Road Trip to Big Bend

22 posts Started 8 Mar 2010 Last recovered post 16 Mar 2010 Wayback Machine snapshot 23 Mar 2010

#1 BonusVFR Thread starter

8 Mar 2010 19:18

I had a chance for my first long winter tour and headed to Big Bend National Park in late February from San Diego. Never really heard of this huge scenic park till a few years ago. Wow! Many thanks to FotoMoto, Eliza, Maddog and others for travel tips. Lots of lessons learned on this trip...........what else is new :goofy:

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On the way from San Diego, I slabbed to Sierra Vista AZ and then jumped on back country roads to Tombstone, Bisbee and Douglas. I then hugged the border thru New Mexico on RT9 till El Paso and then took I-10 to lovely Van Horne. We headed south to Presidio and then ran the River Rd to Big Bend. For me bike selection shook out pretty quickly...I took the other Honda as I was anticipating some long/straight, cold and possibly wet days PLUS my partner on the way out .............was towing a trailer....yes.

I ended up spending three nights in my tent in the Park before heading North up to Midland Texas to see my brother. The return trip did not work as planned but more on that latter.

Next observations from the road.

#2 cruzinaz

8 Mar 2010 20:05

Glad ya had a good trip.

Had the VFR gassed up in case you had time for a quick ride. :biggrin:

#3 FotoMoto

8 Mar 2010 20:27

:lurk: :beer:

#4 BonusVFR Thread starter

9 Mar 2010 00:24

[image: View Post]cruzinaz, on 08 March 2010 - 12:05 PM, said:

Glad ya had a good trip.

Had the VFR gassed up in case you had time for a quick ride. :biggrin:

My schedule went to crap on the way back. I was going to cut up into the MTs of New Mexico and around Alpine in AZ but snow & ice (191 was closed) made me do more straight lines then I wanted. Tnen honestly towards the end I started thinking more about the destination (home) than the journey.

But I want a repeat engagement!!!!

#5 BonusVFR Thread starter

9 Mar 2010 01:26

This tour was different than any other I have been on. I guy I rode with also has a Wing and he is the first GL rider I have ever ridden with. Mostly I guess this is because usually I look for twisty routes and I do not see that many Wing guys looking for corners...not that Wing can not do corners as it truely can.

I do have a little bit to learn on the hyper touring gig ...and my buddy knows a thing or two about big rides. We took a really neat serpetine road called Charlestone Rd into Tombstone on day two. It would have been better if it had not been below freezing. :unsure: :blink: No other bikes present!!!!! TooooFingC I guess!

Here is Motomac's rig in Tombstone.
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Note the duct tape and trailer. The 100 mph tape courtesy of black ice in Colorado earlier in the winter. He took that trailer up to Haul Road (aka Dalton Hwy) a few years ago. Ya get the idea he puts in some miles like almost 92 thousand miles last year on his MC. He finished in second place in 2009 on the ST-Owners.com site to guy who logged 100K on a ST (including a THE IBR which he did for fun). I met him too at lunch in Borrego Springs, CA on his way to Virginia.

Some more touring rigs in the downtown area...next to the mall.
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BTW we had a great inexpensive breakfast at Big Nose Kates.

After we pulled out of Tombstone it started getting a bit more scenic. See that corner ahead........vent still closed.
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Downtown Bisbee..........good shopping.............I guess.
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Big Pit........I guess. Compares to the one on the south side of RT 191.
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New Mexico RT 9. Do you like the Border Patrol as that is about it for vehicles. Gas........not the road for a 7th gen! Fill up when you can.
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Next Texas and the River Road

#6 BonusVFR Thread starter

9 Mar 2010 18:19

We spent the night in Van Horne on 1-10....really the last place to find cheap motel lodging before heading south to Big Bend.

RT90 South.............cold, straight and close to the most boring road ever. Although, I did see a BP balloon.
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Marfa is about 70 miles down the road and is an arts community ...I think. The Movie "Giant" with James Dean was filmed here. I kinda liked the beverage stores............my kind of pricing.
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After Marfa the terrain improves quite a bit with some rollers and corners. Actually as you get to Presidio there are some great sweepers.
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Presidio is a good place to get food for camping as there is only one restaurant in the park as far as I can figure.

