Cyclerides.com
Weekly Update
9/8/10
Greetings Riders,
Well, the last 3-day holiday weekend
for the Summer has passed and we now look forward to the Fall season and what that will bring. I read in the paper a couple of days ago that
this was the 9th hottest summer on record in Phoenix and the 5th hottest for
overnight lows. Even though the daytime average temps of 105.3 was normal, the
evening temps were about 3 degrees above normal setting several record lows.
August is always a bear for me, but that is behind us and the forecast of 2
digit temperatures through the weekend are encouraging. It will soon be perfect
evening riding hopefully just in time for the first Cyclerides.com/Westgate Bike Night on Thursday, September 16th. Plan to stop by and participate in the
first big event of the Fall riding season and enjoy the Live Music of Urban
Roots.
I was going to bring you Day 3 of the
Oregon Ride but I really wanted to highlight the ride we took this
past weekend because there is still time to take this ride before the snow
falls.
Mrs. C. and I usually like to take
these 3-day weekend opportunities and stretch them into 3 1/2 by hitting the
road on a Friday afternoon. We had 3 possible ideas of rides for
the weekend but finally settled on doing the Coronado Trail, one of the best
routes in the state. The Coronado Trail, aka Arizona Route 191 runs from
Springerville, AZ to Clifton. This road is also recognized by the NSBP as one of
the 3 National Scenic Byways and 2 All-American Roads in the State of
Arizona. What are National Scenic Byways? Here is the description from the NSBP
web site:
"The National Scenic Byways (NSB) Program was
established under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991,
and reauthorized in 1998 under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st
Century. Under the program, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation recognizes
certain roads as National Scenic Byways or All-American Roads based on their
archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic qualities.
There are 150 such designated Byways in 46 states. The Federal Highway
Administration promotes the collection as the America's
Byways®."
Now that you know the description, I can tell
you for sure they got it right with the Coronado Trail. We got a
late start on this particular getaway Friday as we didn't leave the NW valley
until 3pm. Probably the worst possible time to leave the Phoenix area on a 110
degree day. Our route was to take U.S. 60 up through the Salt River Canyon to
Show Low and Springerville, then Hwy. 180 down to Alpine. A total of
about 270 miles. The goal was to get to Alpine before dark, but at this point,
that wasn't going to happen.
We made it about 65 total miles and had to duck
into a QT for some air conditioning and a couple bottles of water
before we could make a mad dash for some higher elevation and cooler temps.
(Remember, dehydration is very serious, rehydrate before you get too
hot). After getting cooled off we were on the road again and soon climbing
in elevation where we got to tolerable temperatures in the upper 90's.
I don't take 60 that much throughout the year.
But when I do, I am always reminded of how good of a motorcycle ride that is.
That stretch just North of Superior is as pretty
as anything you can see and the Canyon
is gorgeous especially when the sun is illuminating the rocks. (See
this from the air) And making your way through the high desert into
the pines of Show Low is a very enjoyable ride. It is just getting out of town
or coming back into the valley is what really sucks. We hit a little bit of rain
just South of Show Low which was less than enough to get the rain suits
out, but more than enough to get you damp enough to be cold when the temperature
drops.
We entered Show Low at about 7 pm which meant it
was starting to get dark and much cooler now that we were at over
6000 feet in elevation. I knew that we had 70 miles to go to Alpine and I was
not looking forward to the last leg of this ride. It was now getting darker
by the minute, we were damp and it was getting colder by the mile as we climbed
to as high as 8500 feet in elevation just outside of Alpine. And to add a
little bit of excitement to the ride, they sell license plates in Alpine
declaring it "Elk Country". So I was cold, it was pitch black and I had my
eyes glued to the sides of the road watching for Elk. Fortunately we ran the
gauntlet without seeing any and I was extremely happy to finally see the sign to
Tal
Wi Wi lodge on my left.
For those of you keeping score, it was 277
miles, 5:20 minutes with 40 minutes stopped and a 50 degree drop in temperature.
