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I Love Utah!!!

jogitu

New member
I made the move to Salt Lake last Sunday. The moving truck made it here a day earlier and the wife who had been here a month dealt with all of the unloading. I must mention that is only fair as I dealt with all the packing, loading and the moving sale. On the way here from Indiana I was nearly put to sleep by the vast nothingness of Iowa and Nebraska on I-80. The riding juices got flowing upon driving deep into Wyoming and finally Utah. I could it help but think of all the work that was ahead of me before I could go riding.

My wife had taken off last Monday to help unpack and Thursday & Friday so we could be together some as we had been apart for a month. After unpacking all day Monday and Tuesday I looked at the forecast for the Moab area and got to thinking. I called her at work and suggested that unpacking could be done anytime but weather like this will not last forever. So after a few phone calls to make reservations we were off to southern Utah for a three day trip. Did I mention I was a salesman by profession?

We rode to Canyonlands National on Thursday and then into Moab for the night. I was amazed the whole trip there and then when I saw the Canyons in the National Park I thought nothing could be as great as that ever again. Simply amazing. We took 15 from Salt Lake to 6, 70 and 191. I enjoyed that entire route.

Friday we ate at the Peace Tree for breakfast and drank plenty of water to start the day. I learned the day before that water is important and by all means carry plenty on you. We then took 128 which is an amazing road. We doubled back to hit the Arches NP and then rode back 70 and dropped down 24 to Hanksville. From Hanksville we headed west to Boulder with a stop at Capital Reef. Ending a hot day by riding through Dixie National is a good thing. We stayed at the Boulder Mountain Guest Ranch. They have good food and I would recommend it but you have 3 miles of gravel to deal with getting back to it and with scary canyon drop offs. Not exactly GTL friendly but GSA boys should find it a breeze. That whole leg was amazing and I would change a thing except for the gravel road.

Saturday we started the day in the gravel road and I was pretty sure the worst was behind us because surely there were other scary roads with sheer drop offs and no guard rails in the area since we were on asphalt the rest of the day, right? Nobody had mentioned Hell's Backbone to me so boy was I surprised by that stretch of road. Holy crap! There was no danger of getting throttle happy through that section. Once through what a great road. Bryce Canyon was amazing as well. We spent the rest of the day riding back to Salt Lake via 89. The only thing I would change was the last 130 miles or so of that trip. When 89 merges into 70 the rest of the trip is just a slab. Lesson learned and next time I will adjust.

All in all what an amazing first ride in Utah. Vistas I have never seen before in my life. Great roads, great people and plenty of BMW's sighted along the way. In fact I saw more GS and GSA's on that trip than I have seen over a 2 year period in Indiana, maybe even in a 4 year period. Highway 12 was defintely great, 128 amazing, 70 I made some serious time. I feel blessed to live in this state and have only been on one ride but what a ride. This week I get service then off to cotton wood canyon. This coming week we will head off together to the Northwest for some mountain time before it gets too cold. See ya out there on the road.
 
Utah, a favorite:)

I've ridden all of Utah for a very long time now and smile with your first impressions:). It is a cool state, nothing like it. Jaw droppers about every corner of Utah exist. Settle in, enjoy. Not quite Indianna! Wonder off into AZ too, as its equally fine and even larger! Colorado so close too, so you're surrounded by m/c heaven. SEE YA in Salem, Oregon, July2013 National....Randy:thumb
 
Big Cottonwood Canyon, breakfast at Silver Fork Lodge, Mirror Lake Ride on 150 from Kamas to Evanston, 414 to Flaming Gorge, night in Vernal and ride home along 40 with stop in Park City, oh yeah and screaming down I-80. Did I mention in love Utah?
 
