Passes & Canyons Blog

The blazing hot weather finally broke overnight while the OFMC were in Torrington. We came out in the morning and the whole place was enveloped in fog. Really? Where did this come from. More importantly, the weather was a lot cooler than the 100-plus we had had for most of a week.

We headed out in the fog, going south on US 85, which later turns southwest toward Cheyenne. This was some of the flatest, straightest road we had been on.

We got out of the fog but it stayed cooler and then there was an amazing thing: the sky was clear and blue. All week long, everywhere we had been, there had been a haze from the smoke from all the forest fires all over the west. All of a sudden the sky was actually blue!

US 85 hits I-25 a little north of Cheyenne and we got on it but then off again just a few exits later. The plan was to take WY 210 west to Laramie. Things got a little odd here.

The exit sign said this was the turn-off for WY 210 but there was an “Exit Closed” barricade across half the exit. The car in front of us ignored the sign and turned off and we did the same. At the bottom of the ramp there was no way to go anywhere except to the right, toward the closed entrance to Warren Air Force Base. We had to make a left-hand loop around the median to head south and then make a quick right to get onto WY 210. What a strange intersection.

We had been riding non-stop since leaving Torrington so I was on the look-out for a place to pull over. There really wasn’t anywhere to pull off, though, until we went past Curt Gowdy State Park and got into the Medicine Bow National Forest. Yes, we were ready for a break!

WY 210 is a very nice alternate to taking I-80 between Cheyenne and Laramie. It meanders through the hills and is lightly traveled. Perfect for just putting along. About 15 miles shy of Laramie, however, it ends and you have to ride I-80 the rest of the way in.

We got off the interstate in the west side of Laramie, at WY 230 and followed 230 into the Snowy Range. I screwed up on this one, though. We cruised along on 230 and I kept expecting to see mountain peaks and alpine lakes but they never showed. Looking at the map later I saw we should have turned off 230 after just a mile or two, onto WY 130, the Snowy Range Road. WY 130 is the scenic route; WY 230 is the direct route, if you’re heading toward Colorado and North Park. Taking 130 would have added about 50 miles to the ride, bringing us out just south of Saratoga onto the road that runs down from Saratoga through Riverside and on down into Colorado. We had plenty of time so an extra 50 miles would have been fine, and it would have been a much nicer ride.

One thing we would have missed, however, was a semi loaded with huge bales of hay pulled off with his load listing heavily to the left side. That was a sight. At least the guy managed to get stopped without losing his load. But it was going to be a lot of work for him get that all reloaded and strapped down properly.

We got into Walden and settled in out motel. While we were at dinner it rained hard and for the first time on this trip the evening got downright cold. Taking walks to call our wives we needed sweatshirts or jackets! None of this 94 degrees at 10 p.m. stuff now.

The next morning we had some issues to figure out.

Bill and Dennis got up earlier than me and walked down to the Mad Moose for breakfast. As I headed down there later I stopped at the next-door gas station/convenience store to see if they had any bananas. I always want a banana in the morning.

No bananas but the lady at the counter told me that CO 125, the direct road down to US 40 at Granby, was closed due to mudslides. Not only that, CO 14 over Cameron Pass and down the Poudre Canyon was also closed due to flash flooding. Yow! How far out of the way are we going to have to go? Normally the last day, riding home, is totally mundane. Not this year.

The good thing was that CO 14 down to US 40 at Muddy Pass was fine and US 40 itself was fine, so it was only a modest detour. We blasted along through Kremmling, Granby, Winter Park, over Berthoud Pass, and made one last stop at the ice cream spot in Empire. We said our good-byes there and very quickly got separated in the heavy I-70 traffic. One more OFMC trip in the books.

Biker Quote for Today

100 reasons not to date a biker: 6. We crash. It’ll cost a small fortune to fix the bike, and you’ll have to help us in the bathroom until we get the screws out of our collarbone.

