanks for sharing. I did the Subway last July with my oldest son and a bunch of other teenage boys. Loved it!!!!

I also recognized some of your other pics out near Lime Kiln Canyon. I did that road a year ago March on my way to Toroweap. Loved it as well.

[TheAdmiral]

Another great off-road adventure . . . of the motor-less kind! Awesome area!

[NSFW]

this thread deserves 5 stars....


lots of awesome pics.

love to check out those places....and of course, will bring my tw200......

[RedRockRider]

Thanks, inmates. Appreciate all the positive. Yeah, bring your TWs or other motos through St. George. Lots of good local riding! Lunch on me. Star ranking -- bring it on!

Took the TW out for a Friday afternoon spin. Went west of St. George (Navajo Drive, Bloomington), and up to Apex Mine area and Joshua Tree Scenic Backway. Did lots of exploring of smaller cut-offs. Almost all familiar territory. Been riding this area many times. Frequent posts. Two good ones are #17 and #95. I'll include the map from post #95 since it is here.



My route was close to the yellow highlight. A few variations, especially on the western slopes of Bulldog Canyon.

As an aside, this area makes an alternative bypass to riding up I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge, or south onto the AZ Strip (if going from Mesquite via Lime Kiln or Elbow Canyon towards Toroweap), or Old Highway #91 (paved) over the Utah Hill. These are all good options. Pick your level of pavement, or smooth/roughness of dirt/rock.

Late afternoon light was good. Some pics. A short bit of off-road exploring up high in Blake's Lambing Grounds. Expansive views looking down on red/white rocks and the western side of St. George. Less than 30 min from my house. Possible to see my house with binoculars if you know where to look.




Apex Mine Site. Been closed for a while. Don't know the history. Recently the road has been plowed up with trenches. Guess the mine owner didn't want riff-raff going in on sightseeing trips. It's blocked up to anything with wheels quite effectively.




New sign. The Apex Mine is the reason part of the road (from Old #91, near Shivwits Indian Reservation) is well designed and graded with some gravel. Probably saw a lot of truck traffic in its day. Still a good road, unless wet. Then there are a few slippery mud slopes.




On the good road near Jarvis Peak. Very visible directly west of St. George (referred to as Utah Hill).




South of Mine Valley near Bulldog Pass. Dropping down into the upper reaches of Cedar Pockets Wash. Small tracks disappear in the wash, then you encounter boundary markers. Cedar Pockets is an exit from I-15 in the middle of the Virgin River Gorge.




Too hot right now, but this is cattle grazing country. Tank above Cedar Pockets Wash.



Almost full. Looks good. Won't be long before cattle.




Further west in Bulldog Canyon, checking out a few side tracks. They generally get rougher as they climb the side canyons. This small depression collected a lot of tumbleweed. Much tougher than I expected to kick it out of the way.




More remote water tanks. The sculpted hills/mountain in the background is very striking. Lots of this type of erosion with sparse vegetation in this area.




Climbed up the ridge with powerline towers. See the tiny TW 200?




Silhouette. Looking west down to Beaver Dam, AZ and eventually Mesquite, NV.




View down the powerlines. This was not my route. Came up the back way.




Dad is off playing around in Europe, so I'll have to take my own pic!




Glamour shot for the TW 200. West Mountain Peak is on the horizon above the handlebars. Post #121 on top of page 9. Lots of towers on top. Good ride if you like to climb hills. Check it out.




Dropped back down low. Powerlines are below distant summit (on intermediate ridgeline). Lots of big views in this area.




Dry tank just outside the boundary of the National Joshua Tree conservation area. Easier exploring once down off the mountains.




Fire burned through this area about 15 years ago. Also, this is the northernmost area with a large concentration of Joshua Trees. Edge of the Mojave Desert. Some active research by scientists. Plus a good area for motos, and almost everything is open. Not many people.




Close-up and personal with the TW exploring a gravelly wash.




Back on road, the obligatory mirror shot.




Typical scene. Most of the riding was like this. About 80 miles total.




Grabbed this pic looking back over my shoulder, just before hitting pavement at Old Highway 91. High ground of AZ Strip near Mount Bangs is in distant background.




On pavement. If you're coming from Mesquite area, look for this sign on Old Highway #91 before you start up over the Utah Hill. Took mostly pavement back to St. George with just a bit side exploration on dirt near Welcome Spring. Will save that for another day.




Currently at Brian Head for the weekend with family. ATV riding and inflatable kayaks on the Sevier River (Big Rock Candy Mountain, near Marysville). Perhaps a few moto pics tomorrow.

As always, thanks for checking in. Ride safe, ride often.

