Adventures in the Wild Wild West - a Triple Ride Report - Red Lodge, NAFO, HW3
- Thread starter Tyler
- Start date
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SacramentoMike
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For Pete's sake, if this chance ever comes up again, PLEASE let Gregory take the picture and sit Michelle down at the table. Other than that, though, great report, T.
+1. What he said.
gregory
Great things are afoot
Tough room, but I agree!
I hooked up with a few like-minded folks and we headed out after deciding to ride Million Dollar Hwy from south to north... so first it was 62 to 145... the red rock canyons were a beautiful contrast to the bright blue skies... it was a good day to ride..
And into Telluride which I preferred much more over Aspen... it was early so not a ton of traffic and the sleepy little town was just waking up for its visitors...
The town had all kinds of flowers adorning the streets and walkways... it was quite lovely against the backdrop of the mountains behind it...
It’s a very artsy town with carved benches, interesting windows, and is very dog friendly!
Fred and Lyndel enjoying the day while Hud was enjoying something else...
We decided to follow the road to the end of town where it turns to dirt at the processing plant... you just gotta wonder the adversity to setting up a town and mining plant way back when... beautiful country but I would imagine quite challenging to set up shop...
Hud ain’t afraid a no dirt!
Actually no one was!
Heading back into town... the grandeur of those mountains makes one feel pretty small... in a good way...
And so we backtracked out of town...
And into Telluride which I preferred much more over Aspen... it was early so not a ton of traffic and the sleepy little town was just waking up for its visitors...
The town had all kinds of flowers adorning the streets and walkways... it was quite lovely against the backdrop of the mountains behind it...
It’s a very artsy town with carved benches, interesting windows, and is very dog friendly!
Fred and Lyndel enjoying the day while Hud was enjoying something else...
We decided to follow the road to the end of town where it turns to dirt at the processing plant... you just gotta wonder the adversity to setting up a town and mining plant way back when... beautiful country but I would imagine quite challenging to set up shop...
Hud ain’t afraid a no dirt!
Actually no one was!
Heading back into town... the grandeur of those mountains makes one feel pretty small... in a good way...
And so we backtracked out of town...
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Continuing along 145 which was lovely and not much traffic...
I was leading and the pace wasn’t quite up to par for Uncle Hud so he scooted ahead and would wait for us down the road a bit once he got his ya-ya’s off...
And the views... simply stellar...
Fred & Lyndel enjoying the day... their smiles say it all methinks...
Did I mention there was roadwork in Colorado??
We weren’t too nonplussed by it... gorgeous day, beautiful scenery, and we were all above ground and breathing to enjoy it...
We pulled into the tiny town of Dolores for gas and decided it was a good time for some lunch... I asked the gal at the gas station for a recommendation and this is what she told us and that’s where we went!
Food was pretty good but I liked some of the signage around the place... my kind of people...
Before heading out of town, Hud and I did a little sightseeing...
And paid our respects to the previous dwellers...
I was leading and the pace wasn’t quite up to par for Uncle Hud so he scooted ahead and would wait for us down the road a bit once he got his ya-ya’s off...
And the views... simply stellar...
Fred & Lyndel enjoying the day... their smiles say it all methinks...
Did I mention there was roadwork in Colorado??
We weren’t too nonplussed by it... gorgeous day, beautiful scenery, and we were all above ground and breathing to enjoy it...
We pulled into the tiny town of Dolores for gas and decided it was a good time for some lunch... I asked the gal at the gas station for a recommendation and this is what she told us and that’s where we went!
Food was pretty good but I liked some of the signage around the place... my kind of people...
Before heading out of town, Hud and I did a little sightseeing...
And paid our respects to the previous dwellers...
And then continuing on toward Durango to ascend the Million Dollar Hwy... I was supposed to ride this a few years back on another trip but, due to snow flurries, had to divert to a more southerly route... today would be different... and what a road it is twists, turns, dizzying heights, butt puckering drop offs, and the scenery... oh, the scenery... I don’t have a ton of photos while riding as this one took concentration and focus but this might give you an idea...
