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I'll be doing almost that exact trip...but by car at the end of the month! It may be beneficial to bring a small camping propane grill like this, MSR PocketRocket 2 Stove. Small and youll have access to warm coffee or soup
If youre going to Moab, there is a lot to see besides Arches, you can ride the Canyonland State Park, see local landmarks. I cant vouch for the weather because we went in June, lol1
I've been out that way 4 times, three times on a bike and once in a vehicle, with all of those trips being in the summer months.
One of the trips, we trailered our bikes to Clovis, NM in September and rode a large "loop" through Utah and the surrounding areas.
Even then, we needed to buy some extra clothing because of the temps in the mountains.
My advice to the OP is to take heated gear if your have it, watch the weather reports, and plan for bad weather that could delay your travels.
I am planning the route this way
Austin -> Lubbock -> Albuquerque -> Arches National Park.. They are all 6 hrs drive from each other.
No matter the route, you are going to have some very questionable sections of road in December. If you take 491 thru Cortez to Dove Creek, that has some high sections that could very well have snow/ice on them depending upon the day. Same for 191 thru Monticello, UT. Those areas have on average 5 to 6 days of moisture in December and that generally means snow and with their elevations and average highs of mid to upper 30's, that could mean some questionable road conditions for a motorcycle.
Update:
Firstly thanks to y'all for all the help and info.
I rode to Grand Canyon, AZ instead of Arches.
My Itinerary:
Austin - Lubbock,TX
Lubbock, TX - Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque, NM - Grand Canyon, AZ.
Weather was ok from Austin to Lubbock but later on it was cold. Hit some rain from Albuquerque to Grand Canyon. And it was freezing cold as I approached GC. The roads inside GC were frozen with 18F daytime temps.
The I-40 was full with ******* Semi drivers and it was gusty the whole trip.
These pics look like Natural Bridges Nat. Monument. I've been there and Monument Valley as well as Arches among most of the others in the area.
Originally Posted by r0de_runr
Have you ever been to Arches?
Take your hiking shoes, as most of the great things to see require you to walk from where you park down some trails and paths. I was not impressed by Arches and I found Monument Valley AZ much more impressive.
I am planning the route this way
Austin -> Lubbock -> Albuquerque -> Arches National Park.. They are all 6 hrs drive from each other.
You better pay close attention to weather reports and hope a sudden storm not predicted doesn't blow in.
There was snow in Palm Desert ,CA recently of all places. Up in the high deserts of Utah would be a bad place to get caught in a snowstorm on a bike.