If the OFMC had just headed straight for our next stop after Spearfish it would have been about a 90-mile ride. That meant this was another time to play tourists.

We went north out of Spearfish toward Belle Fourche then turned west on SD 34 back into Wyoming, now on WY 24, to Hulett. That was our first stop of the day, and because we had been in no hurry to get going, time for an early lunch. We then continued west to Devil’s Tower.

We’ve been by Devil’s Tower before and gazed at it off over there, but for the first time we went in, rode up to the base, and then took the walk around it. It’s an easy stroll and well worth it, if you’ve never done it. Parking was tricky but we managed to grab a spot a few other bikers were vacating.

Up on the monument we could see some climbers, very obviously coming down. They must have started for the top around 4 a.m. or something like that, in order to beat the heat, and now as they came down it was another scorching day. Then we headed back down for a stop at the cafe/bar down on the highway. And ice cream! Riding is all about ice cream, isn’t it?

Rolling again, we caught US 14 down to Sundance and headed south from there on WY 585. Then we picked up US 85 at Four Corners a continued to south to Newcastle, our destination this day. Newcastle’s a nice town but there wasn’t much to do other than walk out for dinner and then hang out at the motel. The place we stayed was nice, run by some nice people, but the potted plants they put out to make things more homey were totally withered with all this heat. I plucked what looked like a ripe strawberry off a vine and it was like cardboard–zero moisture beneath the skin.

The next day was also to be a short ride so again, no hurry heading out. We headed south on US 85 through Lusk and on down to US 26 at Lingle, then turned east to Torrington, our destination. We stopped for a lunch in Lusk–easily the worst meal of the trip–and then for another break in Lingle. No hurry, you know.

Bill was leading as we headed for Torrington. You know what that means, don’t you? We had looked at the map and saw that we would come into Torrington and then turn right at the main street, and go a couple blocks to our motel. I don’t have to tell you what happened, do I? Bill blew right on past the main road and we had to pull off and turn around. Never let Bill lead.

Our accommodations in Torrington were the second seemingly abandoned warehouse of the trip. How do you build a motel and make it look like an abandoned warehouse? Somebody seems to be good at it.

But this was home for the night and at least there was a more than decent Mexican restaurant just down the street for dinner.

Biker Quote for Today

You might be a Yuppie biker if its not fun to ride unless someone sees you.

The OFMC pulled out of Custer and headed north. But not too far north. This was another day when a short ride called for a diversion. In this case it was that mandatory OFMC-trip stop, gambling.

We headed north on US 385, through Hill City, past Pactola Reservoir, until we got to SD 44, then turned east. We wanted to connect with Norris Peak Road and run up to Nemo Road that way but they really don’t have these things marked very well. We went past it and stopped to reconnoiter, then headed back and figured this must be the road. It was.

Reaching Nemo Road we didn’t stop to discuss it but I was very much aware that this was where, a few years ago, Dennis nearly met his doom. We had stopped for a break and as we got ready to head out I pulled across the road and sat waiting. Dennis followed me without looking to see if the road was clear. It was not. There was a semi coming along at a good clip. Dennis later said he couldn’t hear anything except the roar of all those Harley engines.

He pulled out in front of that truck and that guy slammed on his brakes. I’m sure he must have been cursing this crazy biker but it was not Dennis’s day to die and the truck managed to stop. This was that place.

We cruised up Nemo Road to where County Road 3, Vanocker Canyon Road, goes off to the right. As the guys noted when we stopped, Vanocker Canyon Road is a beauty with the kind of sweepers you dream about. We rode it all the way up into Sturgis.

This was a couple weeks before the rally so things were gearing up but still quiet in Sturgis. Another reason there wasn’t much going on in Sturgis was that the temperature was well above 100. We got into town, parked, and walked to the Knuckle for lunch. We enjoyed the cool in there as long as we could and then just headed back to the bikes and out of town, on our way to Deadwood. But we barely got out of town when we were stopped on the road by construction. No shade, 106 degrees, just sit and wait. Yow!

