antmakka
Well-Known Member
The first big road trip on my Tiger800XC was approaching fast. Having not ridden off-road since I was a teenager (about 30 years ago), and knowing our route was likely to contain some of the rough stuff, I decided to test out my long forgotten skills on a local mountain road. I had passed the entrance to this road but never actually ridden, or driven, on it before.
Ominous
The surface was very rocky, but by the end of the 8 mile road I was managing fairly respectable speeds of 20mph on the straighter sections.
That was all well and good riding an unloaded bike, how would I cope when the bike was weighed down with my camping equipment?
I'm sure I'll be fine, so no need to do a full dress rehearsal. What could possibly go wrong?
Day 1, May 7[SUP]th[/SUP] – 256 miles – 8hr 5m (time from morning start to evening finish).
So the big day arrives and the weather is dry but with gusty winds. My destination for meeting my two KLR650 riding buddies is Mesa Verde, just west of Durango, CO.
They were heading down from Denver and had to cross the Rockies. It didn't rain on them the whole journey, but only because at the higher altitudes it snowed instead.
Apart from the windy weather, my ride was fairly uneventful. I arrived at our campsite about an hour before the others and decided to put up my tent before the looming black clouds turned to rain. I wasn't quick enough. Putting up a tent in the wind and rain is the worst part about camping, except for maybe trying to sleep when the temperatures are below freezing.
The rain quit shortly before the others arrived and we were all soon set for our first night.
Did I mention what I hated most about camping? I seriously can't remember the last time I was as cold as I was that night. No amount of extra clothes seemed to make a difference. Even putting the sleeping bag over my head, and pulling the cord tight, only resulted in a mild hypoxia.
After at least a whole hour of sleep, we woke to a frosty dawn. As luck would have it, an older couple who I met 2 days earlier in Albuquerque while they were on a 38 state RV tour, were also staying at our camp site. Knowing how cold it had been, the lady brought over fresh baked cinnamon rolls for us to devour. The kindness of strangers are one of the highlights of traveling.
Day 2, May 8[SUP]th[/SUP] – 179miles – 7hr 52m
The second day was low on miles but included myfirst off-road day with the bike fully loaded. We began with theobligatory ride to Four Corners. $3 entry fee isn't bad, especiallyif it's quiet. On busy day's you'll spend all day waiting for yourturn to get a photograph where the 4 states meet.
We doubled back before heading intoUtah (road surfaces improved dramatically) and towards our objectivefor the day, Muley Point. First the roads got twisty, then thegradient increased and finally the asphalt disappeared. Standing onthe pegs made life much easier and the views from half way up made itworthwhile.
My little mascot has been all overEurope with me, so I couldn't leave it at home on my first big UStrip.
Behind my bike is our route up.
(Part II to follow)
Ominous
The surface was very rocky, but by the end of the 8 mile road I was managing fairly respectable speeds of 20mph on the straighter sections.
That was all well and good riding an unloaded bike, how would I cope when the bike was weighed down with my camping equipment?
I'm sure I'll be fine, so no need to do a full dress rehearsal. What could possibly go wrong?
Day 1, May 7[SUP]th[/SUP] – 256 miles – 8hr 5m (time from morning start to evening finish).
So the big day arrives and the weather is dry but with gusty winds. My destination for meeting my two KLR650 riding buddies is Mesa Verde, just west of Durango, CO.
They were heading down from Denver and had to cross the Rockies. It didn't rain on them the whole journey, but only because at the higher altitudes it snowed instead.
Apart from the windy weather, my ride was fairly uneventful. I arrived at our campsite about an hour before the others and decided to put up my tent before the looming black clouds turned to rain. I wasn't quick enough. Putting up a tent in the wind and rain is the worst part about camping, except for maybe trying to sleep when the temperatures are below freezing.
The rain quit shortly before the others arrived and we were all soon set for our first night.
Did I mention what I hated most about camping? I seriously can't remember the last time I was as cold as I was that night. No amount of extra clothes seemed to make a difference. Even putting the sleeping bag over my head, and pulling the cord tight, only resulted in a mild hypoxia.
After at least a whole hour of sleep, we woke to a frosty dawn. As luck would have it, an older couple who I met 2 days earlier in Albuquerque while they were on a 38 state RV tour, were also staying at our camp site. Knowing how cold it had been, the lady brought over fresh baked cinnamon rolls for us to devour. The kindness of strangers are one of the highlights of traveling.
Day 2, May 8[SUP]th[/SUP] – 179miles – 7hr 52m
The second day was low on miles but included myfirst off-road day with the bike fully loaded. We began with theobligatory ride to Four Corners. $3 entry fee isn't bad, especiallyif it's quiet. On busy day's you'll spend all day waiting for yourturn to get a photograph where the 4 states meet.
We doubled back before heading intoUtah (road surfaces improved dramatically) and towards our objectivefor the day, Muley Point. First the roads got twisty, then thegradient increased and finally the asphalt disappeared. Standing onthe pegs made life much easier and the views from half way up made itworthwhile.
My little mascot has been all overEurope with me, so I couldn't leave it at home on my first big UStrip.
Behind my bike is our route up.
(Part II to follow)
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