Deserts and Shadows....

It is taking me some time to get used to the change in scenery, plus of course the rise in temperature as I have headed further south and the elevation has become lower.

The scenery has changed from mountains to desert in a very short distance. At one place I stopped there was even sand dunes – proper desert!....

In the UK, we are a nation with a small land area and so whilst we do have regional variations in weather and scenery, these are small differences compared to what I have seen in the US. I can recall the huge woodland areas of Maine or the Adirondacks, but compare that to where I am now – Arizona – and it might as well be a different planet! The differences are huge and all contained within one country. I have read recently on other motorcycling related blogs that people are seeing the demise of summer and autumn is upon them. I read one persons words saying they thought their riding season was all but over, but compare that to the current weather here in Arizona and again, a vast difference is seen.

As I started my journey on this day (number 93), I didn’t notice something. I didn’t see that my low fuel warning light had stopped working and my bike spluttered to a stop as it ran out of fuel. Crap, how could that have happened? Knowing my fuel tank is actually two halves fixed together and knowing the fuel feed comes from one side only, I rocked the bike from side to side in an attempt to shift any last few drops to the feed side of the tanks and it worked and my bike fired back into life as I hit the starter button. I rode as economically as I could for about 4 miles to where I knew (thanks gps) there was a gas station and it completely ran out of fuel about 200 yards away but it was downhill and I managed to coast the rest of the way. Note to self – find a Harley dealer and get them to fix the problem!

When I left Page, I stopped and looked at the dam that forms Lake Powell. Opened in 1966 the Glen Canyon Dam as is it known, caused considerable environmental objections at the time of its inception due to the flooding of Glen Canyon and the damming of the Colorado River. It is difficult for me to understand the depth of the objectors feelings about the dam, but in the main I support any forms of environmental power generation and that of course includes hydro-electric generation.

When I then saw the nearby Navajo Power Plant that burns coal to produce its electricity, I did wonder quite how balanced the anti-dam objectors are. I would much rather see a dam producing electricity than this power plant, located as it is, in what would be a beautiful area....

This is the downstream side of the Glen Canyon Dam....

At the scenic overlook that gives a great view od the dam (can a dam be scenic?) there are some amazing rock formations where the weather has worn away part of the rock to form wonderful lines and patterns....

I went to see Horseshoe Bend, formed by millions of years of the movement of the Colorado River. Unfortunately it was early morning on a very bright sunny day and that meant shadows – bit long dark shadows which made photographing the bend in the river very difficult. This was the best result I could achieve, by over-exposing to get some detail into the dark areas, which of course doesn’t help the areas already lit by direct sunlight....

I later looked at some excellent pictures of Horseshoe Bend and noticed the best were taken on overcast, cloudy days – the only way I guess to avoid dark shadows. Either that, or take the pictures when the sun is high in the sky!

I decided not to wait for either clouds or noon time and moved on!

As I headed south I marvelled at the feat of engineering that drove the road through these stone cliffs....

A range of hills called Echo Cliffs run alongside US 89 for a considerable distance. This is one of the taller areas of the cliffs....

I wanted to see Marble Canyon, so I turned north at Bitter Springs and made my way once more towards the Colorado River. I was surprised that the road goes over Marble Canyon on a rather splendid bridge....

This is the new Navajo Bridge which was opened in 1995 to sit alongside the original Navajo Bridge. It had become apparent that the original bridge which had opened in 1929 could no longer carry the volume of traffic the road now carried and so the new, almost identical bridge was constructed. Here are the two side-by-side with the original bridge on the right....

Here is looking upstream into Marble Canyon and the Colorado River....

And this is looking downstream....

Notice anything odd about these two pictures? The colour of the water changes dramatically as the current hits the sediment in the bottom of the river on a bend just before the bridges. You can see it happening in this picture - note the blue water at the top of the picture and the green at the bottom....

I went to Lees Ferry just north of Marble Canyon. Not many people went on this road as it dead-ends, so many people don’t bother to take this road. I did, and I am glad I took the trouble to. A few photos from this road....

Part of the Vermillion Cliffs....

Two well balanced rocks. A very large one and a small pile somebody had left for me to find....

The same rock....

Note the Leading Ladies in the background. This was a big rock!....

Another nearby amazing balanced rock....

More impressive cliffs....

The Colorado River, from water level....

I arrived in Flagstaff quite early and I had time to find the Harley-Davidson dealer there. I had noticed a small oil leak had developed on my engine and the service department discovered it was a seal failure where the gear change linkage passes through the primary drive casing. They didn’t have time to take the side of the engine off to replace the seal, so I have booked it into the H-D dealer near Prescott next week for them to do the work. I was so concerned about the oil leak, that I completely forget to ask them to look at the low fuel light! I will try to remember next week!

