HOGCDR
03-30-2009, 09:13 AM
RIDING THE GRAND CIRCLE :run1::hatw1::Popcorn
After riding 10-day 7,500 mile Was-Org-Cal, I used 10 throw-away cameras to log the trip. They produced good pictures but when I tried to have them developed on a CD, they were very grainy. Thus entered my point-and-shoot Canon A670 5 meg digital camera. A life changing moment, now I shoot, shoot and shoot and look at them later. Anyway this was the first trip to record digital photos. :takepics1::takepics2:
The Grand Circle is a term used to indicate certain National Parks in a loop, they are the following:
1. Grand Canyon
2. Zion
3. Bryce Canyon
4. Capital Reef
5. Arches
6. Canyonland
Note: KC Publications produces a series called "Discover America", they are found at all the National Parks. They cover each NP and other significant sites, example "Las Vegas The Story Behind The Scenery". I have about 70 now and they show the site in pictures which great writeups. Look for them! :wow1:
ROAD TRIP
SOUTHWEST GRAND CIRCLE
MAY 13-18, 2006
DAY 1: DEPARTED 0730, TEMPITURE 38 DEGREES WITH CLEAR SKYS. BIKE PACKED FOR CAMPING AND COLD WEATHER. STARTED IN FULL WINTER LEATHERS WITH HEATED LINER AND GLOVES. TRAVELED I-90E UNTIL BUTTE, MT AND TURNED ONTO 1-15S. TRAVELED DOWN I-15 THROUGH IDAHO AND CROSSED INTO UTAH. TEMPITURE ROSE AS THE DAY GREW OLDER UNTIL I CHANGED TO SUMMER LEATHERS. THIS ROUTE I HAVE TRAVELED MANY TIMES AND THIS DAY WAS TO TRAVEL TO SLC, UT AND HILL AFB. ARRIVED 1600 AT HILL, 540 MILES. CAMPED AT HILLS KOA, GASED AND MADE DINNER.
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DAY 2: DEPARTED AT 0630 AND STOPPED AT STARBUCKS IN SLC FOR A COOFEE AND CIGAR. STOPPED BY MY LAST COMMAND BEFORE RETIRING "NAVY & MARINE CORP RESERVE CENTER". DEPARTED SLC 0730 FOR LAS VEGAS. TRAVELING DOWN I-15S. AGAIN I TRAVELED THIS ROUTE LAST YEAR COMING BACK FROM MY 10-DAY TRIP. TEMPITURE ROSE QUICKLY FROM 65 DEGREES TO 110 DEGREES IN ST GEORGE, UTAH. CROSSED INTO ARIZON FOR 36 MILES BEFORE CROSSING INTO NEVADA. ARRIVED LAS VEGAS ABOUT 1700 WITH THE TEMPITURE 110 DEGREES, AFTER TRAVELING 460 MILES. OVER NIGHT AT A MOTEL 8, TO HOT TO CAMP. GASED UP, EAT DINNER, AND DIED FROM THE HEAT. THIS WOULD BE THE WORSE DAY OF THE TRIP, EXTREME HET AND UNEVENTFUL TERRIAN.
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DAY 3: DEPARTED 0530 WITH THE TEMPITURE AT 80 DEGREES. ROAD THE STRIP AND TOOK PICTURES OF THE HOTELS WHILE I LOOKED FOR A STARBUCKS. HAD A COOK AND CIGAR, OTHER GOOD MORNING. DEPARTED 0730 AND TRAVELED HWY I-515/95/93E TO HWY 93E TO HOOVER DAM. HOOVER DAM HOLDS BACK LAKE MEAD AND YOU CROSS OVER INTO ARIZONA. YOU CHANGE FROM PACIFIC TO MOUNTIAN TIME. I CONTINUED DOWN HWY 93E WITH THE COLORADO RIVER TO MY RIGHT TO I-40E. I TURNED ONTO HWY 64N TO THE GRAND CANYON SOUTH RIM. ABOUT 30 MILES FROM THE GCSR YOU ENTER KAIBAB NATIONAL FOREST.
