Thursday, April 25, 2013

Apache Trail....Dirt Riding and Camping at Roosevelt Lake

 I have always wanted to ride my "dual sport" moto off road...but due to the fact that i am always SOLO...i find this to be a daunting challenge..So after purchase and mounting of my new Heidenau K-60 Scouts!  I am ready to break into this world that i have so long admired!  (that story coming soon)  
So with the help of my guide Tim, he says trial by fire!  Which means deep in with the sharks first!!  He decides to take me the infamous Apache Trail!  Much longer that this but near 30 miles of gravelly, rocky, STEEP down hill and up hill sections...with the cliff walls littered with cars that did not make it!!  Yikes!!  
So after entering the Tonto Forest...we head east on hwy 88 towards Tortilla Flat...this is a beautiful road which passes Saguaro Lake...the road is curvy and scenic and paved up to Tortilla...this is where most motorcycles stop...
The usual bar and gift shop are here of course!  So after stopping for a cold drink and preparing myself...mentally....we head out towards 88 a couple miles down and it turns to dirt!!  i am following as i have never done this before and i have no idea what speed to go or what gear to be in!  LOL ...I also do not totally trust my BIKE ...which was probably the worst part for me.  
After taking it nice and easy and stopping frequently to catch my breath!  I was so proud of myself to make it to the Dam and Bridge of Roosevelt Lake!
I made it, we passed one car wreck, which definitely unnerved me...but i carried on!!  Then we got to pavement!  That felt so wierd! :)
Taking a little food break to enjoy the view and congratulate myself....then off to the ranger station to find some camping...my first time moto camping as well....now before i slander AZ...let me tell you that i grew up in the beautfful Pacific Northwest!  So my experience with campgrounds is pretty substantial!  And this so-called "campground"  was basically an RV park in the sand....ughhh...not a single tree to be seen except for 2 dead ones, which made for some great photos in the style of Edgar Allen Poe, along with the dead Raven!  
My fave time to be in Arizona is at night...so the beauty of the stars really make up for everything....
I was so tired and had no problems sleeping....
Next morning, coffee, and off we go heading NW on hwy 188, fairly scenic drive, a bit chilly, connecting back to hwy 87 South.  This road never disappoints!  Back to the beginning and then Sedona bound!  what a great ride!  This is Mad Map AZ #25, partial as in it does not suggest the unpaved section!  
But what a great ride and now i am over the huge fear, of dirt!  I now long for adventure even more then before and when i see a dirt side road...which is everywhere in Arizona!!  My heart skips a beat in excitement! 
I am definitely grateful for "trial by fire".  It was a great confidence builder.
















Sedona to Bisbee....via Tombstone

Oldest School House in Arizona, town of Strawberry.

not a very safe or pretty place to stop...but i can hardly pass a MM 226 signpost!



most of this ride today was through the Tonto National Forest!  Just beautiful...
                                    
Superstition Mountains


This trip started with me leaving Sedona and heading east through Camp Verde on 260.  This route is very beautiful climbing up to 7000 ft elevation...gently curving through tall pine trees and openings of scenic vistas, the air is cooler, cleaner.   There is still some snow on the ground and not much traffic!   Then i come up to Hwy 87 turn right to head South...now this is a great road, with sharper curves, gorgeous views.  The first little town i come to is called Strawberry.   Here is the oldest standing school house in AZ.  Being one who loves historical buildings, i had to take the few miles detour to see it!   Back on the road i continue through a few small areas of people, but mostly wide open spaces.   One beautiful thing about Arizona,  is it is spread out with humanity!  Except for Phoenix, and well that is just gross!  LOL  This road pretty much stays gorgeous the entire time and drops me down into the Tonto National Forest, the neatest part about dropping elevation is all the animated Saguaro cactus!  They all seem to be dancing, singing and telling stories.   Every one of them is different!  This part of the trek drops me at the base of the incredibly dangerous and beautiful Superstition Mountains.


Heading out from Apache Junction, I take hwy 79 south all the way to Oracle Junction, there is a wonderful unpaved road to take if i go left here towards Mammoth, but since i do not have off road tires on yet, i turn right.  This takes me on a most unpleasant hwy 77 through Tucson dumping me out onto I-10 for about 30 miles connecting me to hwy 80.  Now back to fun motorcycling.  We all know that cities and mass traffic are not fun and just a means to an end, sometimes unavoidable!  Sometimes People and Mass Humanity are unavoidable in general!   How i do love the open road when it feels solely like just ME and my Machine are the only things existing!!  that is when i get the best spiritual connection!!





