Southwest

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Southwest

Postby Bicyclist » Tue May 21, 2013 9:06 pm

I took a ride to the Southwest after the Georgia Mountain Rally. Paid a visit to the Hill Country in Texas to ride the Three Sisters.


Well, my Three Sisters ride didn't go quite as planned. I'd hoped to get a lot of pictures of the Hill Country vistas, but the day started out overcast and misty and then deteriorated to drizzle. That didn't help in the twisty bits.

I headed SW through Medina, Vanderpool, Leakey and Camp Wood on 337.

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The road flings itself over the landscape in a riot of twists and cuts. It was fun despite the weather.

In this neck of the woods, they don't build bridges over the hollows. Instead, they lay some pavement over some pipes in the low spots and let the water run over the road when it's high enough. Each gully has a flood gauge to let you know how deep the water might be. And there's lots of em.

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At Camp Wood, I turned north and picked up RR335. That's Ranch Road 335. The FM roads are Farm to Market.

Along the way, I came across this place. Every ranch has a big fancy gate, but this was a bit over the top. The top of the wall had broken glass embedded in it.

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His next door neighbor lived here.

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I liked this road; the turns were more sweeping and faster and elevation changes were quite steep. You could almost get air going over the top and really pick up some Gs at the bottom.

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At the end of 335, I turned east and rode across and turned south to pick up 336 to head back down to Leakey. This sign appeared, so I kept a close watch for cattle. When I was running up 191 in Arizona, last year?, there was a whole herd of longhorns on the road.

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So, what should appear but these guys and they have no qualms about voicing their opinion of being photographed.

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I gassed up and had lunch in Leakey, then headed north and east toward Kerrville. A ways up the road I found this view of the river.

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Lady Bird musta been this way, cause the roadside was covered with wildflowers.

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Heading back into town, I came across this guy's rig. I guess that's what you do when you get too old to ride a
motorcycle.

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Oh, and along the way, the bike rolled over 30K.

Think I'll head for Van Horn, tomorrow, and hope to avoid the coming weather.
George

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Re: Southwest

Postby Bicyclist » Tue May 21, 2013 9:08 pm

It was overcast and drizzling when I left at 8:15, but the temperature was comfortable. With the cruise control set just above the speed limit of 75, I motored west on I10. Soon, the speed limit jumped up to 80, but I continued at 77. It was no problem with almost no traffic on the road. They're building a new power line along the highway with towers in all stages of construction. About 10 miles from Junction, I saw them stringing the wire. It's quite an operation and a blight on the landscape.

I10 is a more interesting road to drive than I20 to the north. The terrain is constantly changing with the road running through cuts in the rock. As you approach Fort Stockton, you run out of the hills, onto the flats. I made the classic mistake of not knowing where gas was to be found and rode past the place I should have stopped. With the fuel gauge pegged in the red, I slowed to about 60 to try to make it another 24 miles past where I thought there was gas, but turned out not to be. I made it and put 4.7 gallons in the 5.2 gallon tank. There are some long stretches in Texas.

Eventually, I turned south toward US90 and Alpine. The town of Alpine rests among an outcropping of very rocky hills. You can see upheaved rock plates sticking out of the tops. With a population of about 5700, it's a surprisingly rockin place for being out in the middle of nowhere. Here's the place to go for lunch.

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Heading west out of town, you drone along the straight, flat, boring road until it suddenly becomes interesting. The railroad is being reconstructed. There are interesting machines and piles of stuff to look at. Then you come to this.

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It's a Air Force Tethered Aerostat Radar site. I don't know how they ever fly the thing because the wind howls across the flats. It was entertaining to watch miles of dust devils meandering along. Especially when they grabbed up some tumbleweeds.

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Just before I got to Marfa, one scooted across the road in front of me with a captive tumbleweed doing a manic dance. Marfa is a smaller, more down at the heels town with a population of about 2100. The next place is Valentine. It looks like this.

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Shortly after you leave town, you come to this.

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A look in the window reveals.

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I composed this so that I would appear in the mirror.

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So, what's it doing out in the middle of nowhere?

