Cal group to Moab I

A group of  Strom buddies from California are coming to Moab to ride around....and I've invited myself to join them!

I ride to Moab on Saturday, the group will arrive on Tuesday so I have a couple days to explore.

I ride to the "ghost town" of Cisco...I say "ghost town" because I think there were people living in a few of the buildings.

Speaking of "ghosts" .... I think I saw the ghost of Kowalski in his white challenger speeding down the road - in Cisco, then they just ... "vanished"...

(no bull dozers were spotted)

I leave Cisco and go back onto SR128 westbound to Moab.

I'll stay in the Slickrock RV park in Moab for three days...I won't be staying there again. Poorly maintained bathrooms and very noisy.

The next morning I go the the local grocery to get some vittles.

After cooking breakfast, I go on a day ride. I've heard about a dirt road just west of Moab... I find Kane road and off I go.

Some newly built "ruins"...

You can see its a beautiful road.

I watched some four wheelers go through so I could see if there were any surprises....finally I felt like I had a good line picked out and motored on across.

I stop  just short of "Chicken corner" and talk with these jeepers then head back down the way I came.

Back in town I get a burger at Milts Stop and Eat.

After lunch I ride to Dead Horse State Park

Near the end of the Dead Horse road are these potash lakes... They are brilliant!

I leave Dead Horse SP and figure since I'm so close I'll ride into Canyon Lands NP and take a few photos.

Leaving Canyon Lands NP I ride back to Moab, but just as I'm getting to my campsite I remember a road I saw earlier and decide to follow it for a while.

Another crossing, this one MUCH deeper....but I make it.

And I run into a locked gate. But these holes in the cliff were intriguing.

I climb up to them, all three connect, and you can see someone has put a veneer inside them. Most of the veneer has fallen off or been broken off.

Well, its getting late, I grab a bite to eat and call it a day.

Cal group to Moab II

I move from the Slickrock RV park to the KOA in Moab....Much nicer!

Another road I've been told about is the road to Gateway, Colorado off of the La Sal Loop.

I ride it and find it is about 25 miles of good dirt road and 5 miles of rutty, miserable dirt road...

Hard to tell from the photo but it is VERY steep in some places.

Eventually I make it to pavement and then connect with Colorado highway 141 and ride to Naturita, Colorado where I stop for a burger at Blondies. While there I meet a couple from the Netherlands. He is enthralled with my darkside tire, and takes a photo because, "his friends won't believe it..."

They were real nice, I enjoyed talking with them.

I loop back into Utah and ride to the Needles overlook.

The next day I ride back to Naturita and wait for the California group to ride through. When I see them, they have ridden the Million Dollar Highway among many others on their way from the west coast.

And there they are...at least their bikes.

Back at our camp we take this photo.

 l to r - Yours truly, Bill, Sheryl, Don, Rick.

The next morning the Cal group wants to ride some of the places I've already seen, so I'll take another route. I ride south to see Hovenweep National Monument, passing the Hatch trading post along the way.

This place is fascinating!

The Puebloans lived here over 700 years ago. Apparently this area was once a thriving community.

I do the 1.5 mile walk around the parks wonders.

I rest and re-hydrate from the walk then I'm off to ride the Moki Dugway.

Stopping at the top I snap some pictures.

Back on the Moki..

And then riding toward hwy 191 I go through this formation just before Bluff.

On 191

The next morning I pack up to head for home...the Cal group has several more days ride before they will get to their homes. I leave reluctantly - they are a great group of people!

 On the way home I see these beauties near Price.

Another super ride in the books. 1570 miles. Southern Utah is absolutely beautiful, I love riding there

Thanks to Bill for letting me join his group (for a couple days..) and a million laughs.