At my hotel for the evening, I checked what the weather forecast would be like for the next couple of days as I approach Phoenix.....

What was that about the riding season coming to a close?

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Can a Man Love Rock?

Water can create life.

Water can cause death.

Water is precious.

Water can cool you down.

Water can be fun.

Water can quench a thirst.

But who knew water could create something as beautiful as this, in rock....

This is Antelope Canyon, near Page in Arizona. Located on Navajo land, this is a slot canyon formed mainly by flood water that wears away the soft sandstone and formed a corridor in the rock, that is lit from above by the sun. To give you an idea of scale, the width of the space at ground level is about 8 feet across, at the widest part.

I visited the canyon and simply fell in love with it. So yes, I think a man can love rock.

There is no need for words to help describe these pictures....

One last picture. All visitors to the canyon have to be accompanied by a guide. Out guide was taking a picture of this couple who were in our group, so instead of just standing and waiting, I took a picture of them as well. It is quite dark in the canyon and I had to keep the shutter open for a long exposure to get this next shot, but the woman moved her head too early and the result was a weird picture, as if her head was see-through....

What a fantastic place.

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Oops, Where is the Four Corners? Plus a little teaser....

Cortez was a definite turning point in the terrain. To the north are mountains with twisty roads that snake along canyons and follow the contours of the land, while to the south is desert with the occasional rock outcrop and very straight roads, where you can see ahead for miles. The contrast is very striking and this happens very quickly. I think this marks the start of the “desert” stage of my long ride.

Not far into my journey today, I went to see the Four Corners where the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet. I meant to go there, but apparently, I didn’t.

Like many thousands of people before me, I went out into the desert and stood on the only point in the US where four states meet....

The position of the Four Corners was determined in 1875 where surveying was as accurate as it is today. Probably due to the invention of GPS, it was discovered in April 2009 that the current marker is actually 1,807 feet to the east of where is should be (it was reported at the time to be 2.5 miles out of position, but this turned out to be false). So, whilst I did go the legally adopted position of the Four Corners, I didn’t go to the real intersection.

The monument is a little odd. As you approach it, you first see some flagpoles and a row of huts. Parking your bike carefully on the loose stones, you next see the huts are kiosks selling Native Indian jewellery and crafts and it becomes clear the four corners marker is in the circle of flagpoles. That is just about all that is there. I would have thought there might have been something else – maybe a building that shows something about the history of the four states or something similar. It seemed a bit bleak out there in the middle of nowhere.

The scenery took on the feeling of a large wide-open spaces with long distances between interesting features such as rock outcrops....

I did take one gravel road towards the San Juan River, but I couldn’t get close enough to take a good photo. I did get a picture of my bike next to a rock cliff ....

Soon I crossed the border into Arizona, the 26th state I have ridden in on this tour. The terrain was what I expected....

In a town called Bluff, close to the Utah / Arizona border, I stopped to telephone Jackie and a bike rolled up next to me. “I didn’t expect to see an English number plate here” said the rider in an English west-country accent. The rider, Simon from Warminster was like me, on a long ride through the US. He started one day before me from Montague, Massachusetts and as at the point I met him, had done 10,241 miles! Of course we had a coffee and compared notes and road stories....

Before we parted, we exchanged ideas about where each of us might go to. Simon was heading north where I had just come from and vice-versa. It was good to meet you Simon!

I did take pictures of Monument Valley, but I didn’t have much time to take many, so I am saving those I did take for after I have returned when I travel north again and when I have taken more photos. For now, here is just a teaser.... it was a fantastic place!....

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Bubble Bath Makes the Leading Ladies Smile Once More....

In the evening, I looked at my Leading Ladies and they were complaining. They were filthy dirty and badly needed a wash. Luckily therefore, I am carrying with me some basic cleaning gear, so I found their favourite bubble bath and gave them a much needed clean. Most motels / hotels will let you use their hosepipe and the plastic waste bins in the rooms make ideal buckets for the hot soapy water! Not only did the ladies want to be washed, but they also wanted to be dried and polished too. I must say they did look sparkling some two and a half hours later when I had finished.

As I was cleaning the bike, three other bikes arrived at the motel and, well you know how things are, bikers talk to other bikers and soon we had a group bike cleaning / chatting session going. The four bikes looked good lined up in the car park, clean and shiny once more!

These are the four people that arrived on the 3 bikes, this picture being taken in the morning, just before we departed the motel. So, meet Doug and Julie, Kevin, Mike from McKinney, Texas ....

All that hard work cleaning the Leading Ladies was wasted the next day when it rained! It hadn’t rained for so long, the roads were very dirty and as soon as the rain fell, the dirty water was sprayed up from my front wheel and other vehicles, so now the bike needs doing again! It will have to wait a few days, for I just don’t feel like doing it just yet.