Ironic that when we left the valley we about had heat exhaustion,
and when we arrived in Alpine we couldn't get the heat on fast enough. That is
Arizona for you, it doesn't take long to change seasons here. We got checked
into the Tal-Wi-Wi, had some dinner at the Rusty Cactus restaurant and then a
night cap at the Longhorn Saloon, all right there on the property. If you are
going that way, this is a superb place to stay. Newly remodeled rooms, friendly
owners, great food and a lot of fun. http://www.talwiwilodge.com/
After a good "warm" night sleep, we were up
early to get loaded and grab some breakfast at the Bear Wallow restaurant in Alpine before embarking on what could be argued to be the best
motorcycle route in the state. As far as Cyclerides.com is concerned, it is the
only day ride that has been given 5 spokes out of 5. I could give you the
history of the road and have done it before. It was the route near where
Coronado traveled as he searched for the "Seven Cities of Cibola" over 450 years
ago, Blah, Blah, Blah. Cool information if you are a
historian, but I'm here to ride a 95 mile patch of asphalt
that could be called a motorcycle rider Nirvana. The
fact that some guy was on a treasure hunt riding a horse really has no relevance
on how I am about to enjoy the next 2.5 hours of my life on a motorcycle.
What makes this a 5 spoke ride in my
opinion? There are a few things.
This route is more than just a 20 mile jaunt
through some trees or a canyon and you are done. It is 95 miles
that takes you through a couple of ecosystems, you literally go from Pines to
Palms. Going from North to South you will encounter a drop of 6000 feet in
elevation while experiencing a 30 degree increase in temperature. You will
wind your way through over 400 curves and enjoy vistas that you can see for 50
miles on a clear day. Coming from Alpine you go through Hannagan
Meadow about 25 miles South and will climb to as high as 9400 feet
through the Aspens
and Pines before descending to around 6-7000 feet for the next hour
as you wind your way along the rim, taking in the vast views into New Mexico and
Southern Arizona while enjoying the beautiful outcropping of boulders along the
way.
About 75 miles South of Alpine you will be at
about 6000 feet and get this awesome view of the road
below. This will start your descent for the next 20 miles into
the mining areas of Morenci and Clifton which will end what might have been the
most enjoyable 2.5-3 hours you have spent riding your motorcycle, certainly in
Arizona. Clifton is your first stop for gas, water, etc. There is about 95
miles between gas stops. Hannagan Meadow has one pump but is only open certain
hours and we stopped there once and they were out of gas. So my recommendation
would be to fill up in Alpine and again in Clifton. Wow! Just writing this makes
me want to do it all again this weekend.
Once we got gas and snacks at the Shell station
in Clifton, we continued South to Hwy. 78 where we turned East to
New Mexico. This road starts out kind of tame but turns into one excellent
35 mile ride over the mountains from Three Way to Hwy. 180 in New Mexico.
If Silver City is your destination, go South on 180 and you are only 46 miles
away. If you are doing the loop back to Alpine, go North on 180 and you have a
beautiful 73 mile ride ahead of you back to Alpine and 8000 feet in
elevation.
There is one little side trip that I will
recommend on your way back to Alpine that we thought was really fun. After you turn North on 180 go about 20 miles and you will see a sign
that identifies the turnoff on Hwy. 159 to the old ghost town of Mogollon,
NM. This is an old mining town from the mid 1800's that is now a tourist stop.
There was even a movie shot there in 1973 with Henry Fonda called "My Name is
Nobody". There are still a couple of the movie sets and buildings that were used
in the movie. It is a 9 mile in and back out ride. The first 4 miles are a nice
2 lane road and then it turns into a one
lane road for the next 5 miles into Mogollon. You will climb 2000
feet on this road before you drop down into Mogollon. The road is in descent
shape, but it is a very narrow one lane road with some blind
corners that you will need to go very slow on. But it is more than
worth the trip to see this old town with a lot of history. And if you like
beauty shots for your bike, it provides some of those. Here
is one. See links below for information.
Once you get back to Alpine you can go to Payson
and drop down into the valley or go back down the 60 and the Salt
River Canyon. Whichever way you go, it is a very enjoyable and scenic. Here are
some mileages from Phoenix using I-17 and the Loop 101 as the starting point.
You can deduct or add your mileage from there.
I-17 and 101 to Alpine, AZ via Globe: 265
miles.
Alpine to Alpine Loop via Coronado Trial
and Hwy. 180: 210 miles.
Alpine to 1-17 and 101 via Payson, AZ:
250 miles.
For a total of 725 miles.
It can be done in 2 days with a long second day.
