Passes & Canyons Blog

I got an email from Randy Ohno with a link to his photo blog. His trip this summer, the most current photos on the blog, took him through nine western US states as well as Alberta and British Columbia. Randy lives in BC and has done a lot of riding in the northwestern US and western Canada and his photo blog shows a lot of where he’s been. You may want to check it out at
http://honda599.myphotoalbum.com/albums.php.

It was Randy who wrote asking the question about how he should expect his bike to run at high altitude, which I addressed in this weblog posting. Here’s his report on his experience:

Colorado and the Durango, Aspen area was impressive with its high mountain passes. I managed to make it through Independence Pass and found my bike worked well, but like my breathing laboured slightly at idle.

So thanks for touching back in Randy. And thanks for the look at your photos.

We had a family gathering recently at a beautiful spot and I figured if you’re coming to Colorado on vacation you might want to know about this place. Or you may live in Colorado as we do and you’re interested in a new getaway spot. The place is Columbine.

So where the heck is Columbine? Near Steamboat Springs is the short answer. More specifically, you take Elk River Road (County Road 129) north from the west end of Steamboat and wind through some gorgeous country up through Clark to the Hahn’s Peak area. It’s good pavement all the way to the little town of Columbine, where the pavement ends. If you keep going you’ll come out at Savery, WY.

There’s not much at Columbine, which is a good thing. What there is is a little store and a bunch of cabins and you can rent one or all of the cabins depending on the size of your group. They range from primitive, with toilets over there to modern with kitchens, bathrooms, and everything else. Except televisions, which is a good thing, too. Here’s their website so you can check the place out.

There’s a lot to do around Columbine. Two state parks are just minutes away, Steamboat Lake State Park and Pearl Lake State Park, and you can hike to the top of Hahn’s Peak. Or you can ride 30 minutes in and hit Steamboat Springs for dinner and whatever else you fancy. Just be on the look-out for deer as you make the evening ride back to Columbine.

For what it’s worth, this is a totally unsolicited, unpaid recommendation. We liked the place and I think you will, too.