When I started riding today I went first to the base of Cascade Falls in Ouray. At this time of year the falls are just a trickle but the height is tall enough to make seeing them at any time of year worthwhile. A warning though – like many minor roads in small towns in Colorado, the one to get to the falls is gravel, but riding to the falls is okay, albeit a short way uphill. Here are the falls....

The trouble is, as I discovered a few days ago, riding up steep gravel roads is relatively easy, but coming down them is not. I used my new-found technique of turning off the engine and coasting down whilst holding the clutch in, letting out the clutch when I needed to slow down and therefore using the engine braking to slow down without fear of locking a wheel. I have found the worst thing to do is to use the front brake in these circumstances as this does lock the front wheel on the loose gravel. This was the gravel road leading away from the falls....

Heading west out of the town, I saw Ouray hot springs. I had considered going there the previous evening and I am glad I didn’t – they looked too utilitarian for my taste....

I did notice the large fish pond in the foreground and there are many huge fish in there. Maybe it has something to do with the water and its minerals....

The road between Ridgeway and Placerville and then south is a good one, but I must admit, I think I have too much of a good thing. I can only take so much of great looking mountain scenery and while if I came across this as my first Colorado mountain scene, I would think it wonderful, after 3 weeks of magnificent peaks, I had seen enough....

On John and Diana’s recommendation, I went to see Log Hill, which has a terrific road leads to golf course with a great view on the way up. They also told me to look out for a timber fence running alongside the main road and sure enough I saw it. It looks new and goes on for miles, surrounding what I later found out was a 15,000 acre ranch. Here is the entrance to the ranch....

The Double RL stands for a certain Ralph Lauren. I am certainly pleased to see that some of the money I have spent on his shirts has been invested wisely!

I had decided to go to Telluride for lunch, but I wish I hadn’t bothered. This was approaching the town....

This is the main street through the town....

Now, bearing in mind this is a tiny town in the mountains, no doubt wanting the business that passing visitors can offer, I was amazed to discover that to park on the main road in the town, you had to pay. I really couldn’t be bothered to find out how to pay and do whatever I needed to help this obviously poor struggling town to keep its financial head above water. I feel sorry for the businesses in Telluride, having to put up with some stupid local politician that thinks it is important to collect money to park a car or motorbike. I went somewhere else for lunch!

Nearby, I stopped for gas and noticed some lovely cars being unloaded from a covered truck. I waited while this old Alpha Romeo was taken out from the back....

I stood admiring this beauty and noticed a gentleman standing nearby and I said something like “That is a lovely car”. He looked at me as if I was something he just stepped in and he didn’t respond, choosing instead to say to the guys unloading the vehicles in a loud voice “Will you please hurry and unload my car after George’s”. I am careful not to swear on my blog, but this guy was a wanker. I have met very few impolite people on my tour, but this guy goes on the top of my list as Arse Number 1.

I didn’t wait to see his car unloaded. I hope they dropped it.

I left Telluride vowing never to return!

Here are a few last Colorado mountain pictures. The weather wasn’t great and it rained a coup[le of times, but still not enough for me to stop and put on my waterproofs....

On the road towards Cortez, I hit the 13,000 mile point on my tour just south of Dolores, and here is the now customary photo of the ‘000 mile point...

Wow, 13,000 miles!

I have discovered that I have made a major misjudgement regarding places to stay. Each evening, at around 4 or 5 o’clock, I begin to look for somewhere to stay that night. It has been so easy to find motels or hotels that I like the look of when I arrive in a town and these places have always had a room available, that I got a little complacent about this, being sure I could find a bed for the night just about anywhere. I was wrong! When I arrived in Cortez, it occurred to me that I really should look at what accommodation might be available in Monument Valley and make a reservation, just in case they got busy each day as that evenings travellers began to arrive. I telephone the hotel I wanted to stay at, but to my disappointment, it was full. I telephoned all of the hotels in Bluff, the next nearest town and they too were all full. I looked at what was available for miles around – nothing! With the help of Jackie my wife, the nearest place we could find and book was in Page. Wait for it, that is 121 miles away!!

I also checked the Hotel I wanted us to stay at in the Grand Canyon – the only rooms available were on different nights than I wanted and were very expensive! This lack of hotels / motels would need some serious re-arrangement of my tour plans for Arizona! Instead of going to Monument Valley now, I will go later when hotel rooms are available – I have booked one already!

I went to bed in Cortez slightly annoyed with myself, that I was having to change my route just because I hadn’t thought about booking hotel rooms in busy areas. On this tour, good days are common. This was not one of them!

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