Riding Motorcycles On Another Planet

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We've ridden motorcycles to a fair number of places on this planet and we often get asked where our favorite spot to ride is.

That's easy. Without any doubt, hands down, the best place we've ever ridden in is Utah, in the South-West United States. The scenery is like riding on the planet Mars!

This picture was created by DALL·E 2, an AI (Artifical Intelligence) photo generation program

During the pandemic, we holed up in a small town in western Canada. After the lock-down ended, it eventually became a base from where we could launch various moto trips throughout North America. 2022 has been a fantastic year so far: we've been to Death Valley, Washington State BDR, the Canadian Rockies and all over British Columbia, as well as an over-seas trip out to the Canary Islands.

This will be our third trip out to the State of Red and Orange Rocks. The first time was an all pavement-ride, and we immediately realized that there was so much more to see if we came back with dirt-capable machines. So the second time, we explored Utah once again with Adventure bikes. It was just a short pit-stop on our Round-The-World trip. But on that trip, we came to yet another revelation: that the best motorcycle to ride around this place was not a 600-lb behemoth, but a light enduro bike.

So now we're doing it right:

This picture was created by www.RideDOT.com, an AI (Adventurously Intrepid) photo collection website! Oooh, that was a stretch...

Utah gets super-hot in the summer, so we're trying to time our trip after the intense heat of summer has passed. We've been monitoring the weather very closely, and we got very concerned when Moab experienced a 100-year flood which drowned most of the city and the campsite we were planning to stay at.

OMG! Bad flashbacks of when we had to postpone our Washington BDR trip due to the lingering snow pack and made last-minute plans for Spain instead.

However, after waiting a couple of weeks, things in Moab seem to have returned to normal and the temps have also cooled down a bit. So we threw the enduros in the back of the truck and headed out.

BC to Utah takes us about two days, and Neil DeGrasse Tyson helped passed that time with his StarTalk podcast. So funny *AND* educational!

The scenery starts to get interesting!

The dramatic red and orange hues of Utah surround us everywhere. Oh, how we've missed this, it's been exactly 10 years since we were last here! A wave of nostalgia washes over us as we ride into town. After grabbing a quick breakfast in Moab, we made our way just a few minutes north of town.

 

[Lightcycle]

I've been doing a lot of research into where to ride with dirt bikes around Moab, and this is where we're going to be spending a few days:

We set up our tent right inside the Sand Flats Recreation Area. Jeeps and Side-By-Sides traverse the red rocks high above the campsite as we unpack everything. It's an off-roaders paradise here! However, the temps are climbing rapidly as the afternoon wears on. The mercury hits 36°C (97°F) - so much for waiting for cooler temps! Everyone tells us that it's freakishly hot for this time of year. The worst part is that where we've camped, there's not much shade anywhere to escape the heat.

Too hot to ride!

We have to wait around till just a couple of hours before sunset when the temperatures cool down enough for us to don all our gear and mount up.

Our first stop is Fins and Things!

What the heck is "Fins and Things"?

It's the name of a trail inside the Salt Flats Rec Area. From the NPS.gov site:

"In winter, snowmelt pools in fractures and other cavities, then freezes and expands, breaking off chunks of sandstone. Small recesses develop and grow bigger with each storm. Little by little, this process turns fractured rock layers into fins"

Riding down one of these fins

OMG! SO MUCH FUN!

It's like a terrain park for off-road vehicles. The trail has numerous features, like steep climbs, ledges and precipitous descents, but each of them has a duck-out which leads back to the main trail. We saw a Jeep by-pass some of the more difficult climbs, but our bikes handled them like it was child's play.

 

[Lightcycle]

Not only is the riding good, but the scenery around us was stunning!

In between laughing and giggling like little kids in our helmets, we had to stop many, many times to admire the views and take lots of pictures.

Sometimes there are small signs which show you the direction of the trail

The exposed rock here is called Slick Rock. It's actually not slick at all. The rock faces are super-grippy. It's called Slick Rock because the early settlers rode horses with metal horse shoes and their caravans had metal-rimmed wheels which didn't grip well on this surface.

