Southern Utah Motorcycle Trip - June 2012 - Day 1

Scott and Karen Perry came down the first week in June and the four of us took a motorcycle trip to southern Utah. Actually that's where we ended up, but we spent most of our time meandering down and meandering back. It was good timing for the trip. In the month since then there have been many fires, and a few mudslides through some of the area we traveled. 

I've never seen anything south of Spanish Fork that you can't see from a car driving on I-15. Sad, but true. This was a great way to see some of the state with just about the best view possible. We were anticipating high temperatures, but except for the afternoon of the first day, the weather was great. We did get a little cold as we hit higher altitudes, so we just put on another layer of clothing and we were fine. 

My expectation was a lot of red rock formations. We did see that, but oh, so much more. Lots of green, lots of trees--it was all beautiful. 

The first day we headed south on I-15 to Spanish Fork, then took Hwy 6 over to Thistle. The dot on the map that said Thistle was bigger than Thistle itself. From there we went south on 89. At Fairview we took Hwy 31, a beautiful scenic drive through the Manti-La Sal National Forest. We stopped in Price for lunch, then on to Goblin Valley. It was hot at that point - over 100 degrees. After a brief stop there we headed to Capitol Reef National Park. We arrived there about 5:00 p.m. The place was nearly deserted and we had a lovely drive through the park. That night we stayed in Torrey. 

Day 1: 321 miles.

Here we are - ready to take off on Monday morning. Scott and Karen and me and Ray. Can you tell Scott likes the number 8?

We encountered this on Hwy 31 from Fairview to Huntington. We saw a few trucks letting the sheep out to graze. The dogs were amazing, herding the sheep and getting them all where they belonged.

You can see the snow in the distance. We encountered snow and 100+ degree weather all within a few hours.

Karen and Scott, Goblin Valley

Diane and Ray, Goblin Valley

Ray and Scott, Capitol Reef National Park

Diane and Ray, Capitol Reef National Park

Lots of my pictures I took while we were riding. Karen caught me taking a picture at one of our stops.

This is how we ended the day. That's Scott and Karen in front of us, and just a little of the view at Capitol Reef National Park.