4-Day Trip to the Great Salt Lake: 2010

[SpudRider]

In the middle of September we were enjoying beautiful weather, so I decided to ride my Zong on my annual trip to the Great Salt Lake. I loaded up my J.C. Whitney travel trunk, and headed south to the Arbon Valley. Earlier in the fall, a forest fire burned just east of Arbon; fortunately, some welcome rainfall descended to limit the damage.



Stopping in Arbon, I paused to examine the hay harvest of a local farmer.



The Arbon Valley is beautiful, and sparsely populated; I always enjoy riding there.



Some of the wheat had not yet been harvested, so I paused to take a few photographs of the “amber waves of grain.”





Traveling farther south, I approached a familiar peak.



The panorama of the Arbon Valley to the north from this peak is wonderful. Here are a few photographs I took from this peak on a different, earlier ride.







This day I continued riding toward Utah. However, I paused again in front of another familiar peak.



The view of the Arbon Valley to the to the west, and south, is superb from this mountaintop; here are a few photos I took from this peak on an earlier ride.







With many miles yet to travel this day, I continued riding southward to the Great Salt Lake.

Spud

[Weldangrind]

It's about 46 degrees F, rainy and gloomy here right now. Thanks for the mental vacation Spud.

[FastDoc]

Great pics Spud. How many miles?

It would be cool if you could take your 4 wheeled vehicle there this winter to show us some pics with snow there. Thast would be beautiful too.

Have you considered a snow machine?

[slimjim503]

looks like a great ride spud asome pic

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

It's about 46 degrees F, rainy and gloomy here right now. Thanks for the mental vacation Spud.

You're welcome, W&G.

Spud

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by FastDoc

Great pics Spud. How many miles?

It would be cool if you could take your 4 wheeled vehicle there this winter to show us some pics with snow there. Thast would be beautiful too.

Have you considered a snow machine?

Thank you, Doc. I traveled 4 days, and about 600 miles on this trip. I think a snow machine would be fun, but I much prefer motorcycles.

Spud

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by slimjim503

looks like a great ride spud asome pic

Thank you, Jim. This ride isn't as long as the one you took to North Dakota, but I had a lot of fun!

Spud

[SpudRider]

I continued southward, and decided to stretch my legs in the pretty little town of Holbrook. I always like to stop by the old grain elevator.



A little irrigation has created a green oasis at the Holbrook Community Park.



In stark contrast, only sagebrush, and hardy grasses are indigenous to the Curlew National Grassland. However, I still enjoyed the unique beauty of the arid plain as I continued riding south, to Utah.



My 4.1-gallon, Clarke fuel tank gives my Zong a range of 350 miles. Therefore, I didn’t need to pack any extra fuel in my J.C. Whitney travel trunk. However, I stopped at the Flying J Truck Stop, in Snowville, Utah, to fill my stomach, and my fuel tank, before I headed south, across the arid plain to the Great Salt Lake.



Leaving the pavement at Snowville, I would travel gravel roads all the way to the Promontory Mountains.



Riding into the remote area north of the Great Salt Lake, I would not see a village, or another fuel pump, until I reached the outskirts of Ogden, Utah.



After a beautiful, peaceful ride south, it was time to turn southeast, toward the Promontory Mountains, and Golden Spike National Monument.



In 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad was completed at Promontory Summit, north of the Great Salt Lake. Traveling toward that historic spot, I decided to ride a short distance along the old, abandoned, Central Pacific rail bed.



The old rail bad was in pretty good shape, even after many years of neglect. However, after my sense of nostalgia was satisfied, I switched over to the newer, smoother gravel road heading in the same direction. As I neared the Promontory Mountains, I was also approaching the salt flats north of the Great Salt Lake.



After several years of meager rainfall, the Great Salt Lake is shrinking. As I reaced the salt flats, I decided to take a short detour, and explore the area. The United States Air Force frequently conducts bombing practice in these barren salt flats. Duly noting the sign announcing I was entering a “hazardous test operations area,” I proceeded at my own risk.



Spud

[SpudRider]

I rode down to the edge of the briny salt flats.



However, I was careful to stay on rocky earth; I didn’t wish to get stuck in the mucky, salty goop. :(



Apparently, some 4-wheeled vehicles enjoy playing in the muck. 8O I never cease to be amazed concerning the manner in which some people treat their motor vehicles! :roll:

The salt flats stretched as far as I could see to the south.



Climbing back to higher, firmer, safer soil, I headed back to the gravel road.



Continuing my journey eastward, I could see the salt flats extending to the southern horizon.





As I headed toward the Promontory Mountains, I gained elevation, and began to distance myself from the lower, salty terrain.





However, I got one good, last, intimate view of the salt flats before I climbed to higher ground.



As I neared the Promontory Mountains, I knew I would soon reach Golden Spike National Monument.



Golden Spike National Historic Site has a very nice visitor’s center, and is a wonderful place to visit.



However, I still had many miles to travel, so I parked my Zong for a quick photograph, then headed eastward.



Spud

[mizke]

very nice spud

i must say those pictures showing the road heading towards the peak, where the road seems to never end and the peaks never get any closer. reminded me of my trip to alamagordo new mexico.. we hit a stretch of highway that was just flat and straight, all you could see was the mountains off in the distance and i swear for the first 2 hours it seemed like they where not getting any closer.. but then they did and the road going throught he mountains was the best part of the trip..

[SpudRider]

Thank you, Mike. I love riding in the wide open spaces of the western United States.

Spud

[TurboT]

Makes me wonder if it's hard to keep it not at WOT out there, all the time.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by TurboT

Makes me wonder if it's hard to keep it not at WOT out there, all the time.

Many riders have succumbed to this temptation, Turbo.

Spud

[FastDoc]

Spud, as usual I can't express how impressed I am with your pictures.

I am so happy to be living in the great Open Northwest Desert. Although I have much milder winters here, with essentially no snow, Idaho definitley wins the desert scenery race!

I've been through snowville on the Gold Wing. If I was on Q I'd ahve gone out to the Golden Spike Monument.

Seems like a big DS would be the right bike. Able to tour and explore the dirt roads.

You will enjoy the BRP as much as the Zong, I bet.

Different but excellent.

I miss my KLR's sometimes too...

As far as WOT goes, I do that out here, on Q, fairly frequently on gravel or dirt desert or far, roads.

Bear in mind that's only 60-65 in the dirt with my tires, not the 100+ the BRP would be pulling. 8O

[FastDoc]

BTW, Spud, as for the type of guy who takes his vehicle in corrosive salt laden mud, that would be the guy who 'gave' me my XR. I'd never seen a bike abused so badly. Indeed, how many times have you evern heard of a siezed engine on an XR200?