Finally we were moving again and we made it on up to Deadwood and, after a hassle finding parking, headed into a casino. Nobody was having much luck that day, however, so we didn’t stay long. Back out at the bikes I pulled a bottle of Gatorade out of my bag and took a sip. I might as well have been drinking coffee, it was that warm. Let’s get moving!

On up to Lead and then down to Cheyenne Crossing where we turned north again down Spearfish Canyon. The canyon was beautiful, as always, and a nice ride but if we thought we were going to get some coolness in the canyon we were deluded. We got to Spearfish and quickly found our motel and settled into our rooms, savoring the cool.

Later that evening I went outside to give my wife a call and sat where I could see a time and temperature clock. Talking to her at 10 p.m. the clock was still telling me it was 94 degrees. I guess I’ll name this year’s trip “The Journey Through Heat.”

There would be no rush in the morning, it was to be another short day’s ride. With more heat.

Biker Quote for Today

We know you’re a poser if your $500 boots aren’t scuffed from riding.

The OFMC spent three nights in Custer, in the Black Hills, and with the Sturgis rally soon to inundate the area, the locals were getting ready.

I don’t know if these are normal room rates or whether they were already elevated for the rally but we paid an absurd amount for a very mediocre motel in Custer. And we were lucky to get it. They were turning people away the whole time we were there.

Our first full day in Custer was a golf day. This is an every year thing with the OFMC, although due to a shoulder injury I no longer play, I just tag along and play ball spotter. My eye-sight is better than theirs anyway.

The second day was a day to ride. We headed north out of Custer and picked up the Needles Highway just north of the Crazy Horse monument. We’ve done this ride numerous times but how can you not do one of the best roads around just because you’ve done it before? And this time I had something extra–my GoPro camera sitting on top of my helmet and a remote to shoot pictures with strapped to my left grip.

I’ve taken riding pictures before but it has always been in a very limited fashion. I put my camera strap around my neck, tuck the camera inside my jacket, and then when I want to shoot I pull it out, press the on button, and hold it high and shoot, trusting to auto-focus to give me something good. That has worked fairly well but I could only do this at times when it was OK to let go of the throttle–or put on the throttle lock–and when the road was not so gnarly that I needed to give riding my full attention. As you can guess, this has been fairly limiting.

With the GoPro remote on my grip I could now pay attention to riding but still very easily reach my thumb over and snap a shot. As for what I was shooting, the breadth of the image is so wide that as long as my head was faced generally in the direction of what I want a picture of it was sure to capture it. Of course this means cropping out 90 percent of the total image but with the kind of resolution this camera has you still end up with excellent photos.

So we rode the Needles Highway and stopped at one point for a break. Our intention was to also do the Wildlife Loop through Custer State Park and none of us were certain where we were but I didn’t think we had yet gotten to US 16. Dennis was convinced we had. I said fine, if we’re past US 16 we just need to look for the turn-off where the Wildlife Loop forks to the left. If we had not already reached US 16 we would need to go right and then left. Dennis was in the lead.

We hadn’t reached US 16 yet but as we came to it, Dennis turned left. This is why John said numerous times in the past when he was still riding with the group that the only other one he trusted to know where they were going was me.

No matter, the Wildlife Loop is a loop and going to the left we would still get to it, just at the other end. But we stopped at a visitor center and when I pulled out the map to show where we were Dennis and Bill wanted to backtrack and get on the loop going the way we had intended. So we did that.

We finally got on the Wildlife Loop and for the first time ever for me we saw exactly zero bison. They apparently had better things to do than hang around for tourists to gawk at them. But we did see donkeys. The donkeys do not have better things to do than hang out where tourists can feed them carrots.

So now we figured to continue onto Iron Mountain Road with all its tunnels and pig-tail bridges. I knew when we got to US 16 we would need to go right and I told that to Bill, who was in the lead. Remember one of the rules I’ve stated previously: never let Bill lead. Bill got up to US 16 and went left and I flagged him over. “Follow me.”

