Well, to say we are getting tired would be an understatement. The mental focus it takes to stay upright in this terrain is somewhat taxing over the long haul.
Looking for something a little easier today, we decided to ride the Burr trail. We actually rode it last year but stopped a couple of miles after getting to the top, so we decided to take it all the way into Boulder via the grand staircase Escalante national monument.
From Hanksville, you can take a route over the northern Henry mountains or by taking Notom road through Strike Valley. We rode the mountains last year so we took the other route.
Notom road is paved into you cross into Capitol Reef NP. From there to the switchbacks, it is loose sand that does not get deeper than about a half foot. Both of our sand skills have increased tremendously and it was not much of a problem to run in 3rd and 4th gear through it today.
Lighten the front end, loosen your grip and look as far ahead as you can does the trick. Well, at least until the sand approaches 1 foot and then it gets a little weird.
Just short of the switchbacks, we stopped here in Strike Valley for a break and some photos. The geology and layers out here resemble the spikes on a Stegosaurus. At least that is what I think.
I have been seeing these pretty red flowers all over the place. Kind of strange how it appears to grow out of weeds or grass.
Jred with the eastern side of Strike Valley in view.
The slot that extends up to the base of the switchbacks.
At the bottom of the switchbacks, jred charges off to tackle them. The cliff seems small in this photo. I can assure you it is anything but.
The landscape turned super cool and I felt compelled to stop half way up to admire the view.
Looking right towards the valley we just rode up from.
And finally looking ahead. No bad views here. I got back on my bike and enjoyed the rest of the ride up. The turns are actually quite tight. I had a lot of fun spinning the rear tire around rather than trying to steer my way through them.
It only takes a few minutes to get on top. About two miles further, the Grand Staircase Escalante National monument comes into view.
There are so many photo opportunities that I really wish I had brought my GoPro along to get it all. With so many cool objects in sight, deciding when and where to stop is kind of a drag and of course I missed some things.
Stopped for a short break right before we enter the prettiest canyon I think I have ever been through.
Canyon walls started to get closer and the rock became redder.
The scenery just keeps on giving.
Throughout this part of the ride I just kept wondering why I had not come through this part before. The scenery was just as good if not better than U 95.
and just like U 95, a large arch in the making blew me away. I just love these things.
The canyon gets narrower by the mile and goes for quite a long time. Most videos only capture a small part so it was a big surprise to see the whole thing.
Here near the end of the canyon, some of the rock appeared to have a creamy looking texture.
Once out of the canyon, pinions and different colored layers returned to dominate the scenery. On the horizon is Boulder mountain where U 12 runs along the eastern ridges.
At the western end of the Burr trail is Boulder, Utah. A really cool little town I have been riding through for many years. The Burr trail grill was open so we stopped for a really good lunch. I usually stop at Nemos in Escalante to eat but I wont be doing that anymore.
Rather than double back towards Hanksville, we decided to ride U 12, another fantastic road over Boulder mountain towards Torrey. With only at shirt on under my jersey, it got pretty dang cold up there. My altimeter showed a max elevation of 9755 feet and there was still quite a bit of snow next to the road. There were deer also. Not the skinny things you see in Texas but some real beefy specimens. I was very happy to get past them without incident.
The ride over the pass on U 12 was just as fun, if not more so on the KTMs as compared to a street bike. We continued riding over the pass. and leaning into the corners which is always fun. I almost forgot I was freezing.
U 12 dead ends into U 24 at Torrey which is the town Capitol Reef National Park is nearest to.
Heading east on U 24. This is right across from the goose necks. One could literally spend all day exploring and taking photos of the park but I already have so many from previous trips, I decided to take only a few at some of the better locations so I could prove the KTM had been there.
One of the main Capitol Domes near the Petroglyphs.
The last photo I took of the day looking eastward towards Hanksville.
What I thought would be a routine kind of ride turned into visual overload. I have now ridden the entire Burr trail and highly recommend it. Big bike, small bike, it does not matter.
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