Final preparations & past trips

Getting the final preparations done this week. Changed the oil in the Ultra yesterday myself. Expect to do around 6,000 miles on this trip so I will still have to stop and have the oil changed on the road somewhere before I get back. I have my "pack list" completed and just have to put everything in the bags and "check it" off on the pack list! I have "tested" the new Dunlop E3 tires this week doing about 250 miles locally. They seem to ride very good and do better on grooved pavement and tar snakes than the stock Dunlop 402s did. Hope to see some good mileage on them now!

This will be my fourth trip to the Colorado/Utah/Arizona area on my motorcycle:

Death Valley, CA

The first trip was in 2006 when I did a cross USA trip with two other friends (David & Keith). We shipped our bikes to Los Angeles, CA then flew out and picked our bikes up. We traveled the Pacific coast highway up to San Fransisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge, thru Yosemite, thru Death Valley, over to Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde and on back to Virginia. One friend, David, had his stator go out on his bike in San Jose, CA. That was a story in itself getting it fixed on a Sunday!  I also got a call somewhere around Grand Canyon that my Dad was in the hospital and was not expected to live. I did not fully complete the trip with David & Keith as I headed on to visit my Dad once we got back to West Virginia. He did pass away in a few days.

Mt. St. Helens, WA

The second trip was in 2007 when I and another friend (Keith) shipped our bikes to Rapid City, SD for Sturgis bike week. I had already gone one time solo out to Sturgis in 2005. After Sturgis we went on to do Beartooth Pass, Glacier NP, Mt. Ranier NP, Mt St. Helens, NP, Columbia River Gorge, Snake River Canyon, Zion NP, Bryce NP, Cathedral NP, Arches NP, Rocky Mt NP and on back to Virginia. That was quite a trip with both a lot of miles and great places to visit on a motorcycle.

Hill City, SD

Independence Pass, CO

The third trip was in 2009. I rode out to Sturgis and met up with friends Keith & Rae. We spent a few days at the Sturgis bike rally and they had to head on back to Virginia for work. Another friend (Joe) had shipped his bike to Denver and was flying out to pick it up and meet me in Denver. I headed over into Wyoming and toured the Snowy Range Pass near Laramie and then met Joe in Denver. Joe's Power Commander went out on him at the very top of Lookout Mt. That was story in itself too! We toured a lot in Colorado & Utah that trip; Idaho Springs, Mt. Evans, Independence Pass (and a lot of other passes!!), Mesa Verde NP, Black Canyon NP, Million Dollar Highway,  Moab, Canyonlands NP, Moki Dugway, Natural Bridges NP, Mounment Valley and great places to eat (Mexican Hat Lodge with the swingin grill and Ted's Tacos made of frybread in Mancos)! Joe went back to Denver to have his bike shipped back and he flew back to Virginia. I rode back again to Virginia.

1. So this will be my fourth trip and first totally solo out to the Colorado/Utah area. The story continues........