Utah - July 5, 2021

In our sprint to the hotel last night, we missed the site of the Thelma & Louise movie ending.You know, where the ladies drove a T-Bird off a cliff.

In case you missed it, you can find the clip here:

https://www.visitutah.com/plan-your-trip/recommended-itineraries/thelma-louise-road-trip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66CP-pq7Cx0

But we are making up for the loss of the Thelma & Louise site with our travels to Escalante.

The morning began with trepidation of whether the rental Harley would start. We knew that the bike would start with a battery pack as it did in the Arches National Park. And it just so happens that there is a NAPA auto parts store in Blanding, and it opened at 8:00 in the morning. I was the first person in line at Napa to purchase a battery jump kit.

Back at the Stone Lizard lodge, we plugged in the battery pack as we prepared for our journey. The moment of trepidation was upon us: my bike was packed, the battery pack was charging and we all were waiting to see if the Harley would start. And to our delight, the bike had a quick cough and roared to life. And with that, we headed out of town.

The problem was that we did not know if we would only get one start out of the Harley. So when I filled up at the gas station, I left the bike running. My intent was to leave the bike running all day.

We headed out on the Bicentennial Highway Scenic Route. It was another cool morning, there was no one on the road and it was a perfect departure - until we saw the sign that there were no "services" for 127 miles. It was like a Medieval sailor heading out to sea. Once he shoved off, he was on his own. It was a long walk back to civilization.

Our first stop was Natural Bridges National Monument. The ride to the Park was delightful:

Natural Bridge National Monument

Natural Bridge was terrific. It was so good, that we had to stop to see the sights. We are now a 100 miles from civilization, there was no one at the park, there were no rangers there as compared to Arches, and the only car in the parking lot did not have government plates. I felt like that Medieval sailor.

My bike was running, but the question was - when happened if I shut it off? It might start again, or I might have to push that 1,000 pound beast 100 miles. At least I had plenty of water.

We came upon one of the natural bridges, but I again feared shutting down the engine. So I left the engine running. The problem with finding one solution, is that it sometimes leads to another problem. What happened if my Harley overheated as it sat there in the heat idling? I would then have the problem of the engine being off by overheating and the bike not starting. I would have to guess at the heat dissipation rate as if I hit the starter too soon, I would degrade the battery. So while Buttercup when on patrol to see the natural bridge, I drove around the National Monument to keep air flow over the radiator.

While my bike sat there idling before Buttercup left on walkabout, Magellan came up with a brilliant, low-tech idea. There was not a level surface and therefore I could not leave the bike unattended in neutral. When we shut our bikes down, they are in gear so they don't roll. So Magellan grabbed a rock to chock my front wheel. Brilliant!

Natural Bridge National Monument to Hanksville

As soon as we left Natural Bridge, the mesas and buttes were shown and were stunning. One of the odd things about this trip is that we each have our favorite rides. As soon as a half-day passes, that favorite is replaced with another. There is so much to see that it is sensory overload. And it seems to be better and better with each bend in the road.

Medicine Box Butte

About twenty miles outside of Hanksville, the terrain became somewhat boring. Remember that by this time, our standards were very high. We fueled our bikes and fed Magellan in Hanksville, and it was off to Capital Reef National Park.

Capital Reef National Park

Capital Reed was spectacular. There was a 20 mile road into the heart of the Park, so you could see many of the wonders without leaving your motorcycle.

We immediately knew that Capital Reed was special - as they have marmots running across the roadway. Isn't that a high-end French ski apparel manufacturer?

The Fremont River

We left Capital Reef and followed the Fremont River west.

Buttercup read the sign at one of our stops, and thought that there was a 133 foot waterfall, and enlisted Magellan and me to take his picture in front of it.

After slogging for an eternity in blue jeans and long sleeve shirts, a couple walking back to the trailhead said that we really needed to carry some water with us, or we would be in danger. Magellan responded that we were just going to see the waterfall. They very directly told us there was no waterfall, but regardless, we needed to take water with us. Upon hearing that there was no waterfall, Magellan pivoted and marched the entire expedition back to the trailhead. It turns out that Buttercup mis-read the sign. There was no 133 foot waterfall, but a 133 foot span on the natural bridge.

But that didn't affect Buttercup. He was enormously pleased with himself that he persuaded Magellan to march in search of a holy grail.

Just outside the area of Fremont River, there were petroglyphs carved into a rock face.

Dixie National Park

We continued over desert terrain, and all of the sudden we entered the Dixie National Park. Now you would think that my two Southern brothers would be thrilled to be in Dixie National Park - even if it were in Utah. After all, my brothers are from Dixie. But we really didn't have time to think about that - because that is when the rain began.

It didn't just start raining, but it starting raining buckets when we were on mountain switchbacks. Magellan and I toughed it out. Buttercup opted for his rain jacket.

What was so remarkable is how the terrain turned from desert to green as soon as we entered Dixie National Park.

Rt. 12

Once we were through Dixie, we entered the heart of Rt. 12. It was fantastic - a new favorite.

We rode up a twisting road to a pavement which was built along the top length/width of the mountain - like it was on a serpent's spine. There were two standard width lanes, 10 feet of shoulder, and in places, it dropped thousands of feet on each side - with no guardrail. The road was built along the ridge of a mountain. It was the weirdest, and the most spectacular thing I've ever seen. Some civil engineer built a roadway on the crest of a mountain, believing it was a good idea. Think about that. Magellan is not given to superlatives. And he has ridden all over North America. He said it was the most amazing road he's ever seen. It was pretty incredible.

Down the other side, there was a 14% grade. I don't think I've ever seen that before.

We stopped at several lookouts on the other side, because it was that spectacular.