By Bill Boeck | CO
My old Air Force buddy, Bruce Phegley, and I had been planning this motorcycle adventure for nearly a year. After retiring to southern Colorado's Huerfano County in 2005, from the St. Louis, MO area, I had promised myself a long motorcycle trip. The last long road trip I'd taken was back in 1976 on my 1973 Honda CB500 Four, about 5000 miles in length, all on pavement.
This 2014 adventure began on June 7th and our final riding day was July 2nd. In those 25 days, Bruce and I covered nearly 5000 miles and visited eight western states. Most of our days were limited to 200 – 250 miles, as my ol’ butt is no longer happy with long riding days. And yes, we did stray from the pavement, often.
The big change for me in preparing for this trip was in moving from strictly road bikes, 2003 Kawasaki Concours ZG1000 and 2009 Yamaha FZ6, to a dual-sport bike. I went searching for a 2009 BMW F650GS. I found a low mileage unit in Denver last August. Why specifically a 2009 model? Because that was the first year for the 2-cylinder engine, which I really wanted. The earlier single cylinder BMW F650GS has been around for a long time and has a great history. For my needs, however, I think the 798cc parallel-twin with increased power, smoothness (when compared to the single cylinder engine) and its agility off-road, better fits my needs. This bike falls into the category of “Adventure bike,” and from what I have read, appears to be the fastest growing segment of the motorcycle industry. I wanted to experience this most popular style of motorcycle.
After purchasing my bike, I had the enjoyable task of properly equipping it for off road riding (gravel, rock, dirt, ATV, Jeep type roads). That meant adding a skid plate, crash bars, hand guards, luggage rack, extended height windshield and panniers with mounting rack. As for the panniers, I chose Pelican. I like the rectangular look and did not want to pay the price of the aluminum/metal cases. In my opinion Pelican brand is more durable and lighter weight than aluminum/metal cases. They are also totally water tight, crush proof and dust proof. I am very satisfied with them. If one is contemplating riding an adventure bike that is not already equipped for off road riding, figure about $2000 for all the accessories listed above.
Bruce's residence is Coconut Creek, Florida (north of Fort Lauderdale). He had to deal with a 2700 mile tow to my house, 15 miles west of Walsenburg, before we officially began our adventure. We packed tents, sleeping bags, a camp stove and freeze dried meals, as the plan was to camp at least ten nights and find a motel the other nights.
L — R: Bruce Phegley & Bill Boeck
Now for the trip itself. There were many highlights (too numerous to mention all). Here are a few of the more memorable ones for me . . .
? Mesa Verde National Park off Hwy 160, west of Durango, CO. Mesa Verde (Spanish for green table) offers a spectacular look into the lives of the ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home from A.D. 600 to 1300.
? Then on to Panguitch, Utah, for a 3-day BMW Rally. We had a great time meeting many BMW riders from Utah and other states. Brice Canyon National Park was 20 miles from the rally site and a truly amazing feast for the eyes.
? Tonopah, NV and a night’s stay at the Mizpah Hotel, built in 1907. The hotel was the tallest building in the state at the time. Also learned that Tonopah is the turquoise capital of the country.
? South Lake Tahoe to stay at a high school friend’s home, then onto Reno. Lake Tahoe is gorgeous and all that people say it is.
? From Reno, we rode Henness Pass to Jackson Meadows Lake – off road, somewhat rocky and rough.
? On to Marysville and Fort Bragg, CA on the coast and an excellent seafood dinner at the wharf overlooking the harbor.
? Rode CA-1 and US-101 along the Pacific coast. From Redway, CA rode 22 miles of turns and twisties down to Sheltered Cove. Briceland Thorn Road is com-parable to the Tail of the Dragon, I’d say.
? Lunch at the historic Ben Bow Inn and then rode along the Avenue of the Giants (Redwood trees towered over us).
? Crater Lake, OR, deepest lake in the USA at 2000 ft, fed by rain and snow melt. BEAUTIFUL!
Crater Lake, Oregon
? Camped at Hells Canyon, headwaters of the Snake River right on the Oregon / Idaho border.
? Rode US-12 and SH-13 in north central ID. Awesome ride following the Lochsa river. Lunch at historic Lochsa Lodge, then over Lolo Pass to Missoula and Livingston, MT.
? On to Red Lodge, MT . . . we got hailed on. Then over Bear Tooth Pass. It was 27 degrees at the top, saw lots of snow skiers.
Top of Bear Tooth Pass
? Crossed into WY and entered Yellowstone at northeast entrance. Viewed a large bison herd in valley, not far from entrance. Reservation for a campsite was a must. Woke up to ice on the bikes as the temperature hit an all time low for the date at 31 degrees.
? On to Jackson Hole to spend a night with friends. The Grand Tetons are spectacular and we enjoyed a bird’s eye view, as my friend took us up in her airplane in perfect flying weather.
Aerial view of the Grand Teton Range
? The last night of our road trip. We enjoyed Irish Canyon campground (located between Rock Springs, WY and Craig, CO), a totally remote and peaceful campground. We were the only ones there!
? The final day, a long 397 mile ride from Irish Canyon to Craig, Steam-boat, Kremmling, Silverthorne, Leadville, Salida, Westcliff and home.
The trip was great, temperatures were near perfect and very little rain. We had planned to include Glacier Nation-al Park, but a 3-day weather pattern of clouds and rain kept us away. We saw beautiful country, met lots of nice people (for me, that is part of the enjoyment). Bruce and I agreed that our trip may have benefited from a later start date, say in late July, early August. We had planned to ride “old” Lolo Pass in Montana, but found that parts were still snow packed and not open.
If anyone wants more details, feel free to contact me. My information is listed in the MSTA Blue Book. Right now, I am considering a similar ride in 2015. Care to join me?
