Cello II
Well-known member
Pawing over maps of Colorado, I wanted to see how much of these glorious mountains I could visit. I may have overdone it. From the time I left Grand Junction on Monday morning until Friday afternoon of NAFO I covered 2600 miles of Colorado and topped out 50 different passes and summits. This left almost no time for socializing and enjoying the comraderie so many of your rider postings display. Timing is everything, so I planned early rides up those places that would be rained on in later hours. Riding at 5 am was common. :dribble: Pikes Peak and Mt Evans were clear and beautiful as were virtually all the major passes. Just lucky, I guess!!
I had to leave out one nine mile dirt road and its pass in Rocky Mountain Nat"l Park <_< because I had a balding rear tire, it was 7pm and it had been raining off and on. I thought it not wise to embark on that road by myself at that time. As a result I had to add Hagerman Pass outside Leadville to make my total of 50. I would not recommend this 4WD road for anyone on an FJR, but I had to do it!!! What a challenge. A most memorable ride!! The other dirt passes were a breeze by comparison: Old Monarch Pass, Guanella Pass (out of Georgetown), and Shrine Pass (near Vail Pass).
The highlights of this trip are obvious; All the high mountain passes and the views getting there. Of surprising note was Cripple Creek (near Pike's), GlenHaven/Devils Gulch out of Estes Park, and most definitely SR 27 between Masonville and Poudre Park . This was a wonderfully twisty road :clapping: with lots of smooth 10mph corners. I was riding after dark and uncertain I was on the right road because of lousy signs, but I would love to ride it again in daylight. I was flying, nevertheless.
So when everyone else was enjoying a Saturday ride at NAFO, I was taking a layover day knowing I had a few thousand more miles to go.
After the final dinner I suffered the realization that I was the second oldest rider in the room!! Not happy news. Where are all these serious riders? Were they even covering more passes? (Without road tax, I might add!) Whewwww!
My journey had started with a 1007 mile first night....and day to Grand Junction. When NAFO was over, I left Golden to ride the Snowy Range Pass (130), Ten Sleep Canyon (16) Shell Canyon(14) and Bighorn (14A) in Wyoming. I continued with Dead Indian Pass (296) and both directions on Beartooth Pass before I slept. Another 925 mile day! What a day!! I worked my way to northeastern Washington and then south through as many mountain twisties as I could find until I arrived back in smoke-filled Northern California. I got my best-ever views of Mt. Ranier, Hood, St. Helens, Jefferson, Sisters etc. My small solo journey covered 6740 miles. My worst mileage was at some triple digit speeds out of Poudre Canyon at 5 am toward Walden (37.5) My spectacular best was from Leadville over Independence Pass and McClure Pass and back by I-70 to Golden....300.4 miles, ave 51mpg!!!!! :blink: I doubt I'll ever see that again!
If anyone hasn't told you yet, this is one sweet machine. I'm new to the bike, only one year old, and it has 21,000 miles. Some of those are long days...like the day I rode over 33 mountain passes in California putting on 1263 miles in 23 hrs and 25 minutes.
Do you think my riding habits may be a contributing factor to my almost always going alone? :glare:
Alan
I had to leave out one nine mile dirt road and its pass in Rocky Mountain Nat"l Park <_< because I had a balding rear tire, it was 7pm and it had been raining off and on. I thought it not wise to embark on that road by myself at that time. As a result I had to add Hagerman Pass outside Leadville to make my total of 50. I would not recommend this 4WD road for anyone on an FJR, but I had to do it!!! What a challenge. A most memorable ride!! The other dirt passes were a breeze by comparison: Old Monarch Pass, Guanella Pass (out of Georgetown), and Shrine Pass (near Vail Pass).
The highlights of this trip are obvious; All the high mountain passes and the views getting there. Of surprising note was Cripple Creek (near Pike's), GlenHaven/Devils Gulch out of Estes Park, and most definitely SR 27 between Masonville and Poudre Park . This was a wonderfully twisty road :clapping: with lots of smooth 10mph corners. I was riding after dark and uncertain I was on the right road because of lousy signs, but I would love to ride it again in daylight. I was flying, nevertheless.
So when everyone else was enjoying a Saturday ride at NAFO, I was taking a layover day knowing I had a few thousand more miles to go.
After the final dinner I suffered the realization that I was the second oldest rider in the room!! Not happy news. Where are all these serious riders? Were they even covering more passes? (Without road tax, I might add!) Whewwww!
My journey had started with a 1007 mile first night....and day to Grand Junction. When NAFO was over, I left Golden to ride the Snowy Range Pass (130), Ten Sleep Canyon (16) Shell Canyon(14) and Bighorn (14A) in Wyoming. I continued with Dead Indian Pass (296) and both directions on Beartooth Pass before I slept. Another 925 mile day! What a day!! I worked my way to northeastern Washington and then south through as many mountain twisties as I could find until I arrived back in smoke-filled Northern California. I got my best-ever views of Mt. Ranier, Hood, St. Helens, Jefferson, Sisters etc. My small solo journey covered 6740 miles. My worst mileage was at some triple digit speeds out of Poudre Canyon at 5 am toward Walden (37.5) My spectacular best was from Leadville over Independence Pass and McClure Pass and back by I-70 to Golden....300.4 miles, ave 51mpg!!!!! :blink: I doubt I'll ever see that again!
If anyone hasn't told you yet, this is one sweet machine. I'm new to the bike, only one year old, and it has 21,000 miles. Some of those are long days...like the day I rode over 33 mountain passes in California putting on 1263 miles in 23 hrs and 25 minutes.
Do you think my riding habits may be a contributing factor to my almost always going alone? :glare:
Alan