But it is best to take off on a Friday afternoon and get a few
miles out of the way to Payson or Show Low. We went to Alpine that Friday
afternoon totaling 277 miles. Then did the loop, Mogollon and to Munds Park via
Holbrook for a total of 460 miles that day. Just for reference it takes at least
2.5-3 hours minimum just to go from Alpine to Clifton and about 5.5
hours to do the Alpine to Alpine loop. Budget an hour to go to Mogollon if
you stop for a bit.
There is still plenty of time to plan this trip,
but it will be getting cold and snowy as you get into late October
on the Trail, so you might want to do it in the next 4 weeks or so to be sure.
After doing this route again, it has only solidified the 5 spoke rating I gave
it 5 years ago. I highly recommend it. See some informational and photo links
below.
Click Here for Google Map.
Useful Links:
Tidbits and Updates:
There is a very interesting event coming up that
local Harley Dealer Buddy Stubbs is participating in. It is called the Motorcycle
Cannonball Endurance Run that kicks off on Friday, September 10th.
The catch is, to participate you have to ride a Pre 1916 motorcycle
and the ride goes 3300 miles from Coast to Coast and takes 16 days to complete.
The race starts in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina and ends in Santa Monica, CA. The
average day will be 250 miles, which is a lot considering most of the bikes can
only do 35 - 50 mph. Considering most of these bikes would normally be setting
idle in a museum, it is really nice to see these bikes out on the road. Buddy
will be riding a 1915 Excelsior Twin with a left hand sidecar. This bike is in
original condition and has never been restored. Read the complete story on Buddy in the
Cannonball Run. To see the bike and hear Buddy tell you the history of it,
Click Here. The
route will be coming through Flagstaff on Thursday, September 23rd on the
way to Santa Monica. If you would like to see the bikes and the riders, Click
Here for the tour stops. Click Here for the
daily route and
mileages.
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The collection of photos on the
Cyclerides.com Smugmug page is now getting large. See photos from
Rides, Events, Flying, Cyclerides.com Video and others. Click Here to see
gallery.
This Week
Saturday, September 11th
9-11 Ride
and Heroes Festival. Heroes Festival on 9/11 Remembers the Sacrifices
Made by Those at Ground Zero while Raising Money for Local Public Safety Charity
the 100 Club.
Ashley Manor in Chandler will be hosting the first
annual Heroes Festival on 9/11 as a day to remember those that were lost and to
celebrate those who continue to serve. The day will begin with the Heroes
Festival Motorcycle Ride from Cave Creek to Ashley Manor followed by the main
event, Heroes Festival, featuring a special tribute to 9/11 heroes, live music,
comedic entertainment by Mark Cordes “The Spouse Whisperer”, and local brew
& food. All proceeds from the ride and event registrations will benefit the
100 Club of Arizona, a local non-profit that provides immediate financial
support to public safety officers and firefighters who are seriously injured or
killed in the line of duty.
Check In at Cody's, Hideaway and Buffalo Chip in Cave Creek
from 9am - 11am. 9am Complimentary Continental Breakfast will be located at
Cody's only. www.codyscavecreek.com. Ride
starts at 11 am from all locations. Ride will be escorted by the Sheriff's Dept.
down Scottsdale Rd. to the 101 South exiting at Price Rd. in Chandler. Ride ends
at the Heroes Festival, 1300 S. Price Rd. in Chandler. At 1:00pm a special guest
will sing Amazing Grace, followed by a moment of silence and a couple of
words from the 100 Club of Arizona. Then the doors will open to
the Heroes Festival for Riders only with Arizona Blues
Project, alcohol, and food!! Bar proceeds benefit the Beer for Brains
Foundation and the Autism Foundation.
Heroes Festival: Tickets available online or at the
door. Event Starts - 6pm. Comedy Show starts at 7pm. Band starts at 7pm,
Island style/Reggae Band, Feel free to dress in your best Island gear and be
ready to party all night!! Event Ends - 12am. Food and alcohol
available for purchase. Bar proceeds benefit the Beer for Brains Foundation and
the Autism Foundation. $10.00 admission to Heroes Festival. $20 for Heroes
Festival and Ride. Click Here for more information and to order tickets
online.