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I ENTERED THE SOUTH RIM AND THE GRAND CANYON VILLAGE ABOUT 1500 AND 350 MILES. I CHECKED INTO MATHERS CAMPGROUND AND DROPPED OFF MY BAGS AT MY CAMP SITE AND CHANGED INTO MY WALKING GEAR. THIS IS THE MOST POPULATED SIDE OF THE CANYON, HUNDRED OF PEOPLE BOTH FORGIEN AND DOMESTIC. I FIRST WENT TO THE HERMIT’S REST BUS SHUTTLE SINCE IT TOOK THE MOST TIME. THIS SHUTTLE IS FREE AND STOPS ALONG THE 9-MILE ROUTE AT KEY POINTS OF INTERSEST. YOU GET OFF AND DO YOUR THING AND CATCH THE NEXT SHUTTLE EVERY 9 MINUTES. AFTER RETURNING TO THE VILLAGE I STARTED ON MY BIKE TOUR OF THE VILLAGE, HOTELS, LODGES, MARKET. AFTER SEEING AND TAKING PICTURES I DROVE TO MATHERS POINT AND THE VISITORS CENTER. I PURCHASED THE GRAND CANYON BOOK AND TOOK PICTURES. RETURNED TO MY CAMP SITE, SET UP CAMP, FIXED DINNER, AND WENT TO SLEEP.
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DAY 4: UNDERWAY BY 0630 ALONG THE DESERT VIEW DRIVE, 25 MILES ALONG THE RIM. THIS DRIVE IS ALSO HWY 64E OUT OF THE GRAND CANYON. STOPPED ALONG THE WAY AT VARIOUS OBSERVATION POINT UNTIL THE END. DESERT VIEW IS THE LAST STOP AND LOOKS AT THE CANYON FROM THE EAST END, ALSO HAS AN OLD WATCHTOWER OBSERVATION BUILDING.
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DEPARTED THE GRAND CANYON SOUTH RIM BY THE EAST GATE ON HWY 64E THEN HWY 89N. THIS TOOK ME TO GLEN CANYON, GLEN CANYON DAM ON LAKE POWELL. LAKE POWELL STRECHES 186 MILES BEHIND THE DAM. RETURNED 22 MILES SOUTH TO TURN OFF ONTO HWY 89A W TO LEE’S FERRY, PART OF GLEN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA. IT IS CONSIDERED THE START OF THE GRAND CANYON AND THE STARTING LOCATION FOR MOST OF THE COLORADO RIVER BOAT TRIPS.
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FROM LEE’S FERRY I CONTINUED ON HWY 89A W WITH THE VERMILION CLIFFS NATIONAL MONUMENT ON MY RIGHT. TURNED ONTO HWY 67 AND HEADED TO THE NORTH RIM OF THE GRAND CANYON. THE TEMPITURE DROPPED FROM 95 TO 65 FROM THE TIME I LEFT LEE’S FERRY TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE NORTH RIM. THE ELEVATION HAD CLIMBED TO 9000’ AND THE TERRIAN WAS FOREST OF THE KAIBAB NATIONAL FOREST. FROM THE SOUTH TO THE NORTH RIM IS 250 MILES. THE NOTH RIM HAS I/10TH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND MOSTLY DOMESTIC. THE VIEWS ARE GREAT BUT LESS DRAMATIC. THERE IS ALSO 1/10TH THE FACILITIES. DEPARTED THE SMALL VILLAGE AND TOOK THE SCENIC DRIVE TO IMPERIAL AND CAPE ROYAL POINTS. THIS DRIVE LOOKED AT THE EASTERN SLOPE WHILE THE SOUTH LOOKED AT THE NORTHERN SLOPE.
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DEPARTED THE NORTH RIM BACK OUT HWY 67 AND TURNED BACK ONTO HWY 89A W HEADING FOR ZION NATIONAL PARK. CROSSED OVER INTO UTAH AND TURNED ONTO HWY 9 TO THE EAST ENTRANCE OF ZION. TRAVELED ALONG THE ZION-MT CARMEL HWY TO THE VISITOR CENTER. HERE YOU CATCH THE ZION CANYON SCENIC DRIVE BUS (FREE) UP THE CANYON. THE TEMPITURE ROSE FROM 65 TO 100 FROM THE TIME I LEFT THE NORTH RIM. I STOPPED AND TALKED TO THE CAMPGROUND RANGER AND ASKED WHAT THE OVER NIGHT TEMITURE WOULD BE, SHE SAID 80. I ASKED IF BRYCE CANYON WOULD BE COOLER AND SHE SAID IT WOULD BE IN THE 40’S.
