We left Lake Powell with heavy hearts. Lisa found out that a long time Army friend, really a part of her family died unexpectedly. She spent the morning on the phone pacing back and forth from our room to her motorcycle, Betty. I gave her a long hug, told her I loved her, and then stayed out of her way. We all need to work through news like that in our own way. Lisa and I try to stretch every morning. I went into the room and she had started - she had talked with her mother. Claudia had calmed her down. She was ready to ride.
We headed SW on 89 to the Navajo Bridge, about 45 miles away. The scenery reminded me of the foothills of the High Atlas in Morocco. Sage, low shrubs were all we could see. Todd and I were on horseback there in 2005/06. We stopped in Marble Canyon, and walked the bridge over the Colrado River. We were surrounded by Vermillion Cliffs.
Once in Kanab, we headed N into the Dixie National Forest, almost immediately after entering, I could smell the Juniper and Pinyon Pine. Heaven. As I was riding, I had the sense that I had been here before, again, I felt Pirsig like. We began to see signs to watch for fire traffic, which we saw - a lot of -- but no smoke. I didn't even smell smoke. We pulled into fuel at a place in Jacob Lake. I knew why I had the sense that I had been here before, I had. Last year, but I had been traveling in the opposite direction. This is where the 2 truck drivers asked me if my husband really loved me. They couldn't believe he would LET me do that trip by myself, if he loved me.
There was Info. About the fire, it was named the Fuller Fire. I'm not sure if it had been set on purpose for forest rejuvenation, but that is the sense I got.
Coming out of the Dixie Forest, Lisa saw a heart in the sky made by clouds. I love signs that all is well. Dave was talking to her, I didn't notice it.
I saw a sign for Coral Sands State Park, on a whim, I pulled in. Then just as quickly, decided not to travel the 12 miles in. I looked for a place wide enough to do a U-turn. Stormy and I can turn in a small space, Betty needs a bit more room. Thought I had found a spot and started my turn ---- screwed up and saw I was going to go into the sand - no worries. HA!! It was deep and deeper ---- just pulled me over. Shut her off and laughed. Lisa almost wet her pants, she was laughing so hard. Just this morning I had been wondering if I would make this trip without dropping her.
We pulled into Ruby's Inn in Bryce Canyon around 4;45. Had just cracked a beer, when Robert came over with his Indian and sidecar and told us about the cool arch at the end of a cool sand road in Kodachrome State Park. There was even a water crossing. I really wanted to go. I looked at 9R --- she said GO! A group was leaving to go in 15. Lisa helped me get my panniers off. There were 6 of us. 5 sisters and Trevor - Colorado Adventure Moto - and a Rawhyde staff member. I met him when I went to Rawhyde in Feb. of 2015. He was awesome. Took care of us. The ride was badass fun. One really deep talcolm powder sand crossing --- I fell on way in, but made a nice recovery and rocked it on the way out. Chris fell on way out. Sue fell somewhere along the road --- bent the shifter -- no big deal - Trevor bent it back. Chris twisted her handlebars and a blinker light popped out. Trevor fixed her handlebars and 9R fixed her light when we got back. I was really sorry that Lisa couldn't go - she would have loved it. The group has 6? GS's that BMW donated for the ride, but all but 1 are assigned. Sue was riding the 700 that was being used as a demo bike.
I need to go back and tell you about lunch. We stopped at a place called Tod's. We made our own burgers. Have never seen anything like it -- it was a blast. We got frozen thick burgers out of a little freezer and put them in a turning grill. ( See FB pics ) There was a condiment bar with everything right in front of us. The burgers even came out rare. Lisa surmised that if someone wanted well done, they put 'em through again.
Wed. July 20th - India's birthday. Day off ---- some of the group went motorcycle riding, some horseback riding, one even went for a helicopter ride. Lisa and I rode to Zion NP and hiked. I was there exactly one year ago - July 20th. My experiences were vastly different. I guess I went earlier, because there were no lines for the shuttle. Lisa and lines do not get along. It was probably a 20 min. Wait. It was on her lips to bag it, but she held steady and decided to people watch. A man asked her if she was from Baltimore - she had an O's cap on and a Raven's key holder around her neck. He grew up in Baltimore but lives in LA with his wife and 3 boys - all were with him. We hiked the Kenyata Trail to the Emerald pools. It was a good hike but very hot. Lots of people, some rude, some polite. We heard one little boy ask his mother if he fell off a cliff should he grab hold of the cactus. A little further down the trail, we saw the spot that provoked that question. The little kids were mostly happy, teenage girls were giggly, singing, having fun. Teenage boys looked miserable. Heard some German, but mostly French along the trail. Perfume was sometimes overwhelming.
When we left the park around 2 --- it was 99.5 degrees. Traffic was light on the way out as opposed to the way in. We got to the Zion - Mt. Carmel Tunnel and it looked like we were going to be waved right through, but the Ranger stopped us. Lisa say's, " Niner's Luck" -
( always the longest line) --- then the Ranger motioned us forward and gave her the baton to give to the Ranger on the other side of the tunnel. WHOO HOO ---- That's my luck!!