Saturday, September 11th
3rd Annual
Chili Cook-Off & 9/11 REMEMBRANCE RUN. Ride begins at
Biker Babes and Beyond 418 North 15th Street in Cottonwood, AZ 86326
(Across from the Verde Lea on Main Street. Sign-in 8:30AM, KSU 9:30AM. Come
Join the Fun and Enter your best Pot of Chili!! End Party will be at
the Players Sports Bar & Grill in Cottonwood, AZ. * Dice Roll with $150 High
Score / $50 Low Score * $15 single rider and/or Chili entry * $20 Rider &
Passenger * $10 Bike Show Entry * $10 Event Entrance – Without Run or Chili
entry * Chili & Bike Show Entry – 11AM – Players Chili Tasting & Judging
– 12PM – 4PM * Live music by Cadillac Angels * Vendors, Raffles, 50/50 and More
* Vendors and/or For More details call Chris Childers 928-300-6733, rebelpridecc@yahoo.com or Eric Seitz
928-301-2620, eseitz77@yahoo.com
Saturday, September 11th
America's
9-11 Freedom Ride. On September 11th there will be a 9/11 memorial event in
the cool pines of Prescott.
Please mark this date on your calendar
and join us in remembering the tragic events of September 11th 2001 while
supporting two extremely worthwhile charities on this very special day. The
event will raise money for both the Buck up for Wounded Warriors and the
children's charities of the Whiskey Row chapter of Wind & Fire MC. This
event will bring together motorcyclists and people from all over Arizona as they
travel the many beautiful routes that all lead to Prescott. Following their
arrival they will be a part of an escorted procession of fire trucks,
motorcycles and classic cars to the courthouse plaza in downtown Prescott. At
the plaza there will be a remembrance ceremony with the honor guard posting the
colors followed by keynote speakers. After the ceremony there will be a
celebration in honor of those who put their lives on the line to keep America
free and safe. The festivities will include live bands, food, beer garden,
raffles, 50/50, mechanical bull etc. See flyer for details.
Next Week
NEW!!
Thursday, September
16th
The
Cyclerides.com/Westgate Bike Night is going to start up again on
September 16th. If you didn't make it to one of the Cyclerides.com/Westgate
Bike Nights last spring, don't miss it now. The Fall season is going
to be a little different. We are just going to do 3 Thursday
nights for the Fall. So mark you calendars for September 16th, October
14th and November 11th which will be a Veteran themed event. Event time is
5-10pm. I will end the season with the Cyclerides.com Toy Event at Westgate on
Saturday, December 4th.
This year we will have Live
Music every month starting with Urban Roots bringing back
classic R&B, Motown and Blues. Urban roots is an 8 piece band
featuring seasoned musicians including a horn section that takes the vibe to the
next level. There will be Vendors, Restaurant Specials, Videos on the giant LED,
performances from the 6 million dollar dancing water fountains and of course
plenty of motorcycle parking on Coyote Blvd. and beyond. Urban Roots will play
from 6-9 pm.
Plan to kick it off with us on
Thursday, September 16th from 5-10pm at Westgate City Center located next to the
Cardinals Stadium and Jobing.com Arena at Loop 101 and W. Glendale Ave.
Click Here for Details.
Sponsored by:
Your local Harley-Davidson dealership and
proud sponsor of the Cyclerides.com/Westgate Bike Night. We are located just
South of 83rd Ave. and Bell Rd. Stop to see the latest 2011 HD motorcycles.
623-247-5542
Petersen Johnson Accident Lawyers.
Petersen Johnson is a local Arizona law
firm, whose attorneys have over 60 years of combined legal experience in
Accident/Injury law and DUI/Criminal Defense law. We have substantial
experience in representing riders injured in motorcycle accidents. Ron
Petersen and Brad Johnson are involved in every injury case. We discount
our fees; never our service. Please call us locally at 602-650-1200 24
hours a day, 7 days a week.
Stop by Steve Wingenfeld's Allstate
tent on Bike Night and check out Allstate's NEW Lower rates on All Harley's and
all cruiser bikes. Now you can save over 40% with multi-line discounts. You can
stop in at our Westgate office on Coyote's Blvd(suite 1056) or call us at
623.581.0374. Check out our Motorcycle website at http://www.allstategarage.com/, Just
input zip code 85305 to get to my web page.
If you would like to be a
vendor or a sponsor on any of these 3 nights, please contact Barry at info@cyclerides.com
Thursday, September 16th
Chandler
Harley-Davidson Garage Party. Do you know a woman who says, "I would love to
learn to ride a motorcycle, but...?