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I DEPARTED ZION AND HEADED BACK ON HWY 9E AND THEN HWY 89N. TURNED ONTO HWY 12 E PASSING THROUGH RED CANYON AND TURNING ONTO HWY 63 TO THE ENTRANCE OF BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK. THE TEMPITURE HAD DROP FROM 100 TOO THE 80’S AND THE PARK WAS HEAVYLY FORESTED. LOCATED A CAMPING SPOT, UNPACK, SET CAMP, EAT DINNER AND WENT TO SLEEP. THE CAMPGROUND HAD NO SHOWERS AND A LONG DAY OF 540 MILES!!
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DAY 5: UP EARLY (0400) AND TOOK A WASHRAG BATH IN THE REST ROOM, WASHED MY HAIR AND CHANGED CLOTHES. EAT BREAKFAST, PACKED UP AND DEPARTED CAMP ABOUT 0600. SUN COMES UP EARLY AND IT WAS IN THE MID 40’S, OUTSTANDING. BRYCE IS A VERY SMALL FACILITY; WITH ONE ROAD THROUGH TO A TURN AROUND 18 MILES AT RAINBOW POINT. ALL THE OBSERVATION POINTS LOOK TO THE EASTERN SLOPE. THE PARK IS HEAVILYY FORESTED AND SEAT AT 8-9000’.
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DEPARTED BRYCE ABOUT 0800 AND CONTINUED TRAVELING ALONG HWY 12 E PASSING BY KODACHROME STATE PARK AND THE GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE NATIONAL MONUMENT ON MY RIGHT. ENTERED THE DIXIE NATIONAL FOREST AND STARTED TO CLIMB FROM 7-9000’ AND SEE ASPIN TREES.
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TURNED ONTO HWY 24E WHICH TOOK ME TO THE ENTRANCE OF CAPITAL REEF NATIONAL PARK. AT THE VISITER CENTER I TOOK THE SCENIC DRIVE 15 MILES TO THE END AND TURNED AROUND AND RETURN. THIS PARK IS SO NAMED BECAUSE THE MTN RANGE/CLIFFS RUN ALONG YOUR LEFT AS YOU TRAVEL DOWN THE DRIVE AND LOOK LIKE A REEF IN THE OCEAN. THE TEMITURE HAD JUMPED FROM THE 40’S TO THE 90’S AGAIN.
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I DEPARTED CAPITAL AND CONTINUED HEADING EAST ON HWY 24 TO HWY 95S. HERE IS WHERE I MADE A FATAL ERROW!!!! FROM HANKSVILLE TO BLANDINNG IS 122 MILES; THE NATURAL BRIDGES NATIONAL MONUMENT IS 22 MILES BEFORE BLANDING. I HAD TRAVELED 60 MILES SINCE MY LAST GAS STOP AND I DID NOT FILL UP IN HANKSVILLE EVEN THOUGH I STOPPED FOR A DRINK. THERE ARE NO GAS STATION BETWEEN THE TWO TOWNS, 122 MILES. I HAD TO BY-PASS THE NATURAL BRIDGES BECAUSE I WAS DRIVING 60 MPH THE LAST 40-MILES TO SAVE FUEL TO GET TO BLANDING. LESSON LEARN, ASK QUESTION, LOOK AT MAPS, AND ALWAYS FILL UP. I GASED UP, EAT A LATE SNACK, AND TURNED ONTO HWY 191 HEADING FOR MOAB, UT AND THE ARCHES NATIONAL PARK.
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THE ERROR WAS A 200 MILE TRIP SOUTH FOR NOTHING VICE A 100 MILE TRIP NORTH TO MOAB THROUGH UGLY TERRIAN AND HIGH 90’S TEMPITURES. MOAB, UT WAS VERY CROWDED, I GASED UP AND HEAD UP TO ARCHES NATIONAL PARK. I HAD PLAN TO CAMP HERE BUT THE DEVILS GARDEN CAMPGROUND WAS FULL, ALSO THE SCENIC ROAD HAD JUST BEEN OILED AND ROCKED ABOUT HALF WAY TO THE END WHERE THE CAMPGROUND WAS LOCATED. I DROVE AND SAW AS MUCH AS WAS AVAILABLE.
