Road warning: Wyoming 159 North of Torrington DO NOT take ever

[Pumper]

Having completed a 6200 mile trip on the B. Everything went very good, except for one little hitch...Highway 159 north out of Torrington, WY...the road has no posting, starts as asphalt for 25 miles, then gravel..no biggie. GPS says 12 miles to the next turn. So we are tooling along, already several hours into the ride up from Denver. Wife is on her HD, behind me. We come to a tar section and a bridge, tar is to protect the approach of the bridge...All go so far

I cross the bridge and hit the gravel again, except this is not gravel as I have ever known. It is silt and about 6" deep. Wife come rolling by me like a raped ape, I hollered to slow down as she is tank slapping left/right and keeping the Hog upright. We finally get stopped and said wtf is this, we tried to roll forward, but no good. We were stuck in the middle of 1oo degree heat and not a person in sight...

So after a bit of wrangling around I got both bikes back to the hard gravel...I was shaking like a leaf as I was exhausted and then I see we need to drive 30 miles back and start again.

Here is where the world gets strange...About ten miles back fdoe the road, I see a light or two headed our way. No mind you this is no where Wyoming...as this light approached us, I see it is another bike, not any bike, but a F6B..unreal. So I stop and waved the guy down, he is in tennis shoes and shorts with full face on. I said I hope you have a magic carpet with you or I suggest you turn around.

He asked is there a place to turn around a ahead, I laughed and said nope turn around here in the road. He looked like a lost puppy, so I offered to turn his bike around, in stepped his ego..I can do it myself..Fine and off we went. Rolled back into town and see the same guy, not sure how he got around us, but he was there first.

He looked at us, jumped on his bike and off he went. Never saw him again...

Moral of the story, always trust the technology, just question the road surfaces.

[shortleg0521]

If your GPS sent you that way I know mine will avoid unpaved roads.
Not saying I have never had a GPS lie to me.

[F6Bster]

I just came down US-85 to Torrington on Friday. It is only 10 miles or so west of -159. Done -85 many times and never considered -159. Have my GPS set to avoid unpaved roads, and I think I’ll keep that setting. Glad you were able to get turned around safely. So many farm/ranch roads in the western states are dirt. Some are ok, but I find it best to generally to avoid them.

[olegoat345]

While looking for some real estate, mine sent me down a fire road. When the pines got taller than the hood of my Accord, I figured it wasn't the driveway, I had to back up about 1/4 mile.

[3Chief]

Second road trip with the GF, been together 3 months at that point, we're in Oregon in the winter going from the Tillamook Air Museum over to McMinnville. Following GPS in the truck/camper. Good old Garmin takes us thru a state park, over an unpaved pass...one of my many misadventures with Garmin.

[Pumper]

I do have mine default that way also. However, when you push a route into them from another source the selected choices go away...

[grendl]

I was not so lucky last year. Following one of my Harley freinds,didnt know he was lost. We turned down what seemed like a good road. About 5 miles in it goes to sand with no warning. It was also rutted( I hear that is done by the state to keep it relatively safe during our winter - not sure of that as fact) Played hell with the suspension and I am frustrated but thinking this cant go on. We come around a corner and there is a car stopped in the middle.My buddy stopped. I have no choice but to stop but did it with the bike unbalanced. Got it stopped but put my foot out and it slipped in the sand. Down we go. Got the bike up with a little help from the driver went around him and a couple miles later back on asphalt.No damage as the bike was fully stopped and I tried to hold it as it slipped over...Note to self,if it turns to sand or gravel turn around first opportunity....

[tenxxx]

I was not so lucky last year. Following one of my Harley freinds,didnt know he was lost. We turned down what seemed like a good road. About 5 miles in it goes to sand with no warning. It was also rutted( I hear that is done by the state to keep it relatively safe during our winter - not sure of that as fact) Played hell with the suspension and I am frustrated but thinking this cant go on. We come around a corner and there is a car stopped in the middle.My buddy stopped. I have no choice but to stop but did it with the bike unbalanced. Got it stopped but put my foot out and it slipped in the sand. Down we go. Got the bike up with a little help from the driver went around him and a couple miles later back on asphalt.No damage as the bike was fully stopped and I tried to hold it as it slipped over...Note to self,if it turns to sand or gravel turn around first opportunity....

And never use Apple maps on your iPhone. It WILL get you lost every time.
Was headed west out rt 30 back in the 70's and the pavement just ended. It dropped about 8" and turned to stone. DEEP stone.
We went sliding and spinning around. Luckly we were in a car. The stone sounded like it was tearing the car up.
We came to a stop and laughed for a while. Then got pissed when we looked at the damage the stone had done to the paint.
Sand and big bikes don't mix!!

[JackBurns40]

Lots of reports this summer of Garmin routing people onto dirt roads even with the “avoid dirt” box checked. Rule seems to be - always consult your paper maps if you aren’t sure about where you are going.

[Pumper]

Problem was no where did any map show this was not a passable road. Even marked as a State highway...typical of Wyoming