Day 7.
I'm actually surprised I've been on road a week already. But looking back, I've accomplished so
much. Plus for the most part, I'm really enjoying the trip.
much. Plus for the most part, I'm really enjoying the trip.
Of course I wake up early, but I've got things to do. I actually don't have to be
on the road that early. I don't consider 9 am too early for the time that I usually seem to depart in the
mornings.
mornings.
A couple of hours doing the blog, yes, it actually takes about that amount of time to complete, but
when I look back at them a few years later, it makes it all worth while, for all the details
when I look back at them a few years later, it makes it all worth while, for all the details
of the trip I seem to forget over the years. After that, I head down to the bike to get the mileage
recorded from yesterday, and check over the bike and add some oil.
That's where you fill up the oil on the bike, just below is the oil sight glass, with a high and low on
the glass (plastic).
All done
Just in case you were wondering what these are, the top one carries a litre of spare gas for just in case.
The bottom one contains a litre of oil. I can't complain, the bike has only gone through a 1/2 litre of
oil for 2500 miles, since it's last oil change. I head back up to the room and update yesterdays blog,
and post it. Since I still have some time, I even get started with today's blog.
A view from my desk. It's nice to watch the sun come up! Well time to have a shower and start to
pack up for my trip over the Rocky mountains. I've done the drive before, when I took my Lammy
to Lammyjammy in San Francisco years ago. Once I got the big bike, I knew I'd have to do the ride
on Interstate 70 west of Denver. I check out of the room and I'm ready to go. I try and get my action
camera working, but after 20 minutes, I give up and hit the road and head down to the Interstate.
That road up the the hotel yesterday that was a dark messy road, was an absolute pleasure this
morning. Funny on how it seemed take forever to get to the hotel last night, on that road
but seemed to take only minutes back to the Interstate when I was enjoying it.
I'm back on the Interstate 70 and heading up and up in altitude, but it's also getting colder. I'm glad I
went with the cold weather coat and gloves today.
The bike is running like crap, there's no power, so I know I must be getting up there in altitude.
Just before I hit the Eisenhower Tunnel, I hit a large pot hole.
It knocks off my mirror, so I pull off and put it back on and check for any other damage.
They are both held on by a tether, so just push them back on and I'm good to go.
It isn't the worst place to get stuck at. Though I found out later I was at 11,000 feet above sea level,
I actually didn't think it was that high. But it explains why the bike ran like crap
The Eisenhower tunnel is right over there!
Eisenhower Tunnel, history etc
So back on the road, the Eisenhower tunnel is the highest point on I-70, so after I go through, it's all
downhill from there. Before I forget , it's also the Continental Divide. But since there are no signs, I
had to actually had to look online to find out where it was on today's travels. I love driving through
tunnels, and this one is a long one. After you exit the tunnel, its a 7 mile decent going down 2300 ft.
I'm lucky, as the bike has a great engine brake. So no throttle and I coast down the 7 miles easily.
From the tunnel it's about a hour and 1/2 to the Glenwood Canyon. Not that there is anything to see
in between.
The mountains are beautiful. It's starting to warm up, at least now it's into the 60's. The Glenwood
Canyon is something I've been looking forward to, for a long time. The last time I went through
the canyon, it was on a train and the pass was closed to cars. Luckily for me, it was open. This is
one of Americas top motorcycle rides. Not that you can fly through, due to all the curves, but it is
the only interstate that I know where I slow down to enjoy the scenery. Like follow the really slow
truck kind of slow.
Unfortunately before you know it, your out the other side and into the town of Glenwood
Springs. Time to fill up the bike and get some lunch at Arby's.
It's getting warm, so time to change coats from the heavy to the mesh.
My next stop is going to be Grand Junction, CO, though on the way I get stuck in a traffic jam. Well
closure actually.
That's me stuck on the bridge over the Colorado river. I can think of worst places to be stuck. As
you can see by the scenery, it's gone from mountain to more desert, so while I wait, the sweater
comes off, and I have a Gatorade. Google maps actually tells me the delay is for rock mitigation.
Since
I've seen what a land slide does to I-70, it's no problem. After 20 minutes we start moving. I make it
to Grand Junction and head into town to hopefully find a piece that I broke off my TPMS last night.
I waste a hour running around town with no success, so I'm back on the road and head down to Moab,
Utah, where I'll be spending the night before heading down to Monument Valley.
During my research into this trip I came across a back way into Moab that everyone says that you
must try, so why not.
I'm kind of wondering if this a good idea. It really looks like the road to nowhere. But the
GPS say's I'm only a hour away from Moab, so why not?
But once I do the actual turn off to the road I find that it has just been all repaved. Down the road I
just get in on one of those one lane things where they only let one direction go at a time. Lucky I did
as the one lane lasted about 5 miles. Otherwise I would have had to wait 20 minutes for our
directions turn to go through.
Me with the sunburned nose
As you travel further down the road, it connects with the Colorado river (which I'm seeing a lot
today), which just adds to the beauty.