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I DEPARTED FOR CANYONLAND NATIONAL PARK UP THE HWY 191. IT WAS ABOUT 2000 WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE ENTRANCE AND THE SIGH SAW “CAMPGROUND FULL”. I BACKTRACKED DOWN THE ENTRANCE ROAD TO HORSE THIEF CAMPGROUND, A NATIONAL PRIMITIVE FACILITY AND TURNED IN. THIS WAS ANOTHER 505 MILE DAY AND AT THE END NO WATER AT THIS CAMP GROUNDS. I SET UP CAMP, EAT, HAND WASH MY FACE AND WENT TO BED AT 2100.
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DAY 6: DEPARTED THE CAMPGROUNDS AT 0630 AND REENTERED CANYONLAND AT THE “ISLAND OF THE SKY” NORTH ENTRANCE. THERE IS ANOTHER ENTRANCE AT THE “NEEDLES” EAST SIDE. CANYONLAND RUN NORTH AND SOUTH ON TOP OF A PLATUE AND YOU LOOK OFF TO THE EAST AND WEST AT THE CANYON BELOW. THE SCENIC ROAD RUNS TO THE END AT GRAND VIEW OVERLOOK AND OFF TO ONE SIDE AT UPHEAVAL DOME. I DEPARTED CANYONLAND AND STARTED FOR HOME AT 0830. I TRAVELED UP HWY 191N TO 1-70 W TO HWY 191N THAT TURNED INTO HWY 6 TOPROVO, UT. PICKED UP I-15 N BELOW PROVO AND TRAVELED IT AND CROSSED INTO IDAHO AND THEN MONTANA. CHANGED TO
I-90 AT BUTTE, MT AND HOME AT 2030, 830-MILE DAY. I CAN SAY MY ASS WAS SORE AND ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS TAKE A BATH AND GO TO BED.
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TOTAL OF 3225 MILES TRAVELED!!! P^
Attached are two files you may want to look at;
1. GPS route, click on each day to see the track for that day. :map1::r66::twisty1:
2. Excel file of forms I use to chart weather, locations per day and site info. You can tell I'm ex-military from this setup.
After riding 10-day 7,500 mile Was-Org-Cal, I used 10 throw-away cameras to log the trip. They produced good pictures but when I tried to have them developed on a CD, they were very grainy. Thus entered my point-and-shoot Canon A670 5 meg digital camera. A life changing moment, now I shoot, shoot and shoot and look at them later. Anyway this was the first trip to record digital photos. :takepics1::takepics2:
The Grand Circle is a term used to indicate certain National Parks in a loop, they are the following:
1. Grand Canyon
2. Zion
3. Bryce Canyon
4. Capital Reef
5. Arches
6. Canyonland
Note: KC Publications produces a series called "Discover America", they are found at all the National Parks. They cover each NP and other significant sites, example "Las Vegas The Story Behind The Scenery". I have about 70 now and they show the site in pictures which great writeups. Look for them! :wow1:
ROAD TRIP
SOUTHWEST GRAND CIRCLE
MAY 13-18, 2006
DAY 1: DEPARTED 0730, TEMPITURE 38 DEGREES WITH CLEAR SKYS. BIKE PACKED FOR CAMPING AND COLD WEATHER. STARTED IN FULL WINTER LEATHERS WITH HEATED LINER AND GLOVES. TRAVELED I-90E UNTIL BUTTE, MT AND TURNED ONTO 1-15S. TRAVELED DOWN I-15 THROUGH IDAHO AND CROSSED INTO UTAH. TEMPITURE ROSE AS THE DAY GREW OLDER UNTIL I CHANGED TO SUMMER LEATHERS. THIS ROUTE I HAVE TRAVELED MANY TIMES AND THIS DAY WAS TO TRAVEL TO SLC, UT AND HILL AFB. ARRIVED 1600 AT HILL, 540 MILES. CAMPED AT HILLS KOA, GASED AND MADE DINNER.