Lavendar Pit, just outside of Bisbee, Arizona



South on hwy 80 takes you to the historic town of Tombstone, which is cool to see for its historical value in the making of the Wild West!  it is however just an huge slice of Americana tourist trap!  Gift shops upon gift shops with cheesy trinkets...they have a saloon with reenactments and daily gun fights in the streets!  Fun to see,not sure more than an hour is necessary here! Then back on the road to the destination of the day which is Bisbee (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisbee,_Arizona)   Got in just before sunset to check into a cute local hotel! 
After check in taking a walk through this adorable and very much historic town, which used to be a booming metropolis in its day!  a MUST SEE!  I go into a local store, where i am recognized from Facebook...by one of my friends in Washington States friends...haha  what a small small world! Shout out to you Ana! 


Heading out Bisbee past the Lavendar mine, connecting to 191 North...big open valley of farm lands....back to I-10...retracing my moto tracks a bit then heading over to Hwy 77 North towards Globe! Pretty nice ride, very windy across the open areas.  I get pulled over again by an AZ copper, this time no ticket! Up into Globe, then carve my way down through Devil's Canyon!  this is a pretty amazing road in itself.  Then headed home to Sedona this time going through Phoenix and taking I-17 north....this road is nice once you pass Happy Valley exit.  What a great Ride!!
 This trip covered "partials" of 5 Mad Maps rides!!  Love the Mad Maps! 
Devil's Canyon


another MM 226!  :)






Saturday, April 6, 2013

Sunset Crater to the Grand Canyon South Rim Loop


Sunset Crater Visitor Center
Wupatki Ruins







Desert View Visitor Center, Grand Canyon south Rim


This is a ride that Tim and I took together....what great fun, first we got all of out gear loaded up for a full day out on the bikes....it was very chilly morning so we bundled up accordingly, or so we thought!
So leaving Sedona , we connected to 17 N, to try and zoom up to the fun roads!  After a brief petrol break, and I needed to put on everything that i brought for gear....It was Freezing!!!  i hoped it was only since it was so early...
Then a brief bit of I-40 East, to 89North....this is a great road....the entire length of it as i hope to ride every mile some day.  Not far off of I-40 is the turn off for the Sunset Crater Loop....this road is fantastic, i highly recommend it to anyone who is riding in the area.  It has a great National Park Service Visitor Center, where you need to stop and pay a fee (or you can purchase the annual NPS pass, go to http://www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm)
Then as you sweep through the tree lined curves, you see volcanic lava rock jutting up out of the earth like some sort of other planetary road trip.  The loop is approximately 45 miles, after riding through the volcanic rock, it gently turns you through areas where the volcanic sand lines the roadways, few trees with the occasional large rocks piercing the smooth landscape.
A few more miles and it opens up with view of the painted desert, and you can see for miles.  This winds you down to a redder earth and to the Wupatki Ruins site....pull over for a brief walk through these ancient ruins, another very nice visitors center.
After leaving the ruins, the road twists and turns through the red rock, then up to some plains with tall, fuzzy grass....and open with a beautiful view of the San Francisco Peaks.
oh yes , it is still freezing by the way...Brrrrrr...the mountains have snow on them!


A quick connection back to 89A North for a few miles and then left towards the Grand Canyon on 64 West....this takes you across Navajo lands, open plains, rocky mountains, and deep crevices in the earth....
Eventually taking you into the Grand Canyon Park east entrance to the South Rim.
The first stop upon entering, (warning:  if you do not have the annual pass be prepared to pay $12 per motorcycle and $25 per car) is Desert View visitor center, which has sweeping views of the Grand Canyon.
We rode along the south rim continued through the park, stopping to see different views of the Canyon....Probably the funniest conversation of the day was when we were taking the photo above, after the camera snapped we sat there staring into the parking lot at out bikes and talking about chains and shaft drives, CC's and tires etc...then Tim says, Lady we are sitting with one of the Wonders of the World behind us and we are not even looking at it!!  We both laughed so hard the tears froze to our cheeks i think!  What can i say?  I am definitely MAD FOR MOTOS!!! 
It is still very cold and getting very late, so we are hoping to make it back to Sedona before dark.
We leave the park and stop for a hot coffee to warm up....then we head out towards Williams going a little too fast....
I was in the lead and pulling up next to me is the Arizona State Patrol....he pulled us over and told us to get a coffee while he wrote us up our tickets....he was very nice to us but maybe not so nice all the time, so beware...
After that stop, we had a very cold ride home.  But we made it....what a great ride, beautiful scenery, lots of laughs and we survived the cold.....