Day 7

Day 7 - Saturday, September 23, 2017

This will be our longest day of riding and we won't be seriously hitting the road until after 9:35 am (MST) which is 10:35 (MDT) if we visit Antelope Canyon.

Shortly after leaving Page, Arizona we have the option of stopping to take the Antelope Slot Canyon Scenic Tours (which last about 1-2 hours). There are actually two Antelope Slot Canyons to consider. The Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons. Both are unique with their own style and accessibility. The cost for these tours depends upon the time of day, duration, and tour provider and ranges from $33 to $128 per person (that includes the $8 Navajo access fee). Advance reservations are usually required to insure entrance and we may be required to be there at least one hour before the tour actually begins. While the main focus of the tour is to see and capture the beams of light as they descend into the slot canyons it can be extremely difficult to photograph them without a tripod (something that is difficult to bring with on a motorcycle trip) and somewhat long exposures. Photographer guided tours generally last 2 hours, require a sturdy tripod and the use of a DSLR/SLR camera. Because we most likely would be taking an early morning tour we would not be able to see light beams hitting the canyon floors in the Upper Canyon. Therefore I selected the less crowded, but very colorful Lower Antelope Canyon using Kens Tours (which I have heard only accepts cash). Cost is $25 plus the $8 Navajo access fee. This tour lasts 1 hour 15 minutes and requires us to arrive 30 minutes before our reserved time. If there is a chance of rain the tour will be cancelled as you do not want to be in a slot canyon during a rainstorm due to the flash flood potential. Our tour reservation is made for 8:20am with check in at 7:50am.

(Note: The time for the tour is MST (Mountain Standard Time) which is used in Arizona - Not Daylight Saving Time - Not Utah Time - Not Navajo Nation Time). Because the Utah State Line is less than 7 miles away, cell phone towers from Utah (and the surrounding Navajo Nation) often will show the wrong time on your smartphone!)

Whether we take this tour or not we turn on the throttle and cruise southeast on Hwy 98 until we arrive at US Hwy 160 where we turn our motorcycles to the northeast. In Kayenta, Arizona we venture north on US Hwy 163 into the Monument Valley area which may look familiar with its isolated red mesa and buttes surrounded by empty sand desert because the area has been filmed and photographed countless times over the years for movies and brochures. We will most likely stop along Hwy 163 (repaved in 2016!) and take our own photos where Forest Gump stopped running and then perhaps take a short detour to the Navajo run Monument Valley overlook area ($20 entrance fee per vehicle) or just view the area from Hwy 163 at some of the pullouts along this highway.

Soon after riding through the town of Mexican Hat we turn north onto Hwy 261 to visit the Natural Bridges National Monument on the way back to Moab. This will also require an adventuresome spirit as we transverse up the winding road of the Moki Dugway. Located on Utah Route 261, and overlooking the Valley of the Gods area, the Moki Dugway is a graded dirt switchback road carved into the face of the cliff edge of Cedar Mesa. It consists of 3 miles of steep, unpaved, but well graded or paved switchbacks with 11% grades which wind up 1,200 feet from the valley floor. How much adventure can we handle?

When we arrive at Hwy 95 we go west for 2 miles and turn into the entrance to the Natural Bridges National Monument. After taking a leisurely ride around this Park and perhaps take a few short hikes to view the Naturally formed stone bridges, we head east on Hwy 95 and then northward on US Hwy 191 to Moab along the Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway. This is a very scenic desert like ride with vast landscapes and rock formations along the way as we travel back to Moab and to the end of our adventurous journey. From Monticello to Moab the land is a bit more flat and green but once again the ride surrounds us with the colored rock formations we have loved as part of this journey.and head north to Moab to end our journey where we started this great adventure!

Twilight: 5:48 am (MST)

Sunrise: 6:14 am (MST)

Sunset: 7:15 pm (MDT)

Twilight: 7:42 pm (MDT)

Day 7: 308 miles 5.5 hours saddle time

Day 7 Option Ride

If we decide not to ride the Moki Dugway we continue our desert riding on Hwy 163 through the small towns of Mexican Hat and Bluff. In Bluff we start our journey northward on US Hwy 191 to Moab along the Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway. This is a very scenic desert like ride with vast landscapes and rock formations along the way as we travel back to Moab and to the end of our adventurous journey. From Monticello to Moab the land is a bit more flat and green but once again the ride surrounds us with the colored rock formations we have loved as part of this journey.

Day 7 Option 267 miles 4.5 hours of saddle time