Picto Diary - 01, 02, 03, 04 November 2020 - Indian Summer Duc Ride

Indian Summer Ride on the Duc. Three nights: Torrey, UT; Moab, UT; Clifton, CO. Four days riding... total miles ridden 1200.

Above: Blue Moon Set. Iron Canyon. Park City, UT 01 November 2020.

7:00 AM

Above: Bishop 'n the Monk. El Mexicano Restaurant, Salina, UT. 01 November 2020

In Search of Authenticity Tour 1

Out and about on the Duc

Talkin' old times as geezers are wont to do.

"Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries." Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Above: Capitol Reef National Park. Capitol Reef Resort. Torrey, UT. 01 November 2020

In Search of Authenticity Tour 1

Out and about on the Duc

Social and physical distancing. Closer to Authenticity.
Indian Summer Ride (Park City, UT to Torrey, UT.165 miles. Elevation high: 10.1 K feet).

Via:
Provo Canyon
Spanish Fork Canyon
Sanpete County US 89
Salina, UT (lunch with The Monk)
Gooseberry Road
Pole Canyon Road
Wayne County, UT SR 24

"The land is the appointed remedy for whatever is false and fantastic in our culture." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Above: Colorado River. Hite, UT. 02 November 2020

In Search of Authenticity Tour

Out and about on the Duc

Meager Colorado River flow augers ill for California water supply...something else, in addition to high taxes, surging homelessness, decaying cities, rampant wild fires, and unreliable electricity, for Californians to worry about.

Irony. In late June, 1847, at the junction of The Big Sandy River and the Mormon Trail, near present day Farson, WY, mountain man Jim Bridger told Brigham Young not to bother with the valley of the Great Salt Lake. "Take your people to California, " said Bridger.

Today, Californians, whose 49er ancestors followed Bridger's advice, are lined up to come to Utah, as California, for reasons cited above, has, like the Salt Lake Valley was one hundred seventy years ago, become something to get away from, not something to seek.

Note: Where is prophet Marc Reisner when you need him?

Note: The migration of California refugees to Utah, extant before, but, accelerated by Covid, brings its own kind of problems. Rising house prices render houses and rentals less affordable. This exacerbates an already serious problem of affordability due to NIMBY driven restraints on development.

"The land is the appointed remedy for whatever is false and fantastic in our culture." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Above: "Lake Powell." Hite, Utah. 02 November 2020

In Search of Authenticity Tour

Out and about on the Duc.

Note boat ramp upper center of image. If one is looking for a metaphor for drought in the American west, this image is a good one.

Colorado River is barely visible below the ridge on which I am standing as I capture this image.

"The land is the appointed remedy for whatever is false and fantastic in our culture." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Above: Sipapu natural bridge. Natural Bridges National Monument. San Juan County, UT. 02 November 2020.

In Search of Authenticity Tour

Out and about on the Duc

Sipapu Natural Bridge. Second largest natural bridge in the world, after Rainbow Bridge, Lake Powell, also in Utah.

Hike. 1.5 miles round trip. 500 foot vertical descent then 500 foot ascent. Very steep, including ladders.

Like climbing seven flights of Shorty's Stairs.

I've been through Natural Bridges National Monument six or eight times, all by motorcycle... most times stopping at the overlooks, never hiking down to the natural bridges. I set aside my typical Capitol Reef, Chimney Rock Hike this AM to substitute the steep descent/ascent to Sipapu Bridge. Very glad I did... notwithstanding the tricky, steep, ladder laced hike.

My first visit to Natural Bridges National Monument was in 1999 when I participated in a 24 hour motorcycle rally, "The Utah 1088." I and a riding friend, Jeff Greening, from Chico, CA had ridden south on UT SR 95 from Hanksville, UT to arrive at the monument at 2:30 AM. With no ambient light on a moonless night, the Milky Way showed in full resplendency. This milky way image is indelibly imprinted on my brain... another way of saying "unforgettable." There are so many vivid unique experiences I have had while riding a motorcycle. Along most roadways in the west, when I re-ride them, memories of motorcycling pop up.

"Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries." Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Above: Bishop 'n Steve. Sipapu natural bridge. Natural Bridges National Monument. San Juan County, UT. 02 November 2020.

In Search of Authenticity Tour

Out and about on the Duc

Bishop 'n Steve meet on Sipapu Natural Bridge Trail.