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DAY 2: DEPARTED AT 0630 AND STOPPED AT STARBUCKS IN SLC FOR A COOFEE AND CIGAR. STOPPED BY MY LAST COMMAND BEFORE RETIRING "NAVY & MARINE CORP RESERVE CENTER". DEPARTED SLC 0730 FOR LAS VEGAS. TRAVELING DOWN I-15S. AGAIN I TRAVELED THIS ROUTE LAST YEAR COMING BACK FROM MY 10-DAY TRIP. TEMPITURE ROSE QUICKLY FROM 65 DEGREES TO 110 DEGREES IN ST GEORGE, UTAH. CROSSED INTO ARIZON FOR 36 MILES BEFORE CROSSING INTO NEVADA. ARRIVED LAS VEGAS ABOUT 1700 WITH THE TEMPITURE 110 DEGREES, AFTER TRAVELING 460 MILES. OVER NIGHT AT A MOTEL 8, TO HOT TO CAMP. GASED UP, EAT DINNER, AND DIED FROM THE HEAT. THIS WOULD BE THE WORSE DAY OF THE TRIP, EXTREME HET AND UNEVENTFUL TERRIAN.
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DAY 3: DEPARTED 0530 WITH THE TEMPITURE AT 80 DEGREES. ROAD THE STRIP AND TOOK PICTURES OF THE HOTELS WHILE I LOOKED FOR A STARBUCKS. HAD A COOK AND CIGAR, OTHER GOOD MORNING. DEPARTED 0730 AND TRAVELED HWY I-515/95/93E TO HWY 93E TO HOOVER DAM. HOOVER DAM HOLDS BACK LAKE MEAD AND YOU CROSS OVER INTO ARIZONA. YOU CHANGE FROM PACIFIC TO MOUNTIAN TIME. I CONTINUED DOWN HWY 93E WITH THE COLORADO RIVER TO MY RIGHT TO I-40E. I TURNED ONTO HWY 64N TO THE GRAND CANYON SOUTH RIM. ABOUT 30 MILES FROM THE GCSR YOU ENTER KAIBAB NATIONAL FOREST.
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I ENTERED THE SOUTH RIM AND THE GRAND CANYON VILLAGE ABOUT 1500 AND 350 MILES. I CHECKED INTO MATHERS CAMPGROUND AND DROPPED OFF MY BAGS AT MY CAMP SITE AND CHANGED INTO MY WALKING GEAR. THIS IS THE MOST POPULATED SIDE OF THE CANYON, HUNDRED OF PEOPLE BOTH FORGIEN AND DOMESTIC. I FIRST WENT TO THE HERMIT’S REST BUS SHUTTLE SINCE IT TOOK THE MOST TIME. THIS SHUTTLE IS FREE AND STOPS ALONG THE 9-MILE ROUTE AT KEY POINTS OF INTERSEST. YOU GET OFF AND DO YOUR THING AND CATCH THE NEXT SHUTTLE EVERY 9 MINUTES. AFTER RETURNING TO THE VILLAGE I STARTED ON MY BIKE TOUR OF THE VILLAGE, HOTELS, LODGES, MARKET. AFTER SEEING AND TAKING PICTURES I DROVE TO MATHERS POINT AND THE VISITORS CENTER. I PURCHASED THE GRAND CANYON BOOK AND TOOK PICTURES. RETURNED TO MY CAMP SITE, SET UP CAMP, FIXED DINNER, AND WENT TO SLEEP.
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DAY 4: UNDERWAY BY 0630 ALONG THE DESERT VIEW DRIVE, 25 MILES ALONG THE RIM. THIS DRIVE IS ALSO HWY 64E OUT OF THE GRAND CANYON. STOPPED ALONG THE WAY AT VARIOUS OBSERVATION POINT UNTIL THE END. DESERT VIEW IS THE LAST STOP AND LOOKS AT THE CANYON FROM THE EAST END, ALSO HAS AN OLD WATCHTOWER OBSERVATION BUILDING.
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DEPARTED THE GRAND CANYON SOUTH RIM BY THE EAST GATE ON HWY 64E THEN HWY 89N. THIS TOOK ME TO GLEN CANYON, GLEN CANYON DAM ON LAKE POWELL. LAKE POWELL STRECHES 186 MILES BEHIND THE DAM. RETURNED 22 MILES SOUTH TO TURN OFF ONTO HWY 89A W TO LEE’S FERRY, PART OF GLEN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA. IT IS CONSIDERED THE START OF THE GRAND CANYON AND THE STARTING LOCATION FOR MOST OF THE COLORADO RIVER BOAT TRIPS.
