Category: Land

The weather reports were not promising along our initial proposed route which would taken us west from Wenatchee along US-2 to Monroe and then from there south to Tacoma and Olympia. The alternative was much more agreeable – from a weather perspective as well as from a road perspective. So with an overcast day (but otherwise dry) we turned off on US-97 past Dryden and followed it south to Ellensburg. A pleasant road (designated DH-55 in Destination Highway’s Washington rankings) it had nice sweepers with good pavement through picturesque forests.

South of Ellensburg was more interesting as we followed WA-821 (which runs parallel to I-82) through Wymer and on to the outskirts of Yakima. This road follows Yakima river valley (canyon?) with great pavement and plenty of twisties and panoramic views of the river sprinkled with ardent fly fisherman along it’s path.

Heading west from Yakima on US-12 was unremarkable until after the WA-410 junction near Naches, but after that it was great as we passed through the Gifford-Pinchot and Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forests along winding segments of near perfect pavement. After a scenic stretch along Rimrock Lake we pulled over to check out the Palisades (columns of lava cooled against a glacier or cliff and then subsequently exposed by the Cowlitz river) and snapped a few furtive pictures of Mt Rainier in the distance.

Following a leisurely coffee break in Packwood (where we met Vernon) we followed the Skate Creek road to Ashford – a tight meandering backroad with a canopy of trees overhead with sporadic campsites and pull outs along the way where locals were enjoying themselves. Had to be careful on the blind corners!

From Ashford it was a quick succession of Washington roads (706, 7, 702, 510, 507) before arriving at the statehouse in Olympia. Fortunately we were allowed a brief tour before closing.

Finding a hotel was a bit challenging, but we eventually found a spot near the Tacoma Dome, which was hosting the new rap star Post Malone. The hotel was a bit chaotic as it seemed to be marshalling point for the fans and was packed with young people (and some middle aged chaperones). Fortunately we were able to escape the commotion for a few hours, enjoying a fabulous meal of seafood and salmon at Bjorne and Christine’s condo out near Ruston. A quick Uber ride back to the hotel and our day was complete.

Our route from Great Falls to Calgary was as direct as possible, given the chilly conditions. Travelling north on I-15 we passed a few solitary sporadically placed mounts before the land open up and flattened out. By the time we crossed the border at noon, we were well into prairie.

A quick stop in Lethbridge for fuel and coffee and then on again to Vulcan where we stopped off at the visitor center to grab some pictures of our bikes with the iconic Starship Enterprise. Seemed fitting as we have attempted to ‘boldly go where others have gone before …”. Much like the intrepid starship we are returning to our ‘starbase’ of Calgary to rest up, and prepare for the next leg of the deTocqueville Tour which hopefully will take place next spring and will encompass the states from the middle part of the US (that region affectionately referred to as ‘fly over country’.

So the motorcycling for the time being is on hold. All that remains is the task of cleaning up the blog and fill in the missing bits of info. The objective was always to have a daily route blog, a summary of our visit to the state capitols and any reminiscence of the fine American’s we’ve met along the way. These may come out in no particular order but will ultimately be re-arranged chronologically on the “Land”, “People” and “Representatives Pages” of the blog.

Once that is done I hope to switch to the occasional comment, observation as the election marathon unfolds and the Primary Season serves to winnow out the field of Democratic Candidates. Lots of fun ahead!

Winter storm Aubrey threw the proverbial spanner into the works of our route planning. The original route from Mountain Home was to circle towards Boise through Bruneau and Murphy and continue on through Lowman towards Stanley. However with the forecast of cold weather and winter snows hitting the mountains of East Idaho and Montana, a route through high passes no longer made sense.

A change of plans had us land in Idaho Falls from which we had to venture north through the affected area. Normally interstates are avoided as being … not the most enjoyable motorcycling … however for our new plans it seemed best.

A quick review of DOT websites for Idaho and Montana showed mostly clear dry conditions, however there were also significant stretches showing intermittent slush, snow and wet areas. With temperatures still sub-zero, the possibility of finding slippery conditions were definitely there. The fact that I-15 was closed 24 hours earlier was also a concern.

As morning broke, we felt as Eisenhower (father of the Inter-State system in America) must have felt on June 5, 1944. After consulting the weather reports – forecasts were clear skies, with no new precipitation in sight – we set out.