RT170, aka the River Road, starts here and is described Scenic Highways and Byways book which is in another thread in VFRD. I use this pub for every tour plan. The road is very twisty in parts and has some gravel and many blind corners. There are lot of dips and rises which fall away into nothing. I probably would want to run it a few times before wicking it up.

The river to the South and Bluffs to the North

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For the first time bikes.............dual sports, tour bikes, GSs.
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#7 BonusVFR Thread starter

9 Mar 2010 21:15

#8 cruzinaz

9 Mar 2010 22:51

Looks like a great ride. Maybe next time you go thru Az we'll get a chance to ride some. BTW, did you happen to take 83 south thru Sonoita or did you go down 90 to pick up Charleston rd?

#9 BonusVFR Thread starter

9 Mar 2010 23:17

You can get gas at Panther Junction. More dual sports at the Visitor Center. Get your weather report there as the park is not communications friendly. It had snowed the day before in the park and the night before the temp had hit 22 degrees. BUT it was February....! We were looking at the thirties at night.
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We headed to Rio Grande Village, which is on the Eastern edge of the Park. There is a store and gas in the Village but no restaurant. So you are eating at camp unless you ride 30 miles to the Basin in the middle of the park.

My site.....tiny tent in the middle. But it does pack small...too bad I am big. I much prefer setting up for a few days that packing up every day. In this case three nights in the Park.
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No changes with my gear this time except I brought a chair. Most likely I will order a smaller specialty one when I tour with the VFR or KLR next.

My chair (black) and my buddies deployed motorhome tent trailer. It seemed worth it now..........to tow that thing. For every 2.5 gallons I burned he used 3 gallons.
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The guy running motocampers.com who set up the event. He rode down with his gear on this ....and then hit the dirt.
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Two of these came in from Bishop CA...with their dogs.
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The overhead view.
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#10 BonusVFR Thread starter

10 Mar 2010 01:04

[image: View Post]cruzinaz, on 09 March 2010 - 02:51 PM, said:

Looks like a great ride. Maybe next time you go thru Az we'll get a chance to ride some. BTW, did you happen to take 83 south thru Sonoita or did you go down 90 to pick up Charleston rd?

One of my best ...but different. I took 90 down....kinda boring. The next time I will take 83 then 82. I liked Charleston Rd with plenty of corners but I had no rythym ..........too cold.

I was hoping to get up around Eagar from 180 in New Mexico and then take 260 across to West and scoot down 60 from Show Low but the cards were not with me. 191 was closed when I looked. :pissed:

AZ is a great place to ride in the Spring and Fall but getting there in the Summer is normally tooooooo hot as I have to travel in the worst of it. I remember a spontaneous ride I was going to do a few years ago until I saw this.
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Good ventalation will not help.

Lots of elevation in AZ which helps once you get there but can "burn" you in the Winter as I found out. But this is not the first time I have been detoured due to snow. :pissed:

#11 fastbroshi

10 Mar 2010 01:27

Quote

AZ is a great place to ride in the Spring and Fall but getting there in the Summer is normally tooooooo hot as I have to travel in the worst of it. I remember a spontaneous ride I was going to do a few years ago until I saw this.
Good God, remind me why it is people go there to retire?

#12 BonusVFR Thread starter

10 Mar 2010 02:24

It is a "Dry Heat". :goofy:

Ok leave it to a guy from San Diego to defend Arizona.

I think I would look at Prescott or Flagstaff to settle down. I remember running thru a section of forest on RT 260 a few years ago. I think the sign said "The largest stand in the world of Ponderosa pine trees is contained in Arizona."

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/uploads/1163625717/med_gallery_2144_2341_458032.jpg

Anyway Yuma was about 70 when I cruised through this time....gotta love February.

#13 sckego

10 Mar 2010 05:10

#14 BonusVFR Thread starter

10 Mar 2010 05:21

[image: View Post]sckego, on 09 March 2010 - 09:10 PM, said:

Finally getting a chance to read your report from home, since all the pics are blocked at my work. I'm over here cracking up at all the pictures that are practically identical to mine... I guess there are just certain places down there that scream "photo opportunity!" Looking forward to the rest of it.

