Riding through Southern Utah on the ‘Strom.

Day 5 of my 22′ Rocky Mountain tour. Colorado into southern Utah makes for a diverse and quickly changing landscape.

I wake up early as planned, just as the sun begins to dimly light the valley, and find an overcast and grey sky outside beyond the mountains. It’s teasing rain, but the forecast said chances were slim.

I’m quickly learning that Rocky Mountain forecasts are guesses, and possibly uneducated ones at that.

I check the doppler radar and see a slew of small storms moving in from the south west. I see pockets between where I am and where the storms aren’t, and I might be lucky enough to thread the needle between and miss the rain. If I can make it to the lower, southwestern portion of Colorado, I am in the clear.

I get my coffee (this will be a recurring theme), oatmeal, and bagel breakfast, bid farewell to Frank and the pups who have kindly awoken to see me off, and don my gear. My Rev’it jacket and pants have a zip-in liner that adds waterproofness and warmth, but if it’s above 60 degrees out you’ll quickly bake in all the layer. Sous vide actually as it’ll keep your sweat in too.

It’s 55 out and I done the full regalia. I load up the bike and depart, and quickly find myself in my first morning thunderstorm. The road is wet and my visor is covered in dropless, but I think “Wow I am surprisingly warm and dry!” Quality gear, nice…

Weaving my way between storms above and below the clouds.

The road and pass elevates into the clouds and I find myself in a surreal landscape with wet and dry patches. When the rain clears I quickly take out my camera to snap some proof.

Roughly 9,000ft in this photo as I head west out of Durango.

The rain clears, the weather stays cool, the road dries, and I find myself on long sweeping moto nirvana roads with the rising sun at my back. Perfect. Uncomfortable days in the saddle make perfect conditions all the sweeter.

I descend out of the mountains and pass Mesa Verde National Park, which I did not have time to check out, but the cliffs and range near the entrance beckoned for a photo.

Near the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park

The Rockies turn to red, and the desert of southern Utah start. I pass through many small towns and Indian reservations, and am still just enjoying the cool morning.

Until the sun starts to rise and the temps increase.

And as the temps increase the desert thunderstorms begin…

A common sight near the Four Corners on a summer morning.

I would get a lot of practice reading the mist out of a cloud, always thinking ‘Will that rain be touching the ground when I get there?’

With nothing but time on my hands, it was fun and interesting trying to see where these small storms would start to develop, climax, dump their rain, and dissipate. Sometimes I would enter one as it strengthened, other times a large cloud would stand ominous until I got there, at which point it would…not be there anymore?

Passing through Arizona and entering Utah, the storms lifted and I was suddenly blasted by 95 degree heats near Page and Glenn Canyon Dam.

Near the Glen Canyon Dam on the south east side. It’s about 96 degrees here.

Oof, hot. Hungry. Butt soreness inceasing.

God this seat makes me have to adjust my juevos constantly! AHHH!

I continue to power on towards Kanab where my parents patiently wait. In the middle of a song in my headset, my mom calls.

“Where are you and when will you be here?”

“20 minutes? I’m just outside town.”

“Are you at a gas station?”

“No I’m on my bike”

“…how are you talking on your phone?! BE SAFE!”

Noise cancelling helmet headsets, we live in the future…

I planned on staying in Kanab a few days to be a good son, then head north to the Salt Lake City area to see more of my family. BUT my family had planned a Fourth of July party, so the logistical solution was