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CVO Social => Ride Report => Topic started by: Yellow09SERG on October 25, 2020, 04:23:56 PM
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We got the chance to make a run to Colorado again this year! Wife had been fussing about the way the bike had been riding so before we left we add the Ohlins up front to match the rears. Thank you Smarty for getting us in and making this old bike ride and handle great again.
Done a little more digging on what was out there before we left.
Old set of tunnels that run under I-25 between Raton and Trinidad. the old town of Morley is in this area also but other than being able see it from the interstate that was as close as we could get the it.
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Spent the night in Trinidad. View from the hotel room looking back to the mountains.
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Highway of Legends
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Highway of Legends
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Stopped at one of the many mountain lakes for a shot of coffee, and this little guy was sure happy for the company
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More along the Highway of Legends
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Temperature was running around the low 60's so we really got lucky on the weather.
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Clear sky
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We wanted to try and hit what National Parks we could along the way. Not much of a sand person....it gets places I cant get it out of, but this was interesting to see here in the mountains. The sand dunes were pretty inpressive
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Left the sand and started wondering our way to Buena Vista where we were planning to spend the night
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Somewhere along US 285
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More along 285
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285
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We had not slowed down in previous trips long enough to explore much, but this trip we want to slow down and enjoy. St Elmo is one of those places you need to visit and enjoy a bit.
Being it was off season there wasn't the summer crowd and meet an gentleman buy the name of Chuck who owns the bed and breakfast there. He was very friendly and told a little history of the town. Wife and I think his bed and breakfast my be on our agenda if we get to repeat this trip again
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One thing I wanted to accomplish on this trip was Cottonwood pass. As a kid I could remember my dad and I taking this to get to Taylor lake where we camped for a week. Just wanted the chance to see if it was as I remember it when young
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Cottonwood Pass
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Cottonwood Pass It was fun to see how the difference in temperatures has change the colors at different elevations
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If I have looked at this right the summit of Cottonwood Pass is the highest paved pass in Colorado
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The road down the west side seemed to wind on forever looking off the summit
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We were lucky enough to find lots of color still left as we went through the different elevations
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Black Canyon National Park is another stop that if your wondering you need to make a stop at. The changes in color of the rock as the canyon cut through are amazing
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Black Canyon
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Black Canyon and the one road that made me pucker up. We end up riding some odd ball roads from time to time, (generally dirt) and every once in a while you think dang I wish we hadn't went this way.... The East Portal Road had me sucked up tight to the seat by the time we made it to the bottom. You know we all see those signs that give the warnings and we look and go on? This had one of those signs and it said something along the lines of 18% grade next 10 miles. Yea ok and go on. Well about halfway down the rear brakes had faded to nothing, not sure if I was boiling the fluid of if the incline was steep enough that I was pulling air in the master cyl. I could come off them and let the motor work till I needed them and 4 or 5 pumps the pedal would return till I release it. I would do it again tomorrow, so don't let the talk discourage you. Just pay attention.
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Bottom of East Portal road
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Worked our way back to the top just in time to catch the colors of a wonderful sunset
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Think we were just outside Montrose
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Montrose heading towards 550
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Look what we found in the middle of the road....
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Look what they found in the middle of the road. From talking to the EMT personal on the scene no one was hurt other than bruises from the air bags.
Remember this the next time you see that "Watch For Falling Rocks" sign
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550
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550
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550
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Imaging what life was in this area during this point of time
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Looking off in there you can't help but wonder what, and how much came out of that mine down those rails
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Left the 550 area and wondered towards Mesa Verde National Park. Not sure where we were, but we have all crossed those cattle guard and saw the signs that say Open Range. Sometimes there are actually critters out there
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Mesa Verde
It was closed for tours due to Covid, but this is one that I will have to go back to when this is over
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Mesa Verde
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This is what you get for a pic of a National Park sign when you stay there WAY to long
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Next stop was Arches National Park. We were very disappoint when we got there and the park was closed due to to many people and the sign said come back in 3hr. 3 hrs. didn't really fit into our schedule. We did get lucky though they didn't say when that 3 hrs started from and after about 30 minutes they let us in
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Arches
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Arches
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From Arches it was time to wonder home
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End of the day looking back at a great trip. Hope you all enjoy
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The open west is my favorite part of the country to ride through. It always makes me feel good. Miles and miles and miles of alone. Your pics so far made me realize something. While I've somehow never managed to be on a bike in Utah (up and down both sides and over and under) so still have to do that I've also never been to Mesa Verde. Not sure why. Often wanted to. Something else to get done. Nice trip :2vrolijk_21: .