We rode Iron Mountain Road but unfortunately the battery in my GoPro had run dead so I didn’t get any shots along there. We reached Keystone and went in for cool air and cold drinks and then the plan was to head to Hill City to have dinner at the Alpine Inn. If you get the chance you should definitely have dinner at the Alpine Inn. They have two things on their menu: steak or Kaes Spaetzle Primavera. You can choose between a six-ounce or nine-ounce filet mignon. The meal includes a potato and a quarter head of iceberg lettuce with ranch dressing, plus Texas toast. Price: $13.95 or $16.95. This place is hugely popular so be sure to get there early. And the food is good.

And that was our day. Ride back to Custer, settle in, and get ready to head out in the morning.

Biker Quote for Today

You know you’re a biker if Sturgis is your dream vacation.

Unless I’m confused, this is the event that used to be held each year at Heritage Square. It has moved around a bit since that place was torn down but now seems to have found a home at the Adams County Historical Society. Anyway, this year’s event was held on Saturday so I rode on up.

It’s not as big as it used to be, and it was blazing hot with no shade in the parking lot where the bikes were on display, so I only stayed long enough to get a few pictures. But there were some nice bikes on display. Here are a few photos.

Biker Quote for Today

When I die everyone at my funeral gets a stun gun. The last person standing gets my motorcycle.

This year’s OFMC ride was not covering so many miles so in order to fill things out I scheduled in several excursions. The first was the morning of our second day, when we loaded up and then rode up onto Scotts Bluff National Monument before heading out of town. I had been up there but neither Bill or Dennis ever had.

Dennis and I were prepared but Bill had forgotten to bring his national parks pass, but the ranger at the entrance told me there were no fees this summer so we rode right in. If you’ve never been to the monument you should go. The road up the bluff circles around the bluff and goes through a tunnel to bring you out on top. It’s probably the best view in Nebraska because it’s probably about the highest point in Nebraska that you can get to normally. And if you have the time, there is a shuttle that will carry you to the top and you can walk down on the trail they have built–a really nice, all-downhill stroll.

We didn’t do the trail so after about an hour on top we were rolling, with Custer, South Dakota, our destination for the day.

NE 71 carried us north and then east until we picked up NE 2, again going north, toward US 20 at Crawford. More prairie riding; at least the hills add some interest. The heat at this point was intense, as it was much of this trip. At Crawford I pulled into a gas station just as a place to take a break with some shade but then noticed the empty-looking ice cream parlor/cafe next door was in fact open. So we pulled in there instead.

The Dairy Sweet in Crawford was a great stop. The sandwiches were good and the milk shakes were great. And the air conditioning was a life saver. Outside it was over 100 degrees.

It had been my intention to follow US 20 north and east to US 385 at Chadron but as we headed out of town I noticed a sign for NE 2 heading toward Hot Springs, South Dakota. What the heck? I had no idea this road was here, and it must certainly save us miles and would help us avoid the busy 385. I made the turn.

So I really don’t get it about this road. How did I not know it was there? It certainly was paved all the way so it’s not like I would have seen it and thought it was not paved. Whatever the deal was, it was a road we had never been on before and it was a nice one. Crossing into South Dakota NE 2 becomes SD 71 and runs up to where it hits US 18 at Edgemont, coming in from Wyoming. We followed 18 east to Hot Springs.

Gassing up in Hot Springs I mentioned that we had just come by The Mammoth Site and Bill asked what that was. I explained that it had been a sink hole where many creatures many thousands of years ago had been caught and drowned and whose bones now lay one on top of the other and that they were being unearthed and could be viewed by tourists, still tangled in the muck. Bill was very interested so we took another excursion.

From there we backtracked a bit on 18 to where we caught SD 89 north to where it merges with US 385 and on a few miles to Custer. This would be our base for the next several days.

Biker Quote for Today

I may not be that good looking, or athletic, or funny, or talented, or smart . . . I forgot where I was going with this but I do know that I love motorcycles.

