1994 — Doing Some Dirt and Spanking Whitey

Friday came and we were itching to go so we jumped on the highway and blasted to Kremmling to spend the night at John's mom's house. That got us out of the city and on our way. John was on his new bike, the red and cream-colored Shadow he's still riding, so it was John and Bill on Shadows and Ken on his trusty CB750 Custom.

The next morning we headed west on US 40 and then turned off US 40 onto CO 134 over Gore Pass to Toponas and then headed north on CO 131 to Phippsburg. That's when things really started getting gritty. John, our master of the maps, had been eyeing Ripple Creek Pass, which runs from Phippsburg over to Meeker. He figured the 55-mile run had about 10 miles of gravel, and if we were game to do it he was, too. We said sure, let's do it. Only it turned out to be closer to 40 miles of gravel and much of that washboard. Along the way, at one point, John pulled off onto the shoulder to have a refreshment break and proceeded to lose it in some soft sand and dump his new Shadow. This route was not the best idea we ever had. The bouncing and banging on the washboard also managed to break Ken's luggage rack. We rejoined US 40 at Dinosaur and finally reached Vernal, UT, that night.

Our immediate objective was a repeat of last year, when we spent three blissful days with Christopher in Salt Lake City. Heading on west on US 40 at one point Bill decided he wanted to pull down this short gravel road to the shore of Strawberry Reservoir, near Duchesne, which we were passing. John went second and Ken followed but the road quickly deteriorated. John, still unfamiliar with his new bike, quickly got in trouble in a rut and was struggling not to drop the bike. "Ken, come help me! Quick!" he called, but first Ken had to find some place level and solid enough to park his own bike, so by the time he was able to lend a hand it was only to help John get his no-longer-perfect new Shadow back upright. Again.

We got to Heber City and decided to turn south toward Orem. Someone in Heber City had told us there was a nice road we could take through the mountains that would bring us pretty close to Salt Lake. This proved to be one of the best roads we've ever ridden. Utah 92 goes up past Robert Redford's place at Sundance and becomes the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway. This winding, one-lane, two-way, shoulderless road goes up high over a pass and comes down into the American Fork Canyon, which comes out at Point of the Mountain (where Ken crashed his hang-glider years earlier) and feeds into I-15.

A quick run north on I-15 brought us to Salt Lake City, where we again stopped at Christopher and Wesley's. Wes was home this year and knew of a welding shop where Ken could get his rack repaired. This time we spent two nights and it was the same peaceful, blissful time it had been before. When Bill remarked, as we were leaving, that he could be persuaded to spend another night we understood exactly what he meant.

Here's Christopher working in his garden, and below that, John and Bill with Wesley.

Christopher tends his beans

John, Bill, and Wesley

Leaving Salt Lake City we blasted across the salt flats and on to Wells, NV, where we turned north to the little town of Jackpot, at the Nevada-Idaho border. We liked this place and decided we definitely had to come back here some time. The next day we continued north to Twin Falls where we came upon the spectacular Snake River canyon. Stopping to check it out we were amazed to see that down in the bottom of the gorge there were a couple golf courses. That clinched it. We had only gone 45 miles but there would be no more riding today, we're playing golf. It may have just been dumb luck but we rode on down and rented equipment and got right on the course. We wouldn't have that kind of luck the next time we passed this way. Then that night we rode on out to the local swimming hole, Shoshone Falls, which was one of the most beautiful natural but publicly maintained swimming holes you'll ever see.

This first shot is of the twin falls that give the town its name, then the canyon with the golf courses at the bottom. The third picture is Bill and John preparing to spank whitey.

The twin falls

Snake River Canyon at Twin Falls

Bill and John prepare to spank whitey

From Twin Falls we headed north, then northeast across southeastern Idaho and made a stop at Craters of the Moon National Monument. Spent a couple hours exploring these caves, including sitting in total blackness to see if our eyes would adjust enough that we could see our hands in front of our faces. No. You cannot see anything.

On our way again we came to the little town of Arco and decided it was time to stop for liquid refreshment. Sitting at the bar, Ken noticed an odd-looking implement suspended from a rope, and he grabbed hold of it. A bell rang and suddenly the bar grew silent. Everyone turned to look at us. We were informed that anyone ringing the bell was expected to buy a round for the house. John and Bill generously agreed to help Ken meet that obligation, and we had a good time talking with the appreciative locals. We had more beers than we should have and headed on eastward to Idaho Falls in a seriously carefree state of mind. Spent that night then in Idaho Falls.

From Idaho Falls we looped on east into Wyoming and ran south through the Star Valley. Of course we had to stop at the cheese factory and get some cheese curds. South of Cokeville Bill was in the lead and he decided to open it up a bit. John jumped on it, too, so that Ken barely cleared a ridge in time to see both of them shoot on past our turn-off. He parked at the intersection to wait. After awhile John showed, having noticed that Ken was not behind him and concerned that something had happened. We both waited, expecting Bill to show up soon afterward. Bill didn't show up soon afterward. About the time we were getting concerned about him, however, he did show. It seems he was delayed by a state patrolman who didn't manage to get him on the clock but had a pretty strong suspicion he was going a little bit over the limit.

That day we made it all the way back to Vernal, and the next day ran all the way back in to Denver. Another trip in the books.

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