An spontaneous adventure bike ride report.

[Gravy]

@glockman and I took an impromptu, spontaneous, last minute and very unplanned adventure bike ride on Monday and it worked out amazing.

I chose the unconventional adventure bike: my Ducati Scrambler- a small framed hooligan with real offroading chops. Pirelli MT60s. Actual KYB forks and shock. Sporting an air cooled 803cc wide L twin motor with a Dart windshield and just over 1k miles on the ODO.
Between my tiny Ducati saddlebags and tank bag and my Giant Loop Coyote I managed to keep all my gear (including 6L of water) on the bike.



After cruising up over Parley's in the unbelievable cold and snow (32°F at the end of June was not comfy at 80+ mph).
We met up in Heber and found no place to eat out of the elements. Gas and a cold lunch at a picnic table outside of a Subway made me add another shirt to ward off freezing to death. So rather than plan stuff we got on the bikes and rode.
The only real solid idea: to head south up Daniel's summit to avoid the coming rain that chased me out of SLC.

From there we jumped off pavement and onto Strawberry Ridge up into the clouds and even a little snow. The dirt was amazing and so is selectable rear ABS 80ish HP and a light 411lb Italian princess.



We rode over Hobble Creek connected to the Water Trails and eventually out Diamond Fork which is a bunch of dirt for a Ducati. Diamond Fork area we found out is getting some major dirt road reworking. But the winding asphalt was pretty epic.





Out onto highway 6 for a minute to Tucker (which isn't really a place as much as a blip on the map)

 

[Kevin B.]

Ducati Scrambler

Any relation to the BSA Scrambler? Dad had one of those once, I've always wanted something like it.

 

[Gravy]

relation to the BSA Scrambler? Dad had one of those once, I've always wanted something like it.

Only that they're both Scramblers. (Basically a road bike kitted to go off-road). Currently Ducati and Triumph make a Scrambler (by name) and Royal Enfield, Yamaha and others make them (by style)

 

[Gravy]

Dirt is cool and we like dirt so back to dirt. FR150 also known as Skyline drive is an amazing stretch of dirt that runs through a section of burned forest with some views to impress a landscape artist.
By chance we passed a friend from or desert race club in her truck heading out to cut firewood and she said hello!

The top of skyline is mostly improved 2 track and it was cold! Beautiful and full of green scenery!

Views of Lower Gooseberry reservoir were impressive before we once again jumped off dirt and down Fairview canyon. A better ribbon of asphalt for bikes that like off-road couldn't be found except for a few slow moving logging trucks.

A quick splash of gas and a phone call to a friend firmed up our next plan when he invited us to his place to watch some freestyle MX practice.

I can ride a (mostly street) bike all over the mountains but crossing a 6" muddy ditch from a gravel road to a field at 2mph is where I draw the line (and tip over) into said field.

Some people talk about what they can do on a bike: Sean is the real deal.

 

[Gravy]

After hanging out for a while we jammed out to I70 at Salina and East an exit to Gooseberry where we shot up the canyon to find a camping spot before dark.
Rehydrated food is pretty good these days.



225 miles of mixed dirt and street (starting at noon) is nothing to sniff at so I had no trouble falling asleep despite 9 bazillion cows mooing their love songs and the chainsaw fighting a grizzly bear in the next tent over.

 

[nnnnnate]

Those Ducatis are AWESOME. Did you buy that one used ? (I know you said it only had 1k miles on it.) I would love love love one of them.

 

[Gravy]

Those Ducatis are AWESOME. Did you buy that one used ? (I know you said it only had 1k miles on it.) I would love love love one of them.

I bought it used yes. It had just under 1k on it a few months ago. I've put 1200 miles on it shortly.
I picked the classic model for the wire spoke wheels which are stronger than cast aluminum and better for what I do and taller bars.
It's pretty amazing. The fit and finish on Ducatis is unlike any other bike I've had. And I've had a few bikes.