Initial temperatures were around -6 C. Our heating gear proved sufficient – for the most part. Approaching the Monida Pass and the boundary with Montana there seemed to be a whitish hue to the road suggestive of ice. We stopped and checked the friction on the surface and found it to be fine – the whitish hue was probably dried salt.

On the Montana side the road improved considerably, however the temperature dropped to -9 and the wind picked up. As we progressed north on I-15 we passed through various ‘iffy’ areas only to find that they were essentially dry. No problem.

Passing through Butte we found some ice under an overpass that activated the ASC briefly but was otherwise navigable. North of Butte we encountered sporadic wet areas, however the temperature was not above freezing so these were not a problem either. By the time we arrived in Helena to visit the Capitol the temperature was a relatively balmy 4 C.

The trip north to Great Falls was uneventful – temperatures above freezing with minimal wetness. Just gorgeous views of the wintry landscape of mountains and hills culminating in a serpentine route along the Missouri River.

We arrived safely in Great Falls, grateful that the trip didn’t contain some of the challenges we feared it might.

“No Mistakes”
Those were the words of good will that we received from a guest at the Grand Imperial Hotel prior to our departure along the stretch of US-550 from Silverton to Ouray known as the ‘Million Dollar Highway“. We were used to such comments from well wishers that we’ve met along the way, but this one was new – quite appropriate given that this stretch is one of the 12 most dangerous roads in the world.

We quickly found out why. Not that we were at risk – driving conditions were perfect if a bit chilly – but given that there were no shoulders and no guard rails and many steep drops , there was no room for error. During winter conditions a small patch of black ice could consign one to a certain death as your vehicle plummeted into a deep canyon – no doubt to remain until the glaciers in the next ice age ground the rusted metal into dust. But for this day it was great riding, a great road with great views all around.

At Ouray we took US-145 west to Placerville – another fine twisty mountain road but with less traffic. After Placerville the road smoothed out on a meandering course across the upper plateau across Norwood to Naturita before dropping into the canyon carved by the San Miquel River. At one of the lookouts there was a view of the remains of an old flume that was used in years past to divert river water to assist with mining operations. (Perhaps something like the set up in the movie Pale Rider?)

Oh … and a close look will reveal an abandoned wrecked car that presumably was left by someone who got too close to the edge.

Turning at Gateway C)-141 we continued over the ridge on another twisty, sparsely travelled road and landed in Grand Junction for fuel and a quick trip to Starbucks. The trip southeast to Montrose was a pleasant Super G run with views on all sides.

This day of endless twists, turns and vistas ended with a pleasant meal at Ted Nelsen’s steak house which was noteworthy for the terrific service, great food and a chance to meet Ted himself who checked in with us several times to make sure all was well and described himself as the world’s oldest ‘bus boy’. It was a great example of ‘Leadership by Example’.

We started our day with a gradual descent on US-64 out of Taos, soon arriving at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge (the same Rio Grande that that defines the border between Texas and Mexico, the same Rio Grande that is the final hurdle for so many illegal entrants to the nation). The gorge seems to have been created by the same rising tectonic plate phenomenon that created the Grand Canyon.

The gorge also served as evidence that we were on the Atlantic side of the Continental Divide – which surprised us as we did not notice any signage when we crossed the divide. (perhaps the Cumbres Pass?)

Continuing across the Taos Plateau past the junction with US-285 we arrived at Tres Piedras and found Gungan style abodes that only Jar Jar Binks could love. Turns out they are structures created by Earthship Biotecture who specialize in ‘autonomous

Following US-64 west we continued to climb into pine forests, and as we came down the backside of the hills we anticipated that this (at last) would be the Continental Divide. Unfortunately, this was not to be, as we checked our map and found the divide was just west of Chama on a nondescript stretch of road.

Leaving US-64 we headed north on US-84 towards Pagosa Springs, home of the worlds deepest geothermal hot spring. At Pagosal we took US-160 west towards Durango but took a short detour south along CO-151 to Arboles (which is at the headwaters where the San Juan river feeds Navajo Lake which we visited a couple days earlier) passing Chimney Peak National Monument along the way.

Passing through the Ute Indian Reservation we rejoined US-160 just south of Durango and continued up towards Silverton – a high mountain road that followed the gorge where passes the Durango Silverton narrow gauge railway.

