Spring has sprung!

It's a beautiful spring day. My son Fenton and I had planned on a ride to Grantsville to another son's house where Fenton would install new sprockets and chain on his bike. Time for a ride!

I wake up to this - nothing like a crisp morning to go on a ride!

On the way to Fenton's house.

Dexter and Roxie are sad because they can't go with us. At least they will be warm in the house.

Fenton (dressed for a cool day).

Going past the 1,215 foot tall Kennecott Copper Mine stack. It is the tallest U.S. freestanding structure west of the Mississippi, and fourth tallest stack in the world. Since the building of this stack in 1974, and an upgrade in 1995 the mountains to the south have made an amazing rebound. It's great to see them green and alive!

Were this stack here 25,000 years ago, all but the top 100 feet or so would have been under the water of massive Lake Bonneville.

Some clouds as we go around the mountain and west to Grantsville.

Great Salt Lake, the remnant of Lake Bonneville.

We make it to Grantsville.

I get to visit with one of my favorite buddies, Ryker the biker. We jump on his Dad's 'wheeler' and go for a spin.

'The biker' can be a ham sometimes.

Time to go, and lucky too as a storm chases me back home.

We have had a steller precipitation year. In the Grantsville area there is a lot of standing water, Deet will be a popular item this summer.
Wasn't much of a ride, but the good company and visits make up for the lack of miles.

Devil's Highway Day 1

Nomad buddy, Jared, has bought a new to him nomad and has to fly to El Paso, Tx to pick it up and ride home. He invites me to meet him as he rides home and ride together a bit. Sounds like a plan, time for a ride!

Looking at routes I see I can check two places off my bucket list; Winslow Az (becuase of the Eagles song, Take it Easy), and the Devil's highway (route 191) in Az

I was going to take my nomad, but the morning as I go out to leave I find a glitch. A new farkle I had recently installed on the nomad needs some adjustments....I have to choose, work on the nomad, and leave in a while, or move my gear to the strom and leave now. Leaving now sounds good to me so I unload the kaw and load up the strom. I'm on my way in minutes.

A theme that will keep repeating itself the first two days of this ride is; "that's a road that I've always wanted to ride..."

As I pass Helper, Ut, I notice a road that I've always wondered what was down it, and I find this. I'm glad I followed it.

Back on the main road, I enter Price and have to re-route around the St. Patricks day parade. I stop and watch part of the parade. These young parents were part of the parade, you just have to love small town celebrations!

Back on SR 6 I see another road I've always wanted to ride....what the heck, I have time. Well, I did have time, but I got sidetracked on yet another road a few miles up the canyon, so Nine Mile Canyon will have to wait till another day.

The day before I left for this ride Strom buddy, Tom, tells me about a road in this area that I didn't even know existed....what the heck I have time...

So I've seen two new towns today, already this is a great ride. Next stop is Green River, Ut. I need to get a pic of the Strom in front of the Golden Ratio.

And what's a trip to Green River without a watermelon?

Leaving Green River my only option is I-70 so off I go heading for Moab. But I stay on 70 past Moab (Exit 204) so I can ride SR 128, a very scenic road that follows the Colorado River back to Moab.

It's getting late....

Day one miles - 320

Devil's Highway Day 2

I leave Moab and ride south on 191


Wilsons Arch.

And then I see.....you guessed it another road I've always wanted to ride. SR 211 that goes to Canyonlands NP. What the heck, I have time...

The end of the road, turn around and head out.

A road off SR 211 is a "shortcut" to Monticello. One of the rangers at the visitors station tells me she thinks it is still impassable due to snow. But I try it anyway. I get 10 miles from Monticello and run into this but I keep going by using my feet as outriggers. After two more such places, my arms are tired and my feet are getting cold so I decide to take the long way around.

Still on US 191 in Az now.