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Green River, Utah to St. George


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I went rafting with my daughter in Green River so I thought I'd ride out there and do that with her and her classmates and then ride some dirt back.  I got some great tracks from Brent Smith (who is not on XLADV?) and spent two days on mostly dirt.

Day 1 was Green River to Escalante.  It started out really easy then got to about intermediate level with some ruts and deep sand but not too bad.  My REVER version 3.0 kept crapping out on me (know issue; they're working on it) so I went to my GPS backup and was fine after that.  I had a pretty technical section before Hanksville that really got my attention for this one very rocky down and uphill section that I doubt I would have been able to clean without the Rekluse.  Made me really glad I didn't fall or get stuck on that.  After that there was a really cool section of long pink dirt before the Burr switchbacks and then onto Escalante.

I was hoping to get a tent spot at Escalante Outfitter but in hindsight I'm glad I didn't because I ended up in a wild camping spot in the Dixie National Forest and it was really nice to be alone and have some quiet.  I don't think it would have been quiet in Escalante.  I had my Mountain House and Starbucks Via so I was set!

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Nice spot amongst the sage brush and pine trees.  I was going to build a fire but it was windy and decided against it.  Didn't want to be "that guy."

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Day 2 I went down into Cannonville and filled my hydration bladder, got some wi-fi and headed south into Kodachrome Canyon (or something like that).  I wished I'd almost camped there the night before as it looked really great.  But onward I rode and the temps started to get warmer.  Saw these fantastic pictographs and petroglyphs

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Just surreal landscapes.  You have to see it in person to do it justice.

Made it to Kanab and gassed up, got a burger, more wi-fi and then down off the Arizona Strip onto north rim of the Grand Canyon.  Some great two track trails if not a lot of gates but that's okay.

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Went through these amazing wide valleys that made it seem you'd see herds of wild wooly mammoths roaming or a pterodactyl swoop down off the top of a cliff.  But soon enough I was back in St. George and decided to go pay a visit to Cole Townsend, owner of Fasst Company (Fasstco), makers of the Flexx bars, hand guards, Impact pegs, etc...  He's going to help us out on the Vegas to Reno race.

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Here's Cole measuring me up for a set of bars.  This guy really knows his stuff and was able to explain short vs tall bars and the tradeoffs that go with each.

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These Impact pegs have a layer of elastomer that dampens a lot of the vibes and not only keeps your feet planted but reduces the fatigue.  I'll post more on them in the Gear & Farkles forum.

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So I go back to the same campground as I'd stayed at Sunday night on the way out, Red Cliffs campground.  I'd managed to find some beer after a long hunt at three different stores and find out it's 3.2%?!!!  Utah!  Well at least it came in a plastic bag.  Can't get those in CA anymore.

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Some squirrel tried to steal my dinner!  But I felt bad after throwing a rock at him because I noticed his right eye had a cataract in it.  So I let him lick up his mess.

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I dozed off for a nap and here's the view from inside my tent

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And then I awake to find some sheriff deputy standing in front of my tent and he seems to know me!  Turns out it's Aaron Thompson and we'd ridden Mohave together with @GeoMoto and eveRide back in November.  He saw I was in town from my Facebook posts and had just started his shift and thought he'd come by.  He'll be at High Sierra this Labor Day as well.

Here he and I are in front of his SUV cruiser

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And then his partner shows up.  I'm sure all the other campers thought I was some dirty hobo they'd come to roust! 

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30 minutes ago, 556baller said:

Sounds like a good run, did you sort out your oil leak? 

 

No, I need to call KTM Murietta and get something scheduled.

On another note, I found it interesting that I ran into three people there who knew me.  One was Mark (who met Jerry in Ridgecrest and is here on XLADV too) in the parking lot of a gas station in Green River.  He is from TN but is on a tour of dual sporting on his 690 on the back of a trailer his truck pulls.  Another is Chris Norris from Pt Mugu, CA who tagged me on Facebook saying he passed me on a road.  The other of course is Aaron the sheriff in St. George.

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The story about the beer is funny.  So I know Utah stands out with their beer laws but I know you can get the real stuff if you "do it right."  I first went to a gas station mini-mart and all they had was the crap beer like Coors/Miller/Bud/Corona.  So I got on my smartphone and found a State liquor store and went there.  They had plenty of the good stuff but NONE COLD!  What was I supposed to do, buy an ice chest and ice?  They said I'd have to go to a grocery store so I found a Wal-Mart nearby and went there and found a decent IPA, Goose Island.  I get back to camp with my six pack and quickly knock back two and it's like I was drinking water or something.  That's when I saw it said 3.2%.  

Seriously, Utah.  I love you but c'mon you're killing me!

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