Zion National Park

[Scud]

Spent four days in Zion National Park, in Southern Utah. This was a family trip, with a few opportunities for short out-and-back rides. We camped at the Watchman Campground, inside the park boundary and a short walk to the visitor center and the shuttle, which goes into the main canyon (no private vehicles allowed during peak season). Sunrise from my campsite, which backed up to the Virgin River.

 

 

One morning, I went to the Northern part of the park via Kolob Canyon Road. It’s a steep climb to the upper plateaus. The road was good fun until I got into the park boundaries. They are doing maintenance and the entire road is covered with pea-sized gravel.  Sliding around on steep grades is not fun – especially downhill – finally found a reason to love my rear brake though.

 

 

 

Some of the best riding was not on the Scura… 

 

 

And the only way to enjoy most of the park is by foot.

 

 

We hiked to this overlook, where you can see some of the famous switchbacks that lead to a mile long tunnel into the cliff and up to the higher elevation portion of the park on the Eastern side.

 

 

I didn’t ride much distance at all, but I did get to take my daughters on some rides to the Eastern entrance and back.

 

 

On the last evening I went again solo, as rain was threatening. On the way back, I saw these Bighorn Sheep. The Bighorns are a successful species re-introduction story – I think they were hunted to extinction in this region. 

 

 

I parked to watch and met a tourist from Italy who was so happy to see a Moto Guzzi that he had his wife take a picture of us with the Scura. While I was watching the sheep, I decided to take a little video with my iPhone and I captured something special...

 

 

And when I turned around, the evening light was just amazing… 

 

 

But I paid for it on the way back through the storm.

 

 

We had a great final night listening to the storm from inside the trailer - and congratulating ourselves for hiking "The Narrows" (a slot canyon prone to flash flooding) on the first day - not during the storm.

 

And here is yet another gratuitous Scura photo.

 

[swooshdave]

The third and last pictures are epic.

[LowRyter]

nice trip !

[Scud]

Thanks.  Here is my favorite still photo from the trip. This is also of me and my youngest - hiking in The Narrows.

 

 

One of my other daughters took it with the GoPro. I've got some video of the riding in the area too - will try my hand at editing it a bit.

 

I still can't believe I caught those Rams on video. Their head-butt was like a gunshot in the canyon - and I was so close to it I actually got a little nervous. Those things are tough. Ram-tough if you'll pardon the Dodge truck-commercial... 

[swooshdave]

So you got out of there before the flash floods?

[Scud]

Yeah... We hiked The Narrows on Wednesday morning before the forecasted afternoon and evening light rain. Thursday's rain was pretty heavy, our phones were getting flash flood warnings. We drove through Las Vegas Friday morning, just a few hours ahead of the major flooding there.

 

So... back to motorcycles... I'm learning iMovie so I can do something with the video from my new GoPro. Here is a leisurely ride up the switchbacks. You can see the road from above in one of photos above. 

 

 

The park is totally different after the tunnel exit, on the Eastern side. I have some video of that too.

 

Dave - I like your videos. What software do you use to edit them?

[BigBlock]

Great pictures and love that bighorn video! You don't see that up close to often.

Looks like you had a great holiday.

[swooshdave]

 

Dave - I like your videos. What software do you use to edit them?

 

iMovie.

 

I'm working on one from the show today. Two cameras, multiple angles, external microphone. It's a lot of work.

 

One rule that I try to adhere to with riding videos is no clip longer than 30 secs. No matter how fascinating the scenery might look it gets monotonous for the viewer. When I can I'll break it up with a cut or even better a different camera angle.

 

The V11s are tough as there aren't a lot of places to mount the camera. The older bikes are easier as there are frame rails and other things. But you may want to look other mounts.

[docc]

I've got to say you guys really helped me out with your videos while my Sport was down (for almost seven weeks!) . . .

 

Thanks for going to trouble to rig, ride, edit, and post!

[coreytrevor]

 That photo by the creek/rock face is great. Also the ride video. I'm surprised you got that long of a ride before getting stuck behind a car. You don't seem to be keeping your rpm up near redline like I've read you have to do to keep from ruining your bike!

[Scud]

I'm using iMovie too - just getting started with it. 

 

On the ride - I waited at the base until no cars had gone by for a while. This was not a sporting ride, speed limits in the park are low, and I had my daughter on back.

[PJPR01]

Nics pics and trip!  Zion is beautiful...a magical place.  The Scura looks right at home in the red rocks...

 

Next stops:  Beartooth and Glacier (Going to the Sun)!

 

[Chuck]

^^^^Yep yep yep. BTDT.  I'd do them again. And again.

[Scud]

Here's another short video, goofing around with various iMovie features to learn the program. Enjoy the scenery on a slow ride...  and if you've never heard the distinctive noise of a single-plate clutch at idle, listen carefully at the end.

 

[swooshdave]

very nice! notice how the cuts now break up the monotony? Now that you've played with the transitions the rule of thumb is to not use too many different transition types in a single video. If you only have one mount on the bike try flipping the camera around just to give a different perspective.

 

This is on my list to get.

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0156MFBI2/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I2OWP63NFS443Z&colid=26Y5AVMGX9WC6