Pie for lunch

We did a loop ride that took us on the Coronado Trail road. This road takes you through the copper open pit mine in Morenci, AZ and then for 90 miles of winding blacktop. We stopped in Alpine for lunch at the Bear Wallow Cafe. The total ride was right at 300 miles. The weather was comfortably cool and sunny.

Getting ready to hit 191 north (old 666)

Coffee break in Clifton

The processing plant at the mine

Part of the open pit mine. Look for the hauling trucks at the bottom.

A tire and wheel from one of those trucks.

A small portion of the long and winding road.

Lunch 

There goes my diet for the day

Going up to country

A quick 3 day trip from our homes to the White Mountains of Arizona and New Mexico. Clay from Tempe, Roland from West Tejas and me met today in Silver City, NM. Tomorrow we'll do a loop ride on the Coronado Trail and back. Hope to have more pictures for tomorrow's post.

Wednesday and Thursday

On Wednesday we left Dubois by riding back along the Tetons. They are so spectacular that you can't get enough of them. We stopped in Jackson at the Orvis store so Steve could ogle fly fishing equipment but alas he didn't purchase anything new. We cut back Southeast and spent the night in Rock Springs, WY.

Thursday found us heading South along the Flaming Gorge. I started thinking about skipping the Top O the Rockies rally and just going all the way home (700 miles). The more I thought about it the more it sounded like the right thing to do so Steve and I said our good byes just before getting on I-70 where he went East and I went West. It was a nice ride for me as I took a route that took me along the Colorado River and into Moab. From there I hit Monument Valley before swinging down to Flagstaff and home. I arrived at 7:30 pm while it was still day light.

All in all this trip was a nice one with good roads, scenery and great company.

A day ride

Steve went fishing today and I took a loop ride over the mountains to Idaho and back into Wyoming. This took me back pass the Grand Tetons which was gorgeous as usual.

The pinnacles outside of Dubois

A photo opp

A reservoir between Idaho and Wyoming 

The Snake River

One event over, another one begins

The MOA rally is over and all had a good time. It was fun to visit with all the folks from the forum who showed up at the rally and we met plenty of other K1600 riders who will sign up on the forum when they get home. Then there were the other riders who we met and had a good time with like the 2 guys from Cedar Falls, neighbors of mine who showed up for a day on their way to Seattle and a BMW rider from my home area that I hadn't met before.

Sunday morning camp was struck and everyone left for their corner of the world. Steve and I took some scenic highways to Dubois, Wyoming were we are staying with Mark Quigley. Besides being a great action event photographer he is also a professional fly fishing guide here in Dubois. Steve signed up with Mark for a day of trout fishing and they took off this morning to do that. I don't know what I'll do today so we will both have to wait for the next page of this blog to find out.

Bear Lake in Utah

Elk Antler arch

Another elk antler arch in Jackson, WY

The Grand Tetons with some light rain clouds

Doing some laundry for the week

Mark Quigley's passive solar house outside of Dubois, Wyoming

What a beautiful setting 

Kindig it

Steve and I went on a tour of Dave Kindig's Bitchin' Rides custom car shop. It was fun to see the cars that will be on their next season tv shows and meet the guys in the shop along with Dave and Kevin.

Breakfast

Thursday breakfast with part of the gang. 

Arrived in Salt Lake City and the MOA rally

We had a very nice ride from Moab to the rally. Some of the guys got here yesterday and got our group camping area set up. The fair grounds looks like it will be a good venue for this rally. Folks on our K1600 forum from around the country are starting to show up. We've got folks from Virginia, Vermont, Iowa, parts of Canada, Colorado, Missouri and of course Arizona.

K1600 central

The center tent is mine the one to the left is to the left

One of the guys pulled a camping trailer down from Canada

Going to the MOA rally

Headed out this morning to Moab to meet Steve and Norm. Tomorrow we will ride to Salt Lake City for this years BMW MOA rally. 

It was a nice day for the ride. Mostly in the 80s until I got close to Moab and then the temps jumped to 95-100. I got there before Steve and Norm so I took a spin through Arches Nat. Park. 

When the guys rolled in and we unloaded at the KOA cabin we went into town for a burger and a beer.  We ran into a couple young lads on their way to Salt Lake City who live in Cedar Falls.

Monument Valley

Arches National Park

Our cabin in Moab

The end of a nice ride

We hit the road before 5:00 am to get a jump on what for some if us was a HOT day.

Sunrise as we rode over the Bristlecone pass north of Death Valley

Steve saying his goodbyes as he prepared to go his own way back to Kansas City. He went as far as Panquich, UT where he had motel reservations. The next 2 day route is as much of a mystery to him as it is for the rest of us.

Even the picture showing the temperature near Hoover Dam is hot and wavy.

Frank and I split up outside of Kingman, AZ and we both made it home safe and sound.

OK Steve it's your turn to get to the barn in one piece.

Day 11

Jerry headed back to one of his summer camp spots near Gillette, WY. He put in 752 miles today and finished up with 390 the next day.

We rode back and forth across the Sierra Nevada mountains today ending up in Bishop, CA. Great motorcycle roads with lots of lakes, mountains and snow to look at. Tomorrow it will be some high country at first and then desert the rest of the way home.