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Roulette 2008
Dual Sport Motorcycle Ride Around Utah
1000 mile lap around Utah, another great year... Let the ride report show
The ride plans are in black text
The ride report is in Blue text By Editor Dan Mc"GUY"ver Guy
Be sure to check out the Slide Shows!
I give away all the information you need to do this ride yourself, The maps for each days ride can be found at the end of the slide shows. The GPS tracklogs are given out at the end of the page. So enjoy it yourself.
Welcome to the "2008 Roulette" of rides.
My dream is to be an explorer (an intelligent explorer using all technologies) and discover all the best rides and places. As an explorer, I strive to not repeat any rides from year to year. While it may be tempting to repeat some of the great rides, it is my goal to just discover new and better rides. I study all the areas intensively before developing the ride plan and the GPS tracks. I use all the different technologies available. I study maps, satellites, ride stories, and the internet. So, each year I try to create an entirely new set of rides. In doing so some of the rides that I create will be great and some may be not so good. Rides are always a gamble. This ride is about being an explorer and discovering new places. You may repeat any of the great rides on your own as you have the GPS tracks for all these rides. So join me for this Roulette adventure.
Kevin L. Glassett
gpskevin@gmail.com
Everytime we say no to a ride in life, that is one less chance for a great ride.
Thunder Chicken Award
The Plan:
Saturday 9/6/2008:
Drive to Utah, meet at 6:00pm for group dinner.
Lodging: Skyline Motel, 236 N State St, Fairview, UT 84629, 435-427-3312
Skyline Motel, Fairview Utah
Ride Plan: No Ride, Travel to Utah day
Dinner: Meet at 6:00 for group dinner
Riders Meeting to follow dinner
This way I say
About the Riders: Returning this year:
And of course that Orange Team:
Tom, Dan, Ben, Brad, Dyrck, Gil, Mike, Steve, Tom, Jim, and gpsKevin
Sunday 9/7:
Lodging: Skyline Motel, 236 N State St, Fairview, UT 84629, 435-427-3312
Ride1: Reservation Ridge
Ride Length: 179m
Distance to first gas: 45m
Range required gas stops: 134m
Lunch Plan: Pack your own and eat on the trail
About the ride:
Reservation Ridge is a ridge along a group of mountain tops at an elevation of about 9700 feet that forms the border of the Uintah & Ouray Indian Reservation. The ride begins by cutting up Cottonwood Creek Canyon to Skyline Drive. For the next 40 miles we will follow the famous Skyline route through the mountain tops at elevations above 9000 feet. At the 45 mile point we will be topping off our fuel (Western Trails Resort along Highway 6) as there will be no more fuel for the next 134 miles. Next we will heading into the lower Strawberry Reservoir area and onto the Willow Creek Single Track trail. This is the single track section that we were not able to find last year. This section of single track should be about 8 miles long ending near Strawberry Reservoir. We will then be heading towards Reservation Ridge on a mixture of ATV trails and some additional motorcycle only routes. Reservation Ridge will continue for about 17 miles with spectacular views in every direction. The ridge route will end at highway 191. For the next 6 miles we will continue down the highway and then cut across the reservation on the Emma Park road. We then start up Beaver Creek back towards the Skyline Drive route and Highway 31. The last 20 miles to out hotel will be pavement.
Day1
The rest of the story….
Well well well…. Today was a first. Having been a Roulette participant for the last 5 years and winning every time, today was different. Being a man who actually plays Roulette, and being realistic, the game is fun, but rarely do you win. The “House” or UTAH won today. BUT that’s OK. Every one is beat up, but everyone can’t wait for tomorrow. Because like Roulette, the thrill is the chance at winning. Cleaning the big knarly up hill. Challenging the trail and beating it. Pressing on when all gates are locked etc etc etc. We had falls, flats, breaks, locked gates, closed trails, water, slime and shale, as well as a 200 plus mile day with way too much asphalt.
And you know it all sounds bad, But guess what?.... we all can’t wait to spin tomorrow and win.
Its only day one.
It’s all good.
And you know what? I am feeling lucky!