We had been told there was roadwork and potentially at least a 30-minute delay but by the time we got to where the work was supposed to happening, the crews had packed up early and headed home... SCORE! Stopped at Molas Pass – 10,899 feet – to enjoy the views... nice and cool and crisp, clean air...
Making new memories with great friends... :wub:
It was getting a little late so we didn’t make a lot of stops on the way back since we didn’t want to miss the evening’s festivities... I did stop here because of the colors and reflections in the water... really vibrant!
And on the other side of the road...
We got stuck behind a car that was going to frustratingly slow and refusing to pull over that I had to take a breather before I did something stupid... not a bad place to take a breather and get my head back on straight...
Continuing on...
The fairly iconic view of the drop offs along the northern side... I was really glad to be on the other side of the road as there were places where the road was crumbling away with no guardrails or anything...
We stopped again at another turnout to check out the scenery and I gingerly walked out on a glass platform that overlooked this waterfall... it made me a little woozy from the height and I held on tight to my camera!
When we pulled back out onto the road, what joy to find a semi in front of us... I couldn’t believe they allow this size vehicle to drive this road... we watched him take up both sides of the road around blind turns and gave lots of leeway... he was very lucky he didn’t cause an accident or worse... yeesh!
The tiny town of Ouray tucked into the mountain crevasses...
As we descended, the temperature rose again and by the time we got back to the hotel it was around 104 degrees...
I thought for sure we were gonna get rained on and was actually looking forward to it in the heat but it dodged us...
We had been told there was roadwork and potentially at least a 30-minute delay but by the time we got to where the work was supposed to happening, the crews had packed up early and headed home... SCORE! Stopped at Molas Pass – 10,899 feet – to enjoy the views... nice and cool and crisp, clean air...
Making new memories with great friends... :wub:
It was getting a little late so we didn’t make a lot of stops on the way back since we didn’t want to miss the evening’s festivities... I did stop here because of the colors and reflections in the water... really vibrant!
And on the other side of the road...
We got stuck behind a car that was going to frustratingly slow and refusing to pull over that I had to take a breather before I did something stupid... not a bad place to take a breather and get my head back on straight...
Continuing on...
The fairly iconic view of the drop offs along the northern side... I was really glad to be on the other side of the road as there were places where the road was crumbling away with no guardrails or anything...
We stopped again at another turnout to check out the scenery and I gingerly walked out on a glass platform that overlooked this waterfall... it made me a little woozy from the height and I held on tight to my camera!
When we pulled back out onto the road, what joy to find a semi in front of us... I couldn’t believe they allow this size vehicle to drive this road... we watched him take up both sides of the road around blind turns and gave lots of leeway... he was very lucky he didn’t cause an accident or worse... yeesh!
The tiny town of Ouray tucked into the mountain crevasses...
As we descended, the temperature rose again and by the time we got back to the hotel it was around 104 degrees...
I thought for sure we were gonna get rained on and was actually looking forward to it in the heat but it dodged us...
When we got back to the hotel, the event team was in full steam mode and lots more folks had shown up to join in the fun...
Brodie... the man with the ever present smile...
A family act... mom, dad, son and daughter-in-law... how cool is that?
Bob needed some technology lessons from Lisa...
Tall tales, party of three, your table is ready...
What’cha lookin’ for there, Craig?
Sooze, Phil, and the lassie on the right is none other than Julie, she of the famed “Windsong of the West” ride report (if you haven't seen that one, definitely check it out!) that so many of us had been following as she made her way around the country and landed in Montrose for the gathering... at least three times, people came up to me and asked in a hushed and awed whisper, “Is that her... Julie aka FJRFarrier??” Yes, I told them, it was indeed her and they just nodded their heads in reverent acknowledgement. She’s pretty awesome so if you ever do get the chance to meet her, be sure to say hi!
We all found food at nearby restaurants and then back to the hotel for more fun in the parking lot...
And look what the cat drug in... even Greg made an appearance!!
I’ll give ya one guess whose socks those are...
Brodie... the man with the ever present smile...