I noticed the same thing. Especially that overlook on the River. Your bike was parked almost the same D place mine was. :biggrin: You just have to stop there...no choice! kinda like this standard in Yosemite.
http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/uploads/1175184219/med_gallery_2144_2004_623683.jpg

But I may slip in a few new pics. Between the two of us we should have it covered....a few VFRD guys have been down there before and gave me some must do tips. Well worth the trip. You did well with your first VFR camp out. I am still dialing it in :woohoo:

#15 BonusVFR Thread starter

10 Mar 2010 06:00

#16 BonusVFR Thread starter

10 Mar 2010 23:53

Near our campground is a fantastic hike...and short too.

Boquillas Canyon...............you really get an idea of the carving power of the River. Only a few miles from the campground... a twisty road.
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1500 ft vertical walls
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Mexico....ready to go.
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#17 BonusVFR Thread starter

11 Mar 2010 23:21

A couple of years ago, I toured to the headwaters of the Rio Grande ... what a big difference but no less spectacular either way you look at it. Though I am sure now why Coors brews in Rockies. :woohoo:
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So far I had been extremely lucky in avoiding the rain but a storm was blowing in. Cold is one thing but freezing and soaked is yet another. We wanted to get on the road early. Our group was scattering to the four winds�Florida, Missouri, California, Illinois, Ohio, New Mexico, Texas and I was headed to Midland for a sibling powwow.

About 10 of us managed to pack up and clear the campground by 7:15am. Astounding! Another cold electric gear day as we headed out. The guy in front me was from the Border Patrol. Nice to have a badge along ...if only for a bit.

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Most headed north on 385��.despite the a boost to my anticipated mileage for the day I struck out with one ST for RT 118 and points north

We picked up three GSAs out of Study Butte that were traveling a touch faster us��for a while. I was expecting more scenic terrain but the road started bending more the closer we got to Alpine. Adventures bikes seem to be a top pick for Big Bend. Not sure I want to take those in the dirt too far though.
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We stopped for breakfast in a "no name white place" Fort Davis ��.you pay “what you think it is worth”. I handed over 10 bucks. Another ST joined us late...packing problem I think. He won the prize for the most crap�..note the duct tape.
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RT118 really gets high marks after Fort Davis and again boys and girls makes Americas Scenic Byways book.
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Did not do as well with screen shots this tour but...trust me we had fun on 118
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I had nabbed three of their Texas picks: River Road/RT170, Santa Elena Canyon/Ross Maxwell, and RT118/Davis MT loop out of Fort Davis.

The highest road in Texas and McDonald Observatory at almost 7,000ft.
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We stayed on RT 118 as we liked the corners (yet another route change but I have a Zumo did I tell you?). Once we got on I-10/20 we jacked it up to 85 or soooooo. We were fighting very gusty and strong winds and a storm front bearing down on us from the West. The result lots of buffeting and the worst mileage of the whole trip at just over 30mpg �maybe. My best was 44. All the while I was thinking of beating the rain. I wondered too about those poor Ural sidecar folks, whose warp drive motors enable a sustained 55 mph. This is not the “ticket” on a Texas pike! Plus the tank range is only about 100 miles. And to think I was worried about West Texas on my run west on back roads out of Midland.

It started raining about an hour after I pulled into my bro’s garage in Midland and stayed cold and wet till for two days.

Next the voyage home and lessons learned�again!!

#18 sckego

12 Mar 2010 18:51

[image: View Post]BonusVFR, on 09 March 2010 - 11:21 PM, said:

#19 Bent

13 Mar 2010 00:10

Really nice ride report and pics!! On some of those roads, I'm afraid I would have to just peg the throttle to get somewhere.... :blush:

#20 BonusVFR Thread starter

15 Mar 2010 00:29

[image: View Post]sckego, on 12 March 2010 - 10:51 AM, said:

[image: View Post]BonusVFR, on 09 March 2010 - 11:21 PM, said:

I noticed the same thing. Especially that overlook on the River. Your bike was parked almost the same D place mine was.

