Texans Utahing 500s for a 1000 Yeehaws

[KsTeveM]

Neighbor, how long has it been since you’ve rode a big steaming brawl of 500? Well that’s too long…..

For my big trip this year I was looking for something a little less traveled, a little less scripted, a little more adventurous. Utah…..yup, that’ll do. Going to truck it from Central Texas to Monticello area, dump the truck and head west. After a while, turn right and go north. After another while, turn right and go east. If I’m not dead, turn right again and go back to the truck. Less overall miles in a day, more 2 track, washes….or less. Roughly around a 1000 miles, depending on what we get into that’s roughly. Hello 500, quit messing around, get yourself ready little buddy, we got some yeehawing to do!!!

He is getting a little longer in the tooth, stripped him down a bit to give some extra love before this remote trek. Valves, brakes, all fluids, hoses, chain, sprockets, wheel bearings, magic legs. Here he is packed as light and tight as he can to live like a dirtbag for a week.

@KTMCarhart is going on this annual run again. He bought a brand new 500 this year and has been working on dialing it in for this trek. He bought new plastics to keep his stock stuff pristine. Then commenced to drilling holes in the plastic and going the DIY rackless route on various parts of the bike. We liked how that played out on my 701 last year, just have to get a little creative.

Then just normal desert battle hardening for the bike. And the cherry on top, packing light. It gets difficult, just have to hope you make the right decisions, what you cut and/or go without. When in this mode, it’s about the ride. Giddy up, about time to move um on out!!

 

[bwdmax]

I’m ready…

 

[Yeti2ride]

Following !

 

[humanrace]

I'm watching. Ride hard. See beauty. Stop to smell the roses.

 

[Jeff S]

IN!

 

[gtimko1012]

Watching from Salt Lake City

 

[KsTeveM]

Watching from Salt Lake City

Cool! We won’t make it that far north, but nice to know some friendlies are about.

 

[KsTeveM]

Kick the tires and light the fires. Truck tires that is…..well we ain’t riding these dudes from central Texas to Utah. Truckin…..like the do-dah man…..I hate to even ask what that means.

Getting a jump on the drive today after work to kick the tin can down the road several hundred miles and make tomorrow more bearable. Excitement building……

 

[KsTeveM]

More truck driving, ohhh the agony. According to the map we’ve only gone 4 inches. Wish I could wiggle my nose and be there. Just have to think, this time tomorrow we will be knobby deep Utahing. Ride, Yeah, ing, Yeah!

 

[KsTeveM]

Seems weird, going to Utah, through Cuba….New Mexico that is. Grabbing some grub at El Bruno, good lunch spot if you do the NMBDR.

Nachos are good….and Woody, I mean KTMCarhart cheated and got a margarita.

 

[TNC]

I love where you're going, Steve. That whole area is one of my favorites in Utah or elsewhere. And barring global warming...cooling...or asteroids, you're picking what is usually the best time of the year out there. I've nearly worn out two KLR's and one KLX300 in that area. I'm in and have fun.

 

[Tigerkf]

I think I ate there last year on a trip!

 

[sandman]

Sounds like an awesome trip. Try and do the White Rim loop if are up that way ….amazing two track. Keep the photos coming.

 

[SpiritAtBay]

along for the read!

 

[KsTeveM]

Touchdown, last night…..in the Monticello area, hiding about 3 steps away. We let the bikes out of the truck to sniff around and get use to their surroundings. I swear I saw their tails wagging!!!

The few, the proud. My nephew @KTMCarhart squaring up his new EXC 500…..I might call him Grape Ape or other stuff in this report. It makes sense if you saw him flog a KLX last year in the Wyoming ride report.

And me, ol’ KsTeveM on my ol’ XCW 500, just call me Stevo. Something about that name and doing stupid stuff seems to fit well.

And Mr. Dingweeds firing up his cool grill for me. Then after some fellowship and star gazing, night night.

 

[Yeti2ride]

I notice your smaller front wheel. You by any chance know a guy named JoMotocross???

 

[KsTeveM]

Ground control to Grape Ape, take your protein pills and put your helmet on. And air down.

Spent the morning getting in the groove and immersing ourselves in roostdom. You expect to be in the desert thinking about Southern Utah, and that will happen, just not quite yet.

Pretty quickly we were on an obscure route playing in the mountains like goats. Gotta love it!!

I looked back, couldn’t see my wing man, where is goat boy? Baaaah, there he is!

Couple tricky spots, we made it.

We made our way south on some easier stuff, trying to make up for the time lost (gained) on the single track. Still lots to do today.

This place is named after something about an elk notched up in a ridge. Never saw him. I think that is why these are called the Abajos, he must have fell down.

Found ourselves landing in Blanding for a quick reset. We hit a choke and puke for a decent lunch. Not really sure what supper will look like tonight, but that is not why we are here. We restocked for this next stretch of desolate desert, about another hundo to go today. Probably won’t hear from us for a while, going on the backside of Mars and radio blackout…….catch you on the flip side upon reentry homies.

