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So about a month ago one of my riding buddies invited me on a 5-6 day run from our home in lovely overcrowded Los Angeles to areas around Zion National Park. As all trips of this nature go we had more people wanting to go until the details were getting sorted out and then a few people dropped out for the usual reasons of work/family/fear of adventure/alien abduction etc. The trip turned into a group of 3 of us, Orbel the route maker, Dusty and Myself. Some usual last minute maintenance problems, banter and one brand new GS1200Adventure later we hit the road. Day 1 Nice and early 6am meet-up at Starbucks in Upland, CA for a quick shot of java before we slab it out town through Vegas to Saint George Utah. Now is when the smaller range of my Super Tenere started to play a roll, the GSA can manage an easy 350 miles a tank VS my Tenere’s 175-200 mile range. Our first break in Primm, NV so that we can blast through Vegas without stopping. On the way up It was a pleasant 92F or so. Not bad for June in the desert! Then back on the bikes and through Vegas stopping in Mesquite for gas and lunch. Some really empty boring sections on 15N through this part of NV. Orbel leading the way Dusty who just got his 600 mile service done a couple days before on his brand new Beautiful GSA Passed a test car getting put through it’s paces Then lunch in Mesquite where I sent the mandatory check in photo to the wife, showing I wasn’t really hiding out at the local strip club for a 5 day bender again. Then a stop at the BLM office in Saint George to inquire about back country camping permits for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, however the storm clouds we had been flirting with apparently left that area pretty wet and mostly a muddy mess that we weren’t up to dragging our bikes through yet. Then we left Saint George through Hurricane, UT and I see a Drive Thru Pawn Shop Which continues to baffle my imagination, but I guess when you need to pay the rent getting cash for your Rolex is easy that way.

After picking up the bike and all of us creaping through the snot again we took a side trail intending to drop into Bryce Canyon from the West side of the park. But it was not to be, this was the first hint that it may not be possible. However in the spirit of adventure after making sure the trail wasn’t undercut we pushed on past the narrow spot Then under the fallen tree Only to have the entire trail washed out around the next bend!!!! @#$@ So we turned around and headed back down towards the main trail. After this section we ran along a side trail that was of Epic levels of awesome. Slightly narrow two track that was just wet enough to not make any dust but also not be a slippery mess. Lead all of us into playing too hard, power sliding around corners and zipping along at a really good pace. The light drizzle that we hit intermittently just kept the dirt that perfect tacky texture for the next 30 or 40 minutes it seemed while we all got lost in the joy of this empty beautiful land that we could explore and play in. Then back along the main dirt road near Tropic Reservoir, At the reservoir we circled up to the bluffs that gave us an impressive view of the valley bellow and the town of Hatch, UT. After looping up to the bluffs we stopped at a natural spring to fill up our water supplies prior to making camp. We found a perfect spot next to Tropic Reservoir where someone was kind enough to leave a bit of pre chopped wood and a campfire ring that we used for our evening. Then we all cleaned up, I went for a VERY quick swim and we cooked up some dinner. This was another great day on the trail, with so many memorable moments for all of us.

Day 2 We packed up and left the OHV area we stayed in, had a light breakfast in camp of stuff we picked up the evening before and found a nice sandy 2 track that took us back to Hwy 89. Dusty is enjoying the new GSA, and the sand has a good layer of dampness on top to make it a bit easier to ride! But this was his first real experience in sand, and this fine soft fluff got the best of him Thank goodness for crash bars, skid plates and bark busters as the only damage the entire week was the ball at the end of a clutch lever!! Orbel making his way through the countryside With Dusty getting a bit more comfortable with the sand The sand got to me when I started getting cocky and trying to power through it like I was on a dirtbike again! As the morning wore on the sand started to dry out and get a bit more challenging to ride over. But everyone was having a GREAT time, even if it is hard work in the sand with all our gear on the bikes! Then we stumbled into a giant bottomless sand pit! Was a wash that the trail dropped into, with no choice but continue or turn back. The drop in was so soft you could only slide down it pushing a mountain of sand with you, and it took all 3 of us to get Orbel up and out the other side so he could hit the end of the trail 200yards past this hill. This was very fine bottomless silt deposited by a stream and time, Dusty we could have pushed through as he was also running Kenda Big Blocks, but my Heidenau K60’s would have left me buried and stuck. So he and I made the smart choice, and backtracked about 2 miles to drop out onto the road further south and meet up with Orbel at the intersection. During this backtrack Dusty was moving along smoothly and then suddenly cut to the left and fell down. I was a little confused :huh :huh so I pull up next to him to help lift the bike and he is pulling a stick out of his spokes. Apparently it deflected up and was enough to stop the front wheel in the soft sand causing him to plow and drop the bike. I convinced him to keep the stick, but neglected to get any photo’s of the event. :baldy :baldy From there it was a few quick corners back to the road where we met up with Orbel and headed into Caramal Jct. for a meal, free air and time to regroup and plan the afternoon’s activities.

Enthralled and waiting for the rest of the story. Thank you for sharing.

If you don't like these, let me know! I'm looking for some tall bars for the Tenere

I'll get the rest up over the next few days, but life is distracting me from sharing all this with you for a bit longer.

The Ho-Made Pies went untested but the rest of the food was pretty pleasant. After lunch we headed North on Hwy 89 to Glendale, UT where we turned onto Glendale Bench Rd. and headed back into the dirt. We headed to the North again and ended up running through some cabin’s where we found a bunch of ponds, as well as bear tracks, and what I assume is bear shit! We stopped here for a few, I stripped my jacket off and we all relaxed a bit Shortly after leaving this spot lead us to a muddy hill climb, and our lead spun and stopped before regrouping and making it to the top of the hill. But this left the other two bikes stopped half way up, and I rolled back to a flatter spot about 30 feet behind me Dusty’s shorter legs gave him a challenge on getting going again. Lent a helping hand after he slipped around a bit I had to put some graffiti on his helmet to remind him he came from a muddy place. By this time Orbel had walked back down the hill far enough to take pictures as I used my flat spot to putter on up the hill with far less excitement After reaching the top we continued towards Tropic Reservoir and encountered some more thick nasty mud We also started running into some of the rain clouds we had been avoiding the entire trip. Followed by more Mud

Not too far out of Hurricane we took a detour on the way to Zion just to get some dirt under our tires, and of course Dusty had to go through the only mud puddle to help start the break in process on his GSA. With a long open view in front of us we set off, happy to finally be getting into the good stuff. And good views it provided, in all directions. With a rocky downhill section where Dusty raved about how much easier to manage the big GSA was than the 800Adventure he just moved away from Then it was a nice scenic ride to the border of Zion National Park At the entrance to the park we stopped for an early dinner and a celebratory pint. Some great fish and chips at this place and a very nice server before we rode through Zion. After stopping to wait for the tunnel, enjoying the views, and walking up to see some native Sheep we headed out of the park and into Caramal Jct, with the home of the Ho-Made Pies(but for some reason they have Cherry, wouldn’t think that was an option in this type of joint!!) We then headed over to Coral Pink Sand Dunes only to find the camping area full, but Ponderosa Pines BLM campground nearby had a great spot for us to setup for the night.