Thursday – The Loop

I pulled out of the campground at 7 a.m. and headed south on 191.  Destination – Mokee Dugway.  This a switchback that climbs out of the Valley of the Gods in Southeastern Utah.  The weather was cool, as the cloud cover was keeping the Sun’s rays from reaching the ground.  As they started to break up I was able to grab some awesome pictures of the light beams knifing through the clouds.  You will have to take my word for it.  I can’t retrieve them from the camera because the memory card was in the laptop at the time I was snapping these incredible pictures.  Since these fantastic shots are now on the internal memory, and I did not bring the cable for the camera with me (why would I need that?) you will simply have to take my word for it.  They were phenominal.  I can’t wait to see them myself for the first time 

Shots that DID make it onto the card – Route 191 headed south.

Approach to the Mokee Dugway.

At the base of the switchbacks I had turned on the helmet camera to record the climb.  Unfortunately it ended up in “picture” mode, not video mode.  I didn’t discover this until the end of the evening…when a re-do out of the question.

The Dugway successfully ascended, it was on to Lake Powell and ferry. If you are not careful, Utah can leave you stranded without a gas station.  You need to pay close attention to the miles between locations and gas up often.  By the time I arrived at Lake Powell I was running on hope.

The ferry captain brought it in for one of the smoothest touches I’ve ever seen.  I was now headed for the Burr Trail and Notom Road that leads up into Capitol Reef N.P. and the Waterpocket Fold.  This was about an hour long ride where I got to goof off with the camera again.

Burr Trail starts off paved then changes to gravel.  The road was in good shape at first, mostly hard packed gravel, but once on Notom road the washboard surface was brutal. There was no escaping it.  I tried different speeds, riding the edges, nothing was working.  To make matters even worse, there were sections of front wheel swallowing sand dotting the edges of the road.

I did get to enjoy some of the scenery between the butt puckering episodes of sand and bone jarring washboards.

Once I got the feeling back into my arms and legs I headed north 24.  There is a section on this road that makes you wonder if you have left this planet.  A barren moonlike landscape, tortured from the baking sun.

Your reward for pushing on through the moonscape is an oasis called Hollow Mountain.  This is a gas station/convenience store that has been carved out of the side of a huge rock.  I was here two years ago with the VStrom and took a pic in the same spot.

From two years ago-

I consumed two large bottles of gatorade and refilled the camelback.  Next stop, friends in Helper Utah.  They have a spectacular view, a fire ring and WiFi 

I’m trying to get a video uploaded to YouTube of the Waterpocket Fold.  First try has been unsuccessful….

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