Four Corners Advice

[arbezc]

Hello all,
I follow this forum on a semi regular basis but haven’t posted often. I’m hoping those familiar with the 4 corners area can provide some advice. The plan is to meet my son in Salt Lake City around June the 12th where he will rent a bike. I’ll be riding down for Vancouver on my R1100S. He has a week off to tour the 4 corners area. The theme for this trip is a mix of riding & site seeing, history, archeology, small towns, tec. Neither of us have been to this area & don’t have much experience riding at high altitudes.

I would rather omit destinations that are clogged with traffic or over touristy. Those might include Zion, Arches, Bryce & possibly Moab. Here’s a preliminary list of the main sites we thought of seeing.
• Capital Reef NP
• Canyon Lands
• Monument Valley
• Mesa Verde or Canyon de Chelly
• Million Dollar Hwy, #550
• Gunnison Canyon
• Colorado National Monument

We hope to link them with good motorcycling roads. These would be 2 lane state highways as much as possible. I’m planning to ride conservatively, no more than 6 hours per day, with maybe a rest day in the middle. We’ll have heated vests; rain gear & will be staying motels. Here’s a recap of my main questions:
1. What are the especially good motorcycling roads?
2. What roads & destinations could be avoided to avoid the impact of over tourism?
3. Is there special ring gear you would recommend for riding in June in June?
4. Would it be easier to rent a mid weight motorcycle (BMW, Bonneville, etc.) in Denver than SLC?

If these topics have been covered in the past, please direct me to the appropriate thread.
Thanks in advance, in return I’ll post a few observations & some images from our trip.
Charles

[JimMoore]

UT Hwy 12 from Escalante to Torrey is the best motorcycle road I've ever seen. It's worth doing twice. The road into Canyonlands (313?) is also great.

I'd vote for Mesa Verde over Canyon de Chelle.

Telluride is a great little town, even in Summertime.

I've never seen a huge crowd in any of those parks, so I'm not sure I'd worry about that. Maybe if there's a festival or something.

It's an easy hike out to the Delicate Arch, and well worth it.

[arbezc]

Thanks Jim,
Hwy 12 looks spectacular as well as Delicate Arch. I'm considering staying somewhere in the area for a few days. That would allow us to visit some sites without luggage on the bikes. Can you recommend a good place to camp in the desert away from motorhomes?

We'd also like to experience Colorado. I've added Telluride to the list of stops. It appears to be pretty cool at night even in June. What a fantastic part of the country. This is a bit of a reconnaissance ride for a future trip with the family.
Thanks again

[wswartzwel]

Regarding Gunnison Canyon... Hwy 50 is closed at Blue Mesa due to a damaged bridge.

https://coloradosun.com/2024/04/23/us-50-bridge-closure-gunnison-students-detour/

[JimMoore]

Originally Posted by arbezc

Thanks Jim,
Hwy 12 looks spectacular as well as Delicate Arch. I'm considering staying somewhere in the area for a few days. That would allow us to visit some sites without luggage on the bikes. Can you recommend a good place to camp in the desert away from motorhomes?

We'd also like to experience Colorado. I've added Telluride to the list of stops. It appears to be pretty cool at night even in June. What a fantastic part of the country. This is a bit of a reconnaissance ride for a future trip with the family.
Thanks again

I don't mind camping in the National Parks. They normally have a tent camping area. The coolest place I ever camped in that area was in the park at the north rim of the Grand Canyon. You're literally on the edge of the canyon in some of the spots.

https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/cg-nr.htm

[arbezc]

Thanks Bill,
I was originally planning to ride north up 550 to Montrose then around Gunnison Canyon on 92 to Grand Junction. I'm assuming the area will be less busy with the closure. A second option is west at Ridgway on 62 to Telluride & north on 141 to Grand Junction.

Can anyone comment on CO 141 as a motorcycling road? It has a remote look on street view which appeals. I've been spoiled by touring in the 60's & 70's when traffic was a fraction of what it is today. Parts of 550 may turn out to be congested.

[arbezc]

Jim,
It would be spectacular to be overlooking it at dawn. In Canada we have national parks but most of the country is actually condidered Crown Land, owned by everyone. In the early days we camped just about anywhere that didn't look like private land. This carried over on our rides into Mexico, even camping in a few ruins. Things are much more managed now, we can't go back, unfortunatley.

[ckcarr]

June will be getting hot in the Utah region, probably 90-100 f. if not more. It is the desert.
But then Colorado, Durango up highway 550 through Silverton, Ouray, and then over to Telluride will be cool, if at sometimes cold. As it is alpine.

Anyway, most roads are two lane highways. Try to avoid weekends if possible. The height of tourist season, which gets going on Memorial Day - May 27th.

Many of the National Parks are becoming way overcrowded. Arches requires reservations to enter from April to October. However, 313 up into Canyonlands is still OK for a ride up to the overlooks and also Dead Horse State Park, it is a deadhead like many roads here.