Steve laughed when I said that I couldn't find the helicopter pad so that I could be lifted out of this 500 foot hole.
Said Steve: "Twenty years ago I worked for San Juan County Rescue out of Monticello. We used to come over here all the time to rescue injured hikers."

Note: Trail is, shall we say, difficult. Ladders, off camber rock surfaces with drop offs. Not your grandpa's trail....oh..wait! Where's OSHA when you need them?

"The land is the appointed remedy for whatever is false and fantastic in our culture." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Above: Bears Ears. San Juan County, Utah. 02 November 2020.
In Search of Authenticity Tour 

Out and about on the Duc

Those buttes look like bears ears...oh wait!

Forty miles east from here on UT SR 95 (Bicentennial Highway) is Blanding. On this route, spectacular, unoccluded views of Four Corners. Visible from the highway, simultaneously, Mesa Verde, CO, Shiprock, NM, and Pastora Peak, on the rez, in AZ. Also could see in the distance, the Blues (UT), the San Juans, (CO) Lone Cone (CO), and the La Salles (UT).

Beautiful, oblique sun lit view of Comb Ridge before riding through the ridge road cut.

Riding Nirvana. No wind. No traffic. Average 60 degrees temperatures.

Low fuel lamp comes on at 130 miles travelled. More typical is 160 miles travelled. Confess to higher than typical speeds (which burn gas disproportionately) on Utah's spectacular Bicentennial Highway, UT SR 95... as in lean in on 85 mile an hour curves?

Oh, and Blanding looks kinda (sic) grim. Do they have a Chamber of Commerce in Blanding?

The land is the appointed remedy for whatever is false and fantastic in our culture. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Above: Wilson Arch. US 191. Grand County, UT. 02 November 2020.

In Search of Authenticity Tour

Out and About on the Duc

Above: Paradox, CO. CO SR 90. Montrose County, Colorado 03 November 2020

In Search of Authenticity Tour

Out and about on the Duc

Starry eyed....I'm a stranger in Paradox....oh wait.

"The land is the appointed remedy for whatever is false and fantastic in our culture." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Above: CO SR 141. San Miguel Canyon. San Miguel County, CO. 03 November 2020.

In Search of Authenticity Tour

Out and about on the Duc

Authentic cows.

160 miles from Moab, UT to Clifton, CO, via US 191, UT SR 46, CO SR 90, CO SR 141, US 50, CO SR 141.

Probably the fifth time I've ridden this segment. Fist time in eight or nine years, though. Isolated. No traffic. 55 degrees. Sunny. Perfect ride on perfect highway.

"Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries." Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Above: The Oracle. Garfield County, CO. 03 November 2020

In Search of Authenticity Tour

Out and about on the Duc

Lunch with the Oracle.

"The last time I was inside a woman was in 1997 when I visited The Statue of Liberty." The Oracle acknowledges that this is a Woody Allen line.

"Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries." Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Above: Rock Art. State Bridge Recreation Site, Canyon Pintado National Historic District, CO SR 139, Rio Blanco County, Colorado. 04 November 2020.

In Search of Authenticity Tour

Out and about on the Duc

CO SR 139, North of Douglas Pass, before reaching Rangely, CO. Rock art. Fremont People. 700 AD.

BLM has done a great job with the several exhibits of Fremont People rock art, here along Douglas Creek.

"The land is the appointed remedy for whatever is false and fantastic in our culture."

Above: Echo Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Moffat County, Colorado. 04 November 2020.

In Search of Authenticity Tour

Out and about on the Duc.

Now we know why it was named, "The Green River."
Image looks west in the opposite direction from Echo Park confluence of Green and Yampa.

The ultimate in physical distancing. I was alone for the hour and a half I was out here. Two mile round trip hike to lookout. 60 mile round trip, out and back, on Duc from Park headquarters in Dinosaur, CO, on US 40.
Just me, the Duc, and a well maintained, Parks Service, 30 mile curve road, up and back.

Left Echo Park lookout parking at 3:00 PM. From 8000 foot summit of the road, I could see, in crystal clear atmospheric conditions, as the Duc purred, Uncompahgre Plateau to the southeast and Wasatch Plateau to the southwest.

Gassed up in Dinosaur, CO. 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM straight shot, non stop, 180 miles, to Park City. Temps sunk to 40 degrees at Strawberry. Dark from Daniels Canyon.

"The land is the appointed remedy for whatever is false and fantastic in our culture." Ralph Waldo Emerson