Hwy 40 from Salt Lake to Denver

[ponyfool]

I am plotting my post WFO ride through Colorado and am wondering if any of you have been on any of these roads:

Day 1: Hwy 40 east from Salt Lake into Denver area.

Day 2: Denver area through Estes Park, down through Breckenridge south to Hwy 50, west to 550 and north to Grand Junction

Day 3: Grand Junction south on 550 through Durango and over to 4 corners, then up into Utah through Moab and into Salt Lake City

Day 4: Salt Lake City back home to Portland- route unknown yet, may be superslab.

 

[kxb44]

I am plotting my post WFO ride through Colorado and am wondering if any of you have been on any of these roads:
Day 1: Hwy 40 east from Salt Lake into Denver area.

Day 2: Denver area through Estes Park, down through Breckenridge south to Hwy 50, west to 550 and north to Grand Junction

Day 3: Grand Junction south on 550 through Durango and over to 4 corners, then up into Utah through Moab and into Salt Lake City

Day 4: Salt Lake City back home to Portland- route unknown yet, may be superslab.

I've been on all those roads and can tell you that you have chosen a fine route. Don't forget to take in Mesa Verde near Durango.

 

[brazos parker]

Can't speak to Days 1,2 or 4. I rode 550 from Grand Junction to Durango last year on a trip out west. The road from Ouray to Durango is spectacular...IIRC, 3 passes at 10,000' +.

Here's some recent pictures of that ride from another forum.

RocketBunny's Pictures of 550.

 

[rivgar]

When you are coming down 40 into Granby, CO be sure to take RT 34 through Rocky Mountain National Park, the vistas are spectacular.

I had to link the url of the images because I cannot link images on this forum. I always get the following message.

"Sorry, dynamic pages in the tags are not allowed"???????

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/riv...zedRckymtn1.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/riv...dFJRRckyMnt.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/riv...zedrckymtns.jpg

RT 34 will bring you out to Estes Park.

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/riv...yofIMG_0016.jpg

From there you can stay on 34 to Loveland, 34 is a very nice canyon road, or you can head south on RT 72 which is pretty twisty and the views are nice. https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/riv...ovelandpass.jpg

If you are heading down to Cortez for Mesa Verde N.P. RT 286 out of Denver is very nice and RT 160 bring you through South Fork and a spectacular canyon.

A word of warning if you stay in Cortez, be sure to eat early (before 8ish), everything there closes quite early.

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/riv...yofIMG_0028.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/rivgar/IMGA0085.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/rivgar/IMGA0082.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/rivgar/IMGA0093.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/rivgar/IMGA0089.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/rivgar/IMGA0088.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/rivgar/IMGA0096.jpg

If you are in the area of Glenwood Springs be sure to bring a pair of hiking boots and hike to hanging lake. It is a worthy 2.5 mile hike.

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/riv...yofIMG_0051.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/rivgar/IMG_0060.jpg

I did this trip last summer and it was glorious.

I hope it works out as well for you as it did for me.

In a few weeks I am leaving for a tour of Wesern MI and the UP. I have never been there before. I am exited but I know MI has to lot to live up to equal my CO experiences from last summer.

 

[ponyfool]

When you are coming down 40 into Granby, CO be sure to take RT 34 through Rocky Mountain National Park, the vistas are spectacular. I had to link the url of the images because I cannot link images on this forum. I always get the following message.

"Sorry, dynamic pages in the tags are not allowed"???????

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/riv...zedRckymtn1.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/riv...dFJRRckyMnt.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/riv...zedrckymtns.jpg

RT 34 will bring you out to Estes Park.

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/riv...yofIMG_0016.jpg

From there you can stay on 34 to Loveland, 34 is a very nice canyon road, or you can head south on RT 72 which is pretty twisty and the views are nice. https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/riv...ovelandpass.jpg

If you are heading down to Cortez for Mesa Verde N.P. RT 286 out of Denver is very nice and RT 160 bring you through South Fork and a spectacular canyon.

A word of warning if you stay in Cortez, be sure to eat early (before 8ish), everything there closes quite early.

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/riv...yofIMG_0028.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/rivgar/IMGA0085.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/rivgar/IMGA0082.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/rivgar/IMGA0093.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/rivgar/IMGA0089.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/rivgar/IMGA0088.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/rivgar/IMGA0096.jpg

If you are in the area of Glenwood Springs be sure to bring a pair of hiking boots and hike to hanging lake. It is a worthy 2.5 mile hike.

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/riv...yofIMG_0051.jpg

https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/rivgar/IMG_0060.jpg

I did this trip last summer and it was glorious.

I hope it works out as well for you as it did for me.

In a few weeks I am leaving for a tour of Wesern MI and the UP. I have never been there before. I am exited but I know MI has to lot to live up to equal my CO experiences from last summer.

Great pics, and thanks for the tips!

I love that part of Michigan, although the roads are a bit flat compared to what you have above. Too bad you aren't going earlier for the Cherry Festival in Traverse City, I always have fun there for that! If you don't mind parking the bike and taking the ferry, try to hit Mackinac Island.

Also, the towns of Charlevoix and Petoskey are cool little places if my memory serves correctly.