After a short break at a lookout on US-550 (where we met Tim and Ty) we dropped into Silverton to stay at the iconic Grand Imperial Hotel for the night.

Upon the advice of our German guide at Muley Point, the route today was adjusted to include the ‘high road to Taos’ as well as the Enchanted Circle. So we set out from Bernalillo on I-25 to Santa Fe for a quick visit to the state Capitol, and an all too brief visit to the old town square. Santa Fe looks to be a charming city and well worth a return visit in the future.

From Santa Fe we continued north on US-84 and US-285 to El Valle de Arroyo Seco before turning off on NM-76 which is the beginning of the ‘high road’. The route wound through a patchwork of communities, each with it’s own unusual and diverse buildings and land marks.

After passing through Penasco the road became more remote, twisty and steep, as we passed through pine forests on the way to Taos. Just south of Taos we popped onto US-64 to Angel Fire. This was a great “Slalom”** road throughout – great twisties and scenery to suit.

The route from Angel Fire to Eagles Nest was a classic “Super-G”** route with wide sweepers angling along high meadows and pastures with ridges rimming the edges. We drove over Bobcat Pass which at 9820 feet is the highest mountain pass in New Mexico, and then started our descent into Red River – another great “Slalom”** run.

Red River is the location of the Red River Ski and Summer Area which along with Taos Ski Valley is proof that skiing in the desert is possible – as long as you have elevation. Both are located above 9000 feet. (by comparison Lake Louise and Sunshine Village are only 5400 feet at base elevation.

After a short coffee break in Red River, we carried on to Questa along a nice “Giant Slalom”** route before picking up NM-522 into Taos where we finished up for the day.

** SIRES – Ski Inspired Road Evaluation System

Over the past weeks we have discussed how best to describe the roads we have been on from a motorcycling perspective. The suite of Alpine events found in the Skiing World Cup and the Winter Olympics seemed to us to provide a suitable analogy for relating efficiently what a road is like. So here goes …

Downhill (DH) – Typically a straight run at highway speeds with not a lot of deviation in the route. You can ride all day on cruise control without having to cancel.

Super G (SG) – A road with gentle wide radius curves/ sweepers. For the most part you can cruise along in cruise control in top gear and navigate the curves.

Giant Slalom (GS) – A road with tighter twisties, curves that require downshifting to 4-5 gear at times.

Slalom (S) – Tighter sweepers typically requiring gear choices from 2nd to 4th gear.

(NB: We’ll be using this system going forward to describe the roads we have had the pleasure to explore)

Starting out from Bloomfield we headed east on US-64. We passed extensive solar collection ‘farms along the route – each plate angling towards the sun during it’s transit, much like sunflowers. A little further along there were oil pump jacks and a small gas processing plant. Deviating slightly onto NM-511 the road meandered along the San Juan River Valley before arriving at the dam at Navajo Lake which has 32 Megwatts of power generation capacity.

After the dam we rejoin US-64 and continue00 to Chama and turn north onto NM-17. This route runs up through Cumbres Pass and parallels the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. A number of spectator’s had gathered at various level crossings and were awaiting the arrival of the steam engine driven train. We pulled out on and overlook and waited as well. After the train passed, we continued on over the pass towards Antonito.

The route south to Espanola was straight run, with some nice views along the way. Heading west towards Los Alamos we followed the unusual US-501 – a three lane highway with a somewhat slow speed limit – that appears to funnel commuters up into Los Alamos. A brief stop for coffee and we continued on, passing by the Los Alamos Research facilities (the original labs hosted Dr. Oppenheimer and the rest of the scientists of the Manhatten Project that developed the first A bomb – Little Boy), but not before being stopped and questioned by a Marine at a check point. We were warned of dire consequences if we deviated from our path and entered any of the research facilities.

Leaving US-501 we continued on NM-04 – a fun twisty route through forests and valleys – on our way to Jemez Pueblo. Continuing on US-550 towards Bernalillo we passed a CoGen power plant with supplemental solar panels. A great day of riding that – among other things – highlighted the diversity of energy use in the state of New Mexico – from steam to oil to gas to nuclear to solar – they have it all.

We faced a strong headwind while heading south on US-95 from Hanksville. The route was open plateau with red cliffs and mountains to the west.