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The open west is my favorite part of the country to ride through. It always makes me feel good. Miles and miles and miles of alone. Your pics so far made me realize something. While I've somehow never managed to be on a bike in Utah (up and down both sides and over and under) so still have to do that I've also never been to Mesa Verde. Not sure why. Often wanted to. Something else to get done. Nice trip :2vrolijk_21: .
Don
We ran out of time to do much of Utah but got enough of it to know we need at trip back.
Like you we have always bypassed Mesa Verde, and not sure why. It will be destination we will have to return too and spend more time
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Don
We ran out of time to do much of Utah but got enough of it to know we need at trip back.
Like you we have always bypassed Mesa Verde, and not sure why. It will be destination we will have to return too and spend more time
I've got a couple friends saying the summer trip next year should be east. Primarily because I haven't done that in quite awhile. But all the trip ideas this year got Rona-d. So I'm still thinking west this late-spring or early summer; whenever I can get the hell on the way. Have pretty much decided I'm finally marking Utah off the map this year too. It just needs to be done. Montezuma County, Colorado could easily be on the way coming or going. Loved your pictures.
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Great pics of a really nice ride. :2vrolijk_21:
I need to get on the other side of the Mississippi River myself.
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Great pics of a really nice ride. :2vrolijk_21:
I need to get on the other side of the Mississippi River myself.
Thank you TN
We have visited your part of the world a couple times but it has always been during the winter and in the truck. Bike trip there is sure on our agenda. Beautiful country out there
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A great ride report and photos! Thanks a bunch for posting!
You covered a lot of ground in Colorado. We've been there a lot and several trips this summer. We spent last summer in Buena Vista and just outside of Montrose. It snowed on May 1 in Buena Vista (see the photo).
Cottonwood Pass sure doesn't look the way that you remembered it as a kid. From the sign at the summit all down the west side was always a nice dirt road until last summer. They have finally paved it all the way and I got to ride it a few months back.
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A great ride report and photos! Thanks a bunch for posting!
You covered a lot of ground in Colorado. We've been there a lot and several trips this summer. We spent last summer in Buena Vista and just outside of Montrose. It snowed on May 1 in Buena Vista (see the photo).
Cottonwood Pass sure doesn't look the way that you remembered it as a kid. From the sign at the summit all down the west side was always a nice dirt road until last summer. They have finally paved it all the way and I got to ride it a few months back.
Thank you JC
Sure glad we didn't wake up to that kind of snow, it would have made the trip more interesting for sure. Although we did lay in bed at the hotel pondering the what if's.....lol.
I know you have spent lots of time in CO and alway look forward to your posting of pictures. Hope you get to repeat.
I do think we found a new favorite route this year while we were there. We picked up Co 141 just south of Grand Junction and ran it till we picked up Co 145 at Naturita. Then 145 all the way into Cortez. It gave a great run through the high plans canyons then the south end brought you back in the mountain valleys.
JC I was probably 10 the last time I was on Cottonwood Pass. Not sure how much of it was paved then, but in a childs mind it was dirt wilderness in the middle of no where. The surprising part was once we got to Taylor Lake it fit all the memories I had from the cabins setting back off the lake to the marina on the lake where we used to rent a flat bottom boat to fish. Lots of memories there on that lake
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Taylor Lake Marina
Spent several summers as a young kid fishing on this lake. Been 50 years since I had seen this place but still looks just like I remembered it as a child. One memory that has never left my mind even though it occurred 50ish years ago was us getting wet. We had gotten soaked out fishing when one of those late afternoon thunderstorms came through. We returned to the camp and was able to change clothes, but for me that was the only pair of shoes I had brought. Dad decided to dry them out by the camp fire. Last I saw them when they still looked like shoes, just a pile of goo after that. Remember Dad and I going to find shoes....who knows where. Memory stops there, but at least I don't remember being barefoot
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Co 141 south of Grand Junction.......did you stop at the Gateway Auto Museum when you passed through Gateway. No signs, no advertising.....you just have to know it's there behind the lodge.
