{"id":31892,"date":"2026-01-17T00:01:59","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T08:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/?p=31892"},"modified":"2026-01-13T13:22:58","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T21:22:58","slug":"scenic-byway-163-arizona-to-utah-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2026\/01\/17\/scenic-byway-163-arizona-to-utah-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Scenic Byway 163 (Arizona to Utah): Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Mike Huber<\/h6>\n

Arizona Highway 163 is one of the most iconic roads in the United States.\u00a0 This is the road through Monument Valley. From Easy Rider<\/em> to Forest Gump<\/em> to numerous westerns, when you ride this road you are in a magical place (especially on a motorcycle).\u00a0 It\u2019s a big reason why I chose it as the cover for my book (and that’s cheap plug for A Trip Into The Moment<\/a>). I’ve ridden Highway 163 many times on my BMW GS1200.\u00a0 Most times it was uneventful, but as with most things in life, as soon as you relax and feel comfortable Mother Nature will find a way to remind you exactly how small you are.<\/p>\n

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One of my last trips on Highway 163, I stopped in Kayenta to fuel up and reload on water.\u00a0 It was late September, and the weather was perfect.\u00a0 I had a 45-mile drive to Mexican Hat, where I would grab firewood and camp in the Valley of the Gods.\u00a0 I never listen to music but felt The Band\u2019s song, The Weight<\/em>, was warranted to just set the tone and add more color to this final stretch.\u00a0 I was the Easy Rider!<\/p>\n

As I tore out of Kayenta everything was just coming together perfectly.\u00a0 This was to be the coolest ride I\u2019d ever done. With the music screaming throughout my helmet I eased into the moment and just embraced it.\u00a0 That was until I looked to the left and saw a sheet of brown coming at me.\u00a0 It was a sandstorm.\u00a0 Without missing a beat I pulled in my clutch, clicked down two gears and took off.\u00a0 I had about 30 miles to go and felt confident I could make it to safety in Mexican Hat.\u00a0 Safety would only be a gas station awning, but that would be enough to protect me from the stinging sands.<\/p>\n

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I made it as the sandstorm changed direction and went due south; however, I wasn\u2019t out of the woods yet as a downpour began. I loaded up on a few snacks and water, and was waiting the storm out when a Harley rumbled up to join me under the awning.\u00a0 The two-up Harley riders had just come down Moki Dugway and were soaked and shaken.\u00a0 Fair enough.\u00a0 Even on my BMW GS1200 I would not want to attempt that, especially going down those hairpin dirt roads with no guardrails and nothing but a sheer vertical drop if you were to slide. It’s very unforgiving.<\/p>\n

We chatted for the better part of an hour on our riding experience as the rain came down around us.\u00a0 When asked how long I was out riding, the guy almost fell off his bike with my reply:\u00a0 I think I have been out for four years or so.\u00a0 As the rain let up, we said our farewells.\u00a0 They went south and I went west toward Valley of the Gods to set up camp.<\/p>\n

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I think the best part about this story is a year later learning how small the world actually is.\u00a0 I had been helping a friend who I didn\u2019t know too well navigate working remotely.\u00a0 I gave him a lot of ideas and tips and offered to assist if he needed anything else.\u00a0 I hadn’t heard from him for almost two years when I received an email.\u00a0 He had been hiking in Colorado and sat on an overlook to take in the views when a couple joined him and they began chatting about life and travel (the usual overlook conversations). The conversation then turned to people they had met and the couple mentioned this long-haired guy on a BMW with a stuffed animal they had met on Highway 163. My friend replied that he knew me; he had helped me get off the ground working remotely. They all had a good laugh and continued their hikes. These coincidences in meeting others who had met me probably could be its own blog, but I felt this story fits nicely here.<\/p>\n

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Returning now to that beautiful September day:\u00a0 Upon leaving the gas station in Mexican Hat the sky began to darken yet again. A new adjustment had to be made to avoid another storm. This one looked worse than both the sandstorm and the thunderstorm I had dodged.\u00a0 I was pretty confident my luck had run out in terms of staying dry at this point. Being familiar with the area there I knew there was one alternative that could protect me from the storm, but would I make it before the sky opened up?<\/p>\n

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More Huber? Check out A Trip Into The Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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