Day 30

I had been looking forward to today for some time and it turned out to be disappointing and frustrating. This whole damned state is on fire! We were visiting Yosemite today. It is one of the most visited national parks and for good reason. The scenery is beyond compare. As we approached Yosemite Valley, once again the smoke became a huge factor. I was able to get a couple of photos, but most of them did not turn out well at all. Tigger told me he still thought it was beautiful, but he said he could imagine what it would look like without the smoke.

When we left Yosemite we were headed for Lassen Volcanic National Park. When we turned off of the main highway there was a sign indicating the road was closed due to fire. We asked different people about how we might get there and the general consensus was it was not safe to try it. The smoke in Chico, California was quite heavy and the burn areas were visible from the road.

When we stopped for the night in Redding, California we learned the road we were going to take to Redwood National Park was closed as well due to fire. Fortunately, there appears to be an alternate route that is just slightly further.

I, for one, can’t wait to get out of California and hope for the best as it relates to fires in Oregon and Washington stares.

Day 29

As bad as yesterday was, today was twice that good. I fell asleep at 6:45 last night with Tigger jabbering away. I was just going to close my eyes for a few minutes and I woke up ten hours later. Poor Tigger, I think I might have hurt his feelings just a little bit, but he was over it and ready to go this morning.

We left the hotel at 7:30 and headed for Starbucks around the corner so we could really start the day off right. I had a carmel macchiato and Tigger went for the soy latte with a triple shot of espresso. He was on a high all day.

We set off for Sequoia National Park. This is one of the parks I have never seen and it is the type of park that most appeals to me so I was looking forward to it and my excitement rubbed off on Tigger. The up close views were wonderful, but any view of more than a few hundred yards was obscured by haze and smoke. The wildfires that have plagued California this year made what would have been otherwise spectacular vistas virtually invisible. We did get some good close up shots.

The tree you see Tigger and I in front of is legendary. General Sherman is the name of the Giant Sequoia. It is one of the tallest Giant Sequoia trees in the world with a height of about 275 feet (84.8 meters). Although not the tallest tree in the world (coastal redwood being taller), it is the biggest in terms of volume, making it the world's largest known single living organism by volume. As of 2002, the volume of its trunk measured about 1487 cubic meters. The tree is believed to be between 2,300 and 2,700 years old.

After leaving Sequoia we entered Kings Canyon National Park. This is a Canyon you visit form the canyon floor rather than from the top or the rim. The canyon is carved by the Kings River. As you proceed the canyon gets narrower and the walls more sheer. It makes for a very interesting motorcycle ride.

Day 28

As I got off of the bike at the completion of today’s ride I tried to think of words to describe it. Two words instantly came to mind. IT SUCKED. It was hot, the scenery was flat ugly and the traffic was awful. As bad as it was, it could have been worse. There was a cloud cover for the first three hours which kept the temperatures down somewhat and we did manage to find a small restaurant in a town whose name neither of us can remember that had home made turkey pot pies on the menu. Tigger slept all day and wasn’t much of a conversationalist, so when we got to the room he wanted to talk and I was beat.

Needless to say I did not take any pictures today.

Day 27

Today was spent in “Sin City”. When I had the front tire changed the fella who changed it told me I didn’t have much longer on the back. Since Las Vegas was on my route and I knew there was a BMW motorcycle dealer there, I decided to get it done. In addition I decided this would be a good time for the full service I anticipated needing on this trip. I was at the dealership when it opened and by the time I got done talking with the service rep I was looking at over $1,000 worth of work. But, since I wanted to get the bike in tip top shape for the last half of the trip, it was not a surprise. It’s a great bike but not inexpensive to maintain.

Tigger and I had intended to ride to Death Valley and back today, but when I saw the high was predicted to be 126 degrees, I changed our plans. Instead we went to Lake Mead National Recreation area where the temperature was only 108. We were able to get the national parks passport cancelled at a Nevada site, thus adding another site and another state, and I managed to keep myself and Tigger form being roasted alive.

When I got back to the room I was reading some of the stuff they gave me when I checked in and noticed Jersey Boys was playing just down the street. I called and they had a ticket so I was off to a Vegas Show. Jersey Boys is the musical based on the history of the singing group, The Four Seasons. For those of us in our prime, the time and the music is a great trip back memory lane.

day 26

Today we woke up in Springdale, Utah, which is just outside Zion National Park. We were heading for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This required us to drive back through Zion at daybreak. The light and shadows created by the morning sun make the scenery even more spectacular if that is possible.

