From Worland WY we are about a little over 1,000 miles from home, with the last 350ish miles crossing the Mojave Desert. The typical game plan is get to St. George, UT/ Mesquite NV area, then wake up O dark thirty to cross the desert to beat the heat and beat the Las Vegas traffic. That leaves Mesquite about 700-800 miles away depending on routes and its a doable day ride, or break it up to a couple of 300ish day rides. The night before called for hot weather in the areas we would be passing through, with temps in the 90’s most of the time and St. George/Mesquite area in the 105-110 range.

We started the day earlier today at about 5 am due to the hot forecasted day. It was cool this early morning with high clouds so we started with our jackets. We got to enjoy watching the sunrise as we headed southwest through Wyoming. About 40 minutes later we were going through the town of Thermopolis heading towards Shoshoni. The ride from Thermopolis to Shoshoni turned out to be a treat this morning.

With no one on the road this early, the road dropped through a long wide canyon and then entered into a narrow canyon along Wind River call appropriate enough, Wind River Canyon.

The river on the right that seem to be flowing uphill as we descended into this canyon and the early morning sun shadowing the walls of the canyon made the early morning wakeup call worth it.

All morning it was cool and it became overcast. The forecast for heat just hasn’t materialized yet, although it is still early in the morning. We get to US191 and it feels like home as both of us have ridden these roads. For me, it has been numerous times on US191 as part of one of many routes that take you towards Sturgis, a ride that I’ve done almost yearly since 1992 through 2015.

We gas up in Rock Springs off I-80 and continue on 191 south to Flaming Gorge National Recreational Area. While in the recreational area, I pull over at a gas station to try and find some coffee. The early morning start and lack of good coffee has me struggle to keep focused.

I’ve been feeling a 2 1/2 day ride home, Rick has been feeling a 1 1/2 day ride home and let’s me know he is going for that option to try and make Mesquite. That is the beauty of having your own handlebars, you can go where you want. Both of us are experienced solo riders and have no problems riding that way, and at times is more enjoyable. I carry a satellite communicator and with the web of the internet that now thrown over us (this whole trip rarely did we not have an internet connection) the risk of not getting a hold of someone is low.

We congratulate each other on one hell of a ride and adventure, and while I gassed up with a cup of coffee, I watch Rick gas up with gas to top off his tank and head off. The weather is warming up at this point and we both shed our jackets. As I watch Rick roll off, the skies are for the most part sunny and clear, but with this heat and the humidity, you know you will be watching the afternoon clouds gather to give you something to watch – afternoon showers and thunder storms.

I finally get going and continue to Vernal UT, where I gas up and stop at Walmart to look for a white long sleeve t-shirt and another thermos to hold my water while I ride. I seem to be leaving a bread crumb trail of thermos’s around the country. I check on Rick via Glympse as we will be on the same roads for a while. He is about 20 miles ahead of me.

I leave Vernal and head west to Duchesne UT and head south over another mountain range. During this time I’m watching the skies as I’m getting sprinkles here and there, along with a brief shower at times, but you punch through them. But this area has seen some heavy rain in recent days on this pass, there is road equipment parked on the side, you can see where water came down the mountainside and pushed mud and debris on the road and the road appears to have a film of mud/dirt on it even though it was cleaned-up. Don’t want to stop to check it as it is threatening to rain here and I don’t want to get stuck here during a rain event, I’m still upright, so I just do these curvy mountain roads slowly.

Eventually I make it through the pass as it got dryer and the filmy stuff was less and less on the road. I dropped down into Price UT where it is hot and windy and I stop for gas and an energy drink on route 10 to continue south. I check on Rick on the phone and he is about 30 miles ahead of me on the same route heading towards I-70. I look up at the skies and there are isolated showers all around me in the near distance. Don’t want to stay here as it is about 2:30-3:00 pm and hot and windy, so I mount my iron horse and continue south.

I’m sure Rick is experiencing the same thing on this 80 mile stretch. Showers to your right and strong cross wind that you need to lean your bike into as it pushes you around. At times some of the gusts just about knock my glasses off my face as you pass the storm just off to your right blowing its strength and feeling a few drops of its rain, but you end up riding pass it. It is a constant battle with the wind on this stretch of 80 miles and dodging the showers. While riding, I check Glympse and I see Rick at this point is still 30 miles ahead and makes the turn and is on interstate 70 heading west. When I arrive at that junction, I continue onto UT 72 and opt to head to Torrey UT for the night.

I have a 50ish mile ride through a nice desolated pass and hit a few sprinkles as I head down the mountainside into Torrey. As I approach Torrey, even though it is sunny and clear where I am heading, the afternoon shower storm off to my left in the hillside is blowing its rain in my area of travel and this is about the wettest I get. But it soon stops, and the heat is great enough that by the time I pull into the motel, I’m dry.

I choose a hotel in Torrey that Rick and I stayed at before on our first ride we did together that was to Sturgis back in 2016, The Broken Spur Inn and Steakhouse. You can park your bike in front of your room, and they have a steakhouse on site. I check in about 4pm, clean up, then head to the steakhouse and have a ribeye steak in honor of Rick.

I check on Rick while having dinner and see he is still cruising along on I-15, and later that evening he texted that he made it to Mesquite and that it was hot with extreme wind and poor visibility, but the good news was he made it and checked into a hotel.

Tomorrow I’ll be heading to Mesquite and Rick will be heading home.

2023-07-23 ride video