Good thing we're using this new-fangled technology called rubber!

If there's nowhere to put a sign, sometimes there are chevrons spray-painted on the slick rock which tell you which direction to travel, so you don't run into on-coming traffic

 

[Lightcycle]

But even if there aren't signs or chevrons, sometimes the way is painfully obvious:

Just follow the highway of rubber laid down by countless vehicles that came before us

Our jaws dropped when we saw this "Slickrock Highway". I've never seen anything this amazing in my life. The trail extends as far as the eye can see! I can't believe this place exists! So awesome!!!

The most challenging part of this terrain is going from rock to the sand that collects at the bottom. It goes from grip, grip, grip and then immediately: wash-out-and-pucker moment. If it was all sand, it would be fine, but the mixed terrain kept us on our toes.

And there was a lot of this fine, silty sand!

 

[Lightcycle]

Not much more to say about this, so here are more pictures of our fun in the moto-playground:

Up the Slick Rock stairs...

then round the Slick Rock corner

What a super-fun introduction to the Sand Flats!

We rode till sunset. So glad that we've set up camp so close by!

Had a nice home-made meal at our camp site as the sun disappeared over the red rocks. Just like at Death Valley, our favorite evening past time was just staring up at the billions of stars casting their light down on two very happy motorcycle riders.

Good night! See you tomorrow!

 

[thwak]

Not much more to say about this, so here are more pictures of our fun in the moto-playground:

Up the Slick Rock stairs...

then round the Slick Rock corner

What a super-fun introduction to the Sand Flats!

We rode till sunset. So glad that we've set up camp so close by!

Had a nice home-made meal at our camp site as the sun disappeared over the red rocks. Just like at Death Valley, our favorite evening past time was just staring up at the billions of stars casting their light down on two very happy motorcycle riders.

Good night! See you tomorrow!

Thanks for taking the time to produce this and share with us. Helps us to get through the winter months.

 

[Lightcycle]

Thanks for taking the time to produce this and share with us. Helps us to get through the winter months.

Thanks, appreciate the encouragement!

 

[Lightcycle]

The heat wave continues.

Normally, the light of the rising sun wakes us up in our tent, but this morning, we hastily crawl out of our plastic-sheeted oven because we were slowly roasting inside. Had some breakfast and squatted underneath some bushes to get some respite from the blistering heat. And it's not even close to the hottest part of the day!

Once again, we're probably going to go out riding once it cools down a bit, but we couldn't stay at the camp site. No shelter and it was just too damn hot.

So we climbed into the truck (OMG, Air Conditioning, I LOVE YOU!) and drove into town. Maybe there was a library we could sit down in and pretend to read a book or something.

Camping at the Sand Flats is very convenient because it's so close to Moab. Very unlike Death Valley where it took us 45 minutes to reach the closest town outside of the park. After some discussion, we decided we needed to make our campsite livable. We can't be escaping into town every day. So we hit all the outdoor stores in search of some kind of sun shade.

Found a used one for only $30! Nice!

After some fiddling around (very badly written instructions) we got it up!

Our newest addition to our camping setup. What's nice is that you can angle the wall facing the sun and the sides are open to let a cool breeze through. Now we don't have to abandon camp every afternoon!

The RVs around us all had their gennies blasting away, powering their AC. Must be nice... We were the only campers in the site. Does everyone know something we don't?

We've only gone truck-camping with our motos a few times now, and the conversation always come up about maybe getting a small RV or a van conversion and towing the bikes, but we just don't tow often enough to justify the expense or the driveway space.

We sit down for a late lunch and enjoy our new shelter. We're eating a lot better than DV. We learned our lesson and brought lots of healthy food from home this time around.

 

[Lightcycle]

Today we're planning to ride the world-famous Slick Rock Bike Trail! It's a 19 km (12 mile) route through the Slick Rock complex reserved specifically for two wheelers, due to how technical the route is. It's a very popular trail, about 100,000 riders visit each year - mainly mountain bikers and some motorcyclists on lighter bikes. You won't see a Goldwing trundling through here.

