|
Aquarius Plateau Overnight Motorcycle Trip
|
|
August 2006
Day one: Cedaredge to Montrose, south to C062, Dallas Divide, south over Lizardhead Pass to Cortez, McElmo Canyon west to Aneth UT, Bluff, north up Moki Dugway to UT95, northwest to UT276, southwest through Ticaboo, northwest on partly-unpaved Burr Trail Road to Boulder UT, unpaved Hell's Backbone road to Aquarius Plateau, unpaved road over the plateau north to Bicknell. |
| |||
|
Day Two: west to Loa, UT72 north to I-70, a fast ride east past Grand Junction CO to CO65, south over Grand Mesa and home.
Trip distance: 832 miles.
Verle Nelson
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Narrative click pictures for enlargement
|
| I had not been over the Aquarius Plateau since the mid '70s when my wife and I rode it two-up and now can't remember whether we rode an 850 Norton or a 650 Yamaha. We both agree we first rode the Burr Trail southeast out of Boulder on the Norton. Back then, the Burr trail and connecting road to Lake Powell was 70 miles of gravel rather than 2/3 paved as it is now. I think it was the same trip, that first time we rode the Burr Trail, we came over the Aquarius Plateau from Bicknell, then rode Hell's Backbone to Boulder. I've wanted to visit the Aquarius Plateau again but it never seemed to be conveniently between where I was and where I was going. I planned this ride to include the Aquarius Plateau. |
| There are quicker ways to get to Boulder Utah, better routes than the one I chose, but I needed to stop at Bluff and knew from experience that the route through Cortez and McElmo Canyon was as quick as any. Worried about weather, I left at 6:00 A.M. Even with wet roads, rain at Ridgway, rain at Rico, hard rain at Cortez and light rain coming out of McElmo Canyon, I made good time and arrived at Bluff at 10:15 A.M. I had a late breakfast with a friend in Bluff and left Bluff at 11:35 A.M. heading west. After leaving frequently-patrolled US163 near Mexican Hat, I rode hard and fast up Moki Dugway on UT261 north to UT95, northwest across Hite to UT276, back south to Ticaboo — 153 miles from Bluff to Ticaboo in 1 hr. and 52 min. From Ticaboo I took the road to the Burr Trail, Burr Trail to Boulder, Hell's Backbone and north over the rainy, muddy Aquarius Plateau to Bicknell, arriving in Bicknell at 5:30 P.M. — 535 miles for the day, 292 miles for the afternoon ride, about 100 of those miles unpaved gravel, dirt, sand and mud. I was committed to trying this ride but was never sure I could do it in one day, especially with rain, until I was 20 miles from my destination. |
| The unpaved Hells Backbone road, a pretty ride up into the high country of the Aquarius Plateau, has one outstanding feature: Hells Backbone Ridge, for which the road is named. Hells Backbone is a short and narrow ridge connecting two very large plateaus. The ridge is so narrow it was necessary for the Civilian Conservation Corps to construct a bridge, or trestle, when they built the road during the Great Depression Era of the 1930's as an alternative route between Escalante and Boulder. The precipitous walls on either side drop hundreds of feet into separate deep chasms where the heads of Death Hollow and Sand Creek have cut deeply into the Navajo Sandstone. |
| From high points even before Tikaboo, I could see ominous storm clouds hanging over the Aquarius Plateau. It seemed unlikely I would be able to cross it. I needed information. I don't normally ask locals for directions or advice because I've learned from experience I rarely get good answers. Somewhere past the Hells Backbone Bridge, I saw a Forest Service Pickup parked by the side of the road with a pretty young woman and an eager teen-age male (summer help I presume) up-righting the pole on a yellow caution curve sign. I figured a Forest Service employee should know about forest roads. I stopped and asked about the road over the Aquarius Plateau to Bicknell. She said it was graded gravel to Posey Lake and graded dirt beyond. She also said that even though the dirt road could get impassable if wet enough, she didn't think it had rained much yet. I thanked the pretty woman, nodded to the grinning teenager who had said nothing and clearly could think of little but his good fortune in being way out in the boonies with a pretty young woman. I hope they got the curve sign straight. I continued on to the Aquarius Plateau. |
| The Aquarius Plateau, in central southern Utah, is south of Loa, Bicknell and Torrey, north of Escalante and Boulder. The plateau is approximately thirty-five miles long and fifteen miles wide. Bounded by Boulder Mountain to the east and Escalante Mountain to the west, the Aquarius Plateau is in the center but includes all three. The highest point is Bluebell Knoll at 11,253 feet. |
| According to many, this is the grandest of all the high plateaus. The Plateau was named in the mid-1870s by the Powell Survey's A. H. Thompson who, along with other members of the party, reported, "The slopes we were crossing were full of leaping torrents and clear lakes. They were so covered with these that the plateau afterwards was given the name Aquarius. Its broad summit is clad with dense forests of spruces opening in grassy parks, and sprinkled with scores of lakes filled by the melting snows. We have seen it afar off, its long straight crest-line stretched across the sky like the threshold of another world. On three sides, south, west, and east, it is walled by dark battlements of volcanic rock, and its long slopes beneath descend into the dismal desert. The explorer who sits upon the brink of its parapet looking off into the southern and eastern haze, who skirts its lava-cap or clambers up and down its vast ravines, who builds his campfire by the borders of its snow fed lakes or stretches himself beneath its giant pines and spruces, forgets that he is a geologist and feels himself a poet." |