Dan Mc”GUY”ver Guy
Map of Day1
Monday 9/8:
Lodging: Snuggle Inn, 55 S Main St, Loa, UT 84747, 435-836-2898
Ride2: Nebo Wilderness Single Track
Ride Length: 121m
Distance to first gas: No gas on trail
Range required gas stops: 121m
Lunch Plan: Pack your own and eat on the trail
After the ride, pack up bikes and drive to the Snuggle Inn, about 2 hours and 10 minutes
About the ride:
This will be known as our single track day. On this ride we will explore the area around the Nebo Wilderness. The route will take us on several miles of mountain bike single track trails that are open to motorcycles. These will include: Bennie Creek Trail, Shram Creek Trail, Sheepherder Trail, Lizard Lake Trail, and Jones Ranch Trail. The Day will start with a little pavement (6 miles) as we leave our hotel. Then we will transition onto dirt roads and 4x4 roads as we make our way around Mount Baldy and up to the Nebo Wilderness. At about the 47 mile mark, we will be beginning the single track. For the next 16 miles, we will be winding our way around Lizard Lake and the Sheepherder Trail. Next we will wind around the back side of the mountain and onto highway 89 for about a mile before beginning our second stretch of single track. This second section (about 20 miles) will take us up Nebo Creek to about 8300 and then back down to Summit Trail to Pole Creek. Finally we will be dropping down off the mountain and paralleling highway 132 before mount Baldy again on Mud Springs Wash.
If the single track is tough this could be a hard ride. Bring lots of water as there is nothing once we get onto the mountain. Start early as we must move our hotel at the end of the ride.
Day 2
The rest of the story…..
May I use bad language? Just kidding…sort of. I can’t speak for every one, but for the
Chickens (guess Mohawk’s are gone) today might be one of the toughest days I’ve had in a long time. The ride was long, lots of rock, no problem so far. Then all hell broke loose. We had some trouble connecting tracks, and so the day got late. But no worries right? WRONG!!! We were on the last track. The first beer we could almost taste. The group was traversing a canyon wall above a creek bed. A little scary riding the side of a cliff. We all agreed no one should fall off that cliff as that would be bad…right? So I found the only vertical cliff, 20-30 feet up the canyon wall…sounds like trouble huh? You know that new diving sport in the Olympics were two people dive together? My bike and I won the gold medal for the best backwards double flip with a one and a half twist, with extra points for flipping another 20 feet into a log, which did keep me from going into the water. Rider down May Day May Day!!! But there was no help as my comrades were hanging bikes from trees (you have to see the picture, words will not tell the story) Crash Crash Crash, need I say more. Picture 4 grown men sitting 20 miles in the middle of nowhere laughing hysterically because that’s all we could do. We did make it. But it was not pretty.
So as far as our group goes, the house won again.
You know I take that back. We won. We made it. And tomorrow we’ll make it again.
DG
Map of Day2
Toms bike landed in the tree and came to rest
Tuesday 9/9:
Lodging: Snuggle Inn, 55 S Main St, Loa, UT 84747, 435-836-2898
Ride3: Aquarius Plateau
Ride Length: 137m, short cut option is 125m
Distance to first gas: 91m
Range required gas stops: 91m
Lunch Plan: In town in Antimony
About the ride:
The Aquarius Plateau is a region within Garfield and Wayne counties in south-central Utah. The plateau, an uplift on the much larger Colorado Plateau, is the highest in North America. It is over 900 square miles of mostly forested highland, much of which is part of Dixie National Forest. The plateau includes Boulder Mountain which peaks at 11328 feet at Bluebell Knoll and has over 50,000 acres of rolling hilly terrain above 11,000 feet. The days ride will begin on ATV trails with some steep climbs along the cliffs. Once up on the plateau, we will run a mixture of ATV trails and dirt forest roads. The route will lead into Antimony where we will get fuel and lunch. After lunch, riders will have a choice of an easier shortcut (about 12 miles shorter) up Dry Wash road or staying on the main course. The main course, takes riders back along the lower parts of the plateau mostly on 4x4 roads, and across a canyon and back into Loa, Utah.
Day 3
The rest of the story…..
