Day 1, Salt Lake City to Torrey , UT
It's been about two weeks since I got the VStrom . Up to this point, I've been really happy with it, but it still needed it's break in trip. Good timing, as I was in pretty dire need of a trip out of town by myself as a good way to wrap up the motorcycle traveling season. I had a plan in mind….to ride down to Torrey and play around on the Burr Trail, maybe heading down the Bullfrog- Notom Road to Lake Powell , then making my way back to Torrey to spend another night before heading home on Monday. Didn't really work out that way…read 
on.
We all know the right way to get to Torrey . From Kamas, I headed out Hwy 35 over Wolf Creek Pass to Hanna for breakfast. I wasn't sure about the traffic for the weekend, being Labor Day and all, but there were only one or two cars to be seen over the pass…most of the trip worked out that way actually. Moving on out, I scooted on for Duchesne for some gas and the first bit of excitement of the weekend. Some poor chap was having a medical problem at the Sinclair station. As I came in, the clerk was getting the guy settled into a booth and on the phone with 911. Based on where he was hurting, his appendix was a likely culprit. I moved on as the Sheriff's Deputy came a long and an ambulance was on its way…Hope the guy is feeling better now…
On to the great sweepers of Indian Canyon and Hwy 191….wonderful road…you know the story. After jumping onto Hwy 6, then down towards Scofield and the Energy Loop the sky started to look a bit ominous…thick, grey clouds were ahead and the occasional drop of rain ticked on to my visor. As I crested the ridge above Fairview Canyon , a bit of drizzle set in. Looking towards my intended direction, down Huntington Canyon , there were some patches of blue with white clouds filling in the rest. I decided to wait on rain gear, and head on down Huntington Canyon . Fortunately I stayed dry, and stayed moving, as there were only a couple of other vehicles on the road with me…surprising for Labor Day, eh? Gas prices keeping people home?
I could see some hideous looking weather gathering over the hills to the west of Hwy 10 as I headed for Ferron and gas. At the Sinclair station, two of my fellow patrons separately informed me that I'd be getting wet. They were close to right as the marble sized drops of serious rain started to plunk down as I brought up the sidestand and readied myself for the next boring bit of Hwy 10. Seeing that the majority of the greyness was still to my northwest, I headed south, hurrying to get away from the rain. I escaped the shower quickly, and stayed as dry as I needed to 
be.
As I approached I70 and the brilliant hwy 72, the weather was again looking threatening ahead. I could see the sheets of rain over the hills where 72's perfect pavement snaked south towards Loa. I decided to stop pushing my luck and pulled over under the I70 overpass and prepped the bike and myself for wet weather operations. Catching a few drops as I started on my way again, I could see wet patches on the road letting me know that I would probably be agreeing with the gas station wetness warnings before long. I actually missed most of the weather on Hwy 72. 
Just a few drops here and there as I enjoyed the mostly dry pavement. I saw a grand total of 3 moving vehicles on this 40-something mile stretch, one of which was a couple on a tandem bicycle who had gotten soaked in the rain. I passed by them too quickly to notice how wet they were, but they told me later on as they were drying their gear in the cabin next to mine at Sand Creek in Torrey . I didn't see real rain until the Loa/Lyman area, and I was only stuck in that for a few miles, which was quite enough to make me glad I donned the rain pants, waterproof gloves, and covered the luggage on the bike. As I pulled into Torrey , the streets were wet, but the sky was fairly welcoming. A break in the rain was perfectly timed for me to find out that SandCreek had a cabin open up (so I wouldn't have to pitch a tent), grab a beer and sit on the porch petting the dog before unpacking the bike and getting settled. Within an hour of my arrival, the rain started again and it pouredpretty solidly until dinner time.
Knowing I'd arrive in Torrey early in the afternoon, I was planning on dropping off my luggage and heading down Hwy 12 and having a look around…maybe going ahead out and back on the Burr Trail or just taking my time and enjoying the road. But with the weather as it was, I chose to sit tight in my little cabin. 
Considering the amount of rain in the area, I also opted out of playing on the dirt roads south of Torrey on Sunday. Out on a solo trip is not the time to get stuck in the mud if you can avoid it….so I'll have to hit the Burr Trail on another day. Adjusting my plan wasn't too hard…a quick count of miles on the map, and I figured that I'd be able to head through Capitol Reef, down to Glen Canyon, back up to Moab, and probably make it all the way to Dinosaur, CO on Sunday, leaving plenty of time to see Flaming Gorge on Monday.