The guy that owns all of those cars and that museum, the resort and everything else in that little hole in the road is the gentleman that started the Discovery Channel. This museum is worth the trip alone! $10 for seniors and it's a self guided tour.
http://gatewayautomuseum.com/
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Co 141 south of Grand Junction.......did you stop at the Gateway Auto Museum when you passed through Gateway. No signs, no advertising.....you just have to know it's there behind the lodge.
The guy that owns all of those cars and that museum, the resort and everything else in that little hole in the road is the gentleman that started the Discovery Channel. This museum is worth the trip alone! $10 for seniors and it's a self guided tour.
http://gatewayautomuseum.com/
Miss it but Thank you. It is now saved back to a planner for the next trip
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I have a Cousin that lives a Half-Hour/45 minutes south of Denver that I have been hoping to travel out and see. Would probably need to make no less than a 2 week ride out of it, but it sure looks like it would be a beautiful trip.
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It's been a few years since we've ridden that wonderful part of America.
Thanks for the wonderful ride report and amazing pics.
Thanks for the memories, and building our anticipation for our eventual return trip! :2vrolijk_21:
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I have a Cousin that lives a Half-Hour/45 minutes south of Denver that I have been hoping to travel out and see. Would probably need to make no less than a 2 week ride out of it, but it sure looks like it would be a beautiful trip.
If time allows you it would be a trip worth making
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It's been a few years since we've ridden that wonderful part of America.
Thanks for the wonderful ride report and amazing pics.
Thanks for the memories, and building our anticipation for our eventual return trip! :2vrolijk_21:
Thank you Grizzly,
Hopefully the pics will help you find the time for the trip or hold you over till you can make there again
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Ran across this Thread, my first time back to the CVO Forum since 2018 when we enjoyed many of these same roads :2vrolijk_21: :2vrolijk_21:
Mesa Verde is certainly a special place, there was much more to it than Major Tom & I anticipated, due to timing, (or lack thereof LOL) we were not able to ride much more than halfway into the Park :(
We'll definitely allocate more time for Mesa Verde when we are out that way again. :)
Gorgeous pictures, thanks for posting!!
Glad to see y'all out Sport Touring on the Yellow SERG, it's a beautiful sight :2vrolijk_21: :2vrolijk_21:
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Ran across this Thread, my first time back to the CVO Forum since 2018 when we enjoyed many of these same roads :2vrolijk_21: :2vrolijk_21:
Mesa Verde is certainly a special place, there was much more to it than Major Tom & I anticipated, due to timing, (or lack thereof LOL) we were not able to ride much more than halfway into the Park :(
We'll definitely allocate more time for Mesa Verde when we are out that way again. :)
Gorgeous pictures, thanks for posting!!
Glad to see y'all out Sport Touring on the Yellow SERG, it's a beautiful sight :2vrolijk_21: :2vrolijk_21:
Glad to see your back Ed,
You are correct about Mesa Verda. Not sure what time we started into the park but it was dark 30 when we came out and that was with all the dwelling closed due to Covid. Definitely will have to make a run back to there.
That old yellow girl is still wondering the roads every chance we get. Hopefully yours is too
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I'm late to the party, but still enjoyed the pictures and the scenery. Looks like you had great weather too. Keep that '09 rollin'.
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Glad to see your back Ed,
You are correct about Mesa Verda. Not sure what time we started into the park but it was dark 30 when we came out and that was with all the dwelling closed due to Covid. Definitely will have to make a run back to there.
That old yellow girl is still wondering the roads every chance we get. Hopefully yours is too
It's good to be back :2vrolijk_21:
We just kind of drifted off for no particular reason :nixweiss:
We've been putting some miles on the :cherry:
Now that the paintwork is wrapped up, "The Short Bus" is on its way back to active duty :huepfenjump3: