Torrey XVI Chicks and Camels Dig Me

It is Torrey Time. By now most of you know that this is part of the world I go explore 2 times a year to be with friends, ride motorcycles, go back country exploring and just get away from the hassles of real life for a time. This trip is really overdue since the stress is running higher than normal and it is showing some in my behavior. This trip will not have me pulling a bike. Other than my gear in a dry bag in the Jeep (I will get to this in a bit), I am caging it up to Utah this morning.

Leaving Phoenix before dawn, I make my way up to Flagstaff where I get a cup of coffee and top off the tank. From there it is up through Kayenta, Monument Valley and to the Dugway. The jeep likes 70-75. It will do 80 for a bit but it doesn't feel good, so I decide to take the pace a little lighter. The minute I touch the gravel on the Dugway though, it is a different story. It pulls up the hill at a great pace and since I am by myself there is nobody screaming in shear panic as I go up the cliff with no guard rails at 50mph rally style. The traction control works by the way. :)


A view from half way up the Dugway. Notice the full size motor home. It even had German plates on it. Very worthy so far.


The new Jeep near Hite Utah looks at home. It is a 2008 which I bought used. Only has about 3000 miles on it. I still have the Mr. G for now but the 300 is gone. I will miss it, but this is much more Tommy Neumann.


As much as I am enjoying the Jeep, I do wish at this moment I had the GT. The weather today near Hite is PERFECT, the road is in great shape and would love to run this stretch about 10 times before heading to Bobs. But the road waits. I get to Torrey and decide, I better go check on my pal. So Louise and I set off with a bag of celery and carrots.


My man Fletcher is doing really good. And I think he remembers me because he is not near as shy as he is with other folks. Of course it might be the carrots but I think Camels Dig me.

Larry, Louise, John LT and Norah and Russell are already in Torrey and we decide that we are going to have dinner in Boulder. Now you may be thinking that there can’t be any great places to eat in the middle of nowhere Utah, but let me tell you there are some great places that are far off the beaten path but known globally. Tonight we are dining at Hell’s Backbone which has been featured in Gourmet magazines and even by Oprah. And you know what a big fan of Oprah I am.


We drive about 40 minutes from Torrey up over the mountain and Larry takes the time to try out the Jeep. He wants more power but enjoys it. We get to the front door, and find a beautiful cozy place with a table for us. Now it is the end of September, 200 miles from any major city, and on a Wednesday night the place is packed. All the food is organic. I think it is because there is no chemical company willing to go this far out to spray or maybe the bugs got lost finding the fields out here.


Several appetizers are shared including this amazing fondue with local fruit. YUMMMY

The place is both simple, Western and elegant at the same time. I will be making this a regular stop going forward. Oh it isn’t cheap, but you get what you pay for.



The company on the hand is priceless. I doubt I could give them away if I tried. You have to ask Bob about the wait staff since he claims to know about them.

PHOTO BY WHIP
We take the ride back down the mountain and it is dark and there are animals about. I am using most of the road since nobody but us is stupid enough to drive on a deer and cow infested mountain at night.


I am up early now and off to take pictures of the morning glow hitting the Aspens. It is about 40 degrees and after a hot summer in Phoenix, it feels great to have the morning chill on my face as I greet the dawn.


The Aspens are in full color this morning and do wonders for reducing the stress level.
But we have more exploring to do so it is off to Bob’s to meet the gang and get back in the saddle for another run into the Canyons.

For the rest of today the front top is going to be off on the jeep. It is so nice to not need AC for a change



First stop is an abandoned Ranch near the end of the scenic loop road in Capitol Reef. It is so pretty here

Ok so it would need a little TLC, but if the market goes South, I know where to go!

The views from the Ranch are fantastic

PHOTO BY “VLAD THE IMPALER”, I love that name more than Russell
The road has some challenges but the Jeep is made for it. There is nothing like knowing that odds are the only way you are going to get stuck is if you get stupid. The Jeep really is the best form of transport for the lifestyle I lead. Now we need to come up with a name.