There is a maximum speed limit of 15 mph though, so the motorcycles don't run over the mountain bikes.

Because the trail is very technical, with tight turns and very steep drop-offs if you don't negotiate the terrain successfully, there is a 3.6 km (2.3 mile) practice loop, where you can test your machinery and your skills before you do the main trail.

We've never done anything like this before, so we head to the test loop:

"Practice Loop (Just As Hard!)"

Okay! Good to know.

I lead the way and we follow a white dashed line spray-painted on the Slick Rock. The route winds around natural contours of the bowls, domes and fins around the park. Some of the turns are super-tight and there are indeed some pretty steep drop-offs where you can't dab or put your feet down, so you've got to have good slow-speed balance on your bike.

There's only been one reported fatality due to the terrain on the Slick Rock Trail, a mountain biker who fell 150 feet to his death. Other deaths have mostly been heat-related, so we made sure to fill our camelbacks to the brim for this ride.

 

[Lightcycle]

The practice loop is basically all Slick Rock, none of the sandy bottoms that we rode at Fins and Things yesterday. It seems pretty easy, so we decide to hit the main trail. They say it takes 4 hours to complete by mountain bike, so we should be able to do it faster?

Here's a video of the first part of the trail:

The part that gets a lot of riders is the sharp Z-turn at 1:47. Yes, I don't know my left from right...

Don't mind me muttering to myself. I'm giving Neda a heads-up on the route over the comms. Some of the white dashes on the rocks have either faded or are difficult to see. They must have to keep re-painting it very often.

The camera makes everything seem so flat, but there were indeed some steep climbs and descents on this route. At the end of the video, I got my front wheel stuck between two rocks, so it took a while for us to get me unstuck. Then because we lost momentum, Neda's bike fell down a bowl. Ugh. Did I mentioned how hot it was? We were sweating buckets and were tired and exhausted and this was just the beginning of the trail too!

Neda yells out over the intercom, "'JUST AS HARD AS THE PRACTICE LOOP', MY ASS!!!! THIS IS WAY HARDER!!!!"

Two guys on dirt bikes ride up to check on us. Justin and his friend were just coming back from completing the Slick Rock trail. They said they had been on the trail for 8 hours! WHAT? There was no way we were going to complete it in the time we had left. They helped Neda pull her bike out of the bowl and we followed them back out of the trail. They told us they started in the early morning, but somehow got themselves lost.

That's what we should have done. No, not get lost on the the trail. We should have headed out early in the morning instead of later in the evening.

We followed Justin and his buddy back to the campsite. Even the route back was scenic!

At several points, the Slick Rock Bike Trail either intersects or comes close to the 4x4 route. At the exit, all traffic comes together to make their way out of the park.

This is the route back down to the parking lot!

Justin followed us back to camp and we exchanged deets and chatted for a while about routes around the area. It seems they come up here every year. And for good reason. I think we're going to do the same as well.

We're a bit disappointed we didn't complete the trail, but we can try again tomorrow, this time we'll start nice and early in the morning!

 

[Lightcycle]

We wake up to some bad news.

Overnight, the rain has been falling steadily on the roof of our tent. We were hoping the water-works would stop by morning, but no luck. In fact, we both get SMS messages on our phones: flash flood warnings for all low-lying areas including the Sand Flats. We have to abandon camp.

Ugh. We've paid up for a couple more nights. But no worries about that - the site wasn't that expensive.

What does worry me is that we're in the middle of high season in Moab. I'm afraid that we won't be able to find alternate accommodations on such short notice.

Thankfully, we always get a local SIM chip whenever we travel anywhere out of the country, so we've got good Internet. We spend the whole morning online, trying to find a motel or BnB, but everything in the area is all booked up. So after packing up our soggy tents and loading up the bikes, we decide to drive around and knock on some doors.

We did finally manage to find something on AirBnB! It's a quaint and cozy place, perfect to hole up and watch the rain fall outside!

Unfortunately, a *little* bit more expensive than our camp site. *sigh*

Found a great Mediterranean (Neda-terranean?) place and treated ourselves to a delicious lamb dinner!