 

[nnnnnate]

Did you consider the triumph? I kind of like the high exhaust better on the Triumph but imagine the Ducati is butter smooth.

 

[Gravy]

Did you consider the triumph? I kind of like the high exhaust better on the Triumph but imagine the Ducati is butter smooth.

I did not consider the triumph as it's heavier (44+ lbs) and has significantly less horsepower (15-20 less) and the suspension is a good deal less refined.

If it's high exhaust you want termi makes one.

 

[glockman]

Am I the chain saw or the grizzly bear?

 

[Gravy]

Am I the chain saw or the grizzly bear?

Yes

 

[Gravy]

Day #2
We woke up in Squaw Hollow to the sweet melodious moos of a thousand cows and made some brekky before breaking camp and heading up over Gooseberry.

 

[Gravy]

We made it to fish lake for a quick break. I had a little range anxiety at 92 miles, so I got gas at the boat dock. Made the two kids day I think they looked bored sitting in the Marina shack. They were worried about making me pay $3.75 a gallon. I took two gallons. Ooof. LoL.

 

[Gravy]

Then down into Loa for gas and lunch


Double decker bus place is good!

 

[Gravy]

At Torrey we turn off north at Sand Creek.
And headed up the Torrey GWT trailhead.





If you have a random old guy in denim on denim give you advice, he'll send you up a black diamond switchback ATV/mc only connector trail. This is a great idea for a 400+ lb Scrambler and 530+ dual sport.... Haha. The trail to get to the black diamond switchback was still nasty hard and rocky.
I ended up tipping over on a tight steep silt switchback because Chad stopped ahead of me when he didn't make a rocky hill climb. He got sideways and back tire off the trail. I picked up my bike and jammed up the hill then ran down to help him. After we yanked the back tire back back on trail I got pelted with a rock shower when I pushed him to a start.

It's pretty incredible what these suckers will do. These trails would be legitimately difficult on a normal dirtbike and the switchback I wouldn't have attempted on a standard dirtbike maybe 7 years ago.

We got a little lost for a minute but got to explore a bunch of ATV trails. And do a river crossing twice!

 

[Gravy]

River crossing. @glockman

 

[Gravy]

Looking out over the Swell.

Out onto the 72 which was the best string of asphalt of the whole trip. And up to I70.

Crossed I70 onto the 10 north (which is the most boring and straight and windy section of our ride). To Orangeville (Castle Dale) for more gas and shade glorious shade at like 150miles.



and up Joe canyon.
Joe canyon is amazing! So curvy and the views are spectacular! And you get to Joe lake at the top.

 

[Gravy]

So at maybe 195 miles we stopped earlier in the day to camp for the night. Fewer miles but the most hard technical off-road and I was ready to rest. We were going to look for some place off the beaten path to camp but there's no dispersed camping on the lake shore and a great FS spot next to the lake.
I'll definitely come back to that lake, it's outstanding!

(Hummingbirds and the camp hosts).

We had to bum a pen and change for the camp spot off some old hippie couple that were pretty cool.



Firewood pack mules



Our spot was 20yds from an Egret nest with chicks!

 

[Gravy]

Day 3 was a day of lakes.
Not a bad view to woke up to.


Rolled up camp and hit the dirt.
Cruised past Miller flat reservoir, Rolfson reservoir, Cleveland reservoir and then Huntington reservoir.

Out onto pavement for a minute.
Around Fairview lake on a section of the Huntington loop and through Beaver dam and onto Skyline drive again.

 

[Gravy]

Around electric lake and then down coal canyon and Whiskey canyon which has got the really long crazy coal shoot next to the road.

Next out around Scofield reservoir and over Joe's ridge on the 96.

A quick and windy jaunt down highway 6 to Soldier Summit for gas and C store lunch then back onto dirt on FR131.


If you haven't done FR131, it's rough it's chopped up asphalt for a few miles and then tons of potholes in the dirt for a long long while. Then some great high country through a beetle kill forest.


This was dusty but very pretty work.