The Grand Ride
Aug 27-28, 2020
Once again on the road, what better place could there be?
This is a quick weekend getaway to somewhere cooler and just a nice easy ride, and to relax in the great outdoors. I’m also testing a sheep-skin seat cover, even though my friends are trying to shame me about it. I’m also going back to my leather chaps for the heat. I’ve been wearing nylon adventure-style pants and the heat from the bike engine has really been burning my right leg.
So, we headed to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, which is over 8,000 feet in elevation and it’s only about 150 miles from our home. This ride also gives me a chance to add sites to my Iron Butt Association National Parks Tour.
The first stop is Pipe Spring National Monument, which
is a Mormon pioneer settlement that provided much-needed water to people
traveling from Utah to Arizona. The area is also rich in American Indian
history. From Pipe Spring across the high desert to the pine-covered hills in
the Kaibab National Forest. Highway 67 takes off south from Jacob Lake and is
one of the prettiest rides in the area headed toward the North Rim, which is
about an hour ride.
We arrived back at Jacob Lake around 4 p.m. where we
had reservations in one of their cabins. The cabins are rustic, clean, and
comfortable. Our cabin had a bedroom on each end with a bathroom in-between.
Which worked out fine with the couple we were traveling with. The weather could
not have been better. After dinner in the lodge, we sat on the porch until
almost 11 p.m. just enjoying the pine forest.
After the first day of testing the sheep-skin seat
cover, I’m kinda liking it. It has a warm comfortable feeling, without sweating
butt syndrome. The chaps handled the heat much better in the limited time when
it was warm.
The next morning after a great breakfast we were off
for the last part of the ride. A mid-morning start was not the best timing as
it put us back in St. George in the hottest part of the day, but that was down
the road.
The ride to the east is spectacular as it follows the
Vermilion Cliffs. From the high elevation pines and parks to the massif red
rock cliffs is quite the contrast.
Our first stop is at Lee’s Ferry. We turned off
Highway 89 and rode the curves down to the Colorado River where the historic
ferry once was. Crossing the Colorado River is not an easy task and Lee’s Ferry
was one of the few crossings. Part of the road is called the Honeymoon Trail.
Early Mormon pioneers traveled from Arizona to St. George to get married in the
temple there. And this is the only route they could take to get there.
Where the turn-off to Lee’s Ferry is, it’s only a
short distance to the Marble Canyon and the Navajo Bridges. There are two
bridges side by side spanning the Colorado River gorge. The old one is for foot
traffic only (the old vehicle bridge). We were fortunate to see several condors
near the bridge or on the structure underneath, one had its wings spread out
trying to cool off. They are huge birds with impressive wingspans.
We next headed to Page, Az where we got some gas and
then got out of there. Page and the surrounding area have been a hotspot for
COVID. I tried to picture up a few more stamps at various locations, but
everything is closed for COVID.
We stopped in Kanab, Ut for lunch at a great Mexican
Restaurant, one of the few that allowed inside dining. We then headed north and
west and rode through Zion National Park on our way home.
Today, the ride was much warmer with temps hitting 107
degrees. The wife and I like the sheep-skin seat cover, it improves comfort and
is not as sweaty when it gets hot. The leather chaps are much, better in
handling the heat from the engine and even the hot air blowing over my legs.
So, two successes on the equipment testing, yeah!
What a great place we live in, with spectacular scenery,
awesome roads for motorcycling, and best of all it’s close to home base. Ride
when you can and stay focused when you do.
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