[DCZ]

Thanks again for taking us along - we are going to try and make it over that way late fall and see some of these great places!

Rick

[RedRockRider]

Hey Rick -- Thanks! Lots of terrific territory between you and St. George. Take your time getting here. Give me a "heads up" when you are in the area. I'll try and tag along or tour guide for a bit if possible. Take care, RRR.

[DCZ]

Will definitely let you know - thanks for the offer.

Rick

[RedRockRider]

Rode the Vulcan to Brian Head for the weekend. Gotta love the western state speed limits. Flow of traffic was 80-85 mph.




Did ATV riding, inflatable kayaks, and small moto ride with son. But best pics are from a short mountain bike excursion from the top of Brian Head Peak back down to town. All easy riding.

Happy 11-year old guy near the top of Brian Head Peak. The car shuttle is a good way to start!




The two people I love most!!! Having a good laugh, probably at my expense . . . waiting for Daddy's camera again.




We looped around and found this spot for a snack. No seat cushions is summer, but still comfy. Padded bike shorts.




My pedal-powered machine.




As always, thanks for checking in. Ride safe!

[Mr Head]

Thanks for the updates RRR, I'm stuck in Levelland for way too long now, No bike, no motorcycle, only running for any exercise. Can't wait to get back. Every report leads me off on some planning tangent.

Thanks!

[TheAdmiral]

Originally Posted by RedRockRider

Silhouette. Looking west down to Beaver Dam, AZ and eventually Mesquite, NV.

This is a cool picture. Of course, I may be partial to the TW

For some reason, this ride reminded me of the old TV show "Death Valley Days". After all, you are creating your own modern western series!

In the thread above with the family at Brians Head, looks like fun!

Thanks for sharing

[ringokelly]

RRR, wish I had known you were going Friday, as I was in St G all weekend and actually rode my KLX out SE of the airport into AZ, routes 1035 and 1126 on Friday. Awesome, breathtaking areas. Would have loved to join you but guess I am on my own. Pretty tough getting together with ya.

Thanks for the cool report. I plan to ride that when I am down in a couple of weeks.

Ringo

Originally Posted by RedRockRider

Thanks, inmates. Appreciate all the positive. Yeah, bring your TWs or other motos through St. George. Lots of good local riding! Lunch on me. Star ranking -- bring it on!

Took the TW out for a Friday afternoon spin. Went west of St. George (Navajo Drive, Bloomington), and up to Apex Mine area and Joshua Tree Scenic Backway. Did lots of exploring of smaller cut-offs. Almost all familiar territory. Been riding this area many times. Frequent posts. Two good ones are #17 and #95. I'll include the map from post #95 since it is here.



My route was close to the yellow highlight. A few variations, especially on the western slopes of Bulldog Canyon.

As an aside, this area makes an alternative bypass to riding up I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge, or south onto the AZ Strip (if going from Mesquite via Lime Kiln or Elbow Canyon towards Toroweap), or Old Highway #91 (paved) over the Utah Hill. These are all good options. Pick your level of pavement, or smooth/roughness of dirt/rock.

Late afternoon light was good. Some pics. A short bit of off-road exploring up high in Blake's Lambing Grounds. Expansive views looking down on red/white rocks and the western side of St. George. Less than 30 min from my house. Possible to see my house with binoculars if you know where to look.




Apex Mine Site. Been closed for a while. Don't know the history. Recently the road has been plowed up with trenches. Guess the mine owner didn't want riff-raff going in on sightseeing trips. It's blocked up to anything with wheels quite effectively.




New sign. The Apex Mine is the reason part of the road (from Old #91, near Shivwits Indian Reservation) is well designed and graded with some gravel. Probably saw a lot of truck traffic in its day. Still a good road, unless wet. Then there are a few slippery mud slopes.




On the good road near Jarvis Peak. Very visible directly west of St. George (referred to as Utah Hill).




South of Mine Valley near Bulldog Pass. Dropping down into the upper reaches of Cedar Pockets Wash. Small tracks disappear in the wash, then you encounter boundary markers. Cedar Pockets is an exit from I-15 in the middle of the Virgin River Gorge.




Too hot right now, but this is cattle grazing country. Tank above Cedar Pockets Wash.



Almost full. Looks good. Won't be long before cattle.




Further west in Bulldog Canyon, checking out a few side tracks. They generally get rougher as they climb the side canyons. This small depression collected a lot of tumbleweed. Much tougher than I expected to kick it out of the way.




More remote water tanks. The sculpted hills/mountain in the background is very striking. Lots of this type of erosion with sparse vegetation in this area.




Climbed up the ridge with powerline towers. See the tiny TW 200?