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It's an art installation!
People have left their business cards on the ledge on the side of the building. Ya never know what you're going to find when you're out buzzing around.

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I'll be heading north of Silver City, NM to look at the Gila Cliff Dwellings tomorrow.
George

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Re: Southwest

Postby Bicyclist » Tue May 21, 2013 9:12 pm

I changed my oil last night, then went to dinner at the Hotel El Capitan, same place I found two years ago. It's a neat old hotel that has undergone $2.5 mil in renovations. I'd love to stay there, but it's above my price point.

They were in a frenzy reporting a big apartment fire in El Paso on the local news station.
I rolled out at 8:15, intending to make tracks so that I could run up to the Gila Cliff Dwelling. Crossing the time zone just outside town gained me an hour, some of which I lost sitting in line at the Border Patrol checkpoint west of La Cruces. I hate that ****. "You a citizen?" "All my life."

I was treated to a nice lightning display on the way to Silver City, but only got a bit of rain. I tanked up, ate lunch and stopped at the Albertsons to restock my orange juice. After getting everything buttoned up, I headed up 15 to look for my flop. The road winds like a snake, like the roads running up and down the Blue Ridge for 25 miles. It climbs over the Continental Divide at something over 7000 feet. Where I10 crosses, the elevation is only about 4000 feet. There wa a bit of rain, but not bad. I'm getting up in elevation. The inn is located at the intersection of 15 and 35. I arrived at 1, checked in , dumped my junk and headed up the road to the cliff dwelling. They said that after Florida, New Mexico is the most lightning struck place. The park guys have lightning monitors and close the trail if there are strikes within 8 miles. A small group of us sat around shooting the **** while we waited for things to calm down.

I'll bet the first guy to go up that canyon said "Holy ****, we've found it!" when he saw the caves. That was around 1280. They think the dwelling was occupied by a family group of about 60. It's a perfect location. The stream in the canyon has never gone dry. It drains into the Gila river, which is also a reliable source of water. It's a pretty neat place to see.

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The Toad Creek Inn is at the intersection of 15 and 35. It doesn't appear on mapping programs, probably because it is a property being renovated from some previous incarnation. I found out about it on the Park Service website and sent em an email. They have rooms in one building and a bar and restaurant in another. Very comfortable bed and good food in the restaurant. I was surprised at the number of people who showed up for dinner. Apparently there are a lot more of them out there in the sticks than you think.
George

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Re: Southwest

Postby Bicyclist » Tue May 21, 2013 9:15 pm

I awoke to sunshine, blue skies and puffy white clouds! It was brisk enough that I needed a coat and hat to go out and look at the bike, but warmed quickly, so that I had to stop at the top of the mountain and shed a layer. Along the way back to Silver City, there were quite a few cyclists pumping up the hills. A lot of them had on a really nice New Mexico flag jersey. I wondered whether they were riding up to the inn for lunch and then back. It would be a great ride. It's 25 miles one way with lots of elevation gain.


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I gassed up in Silver City and saw this guy.

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I rode up 180 to where it joins with 191 in Alpine, AZ. Two years ago I rode up 191 two days before the big forest fire, so it was interesting to see the damage. The upper sections of the mountains were burned off with fire coming right down to the road in some places. Funny how it skips some areas. That fire burned across into a section of New Mexico and came within 20 miles of the inn.

After lunch in Eagar, it was a drone up to I40, a jog over to Gallup and another drone up 491 to Shiprock and then 25 miles to Farmington. About 400 miles for the day.

Tomorrow I'll head for Moab. I plan to flop there for 3 nights and do some day rides in the parks.
George

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Re: Southwest

Postby Bicyclist » Tue May 21, 2013 9:16 pm

It was a very good day. Cool and comfortable when I left. I love the low humidity. I cruised west on 64, crossed into Arizona, which does a much better job of paving their roads, and turned north on 191. That was close to 100 miles of almost dead straight riding. You have no sense of the size of this country and its empty spaces until you ride out west. Seeing Alaska must be amazing. Anyway, I crossed into Utah, stopping for the obligatory border pic and to assist a bevy of young ladies with their border pic. I gassed up in Bluff, not wanting a repeat performance of my Texas difficulty and headed for Monument Valley. The road dips into Mexican Hat, crosses the river and climbs back out. It rolls along for a few miles, then, as you crest a rise, there it is, right out of a Western movie, Monument Valley.

