I have lived in Texas most of my life. As long as I can escape into AC, I don't mind the heat so much. However, consistent 100 degree days in early May is ridiculous. My first escape from the heat started May 5 with a week long two wheel off road trip to Ticaboo, Utah. Highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s made coming back to the furnace just dreadful. Something else had to be done and this is my story.
Above the Valley of the Gods - Muley Point east
I only made it one day before I started planning the next ride. This time, I would switch bikes and spend most of the time on paved roads. It has been a while since I last rode in the northwest. There are many places in that region I have not seen like Mount St. Helens. The cooler weather will be a welcome change. I am not seeing a downside. Therefore, I decide to ride north to Montana, west to Washington, south to California and east back to Texas.
Three days before takeoff, the weather forecast in elevated areas of Colorado and Wyoming started to dip below freezing with rain. It is June so I am in no mood for that kind of cold and wet. Hoping the weather up north would warm up the following week, I decided go clockwise instead.
The general idea
-Lubbock, Texas
-Pagosa Springs, Colorado
-Torrey, Utah
-Springdale, Utah
-Tonopah, Nevada
-Saratoga, California
-Fortuna, California
-Klamath Falls, Oregon
-Coos Bay, Oregon
-Packwood, Washington
-Joseph, Oregon
-Sun Valley, Idaho
-Dubois, Wyoming
-Glenwood Springs, Colorado
-Creede, Colorado
-Sweetwater, Texas
A few things I consider must haves
-Music with good ear buds
-Radar Detector
-Camelback
-Rain Gear
-Heated jacket and pants liner
-Cool and warm layers
-Compressor and plug kit
-A very small assortment of tools
-Canon EOS T7i DSLR
-GoPro Hero 8
I try to travel with as little luggage as I can. However, trips north of I-70 take a little more planning. Cold rainy weather often occurs in the summer afternoons. At elevation snow, sleet and freezing temperatures are not unusual. I have seen the folks that "just wing it" pay dearly up there. So, I reluctantly pack thirty extra pounds of Klim Carlsbad gear into in a dry bag on the pillion. At some point, I know I will be happy to have it.
Part I
Day 1 - Austin, Texas to Lubbock, Texas
Through trial and error, I have learned that leaving home in the late afternoon allows me to ride from Sweetwater to Lubbock in the dark. Considering it is the hottest part of the ride, darkness cools things off just enough to be reasonable. I usually stay in Lubbock overnight, get up early the next day and arrive in Santa Fe before it gets hot.
So, I am off and out the door at 4pm. It is 100 degrees and I think to myself, it could be worse as I climb on my bike and head north. As always, the first 100 miles or so are painful. The congestion, traffic lights and humid heat combine to put a damper on my mood. Not too far past Brownwood, a slight feeling of progress is noticeable. Excitement about the ride ahead begins to increase and any dread I may have felt is gone.
Just outside of Sweetwater, the red collision avoidance lights on the wind turbines light up randomly in the night sky. It is a mesmerizing experience that will take me off the road if I am not careful.
It is a long and mostly straight road from Sweetwater to Lubbock but thankfully it is dark and only 99 degrees. I pick up the pace to speed up the air conditioning and shower that is waiting for me at the hotel and arrive a there a short time later. That is how I turn a mostly full day to get out of Texas into only four total hours of heat. Cooler weather and elevation await me tomorrow.
Day 2 - Lubbock, Texas to Pagosa Springs, Colorado
The early morning ride northwest towards New Mexico is cool and pleasant. The countryside is rather flat but I grew up working on a farm/ranch. So, I enjoy looking at the land, grain elevators, tractors, combines, etc. It only takes about an hour and a half before Texas is in the rearview mirror. There is not much to look at in Clovis, New Mexico but sometimes Air Force cargo planes are doing pattern work which is interesting to watch. There is also a very cool F-111 near the edge of town.
The ride west out of town eventually leads to Fort Sumner where Billy the Kid is supposedly buried. In addition to his grave, the Bosque Redondo, where the US calvary drove the Navajo to, is right next door. The Goodnight-Loving cattle drive trail passes right through town as well. Santa Rosa, the next town on my route is an interesting route 66 destination. There are several period buildings and an automotive museum which makes it a good place to stop for the night if need be. I keep seeing photos of the blue hole in hotel rooms and intend to take a dip there someday.
Santa Fe is the next destination and is reached by taking a painful I-40 west to Clines Corners then north for about 50 miles. The landscape changes from mesquite and other scrub to cedars and somewhat elevated rock formations. Lush mountains start to appear up close from Chama to Pagosa Springs. I thoroughly enjoy this stretch of road. The mountains, meadows, creeks, ponds and lakes are sure nice on the eyes. The cows even look happy.