Although I'm a bit burned up that we're off the bikes after only a couple of days of riding, it is nice to take a little break.

As we were driving back to our AirBnB, we noticed all the parked motorcycles outside motels. Lots of depressed riders inside, I bet.

----

The next day, more of the same.

We're having such bad luck this trip. Intense heat the first two days, then two days of rain. *sigh*

We headed to a bar to drink our sorrows away. Parked outside the bar, we saw two Adventure bikes: a Tenere 700 and KTM 790. Inside, I located the two guys in motorcycle (rain) gear and struck up a conversation. Turns out they were from Europe and doing the SoCal BDR on rental bikes. I remarked, "Oh, that's a pretty tough route on those big bikes!" and they agreed. They told me they were pushing the bikes through the trail most of the time.

We'd like to try the SoCal BDR as well someday, and I'm totally happy with our choice of scoots!

Hopefully tomorrow, the rain stops and we can RIDE!!!!

 

[Lightcycle]

After being trapped indoors for a couple of days in the best place on Earth to ride, we're eager to get back out on two again.

Because we've lost all that time due to the weather, we've had to pivot a little bit. Initially, we wanted to tour Southern Utah after spending time at the Salt Flats, but due to other scheduling changes, we're going to have to just stick around the Moab area.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, still lots to do around here!

Today, we're going to be doing a short day-ride down to Hey Joe Canyon, so we saddle up our bikes with some softbags, fill them up with survival essentials and set off.

What a coincidence! I was just wondering which way to Moose Jaw...?

The rains seem to have broken the heat wave because finally the temperatures have returned to normal for this time of year. It's about mid 20s (about 75F) which is just perfect for riding!

 

[Lightcycle]

It's a quick highway jaunt north out of Moab before we turn west on 313, which is also paved. After 20 miles of asphalt, we veer off at Old Dead Horse Pt, and that quickly turns to Spring Canyon at which point the road devolves to dirt. It is kind of straight and boring for a while, but as we approach the winding Green River, the canyon walls rise up majestically to tower over and surround us:

Wow! So beautiful! This is what Utah is all about!

It's an entertainingly bumpy ride over orange and red gravel and rocks as the trail turns up and around. Then suddenly, we round the corner and:

HOLY SHEET! This is awesome!

So dangerous! Not because the trail is narrow or the drop just to the left of us goes on forever and ever, but it's so hard to keep your eyes focused ahead when the view around you is so distractingly gorgeous!

So glad the weather has gotten better. The orange rocks really pop against the blue sky.

 

[Lightcycle]

This scenic stretch is way too brief and the road makes a steep descent down to the river.

"Okay... so where do we go from here?"

This is Hey Joe Canyon Road, which follows the curves of the Green River north till it comes to a dead end, at which point we'll have to turn back the way we came in.

It was such a short ride in, we decide to see what's further ahead.

For most of the ride at the canyon bottom, we were too far inland to see the river. However, once in a while the trail meets up with the water and we get some nice views. A bit jarring to see such lush greenery along the river's edge when our eyes have adjusted to a palette of reds, oranges and browns!

 

[Lightcycle]

Lots of deep sand here, which wasn't too much fun. As beautiful as the scenery was, it was all starting to look the same, so half-way to the end, we decided to turn around and head back.

Same amazing scenery as we climbed out of the canyon and back up to the mesa. On the way out, we saw a sign for the Plateau Viewpoint. We love viewpoints, so we pull into the parking lot and check it out

Look at our lovely bikes! Such Endur-ing beauties!

This is Neda's first outing with her new Acerbis 12L tank. We've suffered from range anxiety issues every trip, and now she lords over the fact that she never runs out of gas before I do. Also loving her Tusk Excursion bags and how well they hug the bike. They were less than half the price of the Mosko Moto Reckless 40s, but you do get quite a lot for that - the value is astounding.

We've owned these bikes for a couple of years now and because of the supply-chain issues, it's taken forever to get them kitted up for multi-day distance riding. I'm still waiting for my oversize tank, and we've got a couple of other fiddly bits on order to make them touring-worthy.