Silhouette. Looking west down to Beaver Dam, AZ and eventually Mesquite, NV.




View down the powerlines. This was not my route. Came up the back way.




Dad is off playing around in Europe, so I'll have to take my own pic!




Glamour shot for the TW 200. West Mountain Peak is on the horizon above the handlebars. Post #121 on top of page 9. Lots of towers on top. Good ride if you like to climb hills. Check it out.




Dropped back down low. Powerlines are below distant summit (on intermediate ridgeline). Lots of big views in this area.




Dry tank just outside the boundary of the National Joshua Tree conservation area. Easier exploring once down off the mountains.




Fire burned through this area about 15 years ago. Also, this is the northernmost area with a large concentration of Joshua Trees. Edge of the Mojave Desert. Some active research by scientists. Plus a good area for motos, and almost everything is open. Not many people.




Close-up and personal with the TW exploring a gravelly wash.




Back on road, the obligatory mirror shot.




Typical scene. Most of the riding was like this. About 80 miles total.




Grabbed this pic looking back over my shoulder, just before hitting pavement at Old Highway 91. High ground of AZ Strip near Mount Bangs is in distant background.




On pavement. If you're coming from Mesquite area, look for this sign on Old Highway #91 before you start up over the Utah Hill. Took mostly pavement back to St. George with just a bit side exploration on dirt near Welcome Spring. Will save that for another day.




Currently at Brian Head for the weekend with family. ATV riding and inflatable kayaks on the Sevier River (Big Rock Candy Mountain, near Marysville). Perhaps a few moto pics tomorrow.

As always, thanks for checking in. Ride safe, ride often.

[RedRockRider]

Late summer is a great time for Zion slots. Eddie and I teamed up for an afternoon jaunt through Keyhole Canyon. Technical part only takes 1-2 hours. Couple of short rappels and one long cold swim -- the slanted hallway.

Here's me at the start of the fun stuff.




Dropping in. Past the point of no return. By swinging left you can avoid disconnecting from the rappel in the water, but you still have to swim a little.




Here's Eddie a little further down. Even though it was mid-afternoon (100 degrees), we used headlamps and wetsuits.




Hanging out.




Eddie getting ready to descend into the "slanted hallway."




Tight squeeze.




Start of a longish cold swim. Water is too deep to touch bottom. Weird combination of doggie paddle and propelling off canyon walls with hands and feet.




Great little diversion. Keystone Slot is very close to the road in Zion, just 1.9 miles east of the second smaller tunnel. Look for clowns in wetsuits on the side of the road next time you are driving through.

Thanks for all the positive comments and PMs. Ride safe!

[RedRockRider]

Late Sunday afternoon loop - about 120 miles on the Versys. Good combination of pavement and gravel/dirt. Versys really excels at this type of mixed riding with some high speed roads. Leaving St. George heading north, it is necessary to utilize I-15 for some modest stretches to get to the New Harmony exit. Can't quite do everything on frontage roads.

Here's the map. Benchmark as usual. Index of rides in Post #1.




Highlight of the ride was connecting through on Pace Draw past Upper Grants Ranch and back down to Pinto. Hadn't been on this part of the route before. It was good gravel and dirt, fine for the Versys. But, I wouldn't take a road oriented bike through there in wet condition. Some of the mud would get slippery and could be prone to washouts.


Messing about on a few frontage roads near Pintura on I-15. As mentioned, they don't quite all connect. Versys very capable cruising 1-15 at southern Utah speeds. WRR has a tougher time keeping up with the flow of traffic. This sign seemed to offer good advice.




Interesting subdivision south of New Harmony, west of I-15. Paved roads but only a few houses. Tons of vacant lots for sale. Doesn't appear to be much activity. Fairly remote. Might not happen for a long, long time.




Beautiful roadside sunflowers!




Quick detour into the Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park. Always good in late afternoon light!




Near the top. It's only ~5 miles from I-15. A very short, sweet motorcycle road with amazing views. Very, very light traffic. This detour is worthwhile if you are driving 1-15, especially if you have a National Park pass.




Due west on pavement into the setting sun towards New Harmony.




Typical ATV rules for most/all medium and smaller towns in Utah.




The transition to gravel, then dirt, at the end of New Harmony. Scenic ride up through Pace Draw.




Near Upper Grant's Ranch. Nice area.




Intersection with the Pinto Road at Page Ranch. Good gravel/dirt. Light is fading.




Last pic. At Pinto. Eight more miles on gravel out to UT 18 (paved), then a fast 30 minutes south back to St. George. Good to get behind a car and let them run "deer" interference. Don't want to be in the lead position on a moto!




Keep riding. Thanks for checking in.