2015 - Taking KBiK to RockSTOC and NatSTOC

This Saturday I shall be heading out on the KBiK for my first big ride of the year. Will take in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma before returning to Texas. I'll be attending two ST-Owners events; RockSTOC in Ouray, CO and NatSTOC in Spearfish, SD. This ride will also check off all the western states where I have not ridden a bike.

The plan is for 6,400 miles but the actual will be well over 7,000 after I have done the rides at RockSTOC and NatSTOC.



This is my planned itinerary
June 20th: Houston to Alpine, TX: https://goo.gl/maps/CpxQR
June 21st: Alpine, TX to Safford, AZ: https://goo.gl/maps/X1NnA
June 22nd: Safford, AZ to Chinle, AZ: https://goo.gl/maps/SkN8K
June 23rd: Chinle, AZ to Cortez, CO: https://goo.gl/maps/wTolZ
June 24th: Cortez, CO to Ouray, CO: https://goo.gl/maps/XKMc6
June 25th - 28th: RockSTOC I, Ouray, CO
June 29th : Ouray, CO to Saint George, UT: https://goo.gl/maps/Wgj0T
June 30th: St George, UT to Lake Tahoe, CA: https://goo.gl/maps/6iubt
July 2nd: Lake Tahoe, CA to Klamath Falls, OR: https://goo.gl/maps/EOxhO
July 3rd: Klamath Falls, OR to Clarkston, WA: https://goo.gl/maps/guJZl
July 5th: Clarkston, WA to Billings, MT: https://goo.gl/maps/FHc5A
July 6th: Billings, MT to Bear Lodge, WY: https://goo.gl/maps/Ec59j
July 7th: Bear Lodge, WY to Spearfish, SD: https://goo.gl/maps/nEebo
July 8th - 10th: NatSTOC X, Spearfish, SD
July 11th: Spearfish, SD to Guthrie, OK: https://goo.gl/maps/PZcVu
July 12th: Guthrie, OK to Houston, TX: https://goo.gl/maps/Rn27i

The ride takes in some of my favorites: Davis Mts in TX, Emory Pass in NM, Coronado Trail in AZ, Mesa Verde in AZ, Escalante, Bryce and Zion in UT, Beartooth Pass in MT, and Chief Joseph in WY. I'll also get to revisit Lake Tahoe, see Crater Lake for the first time, and follow Lewis and Clark back up from the Columbia over Lolo Pass to the Bitteroot.

Will be staying in motels but also have my tent for camping in Ouray and Spearfish. Looking forward to seeing how the KBiK and I get on together on a long, multi-day trip. Putting on a new set of P4s tomorrow. The OEM Metzelers only have 3,000 miles on them but do not have a good reputation for lasting on a long trip.

SPOT will be on and I'll post pictures.

As usual, looks like a great trip.

What a fantastic trip you have planned. Ride safely and see you at RockSTOC.

Looks like you have a great trip planned, enjoy it.

Nice, enjoy.

New front and rear Michelin PR4 GTs fitted to KBiK this morning so apart from loading the bags I am ready to leave!

Departed Houston at 8:00am after an early four mile walk with Kathy. 80 degF and increasingly overcast as I rode up US 290 to Giddings and then 21 to Bastrop. First sprinkle of rain as I went through Dripping Springs. KBiK does a solid 40 mpg at 70 mph. Fueled up in Fredericksburg and left the traffic behind on Hwy 41 to Rocksprings. Speed limit was 75 but no traffic so left KBiK in cruise at 85. Refueled at Lake Amistad and down to 35 mpg! I-90 west from Del Rio is the best way to see west Texas. One car or truck every 15 minutes if you are unlucky. Sun came out and it went up to 96 degF so I was glad to keep hydrated. Stopped off at the Pecos to take pictures of the High Bridge.



Riding the high plains from Langtry up to Dryden, Sanderson and Marathon, it was great to see how green it was. Obviously West Texas has benefited from the same rains we have seen in East Texas. Arrived in Alpine at 5:00pm after 9 hours of riding. KBiK performed perfectly!