A family act... mom, dad, son and daughter-in-law... how cool is that?
Bob needed some technology lessons from Lisa...
Tall tales, party of three, your table is ready...
What’cha lookin’ for there, Craig?
Sooze, Phil, and the lassie on the right is none other than Julie, she of the famed “Windsong of the West” ride report (if you haven't seen that one, definitely check it out!) that so many of us had been following as she made her way around the country and landed in Montrose for the gathering... at least three times, people came up to me and asked in a hushed and awed whisper, “Is that her... Julie aka FJRFarrier??” Yes, I told them, it was indeed her and they just nodded their heads in reverent acknowledgement.
She’s pretty awesome so if you ever do get the chance to meet her, be sure to say hi!
We all found food at nearby restaurants and then back to the hotel for more fun in the parking lot...
And look what the cat drug in... even Greg made an appearance!!
I’ll give ya one guess whose socks those are...
The next day I had another route planned but it was going to be a long one and in the lower elevation so heat was going to be an issue... I don’t do so well in triple-digit heat and I had a big trip home the next day and wanted to save my energy so luckily for me, Fred & Lyndel had trailered their bike and had a car with air-conditioning and they were feeling the same way I was... so we took a little cage road trip into Gunnison for lunch... another fun little town with lots to look at...
Someone has a sense of humor...
On the way back, we took our time and did a little sightseeing and photo taking... I love the older motel signage... a memory of simpler times...
No threat deer...
Views of the Curecanti National Recreation Area as we drove along Hwy 50 which is a really lovely highway...
Uncle Hud had been talking about this bridge and was quite fascinated with it... I’m sure there’s a story behind it and maybe he’ll chime in with his expertise...
I had wanted to ride 92 so we took a turn up that road and I was really wishing I had taken the bike at that moment...
But then we got out of the car to check out the gorge and I was enveloped in the heat and I was okay with being in the car again... lol This gorge was incredibly deep and had some really amazing views... both Lyndel and I are a little leary of heights so we gingerly made our way around some of the paths to look around...
I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and spied some predator birds, hawks perhaps, swooping around on the wind currents... they were moving pretty quickly so it was hard to catch them in a photo but they were impressive and it made me want to grow wings and fly with them so effortlessly...
Someone has a sense of humor...
On the way back, we took our time and did a little sightseeing and photo taking... I love the older motel signage... a memory of simpler times...
No threat deer...
Views of the Curecanti National Recreation Area as we drove along Hwy 50 which is a really lovely highway...
Uncle Hud had been talking about this bridge and was quite fascinated with it... I’m sure there’s a story behind it and maybe he’ll chime in with his expertise...
I had wanted to ride 92 so we took a turn up that road and I was really wishing I had taken the bike at that moment...
But then we got out of the car to check out the gorge and I was enveloped in the heat and I was okay with being in the car again... lol This gorge was incredibly deep and had some really amazing views... both Lyndel and I are a little leary of heights so we gingerly made our way around some of the paths to look around...
I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and spied some predator birds, hawks perhaps, swooping around on the wind currents... they were moving pretty quickly so it was hard to catch them in a photo but they were impressive and it made me want to grow wings and fly with them so effortlessly...
And then it was time to skeedaddle back to the hotel for the big banquet... everyone had a story to tell about where they had been, what they had seen, what tires they were running, and plans for heading home the next day...
Carnage...
FJRay and the lovely Patti...
Trouble with a capital “T”...
Love you too, Hud...
The “I like air conditioning” crowd...
And then there’s Bob/intech...
Father and son team who did a Saddlesore together on the way to Montrose...
And of course no gathering is complete without the group photo...
Or the group photo with the one-finger salute...
And then the dinner bell sounded and we made our way in to the banquet hall for some good grub...
Bob was the emcee and did a fine job at keeping the heathens in line and giving away some nice schwag...
Here he is doing his rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”...
But no one was keeping him or Doug in line... knuckleheads...
The other members of the planning team... thanks for a great event, guys!!
Late night route planning...
