Trip from NV to MN. Cool stuff to see , stuff to avoid

[dcsob]

Vision riders.
I am picking up a bike in NV. Driving back to MN. Was going to cut through s.Utah, and s. Colorado. Weather is not cooperating in the least. Will be swinging into mid to northern area of AZ,NM,TX, then working my way back to MN on trip back.
Need hints on good roads, interesting things to see in the general area(s). My preference is state hi ways and such as I find the interstates very boring, although at times a necessary evil.
Thanks for any input.

P.S. Global Warming my ass.
Hoping I make it through the security check points with my eclipse.

[vadasz1]

MAke sure to ride thru Kingman, AZ and visit the Southwestern Canadian.......RickG

[Rick G]

I recommend Old Hiway 66 instead of I 40.  If you call me ahead I'll give you and escort part of the way . If you are traveling on 66 you should take a side trip on county 18 , through the Hualipie and Havasupi reservations, it runs right out to the Grand Canyon. let me know where your coming from and I can make additional recommendations.

[h2olawyer]

If time and weather ae not an issue, crossing So. CO has a couple options.  US 50 through Pueblo, Salida & Gunnison to Montrose, then South on US 550  with two options.  Turn at Ridgeway and head into Utah through Bedrock & the Paradox Valley or stay on 550 and head over Red Mountain Pass + Molas Divide, passing by Silverton and on into Durango.  Then US 160 to the Four corners Monument or US 666 through Dove Creek into Utah.

In Utah, the Canyonlands area is incredible and you are just a short distance from Monument Valley (where many western movies were filmed).  Absolutely amazing scenery from Pueblo, CO all the way through Utah if you decide to take that route.

H₂O

[dcsob]

Thanks for input.
Fly into Reno on 4-1. Will be coming down US 95 into AZ. Would be in Kingman area thur pm or fri morning. Could go for escort or even point me to the good roads. Doing route 66 sounds real good. Would go into areas H2O said but I don't trust the weather this week. That's where I had planed to go 2 weeks ago when this all got set up. Have watched the weather deteriorate ever since.
Hey, it'll be an adventure. I'm always up for those.
Rick G. My phone cell # is 715-222-2375, if you call and no ans just leave message. I'ld call back during a rest stop.

[h2olawyer]

The more southerly route should be better.  We're in more of a mid-winter weather pattern than spring.  Guess since we didn't have a real winter pattern here in January this year that things are catching up.  The Steamboat Ski Area has received over 50 inches of snow in the past week.  There are still storms lined up clear out into the Gulf of Alaska that will come through every 3 or 4 days.  March is traditionally the snowiest month of the year, but it's coming a couple weeks later this time.

At your southern route, any snow on the roads shouldn't last long at all.  Here, if it snows during the day now, the roads pretty much remain wet.  If it snows at night or in the morning, the roads get icy for a while, then clear up OK in the afternoon.  Farther south, things are generally warmer so the roads aren't quite as bad.

When I lived in Steamboat, I installed the snow tires in September and went back to highway tread about June 1 every year.  The worst storms tent to be fall or spring events - but their effects are much shorter.  They do make for slicker roads during the stors, though.  For those of you in more 'temperate' climates, the roads are slickest when the temps are near freezing.  That's when you get a layer of melt water on top of the ice, making travel really treacherous.

H₂O

[funkamongus]

Im in Tahoe, If you're close,, even just close, You HAVE to see Tahoe,, Emerald bay especially.. well worth an extra couple hours..

[Rick G]

I'm concerned, dcsob, called me around 6:00 pm last evening, and asked for directions .His speedo has given up the ghost, so I have dug out a spare and all my speedo parts, in preporation of solving the problem, when he gets here. It sounded like he was 2 hours away, and I gave him directions. I've left 3 messages on his voice mail , but haven't heard from him since. We are getting 50 mile an hour wind gusts in northern AZ. so he may be holed up in a motel. Hope he is OK !

[Rick G]

Don called me this afternoon , he's OK  just heading for the horizon  as fast as he can , trying to out run the storm, that's headed east.

[kwells]

run forest run

[supervision]

holly macroll, what an adventure!  Here's to your stator!, my your windings, stay cool, and always insulated.  Have your crew chief, Rick, build you some hippo hands from milk jugs, and also cover some of the radiator to raise the engine temp allitle.