Left Alpine at 7:00am just as the sun rose. It was a cool 58 degF as I rode through the Davis Mountains but the sky was clear and the road dry. Great to see all the green vegetation even high up near the MacDonald Observatory. One bunny rabbit decided to joust with the KBiK and lost. Brief blast along I-10 between Kent and Van Horn but then I turned north to Guadeloupe Mountain.





300 miles on the clock and I finally leave Texas again on I-10 heading north to Las Cruces and then I-25. West on US 180, one of my favorite roads, I stopped in historic Hillsboro for lunch in the old Grocery Shop caf?. Time moves slowly on a Sunday in Hillsboro. Continued on US 180 through the Gila Forest up over Emory Pass and then down into Santa Rita and Silver City. Turned off US 180 on NM 78 for some more great twisties before arriving in Safford, AZ for the night. It went up to 109 degF as I left Silver City and came into Arizona but at least it is a dry heat.

Sounds like you are having a wonderful time! Keep us informed!

Good report Andy. Sounds like the KBiB is doing great? I'm leavin in the mornin. See ya in Ouray!

June 21st. By 5:30am it was light outside so I ignored my alarm clock and got up, packed the KBiK and left at 6:45am after having breakfast in the motel. It was already 80 degF so I worried about it becoming really hot like yesterday. Started up the Coronado Trail, AZ 191, after being blown away again by the huge size of the open pit mine in Morenci. The Coronado Trail reaffirmed itself as the best road I have ridden. The south end is all tight turns with no barriers to protect against the huge drop offs. The torque from the six cylinders in KBiK ate up the curves. Up and around pine covered valleys it goes up to just over 9,000 ft. It cooled off to below 60 degF in places. No traffic to worry about but I stayed on my side of the line! The north end is big, long sweepers on which the KBiK had to be let free! From Springerville the roads across the high plains are straight for miles and miles. Temperature crept up to 98 degF. Arrived in Chinle at 1:30pm after doing 327 miles. Took the south rim road around Canyon de Chelly. Would have liked to hike down to the bottom of the canyon but was worried about leaving everything on the bike. Looking forward to doing the north rim of Chelly tomorrow and then going on to revisit Mesa Verde.

http://www.texasmorleys.com/2010-2019/2015/2015-Rock-NatSTOC/06-20 to 24 TX to CO/slides/2015_06_0128.html

Great pics and updates Andy. Enjoy the trip.

Short day today as it is only 137 miles to Cortez from Chinle. I waited till the restaurant was open and had a good breakfast before leaving at 7:30am heading up the north rim road of the Canyon de Chelly. Visited the three overlooks into the canyon. The drop offs from the overlooks are about 600 ft and they are only protected in a few places.












From Chinle I continued up 191 through the red rock cliff scenery of the Navajo Nation. Avoided the Arizona LEOs but hit the inevitable road works coming into Cortez.





Continued on to Mesa Verde National Park. I had hoped to do a tour of the Cliff Palace but it was all sold out for the afternoon. Rode the canyon loop around to the Soda Canyon trail. Hiked into the canyon for a good view of the Balcony House which I visited last year on my way down from Canada. Arrived back in Cortez at 3:00pm after a 245 mile day. Tomorrow it is another short day across to Durango and up the "Million Dollar Highway" to Ouray for the RockSTOC event. I'll be camping for the next five nights so caught up with my laundry!

Left Cortez at 7:00am after breakfast in the motel. Wanted to leave early as it was forecast to be another hot day. Need not have worried, as although it started off at close to 80 deg F, it dropped to a very cold 56 degF when I went over the high passes at 10 and 11,000 ft. From Durango I turned north on the "Million Dollar" highway (CO 550 or the San Juan Skyway) to Silverton and Ouray. As I had lots of time I decided to take some pictures using the tripod. Stopped on an uneven gravel pullout and put the kick stand down. Left KBiK in 1st and turned the engine off so she would not roll forward. Took some good pictures with the snow on the mountains in the background. Folded up the triped and stowed it and the camera in their bags. Kicked my leg up over the Kbik and nudged her too much. Over KbiK tipped down the slope of the pullout. Because of the slope, the bike rolled past the engine crash bars and rear tip over bars onto the wing mirror and rear pannier! $#@&%$#$ ! I knew I could not lift the bike with all the luggage so I started to remove the Wolfman bag from the rear seat. A welcome friend stopped his pickup and helped me lift the KBiK vertical. Scratched rear pannier and bent the mount for the Clearwater Erica but everything else was okay, except of course for my stupid pride! Rode the rest of the way into Ouray telling myself never to trust slopping gravel pullouts however fine the view might be.

