[@mods: This probably won't include much Texas, but will involve Texans and motorcycles. Let me know if not allowed, I'll delete asap]
Some various links:
Youtube channel, when I get enough service to upload
Instagram, where I am updating every day, although you need an account to see the "stories" part
Listing my gear here for the curious, skip for the story
In November of 2023, I was notified that I would be shoved out of my desk job, as many other engineers have been in the last year or so. At the time, I pushed myself to immediately get back into the industry; because I knew as soon as decent weather hit, I would end up flinging myself across the country (...again)
Well, spoiler alert, a million applications and a bunch of failed interviews later, things started to warm up. Not in Colorado where I lived at that time, but the deserts of the southwest. I've packed my life in a car more times than I'd like to admit, this time would be no different.
So, without further ado....let's start off with a little-known desert riding destination
MOAB
Per my lack of income, I'll be sticking to BLM or USFS land, aka dispersed camping. Mid-April, I set up camp along Behind the Rocks Rd. I had a nice view for coffee in the morning.
The first free day I had, I hit up Onion Creek and then wandered along some typical Moab trails beyond camp to an unmarked overlook over Kane Creekhttps://maps.app.goo.gl/Yx17oSqvTipmcArZA
Given the time of year, I was unsurprised, but welcome, to find out that some dual sport guys from Houston were on their way up. Eager to have some riding friends, and also a possible shower, I linked up with the group of ~7 mostly "unhurried" riders on lighter dirtbikes, plus a Ducati....desert X?
First day was Schafer trail plus some sightseeing. No hiccups, easy day of riding and views around every corner.
Second day was Hurrah pass and chicken corner, to start. No hiccups, a couple drops and an interesting sandy corner, views for days.
On the way back from chicken corner, three of us split off for Kane Creek, somewhat unaware of what lied ahead. The rock steps and deep sand was a bit much on the T7, but was still the most fun I had in Moab.
Last riding day was white rim trail. I didn't do enough research on this trail before we set out (fyi, it requires reservations), I did not realize how long it was. Something like 110 miles of dirt? I think we ended with roughly 160 miles total. On my poorly tuned, poorly maintained T7, I was limping on fumes to get to the nearest gas station at the end. Still an absolute bucket list item for any off-roader, and I'm ashamed to say I didn't take many good pictures.
On the last day, we elected to hop off the bikes and take a quick drive around Arches National Park. I suggest making some time for the hike in the back of the park, as most of the arches are on an 8(?) mile walking loop. Reviewing the weather, I saw that the night temps were dropping into the low 30's, so I decided to move on to Page, Arizona. To be continued....
P.s., I should note, I am still in the middle of this journey, at the moment I am six weeks into homelessness and currently in Blythe, CA. I'm hoping to catch up to current times here in the next couple days.
Some various links:
Youtube channel, when I get enough service to upload
Instagram, where I am updating every day, although you need an account to see the "stories" part
Listing my gear here for the curious, skip for the story
- Sony A6600 Mirrorless Camera
- DJI Mini 2 Drone
- GoPro 7 Black
- Davinci Resolve for video editing
- Adobe Lightroom for photo editing (mostly)
In November of 2023, I was notified that I would be shoved out of my desk job, as many other engineers have been in the last year or so. At the time, I pushed myself to immediately get back into the industry; because I knew as soon as decent weather hit, I would end up flinging myself across the country (...again)
Well, spoiler alert, a million applications and a bunch of failed interviews later, things started to warm up. Not in Colorado where I lived at that time, but the deserts of the southwest. I've packed my life in a car more times than I'd like to admit, this time would be no different.
So, without further ado....let's start off with a little-known desert riding destination
MOAB
Per my lack of income, I'll be sticking to BLM or USFS land, aka dispersed camping. Mid-April, I set up camp along Behind the Rocks Rd. I had a nice view for coffee in the morning.
The first free day I had, I hit up Onion Creek and then wandered along some typical Moab trails beyond camp to an unmarked overlook over Kane Creekhttps://maps.app.goo.gl/Yx17oSqvTipmcArZA
Given the time of year, I was unsurprised, but welcome, to find out that some dual sport guys from Houston were on their way up. Eager to have some riding friends, and also a possible shower, I linked up with the group of ~7 mostly "unhurried" riders on lighter dirtbikes, plus a Ducati....desert X?
First day was Schafer trail plus some sightseeing. No hiccups, easy day of riding and views around every corner.
Second day was Hurrah pass and chicken corner, to start. No hiccups, a couple drops and an interesting sandy corner, views for days.
On the way back from chicken corner, three of us split off for Kane Creek, somewhat unaware of what lied ahead. The rock steps and deep sand was a bit much on the T7, but was still the most fun I had in Moab.
Last riding day was white rim trail. I didn't do enough research on this trail before we set out (fyi, it requires reservations), I did not realize how long it was. Something like 110 miles of dirt? I think we ended with roughly 160 miles total. On my poorly tuned, poorly maintained T7, I was limping on fumes to get to the nearest gas station at the end. Still an absolute bucket list item for any off-roader, and I'm ashamed to say I didn't take many good pictures.
On the last day, we elected to hop off the bikes and take a quick drive around Arches National Park. I suggest making some time for the hike in the back of the park, as most of the arches are on an 8(?) mile walking loop. Reviewing the weather, I saw that the night temps were dropping into the low 30's, so I decided to move on to Page, Arizona. To be continued....
P.s., I should note, I am still in the middle of this journey, at the moment I am six weeks into homelessness and currently in Blythe, CA. I'm hoping to catch up to current times here in the next couple days.
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