Ride Report and description of above Pictures:
A group of about 20 riders rode in 3 groups:
1. All offroad - with camping gear on the bike. I was in this group. Mostly 450cc dirt bikes but overall 225 to 650.
2. All offroad - fast and light, no camping gear on the bike, motel first night, truck support the 2nd. Again mostly 450's but overall 225 to 650.
3. The Big Pigs - on easier routes and a lot of pavement - 990 Adventure style but with camping gear on the bike.
Day 1: [First 27 pictures]
- Groups 1 and 2 left from Moab, southwest along the east side of the Colorado River on Lockhart Basin road about 63 miles to Needles Outpost for gas [pics 1-12]. Then through the Needles district of Canyonlands over obstacles like the infamous Elephant Hill and later the loose hill at Bobby's Hole, down Beef Basin road to the campsite in Ruin Park:
- After fretting most of the winter about how hard Elephant Hill would be, it turned out to live up to its name. Yet after I moved some boulders to fill in the major holes, I made it up the initial (most difficult) part of Elephant Hill and to my amazement I cleaned it without even a foot dab on my big 650! But then a complication occurred as my buddy Greg followed me but dropped his KLX250 and cracked his engine case on the brake side. So some guys helped me walk my bike back down to the bottom to help Greg fix his bike. We encouraged him that if he would repair it with JB Weld that it would hold. And it did. See the video above. [pics 13-23]
- So the 2 of us decided to take the much longer but easier southern route to Beef Basin Road to the Ruin Park campsite [pics 24-27]. Joining us were Brad and another rider who opted for the easier route since I had the GPS tracks to lead with. After a 2 hour delay it was 4 pm and though we went 60 miles vs. the main group going only 17 gorgeous but DIFFICULT miles, we ended up arriving at camp at the same time!
- Group 3 rode their big pigs on the pavement from the east and skipped all of Needles to hit the same easy southern route to Beef Basin road to the Ruin Park campsite.
Day 2: [Pics 28 - 43]
- Being in group 1, we never saw group 2 all day since group 2 rode on past camp the night before in the dark to their motel in Blanding. But on Day 3 we essentialy rode the same route to the 2nd camp. The day started with a quick tour of only one of the many ruins still standing unmolested in Ruin Park. If you go there, RESPECT it!
From camp it was 90 miles through the Abajo mountains then on the fun WoodenShoe road to gas at Hite [pics 28-31].
- After gas in Hite we crossed the Colorado (at the only bridge between Moab and the dam at Page, AZ) and headed north on the Flint Trail (4WD road) along the west side of it, then northwest past the Hans Flat ranger station to the easier roads for the last half of it, a total of 110 miles to camp at Temple Mountain [pics 32-43].
- After Hite I ended up leading a group of 7 since I had the GPS tracks though I had never been in this area. I was first and was going pretty fast about 20 miles in when I hit an unexpected soft silt section where 4x4s had made some wide but deep ruts, I knew I was hosed when I saw the rut, going a little too fast to switch to the easy side and I endo'd over the bars about 10 feet landing on my back and side. I remember the back left part of my helmet hit hard, but the right side dug in and there was red dirt everywhere. It tweaked my left bars but also the rear subframe. Just glad I didn't break any ribs though the soft tissue is still hurting 4 weeks later. Thanks to you guys who helped me clean up my helmet so I could see again and carry on the next 90 miles.
Day 3: [Pics 44 - 45]
- The night before was another late arrival but our great support crew had a full meal for us. After a rough nite of sleep due to sore ribs and a slow morning, Greg and I split from the group and explored the San Rafael Swell area to see the Swasey cabin then took the route down Black Dragon wash out of the Swell, to gas in Green River and cross country back to Moab, a total of 135 miles. I rember sneezing once while riding and was screaming at the pain in my ribs at the top of my lungs :)
The last 2 pics show how tweaked my handlebars and rear aluminum subframe were. Lucking the handlebars were not bent and I could just re-insert the bolt in the bar risers and adjust it until straight. And I was able to bend my subframe back into place.
