America Untouched, The Story

DAYS 9 & 10
Window Rock, AZ to Bryce Canyon, UT

To you loyalists out there reading this blog on a daily basis, I apologize for not having an entry available over the last two days. Of course, everybody needs a break in the action now and again and reading about two dudes romp across the country side is just enough of a distraction from your daily grind. I hope nobody was too dissapointed! After all, it was Rigid that said, "This blog has become as important as the ride!"

Definitely adds another element to it, that's for sure!

It should also be noted that the boys have been "off the grid" in a manner of speaking... Roaming the Earth like a couple of Harley riding Kwai Chang Caine's from "Kung Fu" has certain technological draw backs... But we'll forgive the fellas because they're out there livin' the dream.

To that end, I give you two blog entries... One entry for the story, the other for the pictures. (You gotta see the pictures!)

Below are the adventures of Overtime and Rigid as told by the Boys themselves. Enjoy...

"May 7, 2008
Window Rock AZ to Wite UT (north Lake Powell).
318 miles.
3287 miles total.

Another late start. Something about wind chill factors.
Saw some interesting scenery.
Left Window Rock heading north on the Navajo routes, which vary between AZ and NM.
Not much in the way of scenery initially – starkly beautiful though.
Couldn’t help but feel the Navajo got really shafted by the “white eyes”.
Biggest issue was cresting a hill and finding (take your pick) a herd of sheep/ goats/ horses and/or cows in the middle of the road. It was pretty neat watching the herding dogs do their thing.
Four Corners (an obligatory stop if you are in the vicinity) was in the middle of nowhere – vast scrub covered rolling hills as far as one could see.
Found out Steve has a soft spot for panhandlers when he gave a young Native American lad who was working the crowd (of two) all of his change ($.32).
Made me proud.
Ride from Four Corners started getting better (and colder-does anyone besides me see a theme evolving here?) as we progressed towards the Natural Bridges National Monument. The visitor’s center was closed, and it was getting late, but we rode the loop and hiked to the viewing points for all the bridges.
Noticed that the camping for the park was full, but we figured that only applied to mere mortals and went riding through looking for a spot to pitch out tents.
Found one (which required some off road sandy maneuvering, but it worked.
That is, until several people informed us that the park was full and we were actually in their spots. Following a short discussion, we left the park barely ahead of tall skinny ladies wielding brooms and short fat men with black knee socks and toy poodles.
The nearest overflow camping site was 15 miles down a gravel road – here we go again.
Off we went without a clue except a vague idea that somewhere west would surely be someplace to camp.
Welllll, kinda.
With darkness coming on fast (sound familiar) and lightning starting (spectacular light show) and, did I mention the wind – AGAIN, we pressed on, intrepid biker scum that we are, when suddenly we happened on a sign indicating a place (Hite UT) with camping, lodging, food, gas, and facilities. Wow, talk about timing!
We rode about three miles down the road to find a modern day ghost town.
Apparently this place was a real popular place when upper Lake Powell actually had water, but as we passed lots full of decrepit house boats and an abandoned (empty) small city of trailers, our hopes began to waiver.
Soon we reached the end of the road to find a restroom facility and an expanse of concrete that looked more like an airfield parking ramp (at least 100 yards wide and four hundred yards long.
It was a boat launching ramp – and it still stopped 100 yards short of the lake.
There was one RV parked some ways away.
We decided that this was probably about as good as we were going to find, and began looking for a level spot to pitch out tents. Did I mention the wind?
We could not find a level spot so we drove around to the back of the restrooms and found a closed fish cleaning station, with one wall and two half walls – and a roof!
We were home for the night.
The restrooms actually had lights and water (no showers), and there was a pay phone.
We set up our sleeping bags, and after making collect calls to our respective spouses, commenced with our evening dinner – bags of jerky (where were Jerry and Janet when we really needed them?).
After jamming to the blues courtesy of Steve’s sound system (he had pulled his bike under the roof) for a while, we crashed.
About that time it started raining, and really blowing too.
After a couple of rearrangements, we finally went to sleep – sort of. The wind shifted and now Steve was getting soaked.
He let some air out of his mattress and placed it between the high wall and the fish cleaning station and hopped into the sack, only to find that he was more like a taco or a hot dog as the mattress closed up on his sides and he couldn’t move.
I could help it and broke out laughing.
Here we were cold, wet, tired, wind blown, and hungry.
Living large – it just doesn’t get any better... You can’ make this shit up!
Don’t know if biker protocol allows for changing a road name, but several come to mind after the mattress deal (Taco or Hot Dog?)
The next morning, the RV pulled up so the couple could do their business, took one look at us and decided to check other options. Can’t imagine why.

And so began:
May 8, 2008.
Hite UT to Bryce Canyon UT.
227 miles.
3514 total miles
After a 50 mile ride to breakfast we started towards Bryce Canyon.
OK, now the ride really began. Everything up to now was practice tourism.
There is no way to describe the majesty and grandeur of the country that we encountered.
Just as soon as we crested a hill or rounded a turn, the vista’s just got better – every time!
If we stopped at every scenic viewing point, or stopped to take pictures, we would never get out of this state.
I kept trying to take pictures on the fly, but with thick gloves on (did I mention the wind – and cold?) it got too hard. There are plenty of coffee table books and calendars with better pictures than I could ever hope to take - not to mention memory chip capacity and battery life, so I decided to wait.
We traveled through our highest elevation to date, 9875 Ft., and had to stop to “layer up” as the temp dropped into the 30’s. (did I mention snow still on the ground?).
We contemplated a snowball fight, but we were both too cold, and a decisive victory by either participant was uncertain.
We rode through Capitol Reef National Park and on to tour an Anasazi historical site before arriving at Bryce Canyon.
Everything we’ve seen to this point pales in comparison to this extraordinary place.
History has it that the Mormon settler for whom the canyon was named as it was behind his homestead, when asked about the canyon responded with typical taciturn settler logic – “It’s a hell of a place to lose a cow”.
We rode and hiked to all the view points and as we were exiting, decided to try something different - resembling smarts. It was getting late, cold was still a factor, and we had been at elevations over 6000 ft for several days, and it was a long ride to Zion, with no assurances of a camping spot at lower elevations (we were not prepared to camp in freezing conditions), and no desire to repeat the previous night’s experience quite so soon, we decided to see if we could get a room,
Hallelujah – found one for the cheapest price yet. Couldn’t afford not to.
No real drama today, just some great riding through some incredible country.

An observation; apparently the $/Euro exchange rate is pretty good, as we have encountered many folks from every known (and some unknown) foreign country.
In fact, the Yankees have been outnumbered at every stop.
Biker scum seems to offer some sort of perverse attraction as many have taken our picture or asked to have their picture taken with us.
I can just imagine the stories to their neighbors when they host their return party photo show (or blog/slideshow).

Tomorrow it’s on towards Zion N.P. and points somewhere north and west

Friday, May 9, 2008,
Waiting to hit the road and for an internet connection to sent this to Shane.
Still in the 30’s – and – did I mention the wind?
We as a country are really missing a free source of energy here.
Steve and I are considering forming a Company and offering our services to ride our bikes to any windmill electrical farm. Guaranteed results."

Pictures Below...