Tell her now is the time to get
over that "but" and shift into first gear. She can learn more about motorcycling
at our Women Only Garage Party. This is a FREE event that offers fun, beginner
information for women with limited or even no background with motorcycle. Tell
your female friends to join us for one night of fun, workshops and festive
activities during this event geared toward women who dream of riding but just
aren't sure how to get started on their motorcycle journey. Event Time is 5:30pm
- 8:30pm. You must RSVP for this event to Deb Lotardo at 480-496-6800. or emal:
mpeebler@ridenow.com . Chandler Harley-Davidson
is located at 6895 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler, AZ.
Saturday, September 18th
Arrowhead
Harley-Davidson Model Premier Open House. It is that time of year! The new
2011 Harley-Davidson motorcycles are now at the dealership waiting for you to
come take a look.
You can do that this Saturday, September
18th from 10am to 4pm. While you are browsing the new models we will treat
you to FREE FOOD: Hot dogs & hamburgers while supplies last. Music and a
beer garden next door! Arrowhead Harley-Davidson is located at 16130 N.
Arrowhead Fountain Center Dr. in Peoria, AZ. 623-247-5542.
Saturday and Sunday, September 18th-19th
10th
Annual Thunder Valley Rally at the Cliff Castle Casino. Plan to ride up
North to Camp Verde, AZ for the 10th Annual Thunder Valley Rally featuring
$100,000 in cash, prizes and charitable donations.
September 18th
Poker Run with over $10,000 in prizes. Bike Show with over $8,000 in prizes for
13 classes. Live Music performances "Battle of the Bands". Special Guests
include San Francisco based "Unauthorized Rolling Stones" and Los Angeles based
"Led Zepagain". Raffles include over $4,000 in Cash and Prizes each day. Also
giving away 2 Victory Cross Roads motorcycles valued at $32,000. Ride
registration on Saturday from 7-10am. The 10th Annual TVR Event will be a $30
Event Package entry fee in which guests will receive a Commemorative t-shirt,
ride pin, and Bandana and a raffle ticket into the Victory Motorcycle giveaways
and the free Poker Run leaves at 9am. Guests can participate in the Free Poker
Run without purchase of the $30 Event Entry Package. CLICK HERE for all details. 800-381-SLOT. Location: I-17 North to Exit 289. 555
Middle Verde Rd., Camp Verde, AZ.
Upcoming Rides
October 8-10, 2010
There are rides or events that come along
every now and then that really get me excited and that includes the upcoming
Thunder Mountain Ride Motorcycle Rally in Payson, AZ. Not only is
Payson Arizona a beautiful place to have a motorcycle event, it is also the
perfect time of year for it. But they are really making it huge by
giving away 13 motorcycles to those who attend. Not to
mention live music daily including high profile acts like
Mogollon and rides through and around the rim. I
will be talking more about this event over the next several weeks. But for
now I would like to direct you to the excellent video that they have done
for this ride that will definitely get you excited about it. Event is
sponsored by Native Air, City of Payson, North Country HealthCare, Outback
Steakhouse and Budweiser.
Stay tuned for weekly updates for this
event.
Best Deal Entry Fee: For $120 you receive drawing
tickets for all 13 motorcycles, and a free
T-Shirt.
For $60 you receive drawing tickets for 5
motorcycles.
For $20 participate and be entered to win one specific
motorcycle.
Extras
Mid Week Updates will be made
on the Cyclerides.com Facebook.
Take a look at all
the new photos posted on the
wall. If you are not on Facebook, you can
still view the page, but you will not be able to post. There will
be a link there for you to sign up for Facebook if you are inclined. Click the
LIKE
button!
This is a funny bit of an old man singing a
parody to the song "Side by Side" really gets to the funny part at the
30 sec mark. Click
Here to View.
I don't usually
get political on the site. But this former Lt. Colonel in the Army, Allen
West, running for Congress in Florida seems to have it figured out. This video with over 2.2 million views will get you
motivated to become involved in where our country is heading right now. And
he does it with NO TELEPROMPTER! Regardless of political
persuasion, you should watch this. Click Here to
View.
Video of the Week: You might have
seen this one before, but it is worth watching again. It is about "Patches" the
horse. Really good. You have to love a horse that can get you a
beer out of the fridge. Click Here to
View. Click on the
Video of the Week graphic on the page.
If you would like to sign up for the Cyclerides.com Weekly Update
Click
Here.
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reserved.