Utah 6 Days of Forests

September 9 – 15, 2023

  6 Day adventure ride around the Mountains and Forests of central Utah

This ride is best on Dual Sport Bikes or Smaller Adventure Bikes

The Utah 6 Days of Forests (UT6DF) is a 6 day adventure ride designed for dual sport and smaller adventure bikes. Each day riders make a loop ride which travels into and out of the mountains.  Each ride has several routing choices to allow riders to choose their excitement level.  The ride starts in Marysvale, UT and riders have two days of loop rides to tackle.  The ride then moves to Salina, UT and again riders have two days of riding.  For the last two days riders move to Manti, UT.  Riders can take their truck and trailer to these ride locations or simple ride their bikes.  The ride locations are only about 45 minutes travel time.

About: This is a fantastic adventure through the mountain forests of Utah.  Utah has some magic turf where the Famous Red Rocks and Canyons meet the highland forests.  The people of the area long ago had a passion for the regoin and developed many great riding route and trails.  These route are designed for experienced off roaders and can be tough depending on the time of year and the conditions.  Rain, snow and mud are possible, so come prepared.  The weather can turn quickly. The best time of year is mid July through mid September.  It is common to find good weather in those months.  We have designed route options for just these conditions.  Our main adventure routes are colored Blue and we include easier Green route options for riders needing a break or bad conditions and, for overachievers, we include Red options that will take your breath away.  The ride can be enjoyed by a wide range of riders, but for sure you need to be experienced in these conditions.

This ride includes the Paiute Trail and the Arapeen Trail

History:   The Paiute Trail began in the small community of Circleville back in the summer of 1988. Two lifelong schoolmates and good friends were sitting on a pickup tailgate sipping on Cokes and speculating about the recent closure of Highway 153 to OHVs, which, at that time, consisted primarily of 3-wheelers. This closing was taking away their access to favorite hunting and fishing opportunities. They knew of a horse trail called “Wade’s Canyon” that, if modified, could be made to accommodate their machines. That initial theorizing quickly grew into “what if” a trail system was developed that would allow riders to access the public lands of the Fishlake National Forest from the small rural communities in south-central Utah? It was an idea. It was a dream.

Clyde Lay was the Forest Engineer for the Fishlake National Forest. His good friend, Lindon Romine, was a Piute County Commissioner. Both were prone to action, so they rolled up their sleeves and went to work. They improved that route up Wade’s Canyon to accommodate motorized OHVs— their Big Red 3-wheelers as well as those new 300cc Honda 4-wheelers.

They rolled out some maps and plotted a large loop that crossed three mountain ranges and passed through four rural communities, including their beloved Circleville. Much of this initial 250-mile loop, which was later modified to the current 238-mile loop, already existed with only a few places needing actual construction.

They took their proposal to the counties and towns that would be involved and got overwhelming support. The name “Paiute” was selected, utilizing the spelling of the local Indian culture rather than that of the county by the same name. They also adopted a symbol, nicknamed Tazz, a character taken from a local Fremont Indian pictograph, estimated to be 700 years old.

Ride from you Home Base

Ride from your own truck or trailer.  Bring your own tools and parts.  Yes that is right we move our vehicles to the chosen motel and then do loop rides from that motel.  After 2 days we pack our trucks up and move to the next motel location.  No need to pack and carry all that gear on you bikes.  Ride light and enjoy your bike as it was designed.  Also just guessing if you are riding you bike to the ride, I bet you can talk a rider with a truck to carry your gear between motels.

Route Choices:  Don't put yourself in a bad spot.  gpsKevin route maps always include route options.  We recognize that weather and conditions can change.  We design these adventures with multiple routes in different colors.  The main adventure route is colored Blue, then there are easier and harder options, Green and Red, respectively.  This allows riders to choose their own level of adventure appropriate for their own skill and desires.  We don't want to put you into a challenging spot without options; we let you make the choice.

Signup info:

The cost to join this 6 day ride is $1095  This covers your lodging for the 6 nights during the ride. It also includes your ride packets which consist of a custom Garmin GPS map on a micro SD card and printed ride maps and descriptions.