More frivolity in the parking lot and the folks started to drift off to their respective rooms and get ready for the journey home the next day... this really is a great group of people... if you ever have doubts of showing up for one of these gatherings, do it... you won’t regret it...
Carnage...
FJRay and the lovely Patti...
Trouble with a capital “T”...
Love you too, Hud...
The “I like air conditioning” crowd...
And then there’s Bob/intech...
Father and son team who did a Saddlesore together on the way to Montrose...
And of course no gathering is complete without the group photo...
Or the group photo with the one-finger salute...
And then the dinner bell sounded and we made our way in to the banquet hall for some good grub...
Bob was the emcee and did a fine job at keeping the heathens in line and giving away some nice schwag...
Here he is doing his rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”...
But no one was keeping him or Doug in line... knuckleheads...
The other members of the planning team... thanks for a great event, guys!!
Late night route planning...
More frivolity in the parking lot and the folks started to drift off to their respective rooms and get ready for the journey home the next day... this really is a great group of people... if you ever have doubts of showing up for one of these gatherings, do it... you won’t regret it...
I planned for two days to make it back to Cali so started early... saw lots of other folks doing the same and we all waved and wished one another safe travels... I got about 20 minutes down the road and it started to rain so I pulled over, donned all my rain gear, and... the rain stopped. LOL Had to stop again a little while later to take it off since it was warming up again... dodged another rainstorm... they sure do come and go quickly out that way...
My destination for the night was Ely, NV and I just decided to slab it as it was about a 500-mile day... to my delight, slabbing in the parts going through Utah is quite lovely...
Gas in Green River...
And a photo stop at Black Dragon Canyon...
A little elevation change and nice temps through Fish Lake...
And then on to Salina to rehydrate and gas up... as I left town I looked in my rear view mirror and noticed that I had picked up a stray... well, another rider that is...
Turned out it was Steve/bluestreek... his bride, Cindy, was having back problems so decided to hop in the truck with Dave & Diane (Highlander) as they had trailered their bike there as well... we were all headed for Ely so Dave hung back with me and, honestly, I was kind of glad he did... the next section of Hwy 50 is known as the Loneliest Highway and for good reason... there is nothing, nada, zip, zilch for about 85 miles... not even a tree or bush you could get some shade from should you get stranded... kinda creepy...
Steve doing his prairie dog impression...
And then about 20 miles out of Ely, we saw this and I thought oh crap...
The high desert is known for its storms that whip up complete with lightning... not a great time to be on a bike... I thought for sure we were headed right into the middle of it...
But then the road took a nice turn to the left and now it was off to our right... crisis averted!
I remember thinking “Neener neener, you didn’t get us!!”
Unfortunately, my cockiness was short lived as about 10 miles outside of Ely the road turned to the right... right into the middle of that damn storm... within the timeframe of about 2 minutes, it began to rain mightily, then hail (which hurts like a MFer when it hits you at 65 mph even through protective gear), then poured rain again, then the temperature dropped about 20 degrees (and I was still wearing my cooling vest... I got pretty dang cool alright!), and then it stopped... when we got to the hotel, I took off my jacket and noticed my arms were covered in raised welts from the hail... owie!!
Everyone arrived safe and sound at the Bristlecone Motel where we had reservations for the night... btw, if you are ever looking for a motel in Ely, this one is a good choice and it has the softest towels in the world... I wanted to curl up in one and live in it! Lol
We sat outside for a bit and chatted about the day’s events... while I love the big gatherings, it’s nice to get a little face time with smaller groups of friends and catch up...
I wondered what Cindy was looking at... ah, our reward for weathering the storm...
Dinner was at the Copper Queen Casino right across the street and we were famished... but first a toast...
Steve was too hungry to pose for the photo opp...
Tummies full we headed back to the hotel, chatted a bit longer, and then hit the sack... I had another 500+ mile day ahead of me so it would be another early start to the day...
My destination for the night was Ely, NV and I just decided to slab it as it was about a 500-mile day... to my delight, slabbing in the parts going through Utah is quite lovely...
Gas in Green River...
And a photo stop at Black Dragon Canyon...