I was half an hour late arriving at our meeting place, although I thought I had left home 10 minutes earlier than I needed to. Bill and Dennis didn’t seem to care but I was perplexed at how I could have so badly judged things.

Regardless, the OFMC headed out on I-76 with out first day’s destination Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Bill took the lead at the start and promptly led us miles in the wrong direction. When he finally pulled over and asked how to get on the highway I just said “Follow me” and led the way.

Dennis took the lead as we approached the exit for a rest area at Wiggins and I noted that the signs said this exit would put you on CO 52. We wanted 52 north so when we were ready to ride again I told them this was our exit and took the lead going north. However, crossing over I-76 I saw signs that I now realized meant 52 went south here but not north. 52 had jogged west at Fort Morgan. But I figured we could get where we were going via this route so I kept going.

What we ended up doing was zigging and zagging on the section roads in a way that followed the Platte River and eventually came into Fort Morgan–by a considerably longer route than if we had just gotten back on the interstate. Hey, at least it was pretty riding along the river. And we avoided 15 miles of interstate.

We rode 52 up to CO 14 near Raymer and New Raymer, turned east to CO 71 near Stoneham, and then north again. This was all pretty much straight with just some hills to add a little interest. Crossing into Nebraska, we stopped for gas at Kimball and there was more straight road going north. Finally we came through the very scenic cleft of Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area and descended into Scottsbluff.

Dennis had the motel on his GPS so he led us in. I was in the rear but I saw the motel and headed straight for it. Bill and Dennis did not; they rode past and were surprised to see me pulling in next to what they took to be an abandoned warehouse. Then they realized this was the motel.

Whatever this place used to look like, at this time their confusion is easy to understand. And this was not the only “abandoned warehouse” motel we stayed at on this trip. But the interiors were surprisingly nice.

So we were launched. The OFMC was on the road. And with my Kawi giving me problems with its carburetors I was looking forward to a week of getting familiar with how the throttle was responding now vs. how it used to respond. At least it was running well enough to make the trip.

Biker Quote for Today

Why motorcycles are better than women: Your Motorcycle doesn’t care what you’re wearing when you take it out.

We’re home now from this year’s OFMC ride and while I’m eager to tell you all about the trip, if you’re really hard-core your number one question would be, “how did the Kawi run?”

I can’t give a one- or two-word answer to that. So I won’t.

It ran well. It ran a lot better than it did before Joel worked on it. It did not run perfectly and at times it ran alarmingly. Details:

Ever since this bike has been giving me problems it has been hard to get it going from a start. Once in motion it has run OK, other than dying when I’m coasting to a stop. Those problems are gone. There are new ones.

All Kawasakis, as far as I know, are cold-blooded, meaning you need to fire them up and let them run a few moments before you take off. This one is no different but now it responds more readily to a twist of the throttle than it had been doing. The flip side of that is that when I roll off the throttle the engine does not immediately back off as it should. It continues to run hot for a moment and then fades.

Or worse. At times, though fortunately not all the time, the throttle seemed to stick and every time I would pull in the clutch the engine would race. Imagine pulling up to a red light, pulling in the clutch to stop, and having your engine sound like you’re screaming down the highway. I suspect that at its worst that kind of thing could damage the engine. What I would do is let the clutch out just a tiny bit and hold firmly on the brake. That reduced the screaming. It was probably hell on the clutch.

The rest of the bike was great. I knew there was enough rubber on the back tire for the trip but that I would need a new one when I got home. We actually rode about 400 miles more than I anticipated so let’s say I was definitely correct about the tire, in both ways. When I give the bike back to Joel to put in the needed carb parts and get the bike running the way it should I’ll also have him put on a new tire.

But the bike did me well on the trip and that’s the most important thing. And it was a great trip–can’t wait to tell you about it.

Biker Quote for Today

Life is a big road with lots of signs, so when riding through ruts, don’t complicate your mind, wake up and live life.