Road trip to Utah

[eaglefreek]

About 3 months ago, a buddy in CO told me about a dirt bike ride he's joining in on in Moab at the end of April. It's too darn expensive to drive out there, though. Well Friday I got an email that I'm am needed Thursday for a job in Milford, Utah about 4 hours west of Moab. My shift will end on the 23rd and the ride is the 24th to the 28th. Perfect timing! I'm loaded up with bike on the trailer and leaving in the morning. I'll probably stop in Kansas somewhere Tuesday night and Denver on Wednesday.  I don't get paid mileage for driving that far, but get to use the amount the plane ticket would cost towards fuel, which will pay for most of it. Unfortunately, the job is in the middle of a muddy salt lake bed and I'm told conditions are miserable.

[SpreadEagle]

Have a safe trip. If I had room I'd offer a bed.

[vangremlin]

Have a safe trip and a fun ride out there.  Moab is such a cool place to visit.  Give a wave to all of us Eagle owners as you're driving through Colorado, if you've got time on your way back maybe we can have another Sonic mini-meet!

[Amc1320]

have  a safe trip! Thats a LONG way from Tennessee!!

[Eagleearl]

Sounds like it was meant to be. Have a GREAT time out there.

[jonb8]

It might be miserable conditions but at least you have something to look forward too when your done....Have fun

[eaglefreek]

I made it to my destination in Utah without any major issues.
Here's the Eagle loaded up ready to leave TN.

I drove about 950 miles to Salina, KS. Spread Eagle called me and we chatted for a bit. I slept in a truck stop parking lot. It rained most of the night and it was a freezing rain. Within a couple minutes of leaving the truck stop in the morning, I did a nice slide on an icy overpass but was able to control it.

I stopped in Colby, KS for fuel, breakfast and to rejet the carb for altitude. The wind was blowing about 40 mph with a windchill of 1 degree. It usually takes me 10 minutes to rejet the carb, but I kept having to go in the car to warm up my hands. I went to put the float  back on and noticed it wasn't where I had put it. The wind blew it and the needle fell off the float and was nowhere to be seen.  After searching all over the car and ground, I started poking around with a coat hanger and found it under the winch. That took a while and had to get my hands warmed up. Came back out and dropped the float spring  . That took a little bit to find also. I got the float in and went to put the top of the carb back on, which I just swivel a little bit out of the way, and noticed the c clip that keeps the choke plate attached to the linkage had popped off.  . I remembered I had safety wire and safety wire pliers with me and attached it with them. Over and hour later and hands that I absolutely couldn't feel, I was ready to get back on the road. I made it to my buddy's house in Littleton, CO where I spent the night.
 It was snowing pretty good on the drive over the Continental Divide. Here's a pic from Silverthorne, where I stopped for breakfast.

I had to make a pit stop at a rest area just east of Glenwood Springs, which was right on the Colorado River.


I stopped and took some pictures in Utah along the way.




This is Eagle Caynon


Time for bed, I've got 11 days of crappy work ahead of me.

[vangremlin]

Thanks for the great pics of your trip.  You could probably post the details of re-jetting the carb in the "Don't Do This" section as well  .  Sorry such a simple task turned into such a major chore!  Make it through those 11 days of crappy work and you'll be rewarded with some great riding.

[eagleman]

Beautiful pictures of your trip. Sure don't see scenery like that here in Ohio! Good luck with your job and enjoy your ride.

[SpreadEagle]

Very happy you made it safe and without anything non fixable happening.  Told ya it was going to get bad across there..    But seriously safe is safe and those are some very nice pictures.

[rollguy]

As always, the photos of your road trips are great!  Thanks for sharing them, and keep them coming!

[MontanaEagle]

Looks like a lot of fun, someday my bird will be able to go on big adventures.  Someday.

[eaglefreek]

Thanks guys.  First day at the mine site today. Once we got to the lake, we had to take an Argo, an 8 wheel amphibious vehicle, about a couple miles, on a dike, to a Snow Cat. The weather was perfect but the mud is horrible. It sucks your boots right off. It's gonna be a loooong 11 days. My legs are sore from trekking in the mud. Only 10 days of work left. I guess it beats being stuck in a cubicle.


Our chauffeur.




Coworker collecting data in the back of one of the Snow Cats.

[rollguy]

Those Argo's are way cool. I have a 6 wheel Atex (1973) that is a lot of fun as well. We usually get it out every winter to play in the snow. Probably not as much fun as playing in the mud though!

[Amc1320]

Wow, that is sure one desolate place

As my grandfather used to say that land is only good for holding the world toghether !