ADVENTUREMOTO "LIFE SHOULD BE AN ADVENTURE" MOAB UTAH   MAY 2006

AFTER  16 YEARS OF LIVING IN COLORADO , I WAS LOOKING FOR A NEW ADVENTURE RIDE WHEN A FRIEND AT THE LOCAL KAWASAKI SHOP SUGGESTED MOAB UTAH.  I QUICKLY FOUND THAT EVERYONE THAT HAD EVER RIDDEN  MOAB  LOVED THE AREA.  WHEN I ASKED WHERE IN MOAB WAS THE BEST PLACE TO RIDE, THE ANSWER WAS "EVERYWHERE"!  THAT WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME. I CALLED MY GOOD BUDDY MIKE HOUSTON WHO LIVES DOWN IN LAKE GEORGE, AND THE TRIP WAS ON FOR THE THIRD WEEK OF MAY 2006.

MIKE UNLOADING THE KLR 650'S IN THE SUPER 8 PARKING LOT OF MOAB UTAH

EARLY THE NEXT MORNING WE SET OUT IN SEARCH OF "THELMA AND LOUISE" POINT,. THE PLACE WHERE SUSAN SARANDON AND GENA DAVIS DROVE OFF THE CLIFF IN THE MOVIE OF THE SAME NAME.  WE QUICKLY GOT OUT OF TOWN AND HIT POTASH ROAD, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE A SPECTACULAR INTRODUCTION TO THE SIGHTS OF MOAB.  THE INCREDIBLE RED ROCK FORMATIONS WERE OUT OF THIS WORLD!

IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT MANY MILES ON THE KLR'S AS WE KEPT STOPPING TO TAKE PHOTOS OF THE SCENERY.  THE ABOVE PHOTO SHOWS DEAD HORSE OVERLOOK IN THE BACKGROUND.  THE TRAIL WAS A COMBINATION OF ROCKS AND SAND THAT WAS SO FINE IT WAS LIKE RED TALCUM POWDER.  IT WAS HARD TO WATCH FOR OBSTACLES  WITH ALL THE SCENIC DISTRACTIONS.  WE WERE IN DUALSPORT HEAVEN!

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THIS PHOTO HAS NOT BEEN RETOUCHED.  THE WATER IS ACTUALLY THAT BLUE!  IT HOWEVER, IS NOT NATURAL.  BLUE DYE IS ADDED TO THE POTASH PONDS TO ACCELERATE EVAPORATION OF THE WATER, LEAVING THE POTASH TO BE SCOOPED UP.  THE POTASH IS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS. NATURAL OR NOT, THE VIEW IS AWESOME AGAINST THE CLEAR BLUE SKY.  OF COURSE THE PHOTOS CANNOT DO THIS PLACE JUSTICE.

AFTER MANY PHOTO STOPS ALONG THE WAY, WE FINALLY ARRIVED AT "THELMA AND LOUISE" POINT.  THE PHOTO IS DECEPTIVE AS THIS IS AN 1,800 FOOT DROP TO THE RIVER BELOW.

MIKE STANDING ON THE EDGE.  PRETTY BRAVE CONSIDERING THE LEDGE IS  IS MADE OF GRAVEL AND SANDSTONE.  A LOT HIGHER THAN IT LOOKS!!

NOT TO BE OUTDONE, I HAD TO GET A LITTLE  "CLOSER" TO THE EDGE.  SITTING DOWN ON THE LEDGE WAS EASY.  GETTING BACK  UP WAS THE PROBLEM!  GOOD THING I'M NOT SCARED OF HEIGHTS.

I THINK MIKE WAS MORE NERVOUS THAN I WAS, KNOWING THAT MY GIRLS MIGHT HUNT HIM DOWN IF HE LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO THEIR OLD MAN.  MY THEORY IS IF YOU DON'T TAKE SOME CHANCES IN LIFE,  YOU HAVE NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT! TODAY WAS MY BIRTHDAY AND IT WAS DEFINITELY THE MOST MEMORABLE YET!