 

[KsTeveM]

I notice your smaller front wheel. You by any chance know a guy named JoMotocross???

I’d like to say we are buddy buddy, but he probably feels more like he’s being stalked

 

[Yeti2ride]

Totally understand. I believe he has quite the stalker following

 

[bwdmax]

Looking good. I’m jealous for sure.

 

[KsTeveM]

And now my friends you ask me, what makes me glad and thrilled, and why my brow is floating, like the clouds upon the hill. Run in your ponies closer, and I’ll tell to you my tale. Of KsTeveM and his partner, and their epic ride out on the trail. Sorry about that, Utah Caroling on our 500s had me thinking about Marty Robbins. Let the yeehaws begin!!!!

We left Blanding yesterday and rode along sweet washes and ridges.

Feeling the adventure take shape as the 500 set the hook.

Something about passing ears on a bear. Never saw him.

We ate a little slab and got back right to it.

Day one of the riding and my mouth is just hanging open….glad I am in the front!!! Grape talks in the comms a lot, pretty sure the dirt he ingests is part of his immunity strengthening. I think it is scientific fact, if you eat dirt, Covid can’t get you.

This terrain is mind blowing. The route was just the right amount of deteriorated challenging yet still boogying along pretty dadgum good. We are getting out there now. It’s easy to get excited and start riding aggressively in this desert terrain. Have to consider the remoteness, makes me worry one of us won’t call the ball right reading the trail at speed.

Gave a pep talk, lets crack it back just a little bit brother. Gotta remember where we are and what we are trying to accomplish today/this week.

We were trying to make it to the reservoir and I was excited to see it, even with expectations being low….water level that it is. Low is good and bad. Good we probably have access to old roads, bad that it looks like water hasn’t seen these canyons since Pecos Bill lasso’d all the water up. Or was it that geese landed on it and then it froze and they flew off with the water? It’s really hard to tell.

We faded in and out of an old road and an even older wash, I swear a hundred times, most of them normal transitions that kept things lively and fun trying to read the terrain and flow through it. I’m pretty sure I look like Malcom Smith from above.

This next fade, not so much, tis a different animal. Looks like we found the crux of the day. We scouted around a bit, then picked our poison and grabbed some trottle. Pretty sure I looked like Graham Jarvis doing it, for sure, for sure.

The shadows sway and seem to say, tonight we pray for water, cool water.

And way up there He’ll hear our prayer and show us where, there’s water. Cool, clear, water.

Ok, where’s the **** water. GPS shows I should be on the pontoon makin waves and catchin rays up on the roof, jumpin out back, don’t act like you don’t want me to, party in slow motion, out here in the open, mm motorbiking.

Finally. Pretty crappy place to camp. Remote beach with a soft sleeping spot, just terrible. Red canyons and blue lake, scenery sucks. Cool water, that was really wet. Man drinks, that were manly.

We made it work, the best we could. Just missing some yak poo to light on fire. There ain’t a tree to be had for a fortnight.

Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. Dreams are forever.

Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. Marion Morrison

 

[humanrace]

Really enjoying your report. Pics are great and the prose ain't bad either. Remember, if the road is named
..?... Wash, it's probably going to be very sandy.

 

[KsTeveM]

A human rides a horse until it dies, then goes on foot. A Comanche comes along, gets that horse up, rides him 20 more miles….and then eats him. A 500 rider skips all of that and roosts all day. Got up, decided to do it all over again and got ready for what would enSue.

Well, it hit him hard right between the eyes
and he started to go down, but to my surprise he come up with a dab by dumping the clutch as he yelled he started to make it further up. Then he smashed through the cactus in a cloud of dust. Kicking and a gouging in the dirt and the blood and the thorns

I tell you, I’ve seen tougher men but I really can’t remember when. He kicked like a mule and after a while I heard him moan (a lot) and then I heard him cuss. He went for the throttle and kicked down to first. He looked over at me and he saw me smile

And I said dude, this trail is rough. And if a man’s gonna make it, he’s gotta be tough and I knew the 500 would help you along. So I went on ahead and said goodbye. I knew you’d get tough and not die. And it’s the 500 that helps to make you strong.

I said now you just fought one **** of a fight and now you hate inferior bikes and you got the right to ride wheelies now, and I wouldn’t blame you if you do. But you ought to thank the 500 as we ride for the gravel in the ruts and the orange in ya eye because the 500 is the son of btch that got you through.

He got all choked up and set down his helmet and I called him my nephew, and he called me his uncle and we came away with the same point of view. And I think about running light now and then, every time I try and every time I win. And if I ever have another trail bike, it will be a 500, a 501, anything darn thing dirt true!!

Somebody back home saying, now why don’t he write?

Old dug way, remnants from the old mining days.

We were really out there! Getting some food now in the Ticaboo area, about to head out for more abuse. Don’t think we will beat the sun today, fighting the good fight.

Smell ya later!!

 

[bwdmax]

Steve you are a man of many talents. Keep up the riding and the writing.

 

[Tigerkf]

He ain't writing! That's a boy named Sue. Like it though! Nice pics!