Quick dinner at Café Diablo (a bit better than the debacle last time, but next trip to Torrey will find me at a different haunt for dinner), and hit the sack. I was still exhausted from my redeye return flight from Anchorage on Thursday night/Friday morning that was delayed for 3 hours on the ground in ANC while they figured out how to make the toilets flush. Travelling by motorcycle beats traveling by plane every time.
Day 2, Torrey , UT to Vernal, UT….the long way
I awoke at the crack of dawn on Sunday (as usual) and being on my own, was able to roll out on my own schedule. Leaving a note at the still closed Sand Creek office to let them know where I'd left the key to their cabin, I headed east on Hwy 24 through Capitol Reef National Park . Dropping down over the Waterpocket Fold, the park was absolutely beautiful in the early morning light. The road winds through red rock clifs and the rotunda like domes that give the park its name. After the park, Hwy 24 straightened up a bit and quickly dropped me into the crossroads town of Hanksville where I topped off the tank and grabbed a convenience store breakfast at the Hollow Mountain gas station. Aptly named, the store is cut into the side of a hunk of red rock. Unfortunately, the inside of the store looks like any other…I was hoping to get my Gatorade and Donettes from a cave.
Leavin
g Hwy 24, I headed south on Hwy 95 towards Glen Canyon . For the first 25 miles or so, this road is arrow straight, but at least offers some nice scenery as you cruise down the east side of the Henry Mountains . These hills are an island of altitude surrounded by the sandstone and canyons of the Colorado Plateau, and were some of the last mountains to be identified, named and surveyed in the contiguous U.S. because of their remoteness and the harshness of the surrounding landscape. Map
As Hwy 95 enters Glen Canyon , the story changes. What was a painfully straight highway begins to twist and turn as it approaches the Colorado River and the Hite bridge . The only other vehicle on Hwy 95 with me turned off towards Bullfrog and Lake Powell and left me to enjoy the curves by myself. Walled in on both sides, I lost myself in the beautiful sweeping curves of this road. The pavement is a bit sketchy, but a resurfacing project is about to be underway, and will hopefully be done properly. This road is too good for slurry seal! After crossing the Colorado at the Hite bridge, I headed southeast towards Natural Bridges National 
Monument and on to Blanding , UT. Hwy 95 through Glen Canyon , while very remote, is not to be missed.
Turning left onto Hwy 191, I headed north through Blanding , Monticello and on to Moab . Nothing too exciting about this road, except for the famous “Hole ‘N The Rock” tourist trap. I had seen pictures of this place, but didn't know where it was, so I was surprised to catch a glimpse of the 5000 sq ft residence carved into the rock, the huge white letters telling you where you are and the memorial to FDR, or at least his face, carved into the façade of the house. After allowing myself a bit of being a gawking tourist, I headed on up to Moab for a bit of lunch and a rest.
Heading northeast from Moab along the Colorado River is Hwy 128. Walled in on both sides by the steep canyon, this road meanders along the Colorado River and forms the southeastern border of Arches National Park . Having to deal with the typical Moab outdoor junkie mecca traffic for the first few miles was a bit of a pain, but once all the rafters peeled off to their launches, the road opens up a bit and turns north towards Interstate 70. As I approached the freeway, I rose up out of the canyons and into a desert landscape of very pale sand and rock terrain. Along the road, there were borders of green( ish ) shrubbery beyond which were “fields” of a reddish brown scrub. It made for a very surreal scene as the black 
pavement gave way to green lines of flora on either side, then fields of light red stretching off into the surrounding hills. Map
As I reached I70 and the realization that I was out in the proverbial middle-of-nowhere…well, the actual middle-of-nowhere…and with 135 miles on the trip odometer, I was wishing that I had gotten gas in Moab . Fortunately the Strom's 5.8 gallon tank and low 40's mileage means a comfortable 200 miles of worry free range with a little to spare. The trusty GPS (trusty now that it's powered from the bike's battery rather than it's own) indicated a gas station in Loma, Co., about 40 miles east. No worries! Down the freeway and into Loma and the gas station, where I chatted with a guy on a 1978 GoldWing in the midst of a renovation. He confirmed that I was indeed headed in the right direction to ride up Colorado Hwy 139 towards Dinosaur. After a drink, and making room for said drink, I headed north.
Hwy 139 heads north through farmlands before beginning it's curvy route up and over Douglas Pass. 