After a twisty descent we entered the upper reaches of Glen Canyon, where the Colorado river flows into Lake Powell. Further south the road followed staggered red rock cliffs to our right while on our left was a virtual labyrinth of limestone canyons of a depth of 20 to 30 meters. Down in the canyons the strong headwinds became excessively turbulent, buffeting us from all directions.

Turning right at onto UT-261 we followed a freshly paved roller coaster of a road through pine forests filled with Buscemi Bushes*. When the pavement ended we diverted right and took a gravel road for 8 km in order to access Muley Point and it’s fantastic views. On the return trip the sandy sections proved a little much but no damage was done.

We descended the ‘Moki Dugway’ – a 5 km stretch of twisty gravel road – and entered the series of canyons that we had viewed moments ago. The road continued on with the Valley of the Gods on our left. Following US-163 we eventually arrived at Bluff (suitably named as there are rock bluffs on both sides of the town.

Continuing on through Aneth we crossed the border into Colorado – but not for long. Turning right on US-160 lead us briefly into New Mexico (for 1.5 km) before entering Arizona. We had just driven around the ‘four points’ monument where these four states (Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico) meet.

At Tee Nos Pos we turned east on US-64 and crossed back into New Mexico (this time fore more than 2 minutes) and on to Bloomfield – but not before taking in the iconic views of Shiprock peak at a distance.

* Buscemi Bush – At many times throughout our trip through the desert we noticed these ‘funny looking’ bushes that we couldn’t decide if they were deciduous or conifers. In the end we concluded they are a Juniper of some sort – but not before calling them Busemi Bushes in honour of Actor Steve Buscemi and the description provided of him in Fargo as ‘funny looking’.

The objective of this trip is to visit State Capitals. If that were the only consideration, the journey from Phoenix to Santa Fe would take only two days. But that would mean missing out on the southwest corner of Utah – an area with some of the most spectacularly scenic roads on earth including the route rated #1 by Readers Digest – Utah – 12 through the Staircase Escalante. So the plan had to be adjusted.

We started out from Cedar City and quickly climbed up a twisty route along UT-14 up into forests laden with Ponderosa Pines before descending again to the junction with US-89, heading north through Hatch and turning off at UT-12.

View from the top along UT-14

After a brief climb we were in the midst of Red Canyon with highly contoured red shale cliffs on both sides.

Soon we were out on a plateau with a summit of 7,777 feet which was not named (at least there was no sign posted) so we christened it “Mau’s Pass” in honour of my father-in-law who begins his signature with 3 sevens.

Turning left we entered Bryce Canyon National park and followed the road out to Rainbow Point – one of many viewpoints that provides a panoramic view of the Escalante Region to the East. In the distance segments of Lake Powell could be seen. On the return route we stopped briefly to take in the ‘Natural Bridge’.

Travelling beyond Bryce City is difficult to describe. Every corner seems to offer some new unexpected vista of endless permutations of shale, limestone and sandstone. The road is perfectly engineered with constant radius turns and unblemished tarmac. One section on the seems to be on a knife edge – leaving the road on either side would result in a plummet to a certain death.

A brief stop in Escalante for a cappuccino ( a popular spot with many bikers) and we continued on towards Boulder and exited the valley with a high elevation twisty road on the way to Torrey.

Turning east on UT-24 we had the best ride of the day. Close cropped canyons ring twisted bands of perfect asphalt and road. The scenery was a constant distraction which made concentration in the corners difficult. (Unfortunately, my camera battery went dead back on UT-12 so was not able to record any of this!)

When I was a teenager growing up in Ontario, each Labour Day weekend, the local FM station used to host a countdown of the top 500 pop rock tunes of all time. There were strong opinions as to which would be number 1 – many felt it should be “Hey Jude” in recognition of arguably the greatest band of all time – but for many years the top spot wen to Stairway to Heaven. Over the course of this day I found myself recasting the lyrics of this great tune in a vain attempt to capture the special quality of UT-12 – arguably the best ride in the USA. Here’s how it goes ….

” There’s a biker I know
Who says Inter-states blow
And he’s riding the Staircase to Heaven
When he gets there he knows
That the roads are all gold
In a word they are what he lives for

Oh oh oh oh
….. and he’s riding the Staircase to Heaven