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Well, I'm a 40 year old that lives in the middle of what many Consider God's Country. Grand Canyon, Zions National Park, Cedar Breaks, Bryce Canyon, Capital Reef, Goblin Valley, Arches, Canyon Lands -- all within a days ride (not to mention all the forests!).

My first Motorcycle came in the late 90's. At the time (like many today) I got pissed off at gas prices (well our Governor at the time raised the tax), and I did the dumb of having someone drive me to the local dealership and rode home on a 1979 Yamaha xs650 (maybe 750 . . not really sure other than it was called a Yamaha Triple.) That's right, no safety course, no endorsement, nothing but a cheap helmet they threw in.

After all, I was only going to ride it a mile round trip to work and back! Ummm yea right. I wanted to ride it everyplace. Then I got married and acquired an instant family with a 2 and 3 year old.

The bike sat and didn't get used. Finally I got tired of paying insurance on it and the registration and renewal. I actually sold it for what I bought it. Not bad for owning it for three years.

A year later I ended up divorced and started spending time looking at used bikes at the dealership again. One kept catching my eye but I figured it was "waaaay out of my price range." Next spring it was still there, and after some negotiations I rode home on a 1995 Goldwing. (I remember back in High School telling a buddy when we saw a Goldwing -- That's what I want when I grow up. Damn I must be grown up now ). Oh and this time I didn't ride it any farther than home until I went to DMV, passed the written test and had a temp permit. Three months later I went for the riding test. Tester thought I was nuts to do the test on a 'wing. But I told him I better be able to pass the test on what I was going to riding. Passed with flying colors (only hit one cone on the weave.)

The Yamaha scared me when I rode it. I don't think I went over 50 MPH on it (A friend who has ridden most of his life took it for a spin and told me it didn't start "purring" until it hit 80.). The 'wing was different. Riding on the freeway at 75 MPH felt natural. Unfortunately, it was a money pit. I put almost double what I bought it for into repairs.

This spring was the straw that broke the camels back. Thousand dollar repair bill. Fixed the problem from last fall, but brought out yet a NEW problem. Taped a "for sale" sign on the side, listed it on a couple of web pages and rode it till it sold.

The week without a motorcycle was the worst! But I finally came to terms with a guy selling a 2004 Kawasaki Vulcan 800.

Have the GPS mount on it, have the camera mount ordered. So this blog will be of my wanderings in Central Utah. Well maybe a little more. Got home from Park City Utah yesterday. After driving "royal street" in Deer Valley -- My new goal for the year is to ride it on the Vulcan. Probably not more than 5 or 6 miles, but it drops I'd say 1,000 vertical feet (or more) with lots of twisties, U-turns, and that.

Welcome!... I am not part of the welcoming commitee but... being in Utah myself (ourselves!) right now I thought I would!!! You can spend a Lifetime in this State!!! I wish you were riding a bit of a dual sport bike as the most beautiful places are a bit off road... nothing dramatic but where a knobbie would really help...
You can check my Archives if you like... we have been here now a couple months... maybe more. Last year was the western part... we just cannot leave!!! Be well... and if near by let us know... will buy you a cup of coffee... home roasted on the road!
Ara & Spirit

You know... this is funny because I wrote the previous post without knowing that "you yourself" posted a note!!!... as no one ever writes on this thread... section, which is a shame. I guess it is because it is a Blog thread?
We just went through Lake Powell!!! But we will come back that way again... have more tips about doing the Kodachrome Basin and much much more!!! I am sure that our path will cross soon...
Too funny!!!

Ara & Spirit

Beemerchef: If you make it back over towards Richfield, let me know radioman31(at)hotmail.com. I've been looking for a reason to do highway 72 From Freemont/loa up to I70.

Couple days ago, my new toy came in. RAM mount for my digital camera. just had to try it out. Quality of the Video isn't the best, but what can you expect from a point and shoot digital camera.