Icing on the cake is having 3 beautiful ladies on the road as well. Norah, Vicki, and Louise are always fun, and as we bump along the road, we talk about some pretty diverse topics. Some things are better left in the Jeep though


As we climb up Boulder Mountain the vistas become stunning and the group is having a glorious time! I also think more and more that I can’t wait to come explore some of the side roads around here in the future.


The Road is rocky but easily passable and the weather is amazing!

Every angle is beautiful and the Henry’s in the distance also will be explored in the next 12 months if I have anything to say about it!


We decide on a whim to show Norah Fletcher. They get along famously!


So I lose a bet when Fletcher eats a Banana where I thought he wouldn’t . Louise is of course right as usual.


So I like to think I have the Hutzpah to go into the back country and rough it. My man Boney is a true Adventure rider. On his KTM he just takes off by himself and goes to places I just dream about going to. The brother is a great pal and I love getting to see him in Torrey.
DAY 3

Leaving the cabin early I head up to catch the sunrise. It is worth getting up for.



We have now lifted the horse picture ban. They have a nice life I tell ya

You can take the boy out of Detroit…but the Detroit….Louis gets the wheel and Larry and I walk back to the Chuckwagon.

We make a great new friend on the way back. This was just one mondo cool Pooch.

We decide to go take a hike in the park. I want to go out into the back country, but work keeps calling and I need to work some issues. So out here I escape for a bit.


I am loving the wash and the vistas are amazing.


While hiking I come upon a wise man in the desert. This man tells me that I need to beware of Texans and mad men dressed in NEON YELLOW. I thank him and wander on down the trail.



The different erosion patterns are amazing to look at. Earth Science Rocks.


This guy is nice enough to guard the jeep while we hike the area

We then make our way to the Fruita portion of the park where you can see wildlife, and see how the original settlers lived in the area. They also have some of the best pies in the world!

A deer runs through the pear orchards and catches my eye


We get our pie and use this cool ford truck as a picnic table. It is a worthy table don’t you think?


As we drive into Torrey from the park we come upon a real cattle drive.


The cows and cowboy show no fear of me. In fact they seem to be pro models.


As we pull back into the hotel I find a young rider to hang out with. What a fun cool baby,

Stay tuned as I have another tale that will go up this weekend.

Tommy

Cornville and the Big Ditch. A Short Tale

Trying to catch up on a few photos. Two Saturdays ago, we took a short ride up to Cornville, AZ, then up to the Grand Canyon and then back Here are a few photos


A nice private lake


Lilies on the pond


Straight out of Gary Larson


He lived up to the hype


The big ditch Look for the birds


More of the ditch



The little Colorado River Gorge!


The sun sets and the moon rises on the painted desert.

Mr G and the Adventure Accountant!