And we're not the only ones! I was just reading through an article written by Jewel (the singer) about her and her husband's trip around Texas, and what do I see...

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.theboot.com/media/2010/03/ty-motorcycle-mtns-1267802300.jpg

Sorry for the hijack, just throught it was too funny... now back to your regularly scheduled ride report!

I need some hijacking. :cheerleader:

I was so jazzed about the dual sporters in Big Bend, I could not help myself....another MC trip to the California desert!!! I just got back from the three days of dirt riding and camping in Borrego Springs. Unlike the Big Bend Ocotillo, they were blooming in Borrego but I expect the Big Bend buds will start popping any time now. Should be incredible. :woohoo:

#21 BonusVFR Thread starter

15 Mar 2010 03:55

[image: View Post]Bent, on 12 March 2010 - 05:10 PM, said:

Really nice ride report and pics!! On some of those roads, I'm afraid I would have to just peg the throttle to get somewhere.... :blush:

Thanks. Not many folks have been there........but two VFRD members in a week!!!!!

Your comment makes a nice segue to my next post.........the whole pinning the throttle routine out West.

West Texas.............What to Do??
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#22 BonusVFR Thread starter

16 Mar 2010 22:10

After two days watching the rain come down in Midland, I left headed west on a crisp morning. But I had planned on being in Midland for two days anyway! I was lucky the whole trip as I left San Diego after a succession of storms and arrived back home the day before another wet one rolled in from the Pacific.

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This was a pattern the whole trip....cold but not wet. For years I have used a heated vest and grips without much complaint but........ I now see the need for a better heated gear ensemble ie full liner, pants and maybe even gloves. Most likely I will make the move if I do another protracted winter ride........or a run to Alaska but I am worried about the electron capacity for a VFR or a KLR. The Wing has the juice for anything....you just can not run the microwave on high while you are bathed in heat.

Vests work great for an up and over 10/12K foot pass in the spring or fall or even a cold wet day in Canada in the summer but for a week long tour with cold temps you begin to covet more "warming sensations". Pending!!! I am looking at a Warm & Safe kit but the Gerbings stuff looks promising as well.

Big Bend internet and phone access sucks...period! In Midland I had a chance to look at my planned mountain route home which included some higher elevations in New Mexico and AZ. The AZ/NM DOT websites identified snow and ice on the very roads I was looking at. So I did a quick reroute in Mapsource on my laptop and laid out a route paralleling I-20 & 10 to the El Paso bypass (a must do BTW). Route was 158, 302, 285, and finally 652 to 180 and Guadalupe NP before getting to El Paso. After my atrocious gas mileage getting to Midland I was worried ...terrified actually about gas. I reviewed both City Navigator and Street & Trips gas station databases and it looked very bleak between Kermit Texas and the bypass around El Paso.

So as you can see in the picture above I kept it steady and slow..about 70 max. Good thing as the first reliable gas after Kermit was 217 miles. I did see one set of rusty pumps somewhere but like NM earlier in the trip this "petrol station" were not on the Zumo and appeared boarded!! So despite the open country I did not hammer the throttle open...just too risky. I did not even see a car on 652. Turns out my gas mileage to Midland was an aberation (very high speed and big winds)...........but if I really had poured it on ...could have been a problem. No wind either! This is why I like big tanks...gives you more options and flexibility. I do carry an emergency supply in a MSR bottle.

One of the morning highlights out of Midland.
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These are some new plantings in West Texas.
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But most of the time it looked like this.
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Finally Guadalupe NP on 180
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I did stop at the park....no entrance fee ...although I now have a secret weapons re park access. The top is the highest point in Texas at 8,749ft.
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Over the shoulder at Guadalupe...sand...I was bored. That D vent is still closed.
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To avoid the slab a bit, I did a jog up to Hatch NM ...something about peppers............ The Rio Grande again.
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Spent the night west of Tuscon after about 700 miles. The next day...typical AZ but AZ has many tremendous rides between I 10 and 40 but watch out in the Winter.
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End of thread · 22 posts recovered Wayback Machine snapshot 23 Mar 2010