They've really replaced our big ADV bikes as our go-to, especially given the terrain in our back yard up in Canada.

The view from the Plateau. Marvelous!

Proof that I was there

Love those flat-top mesas in the background!

We hop back on the bikes and head back to town. Great day of riding! And finally the weather turned out as expected!

 

[Lightcycle]

Change of lodging today.

Due to the last minute booking, we were only able to secure our cozy AirBnB for two nights. The weather has gotten better and it's not a weekend, so vacancies have started opening up all over town. We're relocating to a motel just off the main strip in Moab. Not as nice as our BnB, but a *lot* cheaper!

We're heading out for a longer ride today, again just outside the city. Everything is so close by!

The plan is to head out to a trail near Onion Creek, about 20 kms of dirt road. Most people turn around and head back, but we'll decide when we reach the end whether we want to keep on going to see what's on the other side.

The recent deluge has us a bit worried about this route. It winds through a deep chasm carved out by Onion Creek, and we've heard that the trail crosses the creek 27 times and after a rainfall, the water levels get quite high. This was one of the spots affected by the Flash Flood Advisory we received a few days ago.

Airing down the tires when we hit the gravel

We're pretty fastidious about adjusting our tire pressures according to the terrain - airing down for dirt and then pumping them back up for the asphalt. Saves a bit of wear on the rubber for the commute.

 

[Lightcycle]

It's another beautiful day for riding. Mid-20s once again, and we wind through the valley. Terrain is not as rough as yesterday's ride, but we do have to hop through Onion Creek several times. Thankfully, the water levels seems minimal and we just splish splash our way through.

Sploosh!

A lot of these rock formations are named. The tall 300-foot spire on the left is called "Totem Pole"

Riding in Utah is a feast for the senses. Not just the eyes. Apparently, there's a sulfer spring somewhere around here which emits a foul smell. That's why they call this Onion Creek.

 

[Lightcycle]

Yet another creek crossing. Is this #21 or #22? Lost track...

We weren't the only ones out enjoying the trail, we passed lots of ATVs, bicyclists and hikers as well. There's a popular campsite nearby, and I'm sure most of them are using Onion Creek as a base to launch trips out around the area. Also, pretty sure they had to abandon camp because of the flash flood warnings a couple of days ago!

Trail climbs up and we get a good view of the creek from above

And then sometimess you don't cross the creek but ride right in it for a while...

So glad the water levels are low.

Onion Creek Trail terminates at a T-junction and we are throroughly satisfied with how scenic it was. We were rubbernecking all around us the entire way!

So we have to make a decision: turn around and head back, or venture north up into the mountains.

 

[Lightcycle]

We venture north!

The road we're on is called Hideout Canyon and the scenery is markedly different from Onion Creek. The reddish hues have been replaced by muted browns and there's a lot more shrubbery. We are riding up to the La Sal mountains, there used to be old uranium mines around here. Maybe we should have installed geiger counters on our bikes?

Hey Neda! How many Clicks till the next turnoff?

That flat-top rock to the left is North Beaver Mesa

The terrain here is a little bit rougher than Onion Creek, and much much longer. Based on the map, it's difficult to gauge how long it will take to reach the end but we only have a few hours till sunset, so we keep pushing on for fear of running out of daylight.

 

[Lightcycle]

It takes us a couple of hours of riding through alpine brush, not a lot of scenery to gawk at, but (and I know it's weird to say) it's actually nice to experience something other than red and orange rocks everywhere.

After heading north for about 10 kms, the trail makes an abrupt U-turn south-east towards Polar Mesa. There is an opening where we can see some amazing vistas

At this point, we're about 10 kms west of the Utah/Colorado border.

Some cool colours! Those rocks look purple!

From the lookout, it's only a few more kms till the trail turns to asphalt once again. We didn't need to worry about running out of sunlight at all. A quick re-pump of our tires, and we're doing highway speeds all the way back to Moab!

Today was a longer day, about four hours in total. But I think tomorrow's ride will be even more longer and grueling...