OK, a lot is going on in my life right now and I need to get out into the back country for a few hours and clear my head. Since Mr. G has a new transmission because of the failure of the speed control sensor I have the means to get out again. In the interim, I have been riding my motorcycles a lot and this has helped me keep from going bonkers but a trip with my cameras is a must do. Over the past few weeks a lot of people have asked about going out with me into the back country. I have taken several people and we all know it has been a success. Today will be no different as I get the call from the “Adventure Accountant” Barb asking if there is room in Mr. G. And as important as a knife, some matches are to the outdoors, having an “Adventure Accountant” is about as critical as it gets! We meet at the usual spot in Tempe and set off towards Four Peaks. I want a road that is a little challenging to try out the Mr. G but still have enough traffic in case he has issues. Plus, the last two weekends as I ride the Bee Line Highway, I have noticed flowers normally seen in April blooming because of the rain. She is totally a great partner and agrees that this plan will work. The desert is incredibly green right now because of all the storms here this summer. Barb just jumps right in as we stop and begins to take some snapshots. I love it when I am out in the desert and the other person just starts looking for things to photograph. It really helps to have more then one style, and even a set of eyes out there. I mean this outfit comes right out of the “Out of Africa” sequel trailer. The key to being outside is a good hat and comfortable clothes. Some of the little critters were having a field day with the blooming cactus. It is amazing the number of different insects there are. Even if you don't like them, they are amazing creatures The sky is super clear as we continue up the mountain. The weather is amazingly cool for the end of August too. Barb is a hoot to hang out with and we are laughing a lot which makes for a worthy trip. Usually you have to wait for Spring in Arizona for the amount of wild flowers in bloom. I still need to go get that Arizona Botany Book since I have no clue what these are. Barb is a total natural at taking pictures and has no fear to get right down into the thick of the environment. PHOTO BY BARB She catches me doing the photo happy dance laughing. It is so glorious out here! PHOTO BY BARB Me and the Mr. G. He is running like a champ and makes me very happy that I have him back. He is like a pair of shoes that you just feel comfortable in. Oh and he turned 153K this ride. PHOTO BY BARB A cool shot of the Berries. Everything is just so lush out here today. We crest the top of the peak and it is in the 70's (A more accurate measurement is omitted for reasons you have to ask Barb) We make our way down to to the meadow seen in the above picture to take a break and do some hiking. Well getting there is going to be a little bit of a challenge but I need to see how Mr. G will do in 4 wheel drive so we go for it. NEXT 3 PICS BY BARB It actually isn't that hard other than being a little steep and washed out. The view we get of the lake is pretty amazing from here and we are really enjoying ourselves. We need to wander for a bit though and set off to explore the area. I have never seen these before and without the Botany Book that I really need to buy, I haven't a clue what it is or if it poisonous. Since I like Barb at this moment, I decide to not risk having her try it. We see a lot of butterfly's out and about and they are actually amazing creatures to watch. The flowers are loving the weather we have been experiencing here. As we wander about the area we come upon what appears to be an old corral that hasn't been used for some time. As usual, I get mesmerized by the old fence posts.. We explore the area some more but it is getting to the point that we need to either leave or take the safe way home because of the storms that will be there soon. We get back to the top of Roosevelt lake and the water level is really high. The area we are in is almost swampy and I would love to come back in a small boat and explore it some in the coming weeks. Some Logs, but no beavers. I really need to get some pictures of bears and beavers this year. It is driving me crazy. Some Cormorants making noise in a dead tree, These clowns are so fun to watch. We make our way down to the Apache Trail since Barb hasn't been on it for several years. The ride back is really nice but I am nervous because we are at the point in the day that a lot of drunk people pulling boats shouldn't be on the narrow road we are. As we climb out of Fish Creek a lone bird comes flying by. I can't help but start humming “Free Bird” to myself. Barb isn't ready for my melodious voice so I keep it to myself. The light as we come up the road is perfect too. I am not the only one on the lookout for Drunks coming from the lake. Usually that many leos means one of us got a little carried away on the bikes, but today I am glad they are there. It truly is an uber worthy day and I can't wait to get out again in the coming weeks. Stay Tuned folks! Some good trips are coming up. Tommy

The Cats Revolted This Weekend

I have been grounded by my seldom photographed cat Liam. That look says that there will be no trips this weekend. Besides, with no Mr. G and a back that is acting up, I am actually getting some things done around the house.



Like cleaning up the other bike I own. The glorious 2002 R1150RT has taken me from California to Texas. This moto is most likely going to be sold by Autumn since it and the GT are too similar to keep. What I get next is anyones guess.


But the minute I try to put the helmet on, Mr Jesus Perez is there to lay down the law. I have no idea where they have hidden my keys.

Remember next weekend is when I have offered to take anyone interested out for the day to shoot some photos. If you haven't yet, let me know ASAP so we can make sure that we have room for you! It will be worthy,

Tommy