Just Another Epic Colorado Ride

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blufjr

blufjr
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In 2015 a small group of us did a Colorado ride, and we thought it would be great to do another. I organized this in reverse and modified it to cut the days down to 12 from 14. Ended up only two or use could do it, but we had a great time. Below is a day by day report. Here is a Kurviger MAP: https://kurv.gr/tckM2 Hope you like it. Ken

The Second Epic Colorado Ride: 2022

Day 1: 413m.
Doug, my riding partner on this trip, road to French Glen and stayed in the Hotel there with the rest of the Bundok Riders: Dean, Bill, Ron, Tee and Meylan. They report a fantastic ride and great place to stay and eat. I was in Incline Village and would start a day later.

Day 2: 445m. Doug continued on to Ely, NV riding his Goldwing and reported a good ride. I, riding my FJ09, met him in Ely as I was coming from Incline Village, NV. I rode across Hwy 50, the loneliest highway in the US, from Carson City to Ely. Hwy 50 is sometimes boring, and sometimes great fun as you pass over many mountain ranges and across flat valleys. The wind from the South at 20mph made for an interesting day.

Day 3: 429m. Start of Doug and my adventure together. We left Ely and rode to Green River UT, across more of NV and UT, which had similar mountain and valley topograph. Winds of 25mph steady and 50 mph gust. Many areas of blowing dust, with to such dust clouds cutting visibility to as little as 30 feet, which made it so Doug lost site of me when we were down to 20mph, while we both were praying that the fog line didn’t also vanish. It was great to ride through the Capitol Reef Nat. Park and admire God’s ever lasting beauty, amassing varying rock formations, colors and magnificent vistas. We stopped in Hanksville for an early dinner and posed with John Wayne for a picture.

Day 4: 341m. We left Green River headed for Colorado Nat. Monument. The road up to, through and down from the upper mesa is awesome. The scenery is Awesome. This would have been enough for an days ride on a motorcycle, but we continued on to CO Hwy. 141/145, taking us from Grand Jct to Cortez Co. Hwy 141 is less traveled because it has US 550 just to the east and although magnificent, it has too much traffic while 141 has almost none, which make for a great motorcycle road. Not only no traffic, fantastic canyon walls, lovely small farms and ranches, a river, remains of a flume, oh, did I say Awesome beauty? It started to rain 30 miles out of Cortez, stopped 10 miles out and we were pretty much dry when reaching Cortez.

Day 5: 295m. We had been watching the weather for days and knew that this day may have some scattered thunder showers. Little did we know that they would all occur while we were on the Million Dollar Highway through one of the most beautiful mountain ranges of the Rocky Mts. And not only rain but we couldn't even see the mountains just a few miles/or was it meters away as we rode it through clouds, thick clouds. It cleared up just North of Ouray. We stopped to shed our rain gear in Ridgeway under sunshine. That event was only 60 miles but took a couple hours, as it was very technical riding in extreme conditions. Afterwards, we kind of liked it because we felt we had climbed a mountain and concurred it. We continued on to the Black Canyon Nat. Park, which was OK but not as grand as the Grand Canyon. We then talked to a couple that recommended we ride down to the bottom and visit the Dam. We did, and o-boy, was that fun. No traffic to speak of and never a straight-a-way, turn after turn. If you weren't starting a turn, you were ending one and at least a 10-12 percent grade. It was also 20 degrees warmer down there. A much different feeling look up at the walls of the canyon the looking down into them. We had more fun roads that ended in Lake City. Our reservation somehow got cancelled and the lady at the lodge found us a cabin at the other end of town. It was better and saved us about $40ea.. More beer to drink. Happy Face.

Day 6: 240m. So far we have visited six of Colorado’s best parks and highways, how could it get better? We altered the route by omitting going East and decided to backtrack over hwy 149 to Gunnison for breakfast and then head back west on Hwy 50 to Blue Mesa Dam. Hwy 92 is one of my all time favorite roads in the US, I have done it many times going to SWFOG events in Salida, CO, Taos, NM, Silver City NM. It is unbelievable that we broke it down into three sections to admire the view points, Pioneer Overlook, Morrow Pt. Overlook and the remaining twisties was only 30 miles total but all awesome. We did the North Bank View Pt. Of the Black Canyon and liked it better. It required you travel over 12 mile total of gravel, in and out. It was hard packed and easy. We got gas in Hotchkiss and headed north on hwy 133: Doug loved this road, as it was high speed sweepers, and we all know how Doug loves to drag his pegs. Not, as he only does that on tight twisties, and on sweepers, he doesn’t drag the pegs. Doug lead this sections and I tried to keep up. WHAT FUN. Great food that evening at a little old fashion hamburger joint, where you sit outside. Just like in the old days.

Day 7: 276m. Yesterday was 3 great road, each different and fun in a different way, and the scenery changed for each of those sections. What can we do to improve this? I might as well go home, I’m totally satisfied with what we have already done. We alter the route some and head out on I-70 going East for 42 miles and exit on Hwy 131 North, then 134 to Kremmling. I don’t know what I’m going to do with Doug, these high speed sweepers have sweeped him off his feet. We have to pass on the Rocky Mtn. Nat. Park, because we don’t have reservations. A new thing that started about 4 years ago, but not all parks require the reservation. I guess you have to check now. We looked at the map and found another road, hwy 125, which goes to the Continental Divide. Another Dream road, high speed sweepers. Doug’s Gold Wing is purring. We get bank on US 40 and make our way south and end going over Berthoud Pass. This pass has two lanes going up hill and one down. It was great as you could pass at speed. Dinner was serenaded by Clear Creek in Georgetown.

Day 8: 242m. We like Berthoud Pass so much we decided to do it again this morning. Up and down, turn around and up and down again. I could have gone back to the motel and felt like I hit pay dirt already, but no we had a plan. We had scheduled Guanalla Pass, which is directly South out of Georgetown. If you can find the road out of town. Luckily we had GPS and followed it, something you may never want to do, especially if it looks like someone’s driveway and this one did. We started up this unmarked road, no center line or fog lines, and admired the beauty and simplicity of the road, but had to stop at a natural rest area to water the plants. Ready to go and to our surprise a car came by and o-my- gosh, it was a Honda S2000, and we know a little bit about that car. So we chased the S2000 to the top of the Pass. The driver pulled over and we stopped by his side. He asked “is there a problem?” After explaining our enthusiasm with his car and how we felt at home chasing him up the hill, as one of us does the same with a red S2000. He became very talkative and friendly. Going down the other side of the pass, which the ten miles of gravel has now been beautifully paved and Awesome, need I say more? Doug found another road off of Butler’s Map, that indicated rough surface, but due to Doug’s enthusiasm and belief that it has been improved to take this county road 77 down to US24. It is a gem, the speed limit is 40mph, which keeps cars from using it, as you can take the main roads and get to your destination in less time. For us, not true. I just can’t tell you how many times we miss some great roads because we just don’t know. We have to experience them to know. Some times you win. 77 is a winner. We go on down to Cripple Creek, which is turning into a gambling town, with massive large gambling casinos. The road was great to and from and we had fun. On to Pikes Peak. We aren't going to do that again. But the road from there to Colorado Springs is a fun 4 laner.

To be continued.<-- click
 

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