As we left Zion and were heading south I could not help but think about the vast open spaces in the western part of our country. As I topped a slight rise I stopped and turned off the bike just to look around and it seemed like I could see forever in any direction. The only motion was the sage brush gently swaying in the breeze. The horizon was outlined by distant mountains and the road ran straight for miles until it simply disappeared. It was just a little eerie being here with no one (excluding Tigger of course) in sight and the only sounds were the breeze and my breathing.

About eighty miles before the entrance to Grand Canyon we entered alpine forests and the now familiar sensory experience. The approach was actually much more enjoyable for me than the canyon itself. I am a mountains guy. The Grand Canyon is a very very large hole. I know what you are thinking, but I feel like Chevy Chase in the movie vacation as he views the Grand Canyon; OK – that’s nice – now let’s go! An apology to all of you out there who are fans. My photos of the canyon didn’t turn out well because I was on the wrong side at the wrong time with the wrong light.

When we left the Grand Canyon we were headed for Las Vegas where we would spend the night.

Day 25

Tigger and I stayed in bed until almost 5:30 this morning. The tire needed replacing and we were not sure where to start. We had breakfast, repacked the gear since it was in complete disarray from my episode yesterday and started looking once again for solutions to our problem. Around 8:15 I called a local phone number I found on Google and to my surprise, someone answered. I asked him if they possibly had my tire in stock and when he said yes, I was elated. I asked him how soon we could come over to get it installed and after a slight hesitation he said come as soon as possible. When I arrived at the address he had given me, it was a very small house with a garage and small shop out back. I hesitated to even pull in since it looked like there was no one there, but I was desperate. I saw an individual through the window, so I walked in and introduced myself. He grabbed the tire, went to the garage and proceeded with the replacement. We had some conversation about his business and he explained to me what he did. It was not until after I left and started thinking about what he had told me that I realized the he was not a retail shop at all, but an internet based business. He saw a fellow motorcyclist in need and was willing to help.

We finally got on the road about 10:30 and the temperatures were already above 90 degrees. We were heading for Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. This is a group of parks I visited last year and I knew we were in for a treat. After the first 100 miles the temperatures started to drop as we gained altitude. Part of the ride involved a section of road known as the Devils Backbone. It is a narrow ridge where in places you could do a Thelma & Louise off of either side. Capitol Reef is another of those parks you seldom hear about but should visit if you ever get the chance. Next was Bryce Canyon and last was Zion. In Zion we rode through the mountain rather than over it. The tunnel that was built many years ago was not designed to accommodate the large motor homes in use today so it becomes one way when one of these gas guzzling behemoths needs to pass through.

Day 24

Today was another day of mountain riding. We left Durango around 7:00 headed for Black Canyon National Park near Gunnison, Colorado. This entailed riding through Silverton to Ouray over the “Million Dollar Highway”. The first eighty miles or so were all mountains and it was raining off and on. No matter, I put on my Gore Tex rain suit before I left Ted’s and I was prepared. Tigger was snuggled dry and warm in his super size zip lock. The temperatures dropped below 50 degrees at the higher altitudes. We stopped in Ouray for a cup of coffee and a muffin and to warm up. By the time we were twenty miles north of Ouray the temperatures had risen to above 70.

After visiting Black Canyon, we were headed for Moab, Utah. I chose the scenic route of course, but that did, again, involve sporadic rain showers. While in the last rain shower of the day the temperature was 54 degrees. Twenty minutes later we were in the valley south of Moab and the temperature was 96 degrees. When we pulled into a rest stop to take off all the rain gear, a couple of teenagers looked at me like I was nuts until I pointed to the mountains and the dark clouds hovering over them.

We stopped at a motel and check in and then headed for Canyonlands National Park, a 40 mile ride one way. When we got there I noticed the bike was handling a little funny, and as we rode further, it got worse. I finally stopped to do a check and noticed my front tire was going flat. What a bummer. I realized that we were not going to be able to continue without fixing it. I took all of the gear off of the bike in a scenic turnoff parking area, got out my tools, pump and patch kit and went to work. I was able to fix it sufficiently to get back to Moab where I properly inflated the tire. Tigger tried to help, but he had never fixed a flat before. The problem with my fix was that it was only temporary. It is not considered safe to ride a motorcycle far with a plugged or patched tire so we had a dilemma. It was too late to do anything about it this evening so we would hope for the best tomorrow. The good news was we could sleep in because nothing opened until 8:30 and the bed was very comfortable.