The further down the road, you get the higher and narrower the walls get. It gives you the feeling of
riding down the Grand Canyon, which, by the way, isn't that far away. The further south you go the
busier it got, from camping( both tent and motor home) to rafting, moto crossing. There are a lot of
active people enjoying themselves. But all good things must come to a end, and before I know it, I'm
in
Moab, UT. This is kind of the gateway to Monument Valley, and a great place to start from tomorrow.
It's 5 pm, and I head into town to check-in. It's a small town, so everything is close. I do some
shopping, pick up dinner and hit the hardware store. Then I'm back to the motel to start today's blog
and eat dinner. Goodnight
Today's mileage 348 miles or 560 km
Total 2534 miles or 4078 km
camera working, but after 20 minutes, I give up and hit the road and head down to the Interstate.
That road up the the hotel yesterday that was a dark messy road, was an absolute pleasure this
morning. Funny on how it seemed take forever to get to the hotel last night, on that road
but seemed to take only minutes back to the Interstate when I was enjoying it.
I'm back on the Interstate 70 and heading up and up in altitude, but it's also getting colder. I'm glad I
went with the cold weather coat and gloves today.
The bike is running like crap, there's no power, so I know I must be getting up there in altitude.
Just before I hit the Eisenhower Tunnel, I hit a large pot hole.
It knocks off my mirror, so I pull off and put it back on and check for any other damage.
They are both held on by a tether, so just push them back on and I'm good to go.
It isn't the worst place to get stuck at. Though I found out later I was at 11,000 feet above sea level,
I actually didn't think it was that high. But it explains why the bike ran like crap
The Eisenhower tunnel is right over there!
Eisenhower Tunnel, history etc
So back on the road, the Eisenhower tunnel is the highest point on I-70, so after I go through, it's all
downhill from there. Before I forget , it's also the Continental Divide. But since there are no signs, I
had to actually had to look online to find out where it was on today's travels. I love driving through
tunnels, and this one is a long one. After you exit the tunnel, its a 7 mile decent going down 2300 ft.
I'm lucky, as the bike has a great engine brake. So no throttle and I coast down the 7 miles easily.
From the tunnel it's about a hour and 1/2 to the Glenwood Canyon. Not that there is anything to see
in between.
The mountains are beautiful. It's starting to warm up, at least now it's into the 60's. The Glenwood
Canyon is something I've been looking forward to, for a long time. The last time I went through
the canyon, it was on a train and the pass was closed to cars. Luckily for me, it was open. This is
one of Americas top motorcycle rides. Not that you can fly through, due to all the curves, but it is
the only interstate that I know where I slow down to enjoy the scenery. Like follow the really slow
truck kind of slow.
Unfortunately before you know it, your out the other side and into the town of Glenwood
Springs. Time to fill up the bike and get some lunch at Arby's.
 |
| Even from Arby's, the view is great. |
It's getting warm, so time to change coats from the heavy to the mesh.
My next stop is going to be Grand Junction, CO, though on the way I get stuck in a traffic jam. Well
closure actually.
That's me stuck on the bridge over the Colorado river. I can think of worst places to be stuck. As
you can see by the scenery, it's gone from mountain to more desert, so while I wait, the sweater
comes off, and I have a Gatorade. Google maps actually tells me the delay is for rock mitigation.
Since
I've seen what a land slide does to I-70, it's no problem. After 20 minutes we start moving. I make it
to Grand Junction and head into town to hopefully find a piece that I broke off my TPMS last night.
I waste a hour running around town with no success, so I'm back on the road and head down to Moab,
Utah, where I'll be spending the night before heading down to Monument Valley.
During my research into this trip I came across a back way into Moab that everyone says that you
must try, so why not.
I'm kind of wondering if this a good idea. It really looks like the road to nowhere. But the
GPS say's I'm only a hour away from Moab, so why not?
But once I do the actual turn off to the road I find that it has just been all repaved. Down the road I
just get in on one of those one lane things where they only let one direction go at a time. Lucky I did
as the one lane lasted about 5 miles. Otherwise I would have had to wait 20 minutes for our
directions turn to go through.
As you travel further down the road, it connects with the Colorado river (which I'm seeing a lot
today), which just adds to the beauty.
The further down the road, you get the higher and narrower the walls get. It gives you the feeling of
riding down the Grand Canyon, which, by the way, isn't that far away. The further south you go the
busier it got, from camping( both tent and motor home) to rafting, moto crossing. There are a lot of
active people enjoying themselves. But all good things must come to a end, and before I know it, I'm
in
Moab, UT. This is kind of the gateway to Monument Valley, and a great place to start from tomorrow.
It's 5 pm, and I head into town to check-in. It's a small town, so everything is close. I do some
shopping, pick up dinner and hit the hardware store. Then I'm back to the motel to start today's blog
and eat dinner. Goodnight
Today's mileage 348 miles or 560 km
Total 2534 miles or 4078 km
No comments:
Post a Comment