A little elevation change and nice temps through Fish Lake...
And then on to Salina to rehydrate and gas up... as I left town I looked in my rear view mirror and noticed that I had picked up a stray... well, another rider that is...
Turned out it was Steve/bluestreek... his bride, Cindy, was having back problems so decided to hop in the truck with Dave & Diane (Highlander) as they had trailered their bike there as well... we were all headed for Ely so Dave hung back with me and, honestly, I was kind of glad he did... the next section of Hwy 50 is known as the Loneliest Highway and for good reason... there is nothing, nada, zip, zilch for about 85 miles... not even a tree or bush you could get some shade from should you get stranded... kinda creepy...
Steve doing his prairie dog impression...
And then about 20 miles out of Ely, we saw this and I thought oh crap...
The high desert is known for its storms that whip up complete with lightning... not a great time to be on a bike... I thought for sure we were headed right into the middle of it...
But then the road took a nice turn to the left and now it was off to our right... crisis averted!
I remember thinking “Neener neener, you didn’t get us!!”
Unfortunately, my cockiness was short lived as about 10 miles outside of Ely the road turned to the right... right into the middle of that damn storm... within the timeframe of about 2 minutes, it began to rain mightily, then hail (which hurts like a MFer when it hits you at 65 mph even through protective gear), then poured rain again, then the temperature dropped about 20 degrees (and I was still wearing my cooling vest... I got pretty dang cool alright!), and then it stopped... when we got to the hotel, I took off my jacket and noticed my arms were covered in raised welts from the hail... owie!!
Everyone arrived safe and sound at the Bristlecone Motel where we had reservations for the night... btw, if you are ever looking for a motel in Ely, this one is a good choice and it has the softest towels in the world... I wanted to curl up in one and live in it! Lol
We sat outside for a bit and chatted about the day’s events... while I love the big gatherings, it’s nice to get a little face time with smaller groups of friends and catch up...
I wondered what Cindy was looking at... ah, our reward for weathering the storm...
Dinner was at the Copper Queen Casino right across the street and we were famished... but first a toast...
Steve was too hungry to pose for the photo opp...
Tummies full we headed back to the hotel, chatted a bit longer, and then hit the sack... I had another 500+ mile day ahead of me so it would be another early start to the day...
Starting a ride before the sun comes up is something quite special... there really aren’t a whole lot of people up at that hour and it’s peaceful... and the world is all yours at that moment in time... and it’s awesome...
I gassed up wherever I could as I wasn’t sure if the stations I had been told about would be open or not... a riding mentor told me don’t ever pass up a gas station or a place to pee in the middle of the desert... good wisdom and it has served me well! First stop was in another small town of Eureka which had a surprising and fun twisty entrance into the town...
Good morning, world... the rising sun tinted the landscape golden...
More lonely and straight road but for some reason it didn’t seem as ominous as the other section... it was a beautiful morning and the world was my oyster...
This shot for some reason brings a Beatles song to my head... “The Long and Winding Road”... even though it’s not winding, it still resonates... Pants mentioned that music can make a ride even better and he was right...
At Carson City, I decided to forego the slab on 80 and instead head over 88 through the Sierras... it was Monday so I figured there wouldn’t be too much traffic and I was right other than these guys...
Nice place there...
Wait... road work? Am I back in Colorado??
That road work will bode well, I thought, once it’s all complete... what beautiful tarmac it will be!
Caples Lake... I always love the color of the water here...
And then it was time to slab it and get back to reality... but I knew I’d be going back for more Colorado goodness as I was slated to do photographer duties for the How the West Was Won Rally a few weeks later... and I wasn’t disappointed... but I’m getting ahead of myself...
I gassed up wherever I could as I wasn’t sure if the stations I had been told about would be open or not... a riding mentor told me don’t ever pass up a gas station or a place to pee in the middle of the desert... good wisdom and it has served me well! First stop was in another small town of Eureka which had a surprising and fun twisty entrance into the town...
Good morning, world... the rising sun tinted the landscape golden...
More lonely and straight road but for some reason it didn’t seem as ominous as the other section... it was a beautiful morning and the world was my oyster...
