Fishing or Cutting Bait
My original plan was to ride from 3 Step Hideaway and catch up with my buddy John who was off on his own big adventure. The weather and other concerns pushed me off that plan with a vague idea of only a slight adjustment. The weather, well the hellish heat across the southwest US pushed me a good deal as did requests from home for a speedy return or even quick abort.
On our drive back to Denver, after deciding to trailer my bike with Paul and Daniel, I searched the weather app forecasts, checked mileages between potential stops. I’d begun looking for at a potential north to I-90 route, aka I-25, but noticed Las Vegas and around would have a couple of days of weather with mid-90’s temperatures. A new plan was hatched.
First thought was laundry and a shower. I needed to check in with some local-ish family the next day nd arranged that. I managed to also get in a visit with an old friend on the same side of town and stop by the new to me location of the shop I bought my first motorcycle from. But, I didn’t have time for much more. After a short visit with each, I headed back up the hill where Paul helped back my bike into the garage. Where just as we finished the first fat drops of the usual afternoon thunderstorm hit. A cooling and soaking rain followed, with cool overcast skies for the late afternoon. We headed to the Altitude Celebration.
Good music, food and fun.
This was the “small” quarter pound burger. I could barely finish it. Good stuff. We had a good time and getting back tot he house figured to be lazy.
At the house some locals showed up to let me know I was indeed in the Colorado mountains.
My musings with routes and temperature predictions got my plans set. I decided I needed to leave Monday for the first leg to Grand Junction. I arranged hotels next. Then began re-packing to minimize hunting through bags for hotel stay gear. I chose hotels because it would be long, hot days and warm, likely stormy nights given the monsoon season in the southwest was still a thing. I didn’t need to leave real early Monday which would put me avoiding the morning rush hours as well as morning wildlife on the roads.
Sunday was a lazy day of packing and checking things on the bike. I rechecked the weather and now the temps were a bit lower and looking good. The heat dome seemed to have shrunk a bit while moving its center. After calculating a north route based on KOA camping and estimated fuel costs, this three days ride would be cheaper even with the hotels. I secured both nights lodging and had my confirmation numbers saved to screen shots. I fiddled with my navigation and got it working or so I thought.
This in a $200 per night hotel by the airport in Grand Junction. Didn’t matter because there were two queen sized beds. More than I needed, but microwave meant I’d have porridge and coffee for breakfast. I did arrive early so couldn’t check in until after 3pm. I made really good time through all the mountain construction traffic along I-70. So, I found a nearby fast-food shop to sit in air-conditioning, eat a burger I think and drink a lot of water, while I waited on 3pm. I was nearly two hours early, but had burned some time at the across-the-parkinglot power sports dealer where they sold HD, Triumph, BMW, KTM and Royal Enfield. They had just enough air conditioning and a clean restroom. Nothing comfortable to sit on though and I was hungry. Off to the fast food shop.
After checking in, I used one of the hotel trollies to haul all my gear up to my room. I noticed as I huffed and puffed my way down the long hallway that if I were hoteling it I could cut the bulk of this mass and volume to about 30L. That was quite the revelation. Given the increase I’ve seen in campgrounds, specifically KOA, I was thinking my days as a camper may be numbered. Particularly if I slid off the interstate to travel two lane highways in that old search for “Blue Highways“. Still one of my favorite books. I had of course considered just this sort of wandering route up to the northern edge of the country in my original plan to attempt to outwit the heat dome. I think I could pull this off if I set my mind to it. The heat of my initial crossing had sucked all my enthusiasm for adventure with my sweat. IT took a good two hours to cool the room down to where I could get a shower and feel like I’d dry off rather than sweat. Then of course the HVAC seemed to stick on freezer mode. Another few hours and bundling my self under the covers was my only option. Sometime in the night the thermostat finally decided to play the game and the room became comfortable.
Up early for my breakfast of porridge and coffee. Pack up and ride. Tuesday’s destination was St George, Utah and a $100 hotel near the convention center. I had no idea. Good reviews though, so off into the rising sun I rode.
I got some sprinkles as I rode up out of Green River. And almost felt cold on the climb out of Richfield over to the intersection of I-15.
Very nice to feel the coolness and by now I’d decided I didn’t care the speedlimit was 80 mph, I would ride slower at a pace that didn’t feel so frantic.
I made excellent time and beat the first wave of the afternoon storm to a Burger King.
It rained hard, but not hard enough to knock the dust off the rear wheel. And once it stopped I’d waited past the 3pm check-in again and maxed out my capacity for ice water. A short ride over to the hotel which I could see once I got closer, but couldn’t figure out the street to turn on. My navigation was not helping.
This time the hotel is fairly new looking with a few busloads of retiree tourists along with the usual families.
Nicer digs.
I got my heavy gear up to my room using the trolley, then just after this photo, I got down to a shower. I was asleep as soon as it got to sleep soon after my shower, phone calls and setting up my navigation.
I would wake at 3am and just decide to get on the road. My usual breakfast for what was going to be a long day
Up and at ’em.
The next time I pulled my phone out to take a photo I was in my driveway.
Between there and that bowl of porridge was some unwanted adventure waiting my arrival. First was a looming storm off to the southwest between me and the beach. I wisely pulled off at a truck pull out and donned my rain jacket. Things got damp in just a few minutes after stopping. I stayed dry. Rain and lightening in my face in the dark is not on my list of things I like. It makes seeing anything hard. Once the rain stopped I pulled over and removed the rain layer because that was going to get hot.
The heat came with the sunrise. Even before 8am, Vegas was a furnace. The freeway was the usual blocked and stopped mess it has always been. The real issue was not so much the temperature, but the congestion of big trucks idling around me. Not too much of this and the 990R was blowing coolant out the overflow tank.
Lovely.
I got to the side of the highway, only a bit of a mess trying to jog. the bike across three lanes of stopped traffic whose drivers all seemed glued to phone screens.
Once off as far a I could get on the meager shoulder, I left the key on the ignition and lights off to let the fans blow. After about a half hour the engine had cooled enough, but of course the traffic was even worse.
After the police ignored my plight, I decided to ride the shoulder, behind the construction barriers to the next exit where I knew there to be a filling station. I could at least get shade there and do a better inspection of what was what.
Once at the. gas station, I topped off the tanks then checked the coolant. I used my hydration pack to top it off. It did not take too much. I filled the hydration bladder after emptying mine and left by way of the back roads around town. What a cluster the interstate is there. They took what was meant to be a limited access interstate highway and made it the main route through town. Making an even bigger mess then. they had before. But, that die was cast decades ago. I just have to remember to avoid it in the future.
Once free of Las Vegas I got to my next stop at Primm. Water, restroom and fuel. On to Barstow for more of the same. From Barstow it was just a long ride through the increasing heat home. As I passed under the San Clemente sign on the tail end of the toll road the temperature dropped to nearly chill me.
After a quick change of clothes to shorts and t-shirt. I was unloaded and parked in the garage in about a half hour.
The rear tire looks to be in good enough shape for a few more rides.
About 2,100 miles.
Now to get the bike cleaned up and serviced for the next adventure.
Cheers.
Along The Way 