Hi to all my 'Kota buddies...
Just a heads up about an organized trip I've been looking at. It is May 3-5, 2013 based out of Moab and will cover a lot of ground all over SE Utah. I don't know anything about the organizers other that what is online and I'm waiting to see how big I think it will get but I bet it will be pretty small since it involved camping off of your bike. Don't want to get on some huge ride with too much dust but I'm seriously considering it (on my G650X bike) so maybe I'll post more about it in the Spring.
But for now we all need something to get us through the winter (sure hope we get snow - Rocky Mountain National Park is currently on FIRE and it's December! WTF Man??
Check out:
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=845219 (http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=845219) for the Adv thread
or
http://dubinky.com/index.php/events/39-canyonlands-adventure-ride (http://dubinky.com/index.php/events/39-canyonlands-adventure-ride) for the organizer site, at Dubinky.com
I'd like to hear a post from anyone who is interested at all...
-matt
The word "Moab" and "spring" just came up in a conversation I had with Hellneau (Rich).
I think I am in!
Sounds like fun to me!
Well wouldn't ya know it, today the organizers of this trip just announced they are limiting it to 20 riders and have created a registration page. So there are enough guys already interested (and a lot of them already know each other) that this thing will fill up pretty fast I would guess. They are breaking it up into groups of 6 or 7, including one light and fast group (read: plated dirt bikes) that don't want to carry camping gear. Overall I think it is great to limit the size, for the sake of those attending.
So I dunno I probably won't rush to talk to the wife and sign up in a big hurry. I need to talk to HellSickle about how my 650 clearance will handle some of the routes. Not too worried though. I wanna do Elephant Hill cuz I haven't been way down to the South end of Canyonlands NP since my very first trip to Utah in 1983 on my Yamaha MX360 with a Baja tank! :) I got stuck on a clay hill in the rain where the clay balled up on my tires so bad halfway up the hill I just got off and the bike just stood there. Took me an hour to clean the clay out of the tires/forks so I could even move it. There are certain elevations there that have some nasty soils when wet. Adventure!
We'll see...
Me again! Ok I just signed up!
I figure worst case is I can back out later and I'm only out a $32 donation to a worthy cause, the Utah Shared Access Alliance http://www.usaall.org/?aboutus.htm (http://www.usaall.org/?aboutus.htm) fighting to keep access to roads and trails. I think I will have one of the bigger bikes with the lower ground clearance on the ride, as I'm thinking most of these guys are barely plated dirt bikes. There are a couple of tough obstacles (Elephant Hill) the rest is not a problem (unless it rains - the clay in some areas is unreal). I don't know how tough it will be but WTF you only live once!
Join me, it will be fun! See you on the Adv thread if you join up, I won't be checking DDSR that much... -matt
If elephant hill is as bad as it gets you have nothing to worry about, I even stopped half way for a picture:
(http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t163/blackhills_2007/024.jpg)
Snooker- thanks for the heads up. Just signed up. It'll be official once I know where to send the $$.
I'm looking forward to it
Wacked
Well Wacked and I survived the trip! Pics and videos are on ADV starting here: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=845219&page=50 (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=845219&page=50)
Fletch that pic on Elephant Hill must have been after a recent paving! Now there is a really nasty spot right about where you are parked, where the pavement chunked away in big blocks like land mines with foot deep gaps between them. Long story but I put rocks to fill in the gaps but most people paddled up and got help through that spot. I managed to clean it but my local riding buddy went down and cracked the clutch side cover on his KLX250. But JB Weld worked again! I'm still inspired by Gerry's earplug and JB Weld patch job at Pilot Knob a couple years back!