After some spirited leaning on the twisty roads, I arrive at the destination for the day - Pagosa Springs. I checked into the hotel and proceed to a local brewpub for a beer and burger. Starting to feel the last 800 miles and not being quite used to it yet, I wander back to my hotel and call it the day.
Above the Valley of the Gods - Muley Point east
I only made it one day before I started planning the next ride. This time, I would switch bikes and spend most of the time on paved roads. It has been a while since I last rode in the northwest. There are many places in that region I have not seen like Mount St. Helens. The cooler weather will be a welcome change. I am not seeing a downside. Therefore, I decide to ride north to Montana, west to Washington, south to California and east back to Texas.
Three days before takeoff, the weather forecast in elevated areas of Colorado and Wyoming started to dip below freezing with rain. It is June so I am in no mood for that kind of cold and wet. Hoping the weather up north would warm up the following week, I decided go clockwise instead.
The general idea
-Lubbock, Texas
-Pagosa Springs, Colorado
-Torrey, Utah
-Springdale, Utah
-Tonopah, Nevada
-Saratoga, California
-Fortuna, California
-Klamath Falls, Oregon
-Coos Bay, Oregon
-Packwood, Washington
-Joseph, Oregon
-Sun Valley, Idaho
-Dubois, Wyoming
-Glenwood Springs, Colorado
-Creede, Colorado
-Sweetwater, Texas
A few things I consider must haves
-Music with good ear buds
-Radar Detector
-Camelback
-Rain Gear
-Heated jacket and pants liner
-Cool and warm layers
-Compressor and plug kit
-A very small assortment of tools
-Canon EOS T7i DSLR
-GoPro Hero 8
I try to travel with as little luggage as I can. However, trips north of I-70 take a little more planning. Cold rainy weather often occurs in the summer afternoons. At elevation snow, sleet and freezing temperatures are not unusual. I have seen the folks that "just wing it" pay dearly up there. So, I reluctantly pack thirty extra pounds of Klim Carlsbad gear into in a dry bag on the pillion. At some point, I know I will be happy to have it.
Part I
Day 1 - Austin, Texas to Lubbock, Texas
Through trial and error, I have learned that leaving home in the late afternoon allows me to ride from Sweetwater to Lubbock in the dark. Considering it is the hottest part of the ride, darkness cools things off just enough to be reasonable. I usually stay in Lubbock overnight, get up early the next day and arrive in Santa Fe before it gets hot.
So, I am off and out the door at 4pm. It is 100 degrees and I think to myself, it could be worse as I climb on my bike and head north. As always, the first 100 miles or so are painful. The congestion, traffic lights and humid heat combine to put a damper on my mood. Not too far past Brownwood, a slight feeling of progress is noticeable. Excitement about the ride ahead begins to increase and any dread I may have felt is gone.
Just outside of Sweetwater, the red collision avoidance lights on the wind turbines light up randomly in the night sky. It is a mesmerizing experience that will take me off the road if I am not careful.
It is a long and mostly straight road from Sweetwater to Lubbock but thankfully it is dark and only 99 degrees. I pick up the pace to speed up the air conditioning and shower that is waiting for me at the hotel and arrive a there a short time later. That is how I turn a mostly full day to get out of Texas into only four total hours of heat. Cooler weather and elevation await me tomorrow.
Day 2 - Lubbock, Texas to Pagosa Springs, Colorado
The early morning ride northwest towards New Mexico is cool and pleasant. The countryside is rather flat but I grew up working on a farm/ranch. So, I enjoy looking at the land, grain elevators, tractors, combines, etc. It only takes about an hour and a half before Texas is in the rearview mirror. There is not much to look at in Clovis, New Mexico but sometimes Air Force cargo planes are doing pattern work which is interesting to watch. There is also a very cool F-111 near the edge of town.
The ride west out of town eventually leads to Fort Sumner where Billy the Kid is supposedly buried. In addition to his grave, the Bosque Redondo, where the US calvary drove the Navajo to, is right next door. The Goodnight-Loving cattle drive trail passes right through town as well. Santa Rosa, the next town on my route is an interesting route 66 destination. There are several period buildings and an automotive museum which makes it a good place to stop for the night if need be. I keep seeing photos of the blue hole in hotel rooms and intend to take a dip there someday.
Santa Fe is the next destination and is reached by taking a painful I-40 west to Clines Corners then north for about 50 miles. The landscape changes from mesquite and other scrub to cedars and somewhat elevated rock formations. Lush mountains start to appear up close from Chama to Pagosa Springs. I thoroughly enjoy this stretch of road. The mountains, meadows, creeks, ponds and lakes are sure nice on the eyes. The cows even look happy.
After some spirited leaning on the twisty roads, I arrive at the destination for the day - Pagosa Springs. I checked into the hotel and proceed to a local brewpub for a beer and burger. Starting to feel the last 800 miles and not being quite used to it yet, I wander back to my hotel and call it the day.