Story: 21 Days in June
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Via SR 163, US 191, US 160, Indian Rte 7
| Terrain: Desert, curves, windy straights Date: June 2014 Roads: Paved highway (B), some hills and curves Technical: Easy, to intermediate because of gusty winds Elevation: 4,094 ft. to 5,709 ft  |
Mexican Hat, UT to Chinle, AZ (Canyon De Chelley) via Monument Valley
This day started as any other day. How things can change with the wind on any given day. So we had a nice breakfast once again. This time the local flavor is basically anything with green chilies. So that’s what we had and took care of things for the bike. I used a cover last night, it is very light strong, perfect fit, packs VERY small and takes care of business. Walmart special, 20 bucks for the best traveling bike cover that money can buy. Good enough for regular use too. It did it’s job. The bike looks pretty good and the dust is really minimal. Not that it matters much. My neighbors think that I clean the bike more than ride it. Well… maybe. I try to keep it clean as new if possible. My nephews learned a good lesson when we were learning to ride dirt bikes and we came home to clean them up. They asked ‘how clean’ should they be? I always answered, well… clean it like you were going to sell it. It really is a good philosophy because when it comes time to sell your bike, it will be worth as much or more than when you bought it. They learned some good habits. My nephew has an amazing Honda CRF259x and it looks good as new today. Proud uncle.
I digress… maybe I am trying to forget today? Or maybe we just did so much in this day that I am exhausted. We decided to spend some time at Monument Valley, see the Diné history (that’s Navajo to you and me). Diné is what they call themselves. Navajo is the Mexican word for ‘stealer’ for when the Diné were in Mexican Territory and stole some horses. The Mexican word for stealer is Navajo. So I am told. Anyway, the proper name is Diné and they love their own language on Navajo reservation land. Monument Valley is completely in Diné land. We arrive early and hire a jeep for a tour. We get to see the monolithic stones, the huge wall and towering rock monuments, each with a story and some with Hollywood history. This is where John Ford made westerns famous, where John Wayne made many of his movies and where Clint Eastwood not only shot movies, but did a little rock climbing! We get the rundown from Jimmy, our guide. Later in the morning as we are about 2/3rds the way through, the wind starts picking up. They say that the wind is worse in the afternoon here, but this is getting ridiculous. I need to keep my hat in my hand as we take pictures and walk along the sides of very high hillsildes! Did I say hill slides? Faux Pas, I don’t like heights and can just see myself sliding all the way down one of these photo op areas…
We see people actually living in adobe dome huts (they keep cool inside when it is very hot outside), tending sheep and horses and selling Diné trinkets and local art. If you get the chance, take the tour; it’s worth every penny.
The local Diné people are nice, but definitely to themselves. I would be when most of the tourists that come here could be speaking any one of 4 languages. I’d say that more than 50% of these tourists are from out of country. They love John Wayne and you can buy posters in the Visitors Center. We saw many German, French and Japanese people here. It’s funny, we saw a French person standing in the cross walk, taking a picture. Cars were stopping and he was oblivious. We say something to him and he says Je ne comprends pas. I don’t understand. …I do understand that, but it doesn’t help any.
We get some great pictures and upon returning start seeing many people arriving here. There are lots of bikes too! We decide to eat local and stay at the Monument restaurant and give the Navajo bread, tortilla soup and quesadillas a try. Yummy.
Ok, we are putting our riding clothes back on and packing up the bike when suddenly the owner of the jeep tour company comes up and starts talking with us about the wind that has now grown to epic proportions. We cannot set ANYTHING down, or else see it blow away. The tour guy says that we cannot go south (our intended direction) in this wind on a motorcycle. The wind howls, puts up a gust, and sweeps up a major load of sand and dust and blows it across the roads. When you see that, you stop. He’s seen people just blown over on bikes when trying to ride thru this stuff. He advises us to go around the north, back through Mexican Hat, East, South, and eventually where we need to go. Or just stay nearby and get an early start in the AM when the wind is calm. We cautiously take his advice. (ride around and not waiting it out…) Good thing too. Even on the ‘safer’ path, the wind is so bad that I sometimes need to throttle down to 35-40 MPH to keep it straight. Staying in one’s lane is generally a good thing when driving with 2-way traffic and abrupt edges that lead into soft sand. Our 100 mile trek turns into 175 miles and it is slow going.
OK, let me set this up. We are not using GPS, relying on words and directions from local friendlies, and having more of an adventure than we had planned on. We are finding it difficult to get a drink from our backpack hydration system. The wind is taking lots of concentration. We are not in danger, but riding around in this wind is tiring on the rider, tiring on the passenger and tiring for the bike as well. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, and this is one of those times. We were hoping to land 100 miles further down the road, but decided to only go as far as Chinle, AZ. This is where the Canyon De Chelley begins and will be a destination for another trip. Today, we are here to eat, sleep, recharge, and get ready for tomorrows last push to Albuquerque, NM. I have good friends that I grew up with who make Albuquerque their home. These guys are moto-enthusiasts. They are also the guys that turned me on to hi-fidelity back in the 70’s; back when music fidelity was an art and a true door opener to the world of music.
Sorry, but no pictures of riding through the wind storm. You’ll get to see only the good stuff today. Oh, and we did see the roadrunner… J
The road from Mexican Hat to Monument Valley has some nice curves
As you approach the Monuments, watch for stopped cars and people jumping up and down in the middle of the road. They are overjoyed at the sights, they speak French as their only language, and they are not in trouble.
Big Jimmy is our guide and was raised on the res. We found out that even at his age of 41 years old, his generation was sent to forced boarding schools, required to speak only English, and was allowed to visit parents and family one day a month. At age 5 he was taken from his family and has since returned to his homeland and culture. He has always spoken fluent Diné.
We get into the monuments right away.
They are plentiful and posing
This is the Three Sisters.
Three sisters from afar
I love this one. It reminds me a little of El Capitan in Yosemite
Here I am, little people taking pictures of big things
The really long view
People that have work in the Monument will regularly build homes and just live out there. Electricity and running water are not common, so living out here is not as much of a change from living anywhere else for them. Jimmy’s grandmother would move regularly to be close to where their sheep were roaming.
Here at one of the Petroglyph sites
We see some of the Anasazi artwork
Another work of ancient art
Arches are not common, but really cool to see.
And of course, Monument Valley wouldn’t be complete without a glimpse of the RoadRunner… meeep! meeep!
Tomorrow we are off for Albuquerque, yeah!