Part 2
By Carl Saccoccio
We rode 150 miles around the Moab area and then headed north on RT 191 to RT 70 to RT 6, and then back on to RT 91. We took the major highway going north, which was under construction, for the rest of our ride that day. The road had a drop off a couple feet from the shoulder which usually isn’t a problem; except the wind, coming from the West, was fighting us. You had to be very careful or you could end up in that ditch. When we finally stopped fifty miles down the road Skippy came up to me and said that he wished he had a camera so he could take a picture of me going down the road sideways, fighting the wind. I was glad I didn’t realize I was that far leaned over.
We stopped at the town of Provo, UT which is in a valley with snow covered mountains all around. We found a nice old hotel in the center of town that had other motorcyclists parked in front of it which is always the good sign. It turned out that these riders were from Canada. They have been riding for three days in solid rain. One of their motorcycles would not start, and they couldn’t figure out what the problem was. Of course, Skippy and Mike went over, analyzed the problem in a matter of minutes, and got the bike running for them. As I said, it’s always good to have a mechanic with you on the road. We rode 390 miles today.
Friday, May 27th, total miles 390.
The next day, Saturday the 28th we did a push to Toole where the Miller race is located. Since the races were starting that weekend we checked in at the track, got our passes, and watched the World Superbike practices. We also enjoyed walking the paddock, lunch at the BMW tent, and then we were off to Salt Lake City to our hotel. The hotel where I booked the rooms was in the center of town and was called the Little America and the MOA had booked rooms for its members. This was one fancy place and we ended up getting a large room in the garden section that was amazing.
We were hoping that the weather would clear up so we wouldn’t be in the rain all the time. Unfortunately, the next day wasn’t much better so we suited up and headed to the racetrack. When we got to the track, we discovered that there wasn’t as large a crowd as you would expect for such a major international race. But this was only the first day of the race weekend, and the major race would be the next day. We took some time walking around the track and ran into some people we knew from the MOA. After doing an exploration of the vendors it was time to head back to our room.
When we got back to the hotel I noticed a bunch of bikes out front that were going to be used for a demo test ride. I looked up and one of the riders was Brian the head mechanic from Razee’s motorcycle shop back in Rhode Island. We were surprised to see each other, and he told me he was there to test ride some new tires from Continental. He had flown in the day before and would be flying out after the race. He was surprised to see us on our bikes from RI since it was only May, which can be a tricky month for riding a motorcycle. At the hotel we saw all the big shots from the race vendors so it was easy to pass the time.
The next day was Sunday, May 29th, and we were off to the races. It was cold and wet by the time we got to the racetrack, and snow was falling. The three of us were part of a small handful of people who actually rode our motorcycles to this race. So let’s say we got some very strange looks, but being New Englander’s we can handle anything. The racing was good but because the track is flat with very little elevation it was not very exciting. It was still a blast to watch, and the Ducati did take the championship.
This was my first World Superbike race, and I must say it was not as thrilling as some of the other races I had been to, especially the Moto GP, so I was a little disappointed. But it wasn’t the race that drew us, it was the riding in this part of the country.
The next day we would be heading back to Fort Collins via some incredible roads that I had mapped out. Back at the hotel the MOA was holding their reception with food, a cash bar and lots of free stuff. I picked up another T-shirt, so I was all set for the ride home without having to do laundry. Tonight it was early to bed, praying for no rain tomorrow so we could head to the track early.
The next morning was Monday May 30th, Memorial Day. We had a good breakfast, loaded our motorcycles, and then headed to the track to watch the final race. As the races were ending it was still raining so we decided to head out early. The route started on RT 80S past Salt Lake City to pick up RT 40, a road that passes many ski areas like Canon and Park City. It was cold but thankfully the rain stopped and we were hoping to make Craig, CO by nightfall. My plan was to pick up RT 40 and head into the northern part of Colorado. This state road is also listed as a favorite of motorcyclists because it passes through some incredible areas such as Steamboat Springs, and you cross the continental divide a couple of times making it an easy and enjoyable sightseeing ride on two wheels.
During our ride of about 200 miles, somewhere in Colorado before Craig, we noticed a lot of black markings on the pavement. We could not figure out what it was. After about ten more miles we finally realized what we were looking at. We came upon a herd of sheep, hundreds of them in the road and all the traffic was stopped. It was sheep shit on the road. I slowly rode up to the front of the flock and hit my air horns. The flock quickly dispersed in every direction. I just rode right through the middle of them, with Skippy and Mikey following me with no problem. When we got down the road and stopped, we all were laughing, and Skippy, to this day, said he wished he had a picture of that.
So, after an exciting day and about 300 miles of riding we pulled into a small town looking for a place to sleep and grab a nice meal and call it a day. The next day would be our last ride through the mountains, and I had a nice route picked out full of beautiful scenery and interesting stops. To this day I still use maps and not a GPS. I find it easier to pick routes and I just love looking at a map that I had marked out in highlight and could retrace my ride sometime in the future.
We did make it to Craig, CO that night. It was a long day, and we found a little place called the Elk Horn Motel. It had a suite with three beds for $78. What a deal, and it even had Chinese food next door. Early to bed.
Monday, May 30th, total miles 350.
On Tuesday, May 31st we were up by 6AM. The bikes were covered with frost. We really loaded up on breakfast and were on the road by 8AM. The plan was to take RT 40 toward Steamboat Springs. I went there in 1982 on my first motorcycle trip and then in 1993 for a ski trip with my brother Louis and eight firefighters The mountain was covered with snow and it’s still as beautiful as ever. Just outside of town we picked up RT 40 which goes over Rabbit Ears pass to RT 14. RT 14 is the scenic byway called la Poudre Wilderness. We went over Cameron pass at 10,276 feet. The road has unbelievable switchbacks, and it follows the Michigan River the entire way. All the high elevations are covered with snow but on the road it’s 42° and we can take off some of the layers we left with. I was back there in 1982 on the same road. Mike and Skippy loved it, and it took us right into Fort Collins at 2:00PM.
It was now time to load up the trailer and truck with the motorcycles and start heading east. The truck was covered with thousands of moths, and as soon as we opened the door they flew into the cab, and all around the truck. We had to fight to get them out so we could take off. I guess it was mating season. They hung on to the truck till we got moving, and then they finally blew off. I drove the first leg, and after 400 miles it was 9:00 PM and it was Mikey’s turn to take over. We stopped to fill up for gas and I decided to check the oil. When I opened the hood hundreds of moths flew out filling up the gas station canopy. What a sight.
Now it was time to do the blast home, following RT 70 this time to mix it up. We got home on June 2nd, Thursday morning early. What a trip. Another one for the memories, and I would travel anywhere with these two guys.