Nice:)

I just rode Glen Canyon, Moab, and all western areas of Utah coming from California to Misourri this year. Returned through a lot the same, Bonneville Salt Flats(last) and most of NE Utah, Vernal and so on coming westbound. Been to all of Utah so many times over and it NEVER gets boring riding my BMW there. I'm a GSAer and the offroading in Utah is a huge draw for exploring. Never ends:). Camping hot spots, suggested; Escalante Stairsteps(Hwy12) areas, all of it, BeaverUTAH KOA, the "BEST"5 stars one anywhere, TorreyUTAH RV Park is NICE/Cabins too(Hwy12), BullfrogUTAH(need GSA) its dirt, Vernal KOAgood grass, just average score, State line(Nevada/Utah,US50) Great Basin NP, our newest NP and fantastic camping 6000-10000'(Summer) elevation camping, very nice. Many others too, just have to keep a watch for'em. Camp Utah, I do:) Randy:usa
 
I rode out of Utah yesterday from Green River and Hanksville and Torrey and lunch in Boulder and Zion. Someone in what looked like a Honda Civic or equivalent got a multi point buck. The law was on the scene as I rode by, and the hood on the car had been pulled up and back by the impact, I suppose.
Not they way they like to get a nice buck.
That was north of Orderville on Sunday.
Now I'm in Colorado. Probably the only state more scenic than Utah and California is Colorado.
dc
 
Something that I like to state, this is true for most states to, to some degree....but Utah tends to have a lot of roads that fits this description and times when it might be possible.

Wide open roads and a long time between seeing other vehicles on the road. Something about having the entire pass, mountain, desert, views to yourself and to enjoy.

It maybe that I time my rides just right, but I been known to travel 20, 40, 60 miles or more without another vehicle in my lane. Sure I get passed by other occasional traffic going the other way, but my lane, well it is MY LANE to enjoy.

I will always remember traveling on Utah 95 (Blanding to Hanksville without seeing another car- 126 miles of great motorcycle riding road and fabulous scenery (not a single gas station either that is on the route)! Hairpin turns to high speed sweepers, mountain passes to red rocks. top of the world views to deep canyons. its so far away from everything, it takes a day just to get there to start the run and one is tempted to just turn around and do it again. And if one really knew the history about that area, it is really mystical.

One can really be yourself when roads offer that!
 
Don't neglect the Burr Trail. And Moki Dugway, a little further south. And take a boat ride across lake Powell from Bullfrog to Halls Crossing.
dc
 
I have felt quite alone on the roads outside of Salt Lake. I saw few cars on 150 to Mirror Lake and nobody was ever pressing me. On 414 I was alone. When I was on 128, 24 or 12 down south it was like a I was in my own country. I love that! That was one my favorite things about Canada which was nobody was on the roads and the roads were great. Yeah same rules apply, don't pass gas and make sure you have water, perhaps water is more important in Utah. Since I have a GTL I am limited on where I can go so I look forward to taking my Silverado to those places the BMW was not made to go. Perhaps a GS is my near future, time will tell.
 
Did someone say UT...

This summer in Capitol Reef...
IMG1603-M.jpg


On the Burr...
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Last week at Zion...
IMG1989-L.jpg
 
I was in Zion Sunday.
I'm in Colorado now, but I'm going back to Utah and Torrey tomorrow. Hite overlook, and the ride up from Blanding.
dc
 
I was in Zion Sunday.
I'm in Colorado now, but I'm going back to Utah and Torrey tomorrow. Hite overlook, and the ride up from Blanding.
dc

Sounds like you're on a fine road trip. I used Torrey as a base camp for 3 nites this summer and got alot of nice riding in!:thumb

IMG1720-S.jpg
 
Yes, this certainly is a nice area to ride. This is my first time this year up here, but usually I come once or twice a year.
A large group is here now.
Maybe 50 BMW riders.
Today I rode over from Durango and Cortez, thru' Monticello and Blanding, Hite and Hanksville.
Sunday or Monday I may go back to Los Angeles, or maybe thru' Nevada first.
dc
 
Heading back down to Moab this weekend. Plenty to see and one trip just scratched the surface. Is the Mountain Loop road from 128 paved?
 
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Lots of different Utah:)

Moab you'll find much more pleasing in Fall/Winter/Spring when its not so HOT there. That said, one must endure lots of variety weather in Utah, riding through the seasons above, but sooooooo well worth it. Just avoid the snows and you're fine:). LESS people too, as most travel there in Summer. Randy:usa
 
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