Short little trip up the Glenwood Dougway, through Sigurd Canyon. Batteries didn't last very long so it's just a short 3 min vid. Ignore the Trial version words . . . I'm waiting for the full program to arrive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kmj3JqCCRhk

On another note, on a backroad on the way home I found out sheep don't really like the sound of my Vulcan. They were on one side the the road, and suddenly they all ran accross the road in front of me to take to the hills on the other side of the road.

Unfortunaley, today I'm without the two wheels for a few days. Woke up this morning to a half flat front tire. 5 mph the three blocks to the gas station and it was all the way flat and wouldn't hold air. Then the fun part. Parking lot was at a little more angle than I thought. So I'm kneeling down trying (okay hoping) to get the tire back to normal when I watch in slow motion as it falls over! . Only damage appears to be something with the front break lever. Don't know what yet, it's sitting in the shop waiting to be looked at.

Well... who needs to ride to have a motorcycle Blog!!! I think you have a great litterary start... don't ruin a good thing now!... you are too funnny...
Great video I think... I would like to do that someday... I have the camera does does a good job (Pentax A20) but need someone to take it!!! Spirit so far has not come through...
I think we are going to Colorado now... and then again... between now and tomorrow am that might change... the winds might turn around!
Talk to you soon...
Be well... Ara & Spirit

Okay, was going to post this as the first one . . . but you know how it goes.

May 30: Short ride?

Yesterday was a beautiful day, and by afternoon the motorcycle was calling my name. Still didn't trudt the new front tire. Had gone partially flat once -- but I don't know if it was because they didn't change the tube, or is someone had messed with it that night.

Figured a short 30 mile round trip couldn't hurt. Checked the tire when I pulled into Salina -- holding just fine. So I figure Gunnison is only another 10 miles -- check again just fine. Now if I go left, Levan is about 20 miles, go right and Sterling is only another 10 miles. What the heck, Sterling then home.

Wouldn't you know it, the tire is holding good in Sterling. I see the sign for the exit to Palasaide lake and Gold. Now I've lived in the area 10+ years and have never taken that short trip. The lake sure looked refreshing, but ummm well I was only going on a short ride so I didn't bring anything with me other than a bottle of water. Lake will have to wait for another day.

Heading back down the canyon, I look down and the trip meter is over 120 miles. Gas in Sterling is about 40 cents a gallon more than anyplace else so I might as well go the extra 6 miles to manti.

Now the owners manual says the tank holds 15 liters including reserve. Metric conversion web page says that would be 3.9 gallons with the reserve. Pull in and pump 2.9 gallons into the tank. That was cutting it kinda close! Trip meter shows 132 miles, so that's 44 MPG, not bad. Grab a candy bar and another bottle of water, look up at the sky, only a few clouds, I've come this far I might as well continue on.

Another area I've never visited road through Chester and Wales. Pull off at the highway junction, check the tire again and ponder having a chat with some of the kids at my apartment building.

Not much to see in Chester and Wales. Strait and flat out of Wales headed to Fountain green. First turkey farm I pass, I remember on a news program that some kids once threw firecrackers in the middle of them and several died from heat failure. Just can't help but wonder what would happen if I pulled in the clutch and reved up a little and hit the horn going past them. Result: 5-thousand turnkers stop what they are doing and turn and look at me like I'm an idiot. Okay, so I am.

Next up a ground squirl decides to take off across the road. Okay, out to the yellow line, back to the white line, back to the middle of the lane, one front paw up looking at me coming down on it. I go to the right, good choice as it scampers quickly off the road to the left.

Funny thing when you on the backroads in Utah. Farmers see a car of bike coming they don't recognize, they look at you kind of strange. Give 'em a friendly wave and all is good in their life again. Pull into Fountain Green and realize I'm now 80 miles into my little 30 mile ride.

At this point, I can go back the way I came, or take a little ride down Nephi canyon. I will only add a couple more miles overall. By now the clouds have started to thicken and the wind has picked up. I'm thinking it must be coming off the mountains to my North. Why? The peaks are still ocevered with snow and this wind seems to have gotten a lot cooler. Wait a second . . . sun is back out and it's warming back up.