Ouch
Good to hear you are there

Sorry about the tip over on your new bike. Have a safe trip. You know you could move your Guthrie stop to my place. My ST might let another Beemer in the garage.

Sorry, been too busy having fun and riding. Today is a rest day and so I have had a chance to post my pictures and do some other updates.

RockSTOC was great. Thanks to Ash and Karla for organizing a great event. My pictures are here.

Here is a time-lapse video of my ride up and back the Million Dollar Highway, CO 550, from Ouray to Silverton and Coal Bed summit. Images every 10 seconds taken with a Drift HD Ghost camera mounted to my helmet.

[video=youtube_share;dopXeqI-zik]http://youtu.be/dopXeqI-zik[/video]

Here is another time-lapse of riding the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

[video=youtube_share;zi6AqW4OhsI]http://youtu.be/zi6AqW4OhsI[/video]

Sunday, June 28th.

Up at 6:00am with the noisy birds at Ouray KOA. Broke camp and packed up the KBiK before saying goodbye to those who had not already left. Rode out after breakfast at 8:15. Clear blue skies and 70 deg made for a great start as I headed west on CO 62 from Ridgway. Snow capped mountains to the south looked great and I enjoyed the twisties through San Miguel canyon for the second time. Turned south on CO 141 to the Basin and then the Delores River and into Utah.

Joined US 191 in Monticello and turned south to Blanding Turned west on UT 95 towards Lake Powell. Lots of nasty tar snakes made the wheels twitchy and me very unhappy so I took it easy. Good thing as I came up behind a Utah Highway Patrol car who had his cruise at 65 and kept blasting with radar through the rear window. Eventually he twigged that I was not going to overtake him so he pulled over and did a U-turn.

Temperature rose to 98 deg F and the scenery turned red and rocky. Crossed the Colorado above Hite and stopped to take some pictures. Lake Powell no longer reaches the marina at Hite. We had picked up a houseboat here in 1996! The road from the Colorado follows a side canyon which twisted back and forth which made for a good ride except for when the tar snakes were thick in the bends. Arrived at Hanksville at 1:00pm but had to wait until 3:00pm to check-in at the motel.

Monday, June 29th.

I was not woken by the birds at 4:30am as I had when camping I felt like I had a much better sleep in the motel in Hanksville. Left at 7:30am after a quick coffee. Followed UT 24 through the desert to Capital Reef National Park and then turned south on UT 12 to Boulder and Escalante. UT 12 is an amazing road as it start by climbing to over 9,000 ft in the Aspen and Pine trees of the Dixie National Forest.

After Boulder the road twists and turns along the narrow tops of the rock canyons, or descends and climbs the canyons. It is a great ride with spectacular views. Met a group of Germans on a two week motorcycle tour. They were all on Harley Davidsons as that is what they ride back in Germany. They took a lot of interest in my BMW 1600 GT and the fact that I could ride for three weeks with everything on the bike rather than requiring two sag wagons. Great conversations with a good group of people.

Passed by Bryce but went through Zion National Park as it is one of my favorites. Temperature rose to 108 deg F as I pulled into the motel in St.George, UT. Tomorrow I have a longer day as I shall do 550 miles across Nevada to Lake Tahoe in California.





Almost hit this Marmot on UT 12!


Looking south from close to the summit in the Dixie Forest before Boulder.


South of Boulder UT 12 follows the top of a narrow ridge between two valleys


Could it get any better!


German tour group on HDs


Checkerboard Mesa in Zion


Short tunnel in Zion


The road switchbacks down through Zion


KBiK in Zion

Two time-lapse videos taken with a Drift HD Ghost camera attached to my helmet taking pictures every 3 seconds.

Riding UT 12 from Torrey to Boulder and Escalante in Utah
[video=youtube_share;0HYA8im3yF8]http://youtu.be/0HYA8im3yF8[/video]

Riding through Zion National Park in Utah
[video=youtube_share;oQAu1i_Reak]http://youtu.be/oQAu1i_Reak[/video]