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After riding both ways through the valley, I stopped in Mexican Hat for lunch. Had a nice grilled chicken on Navajo fry bread at the trading post beside the river. I need to learn to make fry bread.

After lunch, I stopped at Mexican Hat Rock.

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And then headed up 261 toward the Natural Bridge park. Now, 261 is a bit of an adventure. As you head north, all you can see is a massive wall of stone with no indication where the road goes.

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Where it goes is up! Right up that wall. It turns to gravel for 3 miles and slithers up the side of the cliff.

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Look for the two people in the notch to right of center.

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See the Jeep?

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Its called the Moki Dugway and was built to move uranium ore from the "Happy Jack Mine". It's a spectacular climb.

At Natural Bridge.


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From there, I headed for Moab. Along the way, I passed some snow covered peaks and came across Wilson Arch.

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I climbed part way up and it wouldn't be hard to go all the way if you weren't wearing riding gear.

Rates are ridiculous in Moab; $100 for the Super8. I'm very pleased with my room at the Virginian Motel. The ranger at the Gila Cliff Dwelling told me about the place. He and his wife stayed here. It's a Mom n Pop a block off the main drag and considerably cheaper. I have a large room with fridge, microwave, coffee maker, desk, table and chairs and a comfortable bed. And they have a place to wash your bike! The grocery is a block away and has a good salad bar. I got my dinner and chocolate cake for $10. So I'll be camped here for a couple of days while I ride around the parks.
George

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Re: Southwest

Postby Bicyclist » Tue May 21, 2013 9:18 pm

I had decided to visit Arches National Park, today. The weather people were forecasting heat and I wanted to be able to hike the trails, so I loaded up my cooler with ice and water and abandoned my riding pants and boots for my nylon pants and regular shoes. The geezer pass got me into the park for free. I love it.

The park is full of arches (duh) and monolithic red sandstone forms with large pieces precariously balanced. You stand there hoping something will happen. But all you get is silence. Pictures don't do justice to the scale of the place. If you look carefully, you can see two people at the bottom center of the pic.

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Next is Balanced Rock. You can walk up and stand under it, craning your neck.

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It seemed that most of the people I talked to were foreigners and they were particularly astounded by the scenery.

So, here's your first arch.

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There are several in this vicinity. I chose the primitive trail to wander around them. Around the back side, people have found their own way to see what they want to see, but the parks guys object.

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It sure as heck looks like one! And since it is, why don't they have enough sense to make it official?

Take a look up at this arch and tell me whether you want to stand under it.

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I took this pic to post on the "you park like an *******" site.

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After finishing up this area. I moved along and eventually wound up at the distant end of the park. It had become quite warm and the last trail was a 7 mile loop, some of it on primitive trail through soft sand. I elected to skip the soft sand. I like the way this arch is framed with its own shadow.

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There was a profusion of blooming plants along the way.

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I liked the coloration of the rock this thing was growing out of.

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And there were lizards.

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Finally, at the end of the trail, is Landscape Arch. In 1991, a big chunk fell out of the bottom, making it even thinner than it was.

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I was starting to drag *** on the hike back, so I headed for the Moab Brewery for a very late lunch. The bike got a bath. I found the coin laundry for tomorrow and hit up the grocery store for my dinner. Think I'll sleep well tonight. More parks tomorrow.
George

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Re: Southwest

Postby Bicyclist » Tue May 21, 2013 9:22 pm

Slept like a log after yesterday's fresh air and exercise. Then staggered out of bed full of aches and pains and sunburn. For today's excursion, I wore a long sleeved shirt and wrapped my bandanna around my redneck. Loaded up the cooler with ice and water and headed for Canyonlands National Park all the way down to the end, which is called the Grand View Overlook. It's in a section between the Green and Colorado Rivers just about at the confluence. A substantial portion of Utah is underlaid by a thick salt layer left millions of years ago when some sea dried up. Layer after layer of sedimentary rock built up on top of the salt. As its not a very stable material, the salt shifted under the load of rock, causing fractures. The endless effects of water has eroded the cracked layers of rock creating the fantastic forms that attract people from all over the world. The sedementary rock looks so much different from the much harder upthrust rock which form the peaks of the LaSal mountains just east of here.