Hot on the 71 mile ride back to our hotel. About 25 miles out we could see rain in the distance ---we were hot enough and close enough not to care about raingear. The temperature dropped to the high 60's. Made it back to the hotel just before a massive thunderstorm rolled through. Enjoyed it, although not with a good beer. We were out of good beer, all we could get here was 4%.
We headed SW on 89 to the Navajo Bridge, about 45 miles away. The scenery reminded me of the foothills of the High Atlas in Morocco. Sage, low shrubs were all we could see. Todd and I were on horseback there in 2005/06. We stopped in Marble Canyon, and walked the bridge over the Colrado River. We were surrounded by Vermillion Cliffs.
Once in Kanab, we headed N into the Dixie National Forest, almost immediately after entering, I could smell the Juniper and Pinyon Pine. Heaven. As I was riding, I had the sense that I had been here before, again, I felt Pirsig like. We began to see signs to watch for fire traffic, which we saw - a lot of -- but no smoke. I didn't even smell smoke. We pulled into fuel at a place in Jacob Lake. I knew why I had the sense that I had been here before, I had. Last year, but I had been traveling in the opposite direction. This is where the 2 truck drivers asked me if my husband really loved me. They couldn't believe he would LET me do that trip by myself, if he loved me.
There was Info. About the fire, it was named the Fuller Fire. I'm not sure if it had been set on purpose for forest rejuvenation, but that is the sense I got.
Coming out of the Dixie Forest, Lisa saw a heart in the sky made by clouds. I love signs that all is well. Dave was talking to her, I didn't notice it.
I saw a sign for Coral Sands State Park, on a whim, I pulled in. Then just as quickly, decided not to travel the 12 miles in. I looked for a place wide enough to do a U-turn. Stormy and I can turn in a small space, Betty needs a bit more room. Thought I had found a spot and started my turn ---- screwed up and saw I was going to go into the sand - no worries. HA!! It was deep and deeper ---- just pulled me over. Shut her off and laughed. Lisa almost wet her pants, she was laughing so hard. Just this morning I had been wondering if I would make this trip without dropping her.
We pulled into Ruby's Inn in Bryce Canyon around 4;45. Had just cracked a beer, when Robert came over with his Indian and sidecar and told us about the cool arch at the end of a cool sand road in Kodachrome State Park. There was even a water crossing. I really wanted to go. I looked at 9R --- she said GO! A group was leaving to go in 15. Lisa helped me get my panniers off. There were 6 of us. 5 sisters and Trevor - Colorado Adventure Moto - and a Rawhyde staff member. I met him when I went to Rawhyde in Feb. of 2015. He was awesome. Took care of us. The ride was badass fun. One really deep talcolm powder sand crossing --- I fell on way in, but made a nice recovery and rocked it on the way out. Chris fell on way out. Sue fell somewhere along the road --- bent the shifter -- no big deal - Trevor bent it back. Chris twisted her handlebars and a blinker light popped out. Trevor fixed her handlebars and 9R fixed her light when we got back. I was really sorry that Lisa couldn't go - she would have loved it. The group has 6? GS's that BMW donated for the ride, but all but 1 are assigned. Sue was riding the 700 that was being used as a demo bike.
I need to go back and tell you about lunch. We stopped at a place called Tod's. We made our own burgers. Have never seen anything like it -- it was a blast. We got frozen thick burgers out of a little freezer and put them in a turning grill. ( See FB pics ) There was a condiment bar with everything right in front of us. The burgers even came out rare. Lisa surmised that if someone wanted well done, they put 'em through again.
Wed. July 20th - India's birthday. Day off ---- some of the group went motorcycle riding, some horseback riding, one even went for a helicopter ride. Lisa and I rode to Zion NP and hiked. I was there exactly one year ago - July 20th. My experiences were vastly different. I guess I went earlier, because there were no lines for the shuttle. Lisa and lines do not get along. It was probably a 20 min. Wait. It was on her lips to bag it, but she held steady and decided to people watch. A man asked her if she was from Baltimore - she had an O's cap on and a Raven's key holder around her neck. He grew up in Baltimore but lives in LA with his wife and 3 boys - all were with him. We hiked the Kenyata Trail to the Emerald pools. It was a good hike but very hot. Lots of people, some rude, some polite. We heard one little boy ask his mother if he fell off a cliff should he grab hold of the cactus. A little further down the trail, we saw the spot that provoked that question. The little kids were mostly happy, teenage girls were giggly, singing, having fun. Teenage boys looked miserable. Heard some German, but mostly French along the trail. Perfume was sometimes overwhelming.
When we left the park around 2 --- it was 99.5 degrees. Traffic was light on the way out as opposed to the way in. We got to the Zion - Mt. Carmel Tunnel and it looked like we were going to be waved right through, but the Ranger stopped us. Lisa say's, " Niner's Luck" -
( always the longest line) --- then the Ranger motioned us forward and gave her the baton to give to the Ranger on the other side of the tunnel. WHOO HOO ---- That's my luck!!
Hot on the 71 mile ride back to our hotel. About 25 miles out we could see rain in the distance ---we were hot enough and close enough not to care about raingear. The temperature dropped to the high 60's. Made it back to the hotel just before a massive thunderstorm rolled through. Enjoyed it, although not with a good beer. We were out of good beer, all we could get here was 4%.