Once gaining altitude, the road sweeps through very nice canyon before hitting a series of wicked switchbacks and long, tight turns. Nearing the pass, the road offers a great view back down from this bowl through the canyon below before making a quick turn around a rock cliff and heading down the other side and into a quiet agricultural valley. While there's a lot of straight on both the north and south ends of 139, the “middle part” is spectacular! Highway 139 Map
I had planned on staying the night in Dinosaur, Co., hoping for some neat fossil themed campground or motel. Apparently I didn't know anything about Dinosaur, Co, else I wouldn't have made such an assumption! After passing through “Welcome to Now Leaving” Dinosaur, Co., the GPS let me know that Vernal, UT was only 30-some miles ahead. I talked my rear end into dealing with the extra bit of riding by bribing it with a hotel room instead of a campsite and headed west on US40. Pulling into Vernal, I stopped and secured lodgings at the Best Western “Dinosaur Inn” (hopes fulfilled! sort of). Apparently, Vernal is not the type of place where you go looking for dinner on a Sunday night. I ended up settling for the Denny's like “ JB's ,” then back to the hotel for a shower, some TV and sleep. On my own accord, I awoke at 2:30 a.m. and checked on the bike right outside of the room (if you read the Canada report, you'll know why) but quickly got back to sleep and awoke early, ready to finish my trip.
Day 3, Vernal, UT, Flaming Gorge, to Salt Lake City
With the bike packed again, continental breakfast consumed, and hotel room key returned, I made my 7:30 departure from the Dinosaur Inn (the dinosaur theme consisted of two tiny plastic toy dino's on the countertop in the bathroom). Tank full, I headed north along Hwy 191 (third unconnected trip along this highway that runs North-South along the eastern side of Utah ) towards Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. On the way up (and down too!), 191 offers a series a nice curves punctuated by 10 tight switchbacks before meandering through the Ashley National Forest and on to Flaming Gorge.
Entering the park, the “ Open Range ” signs took on a revered poignancy, as I soon 
learned that they weren't merely a cautionary tale, but statements of absolute fact: There Will Be Cows On The Road. Slowing and weaving around the small herds of munching cattle (amazing that cows on the highway are perfectly safe, but 10 mph over the speed limit is apparently catastrophe in the making), I made my way along the Flaming Gorge reservoir, snapped a couple pics of the dam, and headed back up the west side of the reservoir. Taking a small roughly paved side route led me to a relatively clean dirt road heading out to who knows where. I followed it for a few miles to a point that offered a great view of pockets of last winter's snow on the High Uintas . Turning around and heading back down the road, dodging campers heading home from Labor Day Weekend, I made my way back down towards Vernal. Map
Back to the switchbacks on Hwy 191…I've found my favorite series of road signs. “8% grade. 10 Switchbacks.” As I clicked off each beautiful turn, now more smoothly after having seen them once, the signs continue to mark my progress: “9 More” “8 More ” all the way to “Last One.” Brilliant! On the way down I was followed by a fast moving SUV who stayed with me in the straight bits, but fell back quite a ways at each switchback. As the road straightened out after the “Last One,” the SUV quickly passed me with a thumbs up and wave from the dr
iver.
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful: back to Vernal to refuel, on to Duchesne and Wolf Creek Pass with hopes of Ice Cream in Kamas. Unfortunately, the drug store was closed (second time in a row that I've been foiled in my quest for Kamas ice cream), so I headed on to Park City to grab some lunch before the last run down Parley's Canyon and home. As I pulled into the parking lot of the gas station/restaurant at Silver Springs, I picked the only open parking stall…open except for a dog tied to a tree while its person was off eating. Of course, the small dog gave me a verbal lashing as I rolled into its parking spot and left the bike. For the entirety of my lunch break, I watched that goofy mutt sit and stare at the Strom's front tire and bark incessantly, hoping against hope that the bike (big grey two legged dog) would acknowledge its advances. No such luck of course, as the dog's owner (finally) retrieved the critter and departed before I finished my lunch and cranked up the Strom to let the big V-Twin bark back.
With a last bit of laughter, I headed down I80 and into the heat of the 
Salt Lake Valley , arrived home, quickly put the bike to bed and set about sorting my pictures and jotting down these notes. The trip was a great getaway and a great way to spend the end of summer Labor Day weekend. 1116 Total Miles! Maybe I'll be able to squeeze in another trip before the good roads close for the ski season. If not, Memorial Day is right around the corner!