Where I was, you look down about 1000 feet to another layer and then further to the river bottom. At some point before it was a park, to encourage Uranium exploration, the govt built a gravel road on the lower level. It is now called the White Rim Road (for obvious reasons) and is used by 4WD, OHV, and motorcycle adventures. The road is about 100 miles in length. You can see it in this pic with a vehicle on it.

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And this is looking east toward the La Sals.

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I was very interested to have a look at a form called the Upheaval Dome. It's very different than the surrounding terrain. They're not sure how it was formed, whether by a salt dome that collapsed or a meteor strike. In any case, it's a 1500 foot deep bowl. It's a good hike to see it. I took my larger water bottle and set out in the noon day sun. This is another example of where a picture just does not do justice to the scale of the thing.

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There is a second overlook down a more rugged trail that I wanted to see, so I set off clambering over the rocks. A lot of this area is covered with slickrock and you can't always see where the trail is supposed to be, so they mark it with rock piles.


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It was hot, I was whipped from yesterday, it was over 6000 feet in elevation, and the climbs were steep. I almost gave up. I turned around and started back and then decided that I would probably never have another chance to see it, so I turned back around a kept going. Finally got there.


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So, there I am, half dizzy, standing on the edge of the 1500 foot precipice.

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You can see how events twisted the rock wall. Very different from the layers everywhere else.


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The cool thing was that I was alone out there. No one else made the hike while I was on the trail. I took a lot of breaks on the return to catch my breath and wait for my heart rate to drop. And there were things to see. I liked the lichen on this wall.

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Saw lizards.

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And plants.

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Finally made it back to my motorcycle and headed for town for a late lunch.

The other day, I heard an older Hispanic gentleman at one of the arches say, "I prepared for this. I went up and down the stairs 15 times every other day for two weeks."

I saw a Navajo with a Mohawk.
George

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Re: Southwest

Postby Bicyclist » Tue May 21, 2013 9:26 pm

And then I rode home, dodging tornaders and idiots. Ran through a couple of frog stranglers and found that my gear was good for the job. Most days were 560 miles, the last 717 miles. Averaged 49 mpg.
George

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Re: Southwest

Postby ERC Scott » Tue May 21, 2013 9:37 pm

Kooool report(s). Scott
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Re: Southwest

Postby Unity » Tue May 21, 2013 10:55 pm

Wow, George. Wow.

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Re: Southwest

Postby PhilAger » Tue May 21, 2013 11:14 pm

Good Job, George! =D>

That there's some good reporting, Kemosabe! We'll take your viewpoints into consideration the next time we're out that way... :?

Hope you're also visiting some of them International Twin Cities along the way...

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Re: Southwest

Postby Flash! » Tue May 21, 2013 11:16 pm

Oh, George--you're killing me!! I've missed the Southwest so much since we left it, and have never seen the Texas Hill Country. I've have been trying for a long time to convince my family to meet near the Arches Park and camp, and just tour around the area. Such a great ride report! I loved the pictures, both scenic and bizarre, and the interesting and fun narrative. The "Navajo with a Mohawk" made me laugh out loud.

Thanks for the vicarious summer Southwest trip! =D>

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Re: Southwest

Postby Chiba » Wed May 22, 2013 8:21 am

Bicyclist wrote:Image

Wow. What a view!!
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Re: Southwest

Postby dgraling » Wed May 22, 2013 8:46 am

Great trip and write up George. Great to see you getting out and doing some exploring. Beautiful pictures.
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Re: Southwest

Postby Maria V » Thu May 23, 2013 8:25 am

dgraling wrote:Great trip and write up George. Great to see you getting out and doing some exploring. Beautiful pictures.


Ditto on this and all the other comments. Great trip and pics!
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