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FROM LEE’S FERRY I CONTINUED ON HWY 89A W WITH THE VERMILION CLIFFS NATIONAL MONUMENT ON MY RIGHT. TURNED ONTO HWY 67 AND HEADED TO THE NORTH RIM OF THE GRAND CANYON. THE TEMPITURE DROPPED FROM 95 TO 65 FROM THE TIME I LEFT LEE’S FERRY TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE NORTH RIM. THE ELEVATION HAD CLIMBED TO 9000’ AND THE TERRIAN WAS FOREST OF THE KAIBAB NATIONAL FOREST. FROM THE SOUTH TO THE NORTH RIM IS 250 MILES. THE NOTH RIM HAS I/10TH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND MOSTLY DOMESTIC. THE VIEWS ARE GREAT BUT LESS DRAMATIC. THERE IS ALSO 1/10TH THE FACILITIES. DEPARTED THE SMALL VILLAGE AND TOOK THE SCENIC DRIVE TO IMPERIAL AND CAPE ROYAL POINTS. THIS DRIVE LOOKED AT THE EASTERN SLOPE WHILE THE SOUTH LOOKED AT THE NORTHERN SLOPE.
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DEPARTED THE NORTH RIM BACK OUT HWY 67 AND TURNED BACK ONTO HWY 89A W HEADING FOR ZION NATIONAL PARK. CROSSED OVER INTO UTAH AND TURNED ONTO HWY 9 TO THE EAST ENTRANCE OF ZION. TRAVELED ALONG THE ZION-MT CARMEL HWY TO THE VISITOR CENTER. HERE YOU CATCH THE ZION CANYON SCENIC DRIVE BUS (FREE) UP THE CANYON. THE TEMPITURE ROSE FROM 65 TO 100 FROM THE TIME I LEFT THE NORTH RIM. I STOPPED AND TALKED TO THE CAMPGROUND RANGER AND ASKED WHAT THE OVER NIGHT TEMITURE WOULD BE, SHE SAID 80. I ASKED IF BRYCE CANYON WOULD BE COOLER AND SHE SAID IT WOULD BE IN THE 40’S.
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I DEPARTED ZION AND HEADED BACK ON HWY 9E AND THEN HWY 89N. TURNED ONTO HWY 12 E PASSING THROUGH RED CANYON AND TURNING ONTO HWY 63 TO THE ENTRANCE OF BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK. THE TEMPITURE HAD DROP FROM 100 TOO THE 80’S AND THE PARK WAS HEAVYLY FORESTED. LOCATED A CAMPING SPOT, UNPACK, SET CAMP, EAT DINNER AND WENT TO SLEEP. THE CAMPGROUND HAD NO SHOWERS AND A LONG DAY OF 540 MILES!!
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DAY 5: UP EARLY (0400) AND TOOK A WASHRAG BATH IN THE REST ROOM, WASHED MY HAIR AND CHANGED CLOTHES. EAT BREAKFAST, PACKED UP AND DEPARTED CAMP ABOUT 0600. SUN COMES UP EARLY AND IT WAS IN THE MID 40’S, OUTSTANDING. BRYCE IS A VERY SMALL FACILITY; WITH ONE ROAD THROUGH TO A TURN AROUND 18 MILES AT RAINBOW POINT. ALL THE OBSERVATION POINTS LOOK TO THE EASTERN SLOPE. THE PARK IS HEAVILYY FORESTED AND SEAT AT 8-9000’.
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DEPARTED BRYCE ABOUT 0800 AND CONTINUED TRAVELING ALONG HWY 12 E PASSING BY KODACHROME STATE PARK AND THE GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE NATIONAL MONUMENT ON MY RIGHT. ENTERED THE DIXIE NATIONAL FOREST AND STARTED TO CLIMB FROM 7-9000’ AND SEE ASPIN TREES.
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TURNED ONTO HWY 24E WHICH TOOK ME TO THE ENTRANCE OF CAPITAL REEF NATIONAL PARK. AT THE VISITER CENTER I TOOK THE SCENIC DRIVE 15 MILES TO THE END AND TURNED AROUND AND RETURN. THIS PARK IS SO NAMED BECAUSE THE MTN RANGE/CLIFFS RUN ALONG YOUR LEFT AS YOU TRAVEL DOWN THE DRIVE AND LOOK LIKE A REEF IN THE OCEAN. THE TEMITURE HAD JUMPED FROM THE 40’S TO THE 90’S AGAIN.
