I did manage to get up early today, as it's going to be a SCORCHER today, with temperatures in the the 120's...


I got up early today though (about 6am), and packed up my things and left them with the bellhop at the Cosmo.
 I had reached out to Mark Boeddeker, the president of the local Desmo Owners Club, the Ducati DOGS of Las Vegas,
who told me I was crazy to be out riding in July, but if I wanted a good route go up to a national park called Mount Charleston.
 As you ascend the peak, even though it was about 80' degrees at sea level,
 a few thousand feet up the temperature drops back into the 60's.
 The roads were good- no super twisties, but at 7am on a Friday morning, the only traffic was some heavy trucks.
 I stopped and grabbed a few pics,
 but the best shots were at the peak.
 I have to say too- there might not be a more fun, versatile bike than a Hypermotard,
and once you add Ohlins to the mix, the thing is just built for fun.
 I took a bunch of shots out here, and then descended down the mountain, where according to my GPS there were a bunch of twisty roads,
 that turned out to be gravel "off-road."

and even why my cell service dipped out

kept going with an appetite for adventure.


The only reason I decided to turn back
is that it was getting kind of hot,
I decided I might try to get to the Hoover Dam today
and.... I was running out of gas.
So I shot a few more pics
and turned back to see if I could get to Lake Mead before I cooked.
© 2019 Tigh Loughhead