Moab is like no other place.  The landscape is surreal, with red rocks, incredible rivers, unbelievable arches of stone, and a wonderful climate.  The roads are a biker paradise and the town is wonderfully eclectic.  My wife and I visit here numerous times a year and are never disappointed.  I have explored the back and beyond as well as the local roads and eateries.  There is much to enjoy here and I highly recommend it to all who love the desert.

Oowah Lake, in the La Sal Mountains outside of town.

A photo of one of the peaks in the La Sals.  The elevation is quite high here and the temps are about 20 degrees lower than in town.  The La Sal Mountain are only accessible by vehicle a few months out of the year because of snow.

I've ridden this route many times in the past and have never taken the time to photograph it.  On my latest trip I decided to slow down and take pictures rather than drag my knees through the corners so that I could share my enjoyment with others.  The ride along the Colorado River is absolutely stunning, especially in the early evening hours when the light is dramatic and the crowds are few.  I had a special treat on this trip in the manner of a mud slide due to flash flooding on the high plains. 

I began my trip from my home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.  My lovely wife had traveled by car a day ahead and had a cabin at our favorite camp ground about 9 miles north of town.  Archview Campground is nice as it has direct access to many of the fabulous trails in the area and it is just far enough from town to be relaxing.  As I made my way west and south, I saw that I was heading for stormy weather.  I stopped about 20 miles south of Craig, Colorado to change into foul weather riding gear and to batten down the hatches, so to speak.  Good thing I did too.  I had rain and heavy road spray from semi's for the next 50 miles.  Man was I glad to see the desert coming into view!

After reaching Rifle, CO, the weather eased up and I was able to dry out a bit as I rode at about 90 along Interstate 70 heading for Grand Junction. 

I stopped in Grand Junction for gas and to change into my mesh jacket since my heavy coat was now dry enough to pack away.  The weather still looked pretty sketchy, but I decided to chance it and go light.  As I headed out onto the interstate again, I realized just how much the wind had picked up from the storm.  Now I'm accustomed to riding in windy conditions (you can't ride in the West without serious wind) but this was some really strong stuff.  It would blow me almost across both lanes of interstate when the gusts would come.  The biggest problem was that there was no timing the gusts.  They just seemed to come out of nowhere.  I was really glad to reach the Cisco exit to get off the slab.  There were some really neat cloud formations and a rainbow so I stopped to take a couple of photos.

The road to Cisco is long, straight, and lonely.  I love it!  The road rises and falls over ridges and crosses cattle grates that will make your kidneys bleed on a cruiser.  Perfect for an Adventure Touring bike such as the Tiger.

The town of Cisco is now just a shambles of old collapsed buildings and broken down cars.  It is interesting none-the-less.

From here it is off to the intersection of Utah 128 and south to Moab along the mighty Colorado River.  The upper end of the road is pretty open and a bit bland as far as scenery goes, but it changes quickly as you near the river.  Below is a photo interlude of the road from the rider's perspective.

At the north end of the river, there are some ranches and some really beautiful scenery.

As you get a bit further down river, the turns begin to tighten.

You also encounter several of these blind rises that have turns at the crest.  Be alert!

Yours truly, intently concentrating on the road... while photographing himself!

Uh oh...  trouble ahead.  Slimy mud on the road from a recent mudslide.

Only about a half mile of mud to ride through.

The mud turned the river red.

Some of the last turns before intersecting Utah 191 and Moab