FURTHER DOWN THE WHITE RIM TRAIL, WE CAME UPON MUSSELMAN ARCH.  A NATURAL  ROCK AND SANDSTONE BRIDGE THAT RISES ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE THE CANYON FLOOR.  EVEN THE WALK ACROSS IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.  SOME   MOTORCYCLISTS HAVE BEEN KNOW TO WHEELIE ACROSS.  MIKE AND I OPT TO SAVE THE CHALLENGE FOR ANOTHER TIME.  WE STILL HAVE ALOT OF RIDING TO DO.

BACKTRACKING TOOK US OVER TO THE SCHAFFER TRAIL.  A SERIES OF TIGHT, ROCKY SWITCHBACKS THAT TOOK US UP TO THE TOP OF THE CANYON RIM.  THE TRAIL IN THE PHOTO HEADS BACK TO POTASH AND INTO MOAB.  YOU REALLY HAD TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE ROAD IN FRONT OF YOU AS ONE MISTAKE WOULD HAVE BEEN FATAL!

THE VIEW ON THE WAY UP SHOWS THE TIGHT SERIES OF SWITCHBACKS THAT RIDERS HAVE TO DEAL WITH.  THE SURFACE IS RUTTED, WITH SOFT SAND AND LARGE ROCKS.  WE SAW A NUMBER OF BICYCLISTS GOING DOWN THE TRAIL, NONE GOING UP?

MIKE AND I PULL OVER TO ALLOW A JEEP TO PASS.  VEHICLES GOING DOWN A MOUNTAIN HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY.  WE HAD TO REALLY WATCH WHERE WE PULLED OVER AS THE EDGE WAS VERY SOFT  AND IT WAS A LONG WAY DOWN!  THE ROAD WAS BARELY WIDE ENOUGH AS IT WAS.

EVEN WITH TEMPS IN THE 90'S, THE BIG KLR'S HAD NO PROBLEMS PLUGGING ALONG IN 2ND AND THIRD GEARS.  THE BIKE IS A TRUE DUALSPORT.  WE SPENT HOURS STARTING AND STOPPING.  CLIMBING STEEP ROADS AND GOING FOR MIILES IN SOFT SAND AND ROCK.  NEVER A PROBLEM!

ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO GET A GOOD VIEW OF THE CANYON FLOOR.  I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL I GOT OFF THIS ROCK THAT THERE WAS NOTHING UNDER IT!!  IT WAS BALANCED BETWEEN A ROCK AT THE BACK AND ONE TO THE RIGHT.  PROBABLY HAS BEEN LIKE THIS FOR A MILLION YEARS, BUT YA' NEVER KNOW?

MIKE SEEMED TO ENJOY THE WIDE OPEN SPACES...UNTIL I POINTED OUT TO HIM THAT THE ROCK HAD NOTHING DIRECTLY UNDER IT (SEE ABOVE PHOTO).  MAKES YOU WONDER HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE STOOD ON THIS SAME ROCK NOT REALIZING THE SITUATION?  IGNORANCE IS BLISS?

ON THE WAY BACK INTO TOWN, MIKE HAD TO STOP AND TRY HIS BEST TO TOPPLE ONE OF THE MANY BALANCED ROCKS IN THE AREA..  SO MUCH TO SEE AND DO, AND THIS WAS ONLY OUR FIRST DAY IN MOAB!

AT THE END OF OUR FIRST DAY WE DISCOVERED "EDDIE McSTIFF'S, A COMBINATION RESTAURANT/MICRO-BREWERY.  THE FOOD WAS GREAT AND THE BEER WAS COLD. A PERFECT END TO A GREAT DAY!  *note-On a return trip to Moab in October '06, we found that McStiff's is being sold and that the food and drink were decidedly lacking.  Too bad! check back for new adventures as they are added All text and photos are copyrighted and cannot be used without the express permission of Ron Petitt

This page was last updated on: January 26, 2007

THIS OLD BOY HAD IT MADE IN THE SHADE...LITERALLY!  HIS OWNER, AN EMPLOYEE AT THE RESTAURANT NEXT DOOR MADE SURE HE WAS COMFORTABLE WITH PLENTY OF FOOD AND WATER.  MIKE AND I WERE SO TIRED THAT WE ALMOST JOINED HIM.  I DON'T THINK HE WOULD HAVE GIVEN UP HIS BED.