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I DEPARTED CAPITAL AND CONTINUED HEADING EAST ON HWY 24 TO HWY 95S. HERE IS WHERE I MADE A FATAL ERROW!!!! FROM HANKSVILLE TO BLANDINNG IS 122 MILES; THE NATURAL BRIDGES NATIONAL MONUMENT IS 22 MILES BEFORE BLANDING. I HAD TRAVELED 60 MILES SINCE MY LAST GAS STOP AND I DID NOT FILL UP IN HANKSVILLE EVEN THOUGH I STOPPED FOR A DRINK. THERE ARE NO GAS STATION BETWEEN THE TWO TOWNS, 122 MILES. I HAD TO BY-PASS THE NATURAL BRIDGES BECAUSE I WAS DRIVING 60 MPH THE LAST 40-MILES TO SAVE FUEL TO GET TO BLANDING. LESSON LEARN, ASK QUESTION, LOOK AT MAPS, AND ALWAYS FILL UP. I GASED UP, EAT A LATE SNACK, AND TURNED ONTO HWY 191 HEADING FOR MOAB, UT AND THE ARCHES NATIONAL PARK.
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THE ERROR WAS A 200 MILE TRIP SOUTH FOR NOTHING VICE A 100 MILE TRIP NORTH TO MOAB THROUGH UGLY TERRIAN AND HIGH 90’S TEMPITURES. MOAB, UT WAS VERY CROWDED, I GASED UP AND HEAD UP TO ARCHES NATIONAL PARK. I HAD PLAN TO CAMP HERE BUT THE DEVILS GARDEN CAMPGROUND WAS FULL, ALSO THE SCENIC ROAD HAD JUST BEEN OILED AND ROCKED ABOUT HALF WAY TO THE END WHERE THE CAMPGROUND WAS LOCATED. I DROVE AND SAW AS MUCH AS WAS AVAILABLE.
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I DEPARTED FOR CANYONLAND NATIONAL PARK UP THE HWY 191. IT WAS ABOUT 2000 WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE ENTRANCE AND THE SIGH SAW “CAMPGROUND FULL”. I BACKTRACKED DOWN THE ENTRANCE ROAD TO HORSE THIEF CAMPGROUND, A NATIONAL PRIMITIVE FACILITY AND TURNED IN. THIS WAS ANOTHER 505 MILE DAY AND AT THE END NO WATER AT THIS CAMP GROUNDS. I SET UP CAMP, EAT, HAND WASH MY FACE AND WENT TO BED AT 2100.
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DAY 6: DEPARTED THE CAMPGROUNDS AT 0630 AND REENTERED CANYONLAND AT THE “ISLAND OF THE SKY” NORTH ENTRANCE. THERE IS ANOTHER ENTRANCE AT THE “NEEDLES” EAST SIDE. CANYONLAND RUN NORTH AND SOUTH ON TOP OF A PLATUE AND YOU LOOK OFF TO THE EAST AND WEST AT THE CANYON BELOW. THE SCENIC ROAD RUNS TO THE END AT GRAND VIEW OVERLOOK AND OFF TO ONE SIDE AT UPHEAVAL DOME. I DEPARTED CANYONLAND AND STARTED FOR HOME AT 0830. I TRAVELED UP HWY 191N TO 1-70 W TO HWY 191N THAT TURNED INTO HWY 6 TOPROVO, UT. PICKED UP I-15 N BELOW PROVO AND TRAVELED IT AND CROSSED INTO IDAHO AND THEN MONTANA. CHANGED TO
I-90 AT BUTTE, MT AND HOME AT 2030, 830-MILE DAY. I CAN SAY MY ASS WAS SORE AND ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS TAKE A BATH AND GO TO BED.
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TOTAL OF 3225 MILES TRAVELED!!! P^
Attached are two files you may want to look at;
1. GPS route, click on each day to see the track for that day. :map1::r66::twisty1:
2. Excel file of forms I use to chart weather, locations per day and site info. You can tell I'm ex-military from this setup.