[Rick G]

I don't know what he was on , but its not a Vision . He seemed to be short a licence plate and was concerned about enforcement attention!

[funkamongus]

ahhhh. that happens...

[dcsob]

Rick G and all the rest of you V's.

Adventure I wanted. Got it in spades.
This WIND does it ever friggin stop blowing? All right, I can take some side wind, but starting to scrape my toes when it gusts?  I mean, get real. 
Why look that semi just started to get wagged by the trailer. I have to admit I was feeling a little exposed out there.
Closing the Interstate due to dust?? oh and a pileup of semi's. Seems the trailer zigged when it shoulda zagged took out a semi car carrier and two standard trailers diesel spilled all over hell and gone along with all the glass and plastic chunks from the cars, hubcaps and even a ?steering wheel?. Must have been a heck of a wreck.
Tumble weeds. I had no idea they could impact and be felt through the bike as a nice wiggle.
Then the speedo takes a dump. Best watch the speed with the rpm's. I can do that. Adventure you want adventure you get.
Started to use oil 1qt/100-120 miles yet no fouled plug??? Could be a valve guide seal dried up in the desert (Reno) area since it had been sitting for a spell. Maybe some western riders can tell me just how long a "spell" is?
Then the cold. Historic mean was 50-63 degrees for the whole trip back. No problem I can get by with light weight clothes and my joe rocket gear. Plus the eclipse vest. Oops its a 6 volt system hmm that wont quite do it, gee my sr 500 was 12 volts. Crap
Adventure it is then.
Near froze to death, resorted in the last 500 miles to using empty pop bottles filled with hottest water out of the tap as a heat source on the chest to keep the core warm. Also used a trick from the board on using vinyl gloves under the outer glove to avoid evaporative cooling of the fingers. Sweet tip. worked super. Ahh adventure.
Lost my chain had to get it back on in Iowa (is this heaven) that has happened to me before, I always carry extra masters and repair segments.
Got so desperate in Texas/Oklahoma from the cold and head wind I started asking people if I could throw the bike in their trailer (empty of course) and got looks like "what and allow this escaped ax murderer to bury us in shallow graves along a dusty back road" Must've been the shaved head and the fact that only someone certifiable would be out in this on a xt500 single.
Finally accepted the fact that:
1) I dont get picked up as a hitchhiker.
2) I just have that look
3) Ain't nobody going to help except that dude in the mirror.
Crap. Actually, I thought much bluer than that but this is a family friendly board.
So I just put the spurs to it and went into Int. Iron Butt Assoc. machine status. Stop get in line to pre pay to pump gas,..(As an aside, must be a bucket load of thieves down your, way we only have that policy in the crappiest neighborhoods around here).. gas up, check oil, get back in line to get my change, get ignored while Billy Bob and Jimmy Wayne catch up on the latest gossip, finally get my change, brief warm up with a coffee, helmet on,give her the boot, roar off into the breeze. I didn't even bother to turn it off the last 900 miles.

Big Sigh

Relative monotony awaits
Made it home at 12:57 A.M. april 6  24 degrees brrr.
The xt has a very comfy seating position

[dcsob]

Also,
If I had a dollar for every wit who asked me either was I on a motorcycle, (who me, I always wear a friggin helmet dont you) or are you cold? I could have eaten steak every meal on the way home with out paying a penny of my own money.
Buncha dullards

[kwells]

reminds me of my ride from Chicago to Denver 2 yrs ago.  I was having to swerve around the tumble weed and the cross winds exhausted me.  Then came the snow once I got about 100 miles from Denver.  Was glad when I finally made it the 1000 miles home.

Get some rest.

hard core man.

[funkamongus]

I live out here now,, from the south,, Im an hour and a half from reno,, or draino as we call it.. vEry perceptive,, dullards is a compliment,, in fact,, you owe an apology to all the dullards in the world.. Im not trying to be mean, its common knowledge out here..

[Brian Moffet]

What's common knowledge out here?  (Yes, I'm further west than you are  :) )

Brian

[funkamongus]

the reno area... Its depressed, full of hookers and tweakers and all sorts of dullards and dregs,, Up here in tahoe, we call it Draino.