honky tonkin'

September 7, 2018 — Utah

While I was chatting with Scott over coffee this morning, I mentioned I needed to get new tires in Moab. He asked me what I was looking for and said he had a D606 rear and suggested a Shinko 216 MX that he'd been liking more than the MT21. I deferred to his judgment, and he mounted them up for me. I gave K a little rinse and headed out. Scott and Julie were awesome hosts even though I was the only one staying that night. I'll be back for sure.

The tracks were flat and fast to La Sal where I then started climbing again toward Geyser Pass. Sam threw me through about a mile of really rough stuff, but the riding was mostly nice and the landscape similar to Colorado. Shortly after the pass, it all changed, and things began looking like Utah. Rock formations, sandstone, and long canyons continued for miles. The track followed a canyon rim and entered the Sand Flats. The roads were looser, and I was glad to have fresh tires. I never felt totally confident with the TKC80, but the new D606 hooked up nicely. The riding was easy and scenic the rest of the way into Moab.

I found a secluded spot with some shade at Drinks Canyon to throw the tent down and took a short rest. I needed to go back into Moab to find brake pads. While changing the tires earlier we noticed that there was little left of the rear. I'm guessing I wore them out going over the passes yesterday. Mad Bro Motorsports (lol) had some, so I picked those up and grabbed a late lunch, then rode back to the campsite for the evening. Tomorrow I'm planning to ride White Rim Trail.