This shot for some reason brings a Beatles song to my head... “The Long and Winding Road”... even though it’s not winding, it still resonates... Pants mentioned that music can make a ride even better and he was right...
At Carson City, I decided to forego the slab on 80 and instead head over 88 through the Sierras... it was Monday so I figured there wouldn’t be too much traffic and I was right other than these guys...
Nice place there...
Wait... road work? Am I back in Colorado??
That road work will bode well, I thought, once it’s all complete... what beautiful tarmac it will be!
Caples Lake... I always love the color of the water here...
And then it was time to slab it and get back to reality... but I knew I’d be going back for more Colorado goodness as I was slated to do photographer duties for the How the West Was Won Rally a few weeks later... and I wasn’t disappointed... but I’m getting ahead of myself...
gregory
Great things are afoot
Awersome RR Tyler! Can't wait to see you in Yosemite
Niehart
Pie Smuggler
escapefjrtist
Searching for Dry Roads
Great finish and pics Tyler, looks like a lot of fun was had by all!
...should have tried harder to make NAFO!
--G
...should have tried harder to make NAFO!
--G
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JamesW
JamesW
Superb stuff.
hppants
Well-known member
Another page turned in the epic story of the Great Adventures of Miss T. Mr. Twain would be proud, indeed! Let us all hope that this novel has no end.
Madam, that is one fine piece of glass you look through while on your rides. It shall be my pleasure to finally meet you in person later this year.
Madam, that is one fine piece of glass you look through while on your rides. It shall be my pleasure to finally meet you in person later this year.
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Mihalis fjr
Well-known member
Excellent ride report with wonderful pictures as always Tyler!!
Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for sharing!!
There's more coming!! 
Several years ago, I stumbled across the How the West Was Won Rally run by rallymaster Justin Phillipson. We had become friends via FB and when I asked if I could come hang out and take pictures, he said sure... so I did and I’ve been at all of them to date. Last year’s rally would be based out of Grand Junction, CO. I didn’t have the time to ride out and back again so it was fly out and meet up with my friend, Lydia (some of you have met her), who drove down from Salt Lake City and agreed to be my chauffeur for the event. I took a ridiculous amount of photos so won’t post all of them here but will share some highlights.
This year’s theme was Combination Conundrum and Justin had quite an array of interesting bonus spots in store for the riders.
I flew in Thursday night and was there on Friday as riders started to arrive for tech inspection. The team met to go over last minute details...
LD bikes are always fascinating with the array of technology, impressive lighting, mascots, and what seems like a foreign language with reminders and notes...
And of course the always controversial car tire...
A few of the players... Erik “Crazy Eyes” Lipps... always cool, calm, and collected...
Irish Phil...
Mark Pierce...
Rod Schween...
Ken & Linda Lehman...
Mario Winkelman – if you wear LD Comfort undergarments, this is the guy to thank for that!
Bill Lynes...
A bit of intensity...
And everyone’s favorite mascot, Montessa, with pop Mike who both came along to cheer on mom, Wendy Crockett...
Wendy had some issues with her bike and was doing some networking to find the necessary part to keep herself in the rally...
This year’s theme was Combination Conundrum and Justin had quite an array of interesting bonus spots in store for the riders.
I flew in Thursday night and was there on Friday as riders started to arrive for tech inspection. The team met to go over last minute details...
LD bikes are always fascinating with the array of technology, impressive lighting, mascots, and what seems like a foreign language with reminders and notes...
And of course the always controversial car tire...
A few of the players... Erik “Crazy Eyes” Lipps... always cool, calm, and collected...
Irish Phil...
Mark Pierce...
Rod Schween...
Ken & Linda Lehman...
Mario Winkelman – if you wear LD Comfort undergarments, this is the guy to thank for that!
Bill Lynes...
A bit of intensity...
And everyone’s favorite mascot, Montessa, with pop Mike who both came along to cheer on mom, Wendy Crockett...
Wendy had some issues with her bike and was doing some networking to find the necessary part to keep herself in the rally...