Can you say rocks? Can you say rain? Can you say mud? Can you say who put the red band across the ATV trail marker sign? Oh yes we had a plan…
Can you say bail out? I can and we did. Thank goodness for 25-cent (I wish) car washes.
And man was my bacon cheeseburger good.
Hey it’s pouring rain; lets go gas up in it…am I missing something?
Don’t worry, all was not lost, and tomorrow we do it all again. Not sure who won. Don’t matter we had a blast.
Mc”GUY”ver
Map of Day3
Wednesday 9/10:
Lodging: Bear Paw Lakeview Resort, 905 So. Highway 143, Panguitch, Utah 84759 888-553-8439
Ride4: Gooseberry
Ride Length: 145m
Distance to first gas: 87m
Range required gas stops: 87m
Lunch Plan: In Salina at Mom restaurant
After the ride, pack up bikes and drive to the Bear Paw Resort, about 2 hours and 10 minutes
About the ride:
This ride will take through the Paiute ATV system in the morning and then across the Gooseberry Mesa in the afternoon. The ride starts by heading up through Fish lake National Forest. Then dropping down to Koosharem and back up again on the Monroe Mountain Trail to an elevation of 10300 feet as we wrap around Indian Peak and Monument Peak. Most of the morning's route will be on ATV trails rated "More Difficult" but a few sections are rated "Most Difficult". The trail then drops down several switchbacks and across the main valley to Salina. In Salina we will get fuel and have lunch at "Moms".
The afternoons route takes us alongside I-70 for a few miles and then onto the Great Western Trail. The trail starts up spur called Oak Belt Trail, which is a more difficult trail along a canyon with steep edges and extreme exposure. Don't look down while traveling fast. The route then continues up and across the Fish Lake National Forest with elevations more then 10600 feet. This part is mostly on forest dirt roads and ATV trail. Finally the route then drops back down off the mountain and into Loa.
Day 4
This reporter needs to not drink before he writes, but here goes nothing.
Maybe today we found the longest rock downhill in Utah. Ask anyone who tried it. But all was good, and we all got through it. This year mother Roulette has thrown a few roadblocks our way. Or maybe the locals have developed their homemade sign making techniques, don’t know, don’t care, we figured it out, we always do. GPS is good. The trails were a mixed bag today. But as is the norm with the Roulette adventure, everyone was satisfied. We beat the rain and made it back to say goodbye to suggletown. If that sounds weird, read the trip itinerary.
Now on to the next adventure. The lake is calling and the “MAN” had better things to do than bother “Jack” while he drove. (No need to elaborate).
A couple of side notes: The Dirkster is hanging tough. Or shall I say “Chief wounded Knee” And Big “B” is hurtin, but so goes the tale of Roulette. Tomorrow we have a plan; I have good reason to believe it won’t hold up.
The winner today? Tell me what the poor people are doing and ask them.
Mc”GUY”ver
Map of Day4
Thursday 9/11:
Lodging: Bear Paw Lakeview Resort, 905 So. Highway 143, Panguitch, Utah 84759 888-553-8439
Ride5: Markagunt
Ride Length: 120m
Distance to first gas: 59m
Range required gas stops: 61m
Lunch Plan: In Glendale
About the ride:
An area of spectacular geologic and ecological diversity, the Markagunt Plateau stands at the headwaters of one of North America's most visually stunning landscapes -- the area bordering Cedar Breaks National Monument. The Virgin River is born here, springing forth from the cliffs on the southern end of the Plateau before threading its way through a maze of spectacular slot canyons and towering minarets of Zion National Park.
Rated: M, shorter option available
Day 5
Man is this going fast or what!!!
Well “the plan” was destroyed. We all jumped on the first train out of town, and Thunder Chicken did not let us down. Fearless leaders found the way, sort of. You know that sometimes it just doesn’t add up. First out, last back…go figure. Tomorrow is another day and I’m sure redemption is on the minds of some. Ben made a run at Gill’s tire changing record. We had hail and rain. Some had lunch, some not. And how bout that 8AM breakfast? Mike has pull, or as a wise man once said: “7:30… helmets on, ready to ride”. There were roadblocks again, some better than others. (See video) Sign makers were out in force. Breaking News!!! Chickens in first.
