Canyonlands 1 with the Denver chapter

Mark’s 7 meals on the first day, you will have to ask him what the end result of that was
His USD$100 hair cut and $2 water
Both of us leaving a trail of misery on the plane to Vegas, having eaten at The Stinking Rose, a garlic restaurant the previous evening in SFO
Mark taking 2 hours to pack up the bike and leave Eagle Rider, a new record. It’s just me, me, me with him!
The road to heaven, highway 167 from near the Hoover Dam that runs north and parallel to Lake Mead, this cut the corner and bye-passed Las Vegas. It took us 5 hours to get to St George, only had to pass one car. No, we were not going slow. This is like a tarmac roller-coaster, as we snaked up and down through the desert, fantastic
M played a vindictive game in Utah, by asking everyone he met if they drank, and most didn’t.
First full day, just Mark and I, we started off in St George in nearly 80+ degrees and just over an hour later were up at Brian Head (what a great name, perhaps you should change your’s to this?) a ski resort with 2ft of snow, bazaar.
In 100-degree heat, hearing that the Denver crew had spent hours and hours the first day fighting their way through snow, sleet and rain storms. We met them for lunch the next day. Soon shut Mark up when it turns out they covered 350 miles just that morning! I gather they will fly next time!
Went to Bryce Canyon and Kodachrome, but too many of us in the group to make the ride enjoyable, it was just a slow boring convoy and everyone had done massive mileage by then, shame as the places were great
Hearing the term 240-shorty, a person with a more horizontal than vertical build.
Staying in ‘America’s best Inn’, at $40 a room, is a revelation in more ways than one!
Despite being told no beer on Sundays, the relief when a Utah pizza place gave us jugs of the stuff
Criss-crossed the mountains above Zion NP from the St George side to the Byrce Canyon side four times, each time on a different route, smashing roads, sometimes over peaks sometimes through canyons
We couldn’t get to see the set of Gunsmoke
6 bikes go ice skating, as we came downhill and slid across recently laid wet tar, a close shave and the odds of all of us staying up were slim, but we did.
Repeating the trick with a mile and a half of loose gravel as we visited the luxury resort Amagiri near to Page, Harleys were clearly not designed for that. Thank god we stopped halfway up, having now seen the twisty road on the other side of the mountain, down to the hotel, we would still be there
At this uber deluxe 5 star hideaway, seeing the sales lady’s face when Mark states ‘those walls are so thick, I bet you wouldn’t hear someone scream inside’
Staying in the Budget Inn at Page, deff bottom of the food chain and finally a deservedly named hostel, the name was the only positive thing about the visit.
Highway 89 South from Page to Kanab via Vermillion Cliffs, is one of the most breathtaking views I’ve ever seen. Just below this I came within inches of wiping out when a strong gust of wind hit us as I was trying a left handed photo of the others at 60 mph
Zion national park, is not the usual west gate, but running through the full width from east to west, the tunnels were cool and the switchbacks the other side in the drizzle had you well focused, but another great drive.
Mark and I did just over 1000 miles, about 200/day. Some incredible scenery and great biking roads, and only the monotonous moan was from my companion.

End