Now taking signups: You can now reserve your spot on this ride by leaving a $200 Deposit  (Ride limit is 24 riders)

After your signup riders will receive an email from me with further ride information and instructions.

Note: Riders must make full payment by July 7th, 2023.

Riders will receive ride packets in the mail one week before the ride.

Refund Policy

Do not sign up for this ride unless you are serious about coming.  I take your signup very seriously and start planning for you the minute you sign up.  If you need to cancel up to two months prior to the ride start date I will give you a full refund but I will keep $100 to cover the planning work. Sorry but I make non refundable commitments myself so it gets hard for me. "I hate this world of non refundable deals myself." If you need to cancel within two months of the ride, I cannot give a refund unless I can find a replacement rider. In the case of finding a replacement rider, I will gladly give you the full refund minus the $100 to cover the planning work.  In the event of ride cancellation, you will be given a full refund.

What are these Adventure Rides like? These rides are designed along the theme of exploring the world.  They include a mix of remote dirt routes, back paved roads, sometimes some very seldom ridden paths and pavement.  Rides are a mix of all these things and sometimes some surprises due to weather conditions.  These rides are for experienced, well seasoned riders that are capable of turning a washed out road experience into just part of the day's fun.  Riders should be comfortable with turning around when necessary and finding an alternative route around unexpected obstacles. These rides are not for new riders. As an experienced rider, the tough part of having a great motorcycle adventure is the routing and logistics.  What routes do I take? Where do I stay? How do I find the best routes and places?

How does the ride navigation work?

This is a self-led GPS ride; all riding is on your own.  You are responsible for your own riding.  You are given a GPS map file and instructions on how to use your Garmin GPS unit.  People will hook up in small groups of less than 6 riders and tend to ride together.  You are not encouraged to ride alone.  You are responsible for your own riding and yourself. 

 (see my ride Navigation Video)

Are you right for this ride?

When something goes wrong on a ride, would your riding friends say that you are more likely to need help or more likely to give help?  You should be in the more likely to offer help camp.  This ride is filled with riders that are more likely to give help, so most of the time the riders never need help.  Additionally there is all the normal stuff: come prepared to maintain your bike, fix your bike on the trail, repair flat tires, deal with bad weather and rain and make a joke or two.

How do I make the GPS stuff so easy?

I develop very high quality ride maps custom for our ride. They come from much of what I and others have ridden.  I take the best from all my rides and make new ones. 

(See my Custom Ride Maps Video)

Note from me, gpsKevin

My goal for this ride is simple:  great riding.  You can count on great routes and places to ride.

But in addition, the ride is about discovering new places, meeting new friends, seeing new parts of the World.

Thanks,

gpsKevin

FAQ's

Q: Would this be a good ride for new riders?

A:  No, this ride is for intermediate and experienced riders only. The riding has easy route choices and tough route options. 

Q: What are motel room arrangements?

A: You are on you own to make arrangements.  I recommend reservations.

Q: What bikes are right for this ride?

A: Adventure bikes, Overland 4x4 and Dual Sport bikes can all do well; it depends on your ride choices

Q: Can I use my cell phone?  

A: Sorry, at this point we do not support cell phone GPS use for our rides.  The IMG files will not run on a cell phone. 

Q; What do I do if I don't have a Garmin GPS?

A: Buy one, you need it.  Get a Garmin, it is still the most reliable 

Q: Is the riding really on my own?

A: Yes, but we recommend you bring a friend

Q: How good are these routes?  

A: They are 99% perfect.  Or sometimes, 99.9% perfect.  Or sometimes, 95% perfect.  So be prepared for a little imperfection.

Q: What are Custom GPS Ride Maps?

A: Custom GPS ride maps are electronic maps designed specifically to show the paths and path choices for a particular ride.  The maps show the paths as clear bold lines so the riders can easily see them even on small screens.  The lines are often comprised of groups of arrows or chevrons so that riders can easily tell the recommended direction of travel.  The lines come in multiple colors so that riders can easily choose between Hard and Easy options. Custom ride maps make ride navigation much easier than ever before.