|
|
The plateau is now crossed between Escalante and Bicknell by a groomed and graveled unpaved road where 30-some years ago we found an easy enough but primitive two-track 4WD trail. Older maps may show this road as partly 4WD now but the entire road is suitable to 2WD vehicles when dry. Despite the ominous clouds, the road remained dry for several miles. At Posey Lake, the road changed in appearance — it looked like dirt but still had a significant gravel content. A few miles beyond Posey Lake it begin to rain, lightly at first. Soon my trailing dust cloud disappeared, the tracks began to take on a wet sheen and finally, the ruts were running a stream of water and I was slipping and sliding. I slid into a rut and discovered there was gravel under the running water and that was the place to ride. I continued on. It rained hard. I had to raise my helmet visor to keep it from fogging and it got water beaded on both sides reducing visibility. I continued on. I met a pickup and the driver appeared to stop behind me but I continued on. I was still climbing but the road was not steep. I maintained traction in my water filled rut and was able to do this without putting my feet down in the mud. I had no idea how far it was to Bicknell but obviously I should be headed down long before getting there. Eventually I could see blue sky through the base of the pine trees and thought this could be the edge of the plateau. It wasn't. I had only crossed a rise and was now descending onto great expansive meadows. I continued on. A few miles more and the rain begin to slacken. Another couple miles and it had quit. I felt elated and stopped to take a picture. |
| I continued north across the endless beautiful high meadows. The road eventually became nearly dry again and I traveled one of the most satisfying graveled roads I can remember, easily comfortable now at speeds up to 80MPH. Ahead I could still see lightning and dark rain clouds but surely now I was going to make it. Finally, I came to a fork with the town of Loa an option. Loa is only a few miles from Bicknell so I took that fork. Later, another fork gave me the option of going to Bicknell. I took that fork and in a mile or two, topped a rise and there in the valley ahead was the town of Bicknell, my destination for the day. |
| Few people would choose Bicknell, Utah as a destination and I'm happy to be one of those few. With a population of only 300-plus people, the town mostly serves the local farming community. Located on UT24, the highway that crosses Capitol Reef National Park about 20 miles east, Bicknell does get a few tourists passing through. Perhaps that accounts for a rather large motel, the Aquarius Inn. More to my liking, though, is the smaller family owned and franchise-free Sunglow Motel and Cafe. I had breakfast there once, vowing to return and try the modestly priced motel. After riding in cold, wet, mud, heat and dust, a refreshing shower and relaxing, simple meal was a welcome respite. |
| Bicknell must be lenient with Off Road Vehicles. While eating dinner, I saw two unlicensed dirt bikes go by on city streets. Coming out of the restaurant, I saw a guy riding down the main street (UT24) on an ATV. He turned into the Motel parking parking lot and parked in front of the room next to me. Until late evening, there was nothing much except motor toys in the motel parking lot. |
| I like Utah State Highway 72 from Fremont to Exit 89 on I-70 — it goes on north from there but I don't like that part much. The part from Fremont to I-70, although only about 28 miles, is a wonderful ride with smooth pavement, grand vistas and sweeping curves as it makes a low pass through some of central southern Utah's beautiful high country. Once away from Fremont and out of the farming valley there are no homes. It's a lonely road. Traffic is usually light to non-existent. Dark, menacing summer storms are common. The view at times can stretch for more miles than the eye can see. There are longer roads and prettier roads but nevertheless, UT72 is one of my favorites. On this ride, I met one pickup between Fremont and I-70. |
| Traffic on I-70 was moving fast, even when it rained hard on the San Rafael Swell. I moved fast with traffic until exiting for CO65 east of Grand Junction. Plateau Canyon is a favorite road so I did a little toe-dragging there. I had two road-construction waits on Grand Mesa but nevertheless I got to Cedaredge by 12:30, in time for lunch. |
|
I rode in the rain frequently, three times in hard rain. I never got wet, not even a little. I'm not going to describe the virtues of my Darian Jacket and pants — either you understand the qualities of Goretex or you don't. My Sidi On Road Sympatex boots are considered by many to be the best wet-weather boots you can buy. I do want to praise the three-fingered Gortex over-gloves I used on this trip. I've had them awhile and used them often. They work. They always work. Some people look at these gloves in the Aerostich catalog and say, "They cost too much." I say, until you show me a similar product with comparable quality, I will consider these over-gloves a bargain. Easy to carry in jacket pocket or tankbag and easy to put on, they provide complete rain protection (and wind protection as well) over any regular gloves you choose to wear.
Most rides are good, some rides are great. I would enthusiastically recommend this ride to anyone who has the appropriate motorcycle and is looking for something different, away from the crowd. Would I do it again? Tomorrow, if I could. |