From the Jeff Ashe "Hey I know a shortcut" file

[Fencer]

In Jeff's defence, the garmin did show this as a county road. Well it started like that. from black-top to pitch, then gravel, then, no gravel, then mud and fist sized rocks. Lets not forget the small stream. We finally turned around when it went to a 4x4 trail with weeds in between the tracks.

We were debating on turning around here, but is was not that bad yet. and we got to see a great road sign

Ashe - um - scouting ahead

Allen scouting as well

Taken back at the bottom where it was safe enough (and wide enough) to park

There was a local sitting on his porch when we went by going up. On the way back out, I yelled at him, "You knew we'ld be back didn't you?"

Any surprise the reply was,"YEP"

 

[twowheelnut]

From TWN's Golden Rules of Riding the FJR:

#14 When the pavement stops, turn around. This is why the V-Strom exists.

 

[Groo]

Call me when it gets to looking like this...

"Ophir Pass is a popular shortcut between Silverton and Telluride (my edit... unless you're on a f*&^king FJR) which passes over a nearly 12,000-foot saddle between Lookout and South Lookout Peaks. On the west side of the pass, shown here, the road is a narrow shelf cut into the talus slope. Though not nearly as formidible as other pass roads, this portion of the drive requires some icewater in the veins."

 

[Rondo777]

YIKES!! Thats insane. Very sceenic though! You need to do a return trip with a quad or dirt bike. Looks like a great place for a dirt toy.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I say those GPSs will help you take more wrong turns than right ones... :lol:

 

[jmarran]

I didn't get to take any pictures of it, because Geezer and Grumpy don't stop. Ever. (I secretly think they're using Skyway's hydration system in reverse)

Anyhoo, Geezer took me and CharlieHoss on a really nice hiking trail. I think it may have even been a section of the Appalatian Trail.

Like they say "If shortcuts where easy, they'd be 'the way'".

 

[HaulinAshe]

As that trail worsened to something not fit for anything street legal, we were all going UP the hill. I kept thinking that as long as it did not get any worse, we would be better off not trying to turn around. After all, everyone that's ridden dirt knows it's a hell of a lot worse attempting to turn around and go back down!

About that time I saw the trail ahead turn into a bunch of polished slick rocks, overgrown with ferns and grass, with a healthy dash of last night's rain thrown in. Then it hit me... If it's this bad now, just imagine what the downhill side must be like, and WET to boot. So I decided to do what was necessary and turn around.

I really did/do feel bad about taking everyone on such a pig path. Just the day before, I had ridden into Beartown State Park on the eastern loop of EOM-4. The road we were on started out pretty much the same as the Beartown road. A narrow, one-lane pavement with no lines and no visible signs of degrading. Unfortunately it changed whereas the Beartown road stayed the same all the way in.

I'm definitely proud of everyone in the group. They did not give me too much crap and they all stayed cool, calm, collected and stayed clear of the front brakes to get down the dirt path. It was a challenge for everyone and really a beautiful little path into the woods. The worse thing was that "woman" sitting outside her "house", smoking a cigarette and looking all foamy at Fencer.

 

[Scab]

The worse thing was that "woman" sitting outside her "house", smoking a cigarette and looking all foamy at Fencer.

Did she have teeth? You know, he has a "way" with toothless women. Says there are benefits to women with no teeth. I have no idea to what he is referring.

 

[Kevin Daly]

Jeff, if i was with you I would have had a smile all the way; that looks too fun

 

[2WheelTiger]

If any of you have plans to do the Haul Road from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, take it off your list.

 

[FJRski]

Jeff, if i was with you I would have had a smile all the way; that looks too fun

Jeff, I was with you and I was smiling all the way!;-)

I'm glad you had the sense to stop and turn around while the path was still wider than the FJR is long. Otherwise, it could have gotten difficult. And at least we knew what we were on was slippery. Hey, I'd do it again.

There are some folks on this Forum who say the FJR does not handle well off-road, but I think she handles pretty well for a road bike.

I ended up on another dirt road on the way home, thanks to GPS, a lot smoother, and a heck of a lot scarier because the chip and oil asphalt paving turned to crushed pea gravel without warning, and you couldn't see the difference between the paved section and what was loose except by the feel of the bike. Now that was treacherous.

 

[E1Allen]

Great pics, I was waiting to go up the hill some more, but I don't think we did find the other end to that road did we?