Went South for Looking for Some Warmth

[Spud]

After a long winter (which I enjoy) and a miserably cold, wet windy and snowy spring (which I hate), I decided to make a break for it. The Plan: Head south, where it's warm!

Day 1: I hop I-15 in Idaho Falls. Heading South, watch for exit 95 (Utah 20). My Tom Tom Rider2 has never been so incredibly annoying...Watching the count down of 443 miles to the next turn made time slow down...not a good thing on the interstate.

The further south I went, the colder it got. I dropped from mid 50's in Idaho to low 40's for hours, finally high 30's at my destination. Thank goodness for my heated jacket liner and heated grips.

Two quick gas stops and I rolled into Ruby's Inn at Bryce Canyon National Park. The most interesting thing on that part of the trip? 80 MPH Speed Limit on some sections! I never knew...

Day Two: This is what I came for!

I knew it was going to be cold, so I waited to get a bit of a late start. Fire up the bike a little after 8:30 am, wow it feels cold out here! Check the temp--holy crap, 25f in the parking lot. No pushing corners today...

Up to the top of Bryce Canyon National Park to beat the tour buses... I'll check out the scenes on the way back down.

There's still snow up here..

The Summit...

Bryce--Amazing!

On through the valley--Irrigating in sub-freezing temperatures...

Highway 12

Utah Highway 12: Be Careful on this section--the road drops off on the left...and it drops off on the right!

Caineville Area, HWY 24

Crossing the Colorado for the first time--Lake Powell Area

Natural Bridge

Heading Toward Moab, hoping I don't get caught in any snow...

The Not-So-Friendly Skies south of Moab. I kept after it trying to avoid these scattered snow flurries...

Got to Moab, got a good nights rest, and then, finally, it got back into the 50's on my last day, day 3.

La Sal Mountain--just beyond Moab slickrock.

Some Jeeps heading up a slick-rock trail. Moab is a gearhead's delight--so many cool 'wheeler's around town--and trust me--they aren't built for show.

Arches National Park, just north of Moab.

Then on through Price, Salt Lake, back home.

I did about 1350 miles in 3 days--all in all a great first ride of the year!

 

[Niehart]

Hey Spud, thanks for taking us along!

 

[FarWestFastEddie]

Spud, Nice ride report and great pic's, 25 deg... Damn... I'd be getting an electric ball warmer....

FWFE

 

[canyonman]

WOW it looks really different with snow on everything. Having only been in those places in the summer its hard to imagine it covered in white. Nice trip thanks for sharing. I need to start planning a run out to those red rocks.

 

[BwanaDik]

Thanks Spud! Timely report, wifey and I should be going up that way thru Price toward Yellowstone in a couple of weeks. May still be chilly?

 

[escapefjrtist]

Nice RR and pics. Thanks for sharing the ride with us!

--G

 

[Greb]

Looks like you had fun! I love southern UT

 

[jerome burley]

Well done Spud! Enjoyed your images. That area could be in the 80's this time of year! Yeah, it has been a wild spring in Idaho to say the least! Thanks for the ride.......

 

[SkooterG]

Cool. I absolutely :wub: US12. One of my top 5 roads.

Hope to be going through there next week on a little one day ride. Somebody talked me into doing their first SaddleSore 1000 with them. They came up with a very nice all interstate route. Yawn!! I said, I'll go with you, but we are doing it on some GREAT roads.

US12 here I come!

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

"In the afternoon I watch the clouds drift past the bald peak of Mount Tukuhnikivats. (Someone has to do it.)" -- the late Edward Abbey:

Hey, thanks.

 

[Warchild]

Awesome report.... I plan on touring this *exact* area in mid-July..... should be hotter than hell at that point in the summer...

 

[Bugnatr]

Thanks spud, vacationland - Southern Utah has some great riding.

Moab in the summer is an oven, looks like you hit it right!