300 miles in temps over 105 with low humidity ... dangerous

[UtahPete]

Jane and I just returned from a week long trip to visit friends in Star Valley, Wyoming and Three Island crossing, Idaho. We thought we had found a window of opportunity to ride in hot, but not excessive temperatures. Unfortunately, another heat dome settled over the area while we were in Idaho and had to ride home yesterday to our place in Utah (over 300 miles) in what we knew would be excessive (i.e. over 95 degrees) temperatures and extremely dry conditions.

We thought we were prepared for it. We had plenty of water with us and planned to stop frequently to cool down and drink more water. Our first stop was after 90 minutes, with temps hovering around 95. We gassed up, enjoyed a light meal at Perko's in air conditioned comfort, and set off again feeling fine. By then, ambient temps were slightly over 100.

Almost an hour into the next leg of the journey I was feeling a little overheated and parched, so we pulled off at a highway rest stop and sat in the shade with helmets off, drinking water. Even in the shade, though, temps were at 100, so we were unable to cool down our cores, just our heads a little. Knowing it was just going to get hotter the longer we stayed there, we continued, feeling a little apprehensive but having little choice.

About 30 minutes into this leg, with temps between 105 and 108, I started looking for another place to stop and hopefully cool down and lucked out finding a McDonald's where we were able to drink a lot of ice water and cool down in the air conditioning. After 30 minutes, we were back on the road, feeling a liitle tired and overheated, but a little better than when we stopped.

At this point, with temps hovering around 110, nearing the heavy traffic of the Wasatch front, we gambled that we could endure the Valley temps long enough to get into the relatively cooler mountains where we live and so made no more stops until we were home about 90 minutes later. We were both exhausted, had headaches and some nausea. Jane's face was very flushed. But we were able to crank up the ac and take cool showers and gradually get our heads and core feeling somewhat normal.

It's beginning to look like the summer ahead is going to be dangerously hot for riding, so we're canceling our planned motorcycle trips until October.

[DrSteve]

Glad to hear you and your wife are OK

[rjinaz86323]

you really need to be careful with the heat. A few years ago my wife got severely overheat during a ride to Mesa Verde Ruins. She was feeling bad for a couple of days. We are now much more careful than we were back then. Glad. you made it home safe and sound.

[RayBJ]

A few weeks ago I rode round trip to Yellowstone from NJ. Temps were 102 for a few days. Tried wearing my mesh gear but the hot air (ala hair dryer) made my body hotter. Switched to my winter (goretex) gear and the difference in body temps was very noticeably cooler than with mesh. If body temp is 98.6, why add heat? For the life of me, I don't understand why riders think it's more comfortable riding 'bare-back' with the sun and heat directly cooking their bodies.

[UtahPete]

A few weeks ago I rode round trip to Yellowstone from NJ. Temps were 102 for a few days. Tried wearing my mesh gear but the hot air (ala hair dryer) made my body hotter. Switched to my winter (goretex) gear and the difference in body temps was very noticeably cooler than with mesh. If body temp is 98.6, why add heat? For the life of me, I don't understand why riders think it's more comfortable riding 'bare-back' with the sun and heat directly cooking their bodies.

I think when ambient temps exceed normal body temps for any length of time, there's really no way to cool down, short of keeping clothes and head wet so evaporative cooling can take place. The low humidity makes that next to impossible on a ride of any duration.

We had all skin protected from the direct sun at all times.

[rjinaz86323]

I recently spent 3 days in the heat (95-100) coming home to AZ from MO. I used a cooling vest for the hottest part. It really seemed to help.

[UtahPete]

I recently spent 3 days in the heat (95-100) coming home to AZ from MO. I used a cooling vest for the hottest part. It really seemed to help.

Jane used her cooling vest for the first leg, but found it heated up and dried up within 15 minutes and became unhelpful.

[rjinaz86323]

Thats why it’s important to carry extra water. You can dump it on your vest or even under it to help cool you

[UtahPete]

Thats why it’s important to carry extra water. You can dump it on your vest or even under it to help cool you

Rather than stop every 15 minutes to rewet the vest, we will just avoid those kinds of riding conditions if at all possible.

[canamjhb]

Hi Pete, Glad you and Jane made it OK. It sounds to me like you were dangerously close to having a major heat event. When I ride in that kind of heat I put a spray bottle of water in my cup holder. I can spray myself down on the fly. It only lasts for 10 minutes or so before I need to repeat. But I do stop about every half hour to completely drench myself and drink, drink, drink. Air temperatures of 105+ will not cool when flowing through a mesh jacket. Better off being protected from sun AND wind when it's that hot. Hope to see and ride with you and Jane again soon..... Jim

[UtahPete]

Hi Pete, Glad you and Jane made it OK. It sounds to me like you were dangerously close to having a major heat event. When I ride in that kind of heat I put a spray bottle of water in my cup holder. I can spray myself down on the fly. It only lasts for 10 minutes or so before I need to repeat. But I do stop about every half hour to completely drench myself and drink, drink, drink. Air temperatures of 105+ will not cool when flowing through a mesh jacket. Better off being protected from sun AND wind when it's that hot. Hope to see and ride with you and Jane again soon..... Jim

Ironically, it's hotter up here in the summer than it is in Yuma during the winter. We had brought our bikes up north to Utah thinking that would give us more riding opportunities, but NOT in this heat! Wow!

[UtahPete]

By the way, neither bike was bothered in the least by the heat. We were both towing 400 # trailers at freeway speeds and the only time the temperature gauge moved off its usual place at just below half way was when ambient temps hovered around 115, and then only just slightly.

[pegasus1300]

I returned from D3WR Saturday night. The thermometer on the Spyder read 102* we stopped every 2 hours in a cool building for and hour,had my MotoJug stuffed full of ice and water and drank a couple of Pedialyte drinks. I have not used those type of drinks before but they really seemed to help. We came thru Kamas on the way to Provo Canyon and home. I was thinking about you,Pete. Glad you made it home OK. Bad stuff this heat.