Bill is correct and the main Blue Mesa bridge may be closed for more than a year since they don't know what to do.

You need to study maps! There is too much. And you cannot do everything. Southeastern Utah across the border through La Sal is one way to get somewhere...

Since you asked, Colorado 141 is one of the BEST motorcycle roads in Western Colorado.

[arbezc]

Thanks for the advice Craig,
Coming from Canada we won't be acclimatized to the heat. I may bring a cooling vest.
Good advice on avoiding weekends at least at popular sites. I think YouTube & Instagram have radically changed travel. Even Mesa Verde & Canyon de Chelly look over run. Paved roads have made these places accessible to everyone. We've started to avoid most tourist sites even in Europe. Less is often more when you're older.

Once the planning is done, I'm looking forward to some wandering in the southwest. I have a 3 day slog on freeways to get into the region. Once there I intend to slow down & avoid crowds. The route from Bryce to Mexican Hat on UT-12 & 95 is on our preliminary list. Can you recommend a few less travelled roads like CO-141?

[Matt at Pelican Parts]

Originally Posted by ckcarr

But then Colorado, Durango up highway 550 through Silverton, Ouray, and then over to Telluride will be cool, if at sometimes cold. As it is alpine.

This is literally one of my favorite routes to take. Yes, the Million Dollar Highway is the highlight but everything around it is amazing too. Specifically Ouray which has some amazing stops and there's a KOA nearby with cabins.

If you make it all the way up to Montrose you can make a quick detour to Peach Valley OHV and ride the hills there as well

[JimMoore]

Btw, there was a municipal campground in Telluride twenty years ago. Right on the edge of town. No idea if it's still there.

[arbezc]

Thanks guys, I appreciate your feedback. I'm encouraged by your comments.

We're almost booked other than a bike for my son. We're looking at Eagle Rider in Salt Lake City. There's also a couple of bike sharing services, Twisted Road & Riders Share. Eagle Rider as an FJR1300 & a Super Tenere 1200 available in SLC, there's also the usual Harley cruisers, no BMWs. I haven't ridden a Harley in decades but rather liked it for a short run. They may be limiting on tighter roads. We plan to ride conservatively, the last thing you need is an injury away from home.

Do you have any opinions bike sharing services & the above bikes for the roads we discussed?

[Swamper]

X2 on CO 141, no traffic very remote good pavement, spectacular.

[ckcarr]

Highway 95 in Utah from Hanksville to Blanding is spectacular and deserted. More deserted than Colorado 141. Also no gas stations or anything for the 125 miles or so. Unless the Hite marina is open...

Or,

You take a right onto 261 off 95 eventually and head down to the Moki Dugway and the Goosenecks. Eventually getting to Mexican Hat... Sometimes they like to scare people about the Moki Dugway being dangerous. But it's nothing, and great views. At the bottom you could camp in the Valley of the Gods.

You can easily camp in many locations along highway 95...

[arbezc]

I've visited Hwys 141, 95 & 261 on-line, they look epic - Thanks for the leads.

Question, what is the attitude regarding camping in isolated areas outside of designated campsites in your area? Anything goes if you don't get caught but how do the locals regard it? Obviously, its a no-no on someone’s private property. Is it OK in the open desert? Lately I've chosen official campsites in the US but they often feel more like a family outing than a motorcycle adventure. That said, a shower is usually welcomed.

[arbezc]

For those accessing this thread in the future here are a couple of links on observing the sky in dark places.

https://darksky.org/what-we-do/international-dark-sky-places/all-places/?_location_dropdown=southwest-united-states

https://www.terminaleleven.com/skyview/iphone/

I'm assuming that anyone that's interested in this topic would want to preserve it.

[tomvv11]

Originally Posted by arbezc

I've visited Hwys 141, 95 & 261 on-line, they look epic - Thanks for the leads.

Question, what is the attitude regarding camping in isolated areas outside of designated campsites in your area?

Google "Camping in National Forests." A lot of the land you are going through might be designated NF, even if there are no trees in sight, and within certain sensible restrictions it's okay to camp there. X feet from the road, Y feet from a stream, sch1tt responsibly, leave no trace, etc.
I don't know what other Fed lands this might apply to but in NFs, you can camp on the 1/330,000,000th of it that you own. In other countries, it might be a thing to pull up to a farmhouse and ask to pitch a tent for a pittance, but in the American West you would be taking your life in your hands.

[arbezc]

Thanks for the heads-up Tom, lots of good information on the National Forests web site. Also your reminder, though I'm hoping to drop into a few roadhouses for some local culture.

[ckcarr]

Am curious how the trip turned out in the end after getting stranded way down south...

Any updates you would like to share? Or not.

[arbezc]

I'm in Revelstoke BC on route to Alberta at the moment. After contacting you I had more problems but the experience was still positive overall. I rode all day in the rain today & after a couple of beers I don't think this is the moment to post an update, but I will in about one week. Thanks for your support.