Stop at the truck Stop in Nephi for a little rest and refreshments, then head south on Highway 28. About this time it dawns on me -- It's Friday. That because every vehicle seems to be a truck pulling a boat or camper.

As I roll down the hill into Gunnison again, couple of fire trucks, a police car and a lot of people at the park. Sign says welcome home from iraq to a batallion from the area. They Guardsmen are getting ready to load up on the fire trucks for a parade through town. I feel like I need to wave or something, people lining both sides of the street.

So of Gunnison I can tell every field that is being irrigated. Temp of the wind feels like it drops 10 degrees going past those fileds.

Finally pull into the parking lot at home. Check the tire -- still holding -- looks around the for kids that live in the other apartments, but none to be seen. Look down at the trip meter, 123 miles since the fill up in Manti. Looks like my littel 30 mile ride turned into a 180 mile ride today.

Isn't that was days off at work are for?

Fishlake run

It's been almost a month since I've been able to get out on the road. Had my kids for a few weeks, and other things come up on days off from work. Today, no kids, nothing planned, and lots of sunshine when I got out of bed.

Got some bottles of Ice water all set, geared up and headed out. When I topped off the tank I didn't really have an idea of where I was going to go, just a general direction. It was Sunday, so I was suprised to see the owner of a local motorcycle shop in. Stopped in and talked with him about a sissybar bag I've been looking at. He told me to stop by when I got back and we could talk about the price.

So off I headed. I knew I wanted to go up the Glenwood Dougway, I've started to enjoy going up through the 2 miles of turns.

Starting up the bottom of the Dougway



Going East on Highway 24 I had to make my choice, do I head down 62 to Otter Creek state park, or go on 25 to Fishlake. Being Sunday, I knew nothing would be open down 62, but all the resturants would be open at the lake.

Koosharem Reservoir along Highway 24.



With it being the end of the weekend, it was a steady stream of campers coming back from a weekend in the wilderness.



Turning off onto the highway to fishlake, I started to wonder about the weather.



The extra 2,000 foot elevation up to the lake felt good compared to the heat we've had the last couple of weeks. Lake is about 9,500 feet and riding through the quakies feels good.



Couple more turns and lake comes into view.



That big cloud in the distance is starting to raise a little more concern, because now they are also popping up behind me as well. Fishlake isn't a swimming lake -- WAY to cold for that even in August and September. But you should see the fish they pull out of that thing (they hit it on the head when they named the lake.)

It's just before noon, and I'm not ready for lunch yet. Figure I can go up to Johnson Reservoir, then back to the lodge for lunch.

Looking down on Johnson reservoir



Yea, those clouds are really starting to be a concern now. I made a stop at the View area above johnson's and was going to get a wonderfull picture of the Fishlake valley. Unfortunatly, the batteries in the camera had given out (knew I should have put fresh one's in before I left or taken an extra set.)

At the View area, I could see the Dirt road that goes from Johnson's up through Gooseberry to Interstate 70. But the paved road kept going. I've never been past Johnson's so I figured today was a good day.

Bad day for the batteries to go dead. Meadows, road winds through the Fishlake National Forrest (ummm yea 8 percent grade with u-turns, right turns, left turns -- man it was a blast).

Found a lot of places I've sent officers to over last four years, and only had a general idea where they were. The road dumped out onto Highway 72. Would have loved to have gone North on 72 over hogans pass. But remember those clouds? It looked like it was raining good up over the pass, so I head South were it doesn't as bad.

Stop in Loa, only thing open is a gas station and nothing really to eat so it's a candy bar, some water and look west on 24 back the way I came.

I'm gonna get wet. No if's, and's, or butts about it. So the camera with the dead batteries and the GPS go into the saddle bag.

20 miles of on and off rain back to Richfield. I like going up the Glenwood Dougway. But I don't like going down it (another 8 percent grade), and found out I especially don't like going down it in a rain storm!