The tales were tall, the trails were good. And the toe made it. Check those GPS’s logs and Kevin no double standards. Blond was the color of the day, or maybe black and blue.
By the way, I thought fisherman got up early? Hello, where’s the java!!
Now were off to feed our spirit and who knows what tomorrow brings. For sure, it will be worth it.
Winner today? All of us.
Mc”GUY”ver
Map of Day5
Friday 9/12:
Lodging: Bear Paw Lakeview Resort, 905 So. Highway 143, Panguitch, Utah 84759 888-553-8439
Ride6: Bryce Victory
Ride Length: 145m
Distance to first gas: 122m
Range required gas stops: 122m
Lunch Plan: In Panguitch at Subway
About the ride:
This ride includes both Tropic Reservoir and Casto Canyon. The scenery is fantastic. "This Tropic Reservoir ride has to be one of the best in the state". Views of the Pink Cliffs, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and the Kaibab Plateau in northern Arizona greet riders. Mostly ATV trails, but some narrow stuff along the cliffs.
Day 6
Riders log, here we go…….
A cold morning for the group. The pretty blue-eyed gal at Hatch said 27. Some would say too cold…not for this group. Some people overslept but no names here “cluck cluck”
By the way if you pour gas on your crotch when its 27 degrees outside, you may have a bad day, or least a bad morning. Just a bit of helpful advice. Anyway we all had a great day. Some would say a little long, but a good ride indeed. Some beautiful views that was nice to see again. The man on the moon was back, defying fate and pictures to prove it. Castro Canyon did not disappoint, and was defiantly a highlight. Ok with all this happy trail talk it must be noted that sometimes you can have too many rocks at the end of the day.
Enough said, don’t be a whiner.
Well I must say that some sadness crept in today. I found myself daydreaming on the trail as I rode thinking about the week and all it had to offer. Happy and sad, but enough already. Were not done yet. 100 miles tomorrow with a victory dinner fit for a king. Good grief man, get over it….well a least until this reporter closes this years Roulette chapter. See you tomorrow.
Mc”GUY”ver
Map of Day6
Saturday 9/13:
Lodging: Bear Paw Lakeview Resort, 905 So. Highway 143, Panguitch, Utah 84759 888-553-8439
Ride7: Bear Creek Run
Ride Length: 105m
Distance to first gas: 78m
Range required gas stops: 78m
Lunch Plan: La Villa Fine Food Mexican, Parowan
About the ride:
Totally made up day, some sections may be interesting, do not ride alone. Riders must complete all sections of this ride to qualify for a finisher's plaque. Good Luck
Day Seven 777 ?? (Don’t ask)
Well it’s almost over. Too bad because this is sure fun. We have a great plan and we need to stick to it. The Chickens are all about a victory meal and they need to come through. (They did). Had a great last ride. Great trails and beautiful views, all embedded in our minds for another year. 20 miles cut (sorry Ben) adds up to one hell of a BBQ. A big thanks goes out to Gary and Babs for allowing the group to use there spectacular log home. (See pics). We had a great day, and a great meal. Kevin got us all at the awards presentation and he did not disappoint as always.
So as I close the book on this years Roulette, I can’t help but think about the last 5 years. ½ decade of riding pristine Utah trails. 5000 miles without a repeat. Quite an accomplishment for sure. My helmet is off to Kevin for delivering 5 years of great rides and great memories. Truly one of this reporters life highlights.
So now what? I think the menu is changing. I since the winds are shifting. The Roulette we have known, well…its time to write a new chapter. So for all the riders who had the opportunity and privilege to be involved over the last 5 years, congratulations on a great journey. You all made it special and no one can take that away.
So the work has already started as we speak. The plans are being made. The next chapter of the “Great Utah 2009 Roulette Dual sport Adventure” has begun to evolve.
Brace yourself……its going to be a blast!
Until next year
Keep the dirty side down and the wind in your feathers
Mc”GUY”ver
Map of Day7
Sunday 9/14:
Morning, Drive Home
Data, total ride length for the week 954miles
Gps file for the ride: Roulette 2008 Complete.gdb
Note Save file to your desktop, then open Mapsource, then open the file
Go to: New gpsKevin Website
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