Last mile to home it started to come down. Saw lightning hit into a field beside the road in that last mile. Figure it was pretty close, thunder was good and loud over the sound of the wind, the bike, and the music from the headphones.

Don't have to work tomorrow. Same kind of forcast. Wonder if I can make it up old Highway 4 and to Cove fort before the rain tomorrow.

Not much riding this month, other than to work and back. Well with the new bag I can actually go to the store and come back with more than a gallon of milk (and equivalent size of other items in the other bag.) Days off have been full of other things going on.

But as luck would have it, this week in Utah is the 24th of July holiday. So I've got four days off and have a plan. Well I hope the plan goes well.

Have been stocking up on supplies, got a new point and shoot camera for pictures from the ride. Found a little suitcase that I can bungie cord to the sissybag. Found an inexpensive rain suit -- If you've never been to Utah during the summer, the saying is "if you don't like the weather wait an hour or drive an hour." Well the next three days I'm going to be doing both.

Original plan was to leave today. I'm am Sooooooooooooooooo glad I had to put off a day and make it a three day trip instead of a four day trip. Northern Utah got hammered by rain today -- a lot of area's got over an inch of rain in an hour. I would have been in the middle of that. Someone is looking out for me (hopefully). If you live in a wet area of the county and say an inch in an hour is just a spring storm. Keep in mind here in Richfield we get 5 1/2 inches of rain the entire year. Drainaige systems here just are not designed for that kind of water!

To many on here, my ride is a normal day for them. Sure I've been riding for four years steady. But most of that is just around town, and to the surrounding towns. Longes ride I've had was just under 200 miles. According to the map, tomorrow it's 150 miles from Richfield to Heber. So it should't be a problem. In the cage it takes me just under three hours for that, so I'm planning on 5 on the bike (lots of stops for water since it will be near 100 again tomorrow.) Then ride "royal street" thursday and another 150 home on Friday.

Tomorrow before I take off I'll post a picture of the Vulcan loaded up and ready to go.

Northern Utah or bust!

Just for fun, and because I was bored this afternoon, here is the front and back of a tee shirt I made for the ride (under the gear of course)

Sun is shining this moring. Weather forcast says the rain from yesterday should be gone. so I'm off into the wild blue yonder.

Day 1: Wed July 23. Ready, set, better check the math.

Well, in some things I'm a procrastonater at heart. Have had several days to get things packed and ready to go, but goofed off yesterday making the new shirt to wear. Soooo got going late after packing and making sure everything would stay secure to the bike.

Look down, 132 miles. quick math says 50 mpg 3 gallon tank, I can make it to Salina before fuel. ABout a quarter mile out of town the bike just stops and I coast to the side of the road. Look down at the trip meter again. Then re-do the math. 50+ is highway speed driving. 40+ is what I've been getting around town. Oh geez. Switch to reserve, turn around and head back into town to fuel up.

At Nephi, I decide to take the old highway through mona and Santaquin, then into payson.

Problem is, Santaquin has grown since the last time I took the old Highway. Not sure what road goes to payson anymore. So I follow someone who looks like they know where they are going. Yup, sure do, they are headed out to the orchards, unfortunately, the pictures didn't turn out. Kinda guessed on the next road to turn on, and was right.

Next stop provo for fuel, trip at 120 miles so far. Don't trust the last 30 miles after the start I had. But after the fill up and doing the math (on the calculator on the phone), WOW 56 miles per gallon on the first leg. THAT I like.

Decide it's too nice of a day to eat inside, so I stop and get a burger to go and head up to the park in Provo Canyon. Pondered a stop at Bridal Vail falls, but didn't like the looks of the clouds forming, and I'd rather not ride in the rain.

Get to my brothers house, start removing things and look at the tripod. One of the nuts has vibrated off somewhere along the line. Looks like it will be landscape shots of the fireworks tomorrow. But I'm looking forward to a couple of the mountain roads tomorrow as well.