Passes & Canyons Blog

I admit that I’m sitting here today needing to get a Thursday post up but I have no ideas. So this will be a bit of a re-hash but I hope you don’t mind. I’ve been putting out blog posts regularly for more than 10 years and almost from the very beginning I have included a Biker Quote for Today. Here are some all time goodies.

The only thing better than a motorcycle is two motorcycles.

Happiness isn’t around the corner, it is the corner.

“I don’t feel like going for a ride today.” — said no motorcycle rider ever

Dirt bikes are not for wimps. They are, however, quite suitable for the clinically insane.

Helmet not wore when go ride, and no damaging so far brain yet!

The shortest distance between two points is for people who can’t ride.

“But officer, bikes fall over if they aren’t going fast.”

Love is the feeling you get when you like something as much as your motorcycle. Have you ever been in love?

To ride or not to ride? That is a stupid question.

People tell me I have a motorcycle problem. I tell them, I may have problems, but motorcycles are the solution.

Must work to afford Bikethings.

Don’t stop riding until you get to the crash; you might save it!

Adventure is what happens when you thought you were going to have a good time.

I have no idea where we are, but at least it’s getting dark.

It’s our job. Burnin’ gasoline, killin’ bugs, and wearing out tires!

I don’t ride because I have a death wish, I ride because I wish to live.

MOTORCYCLES: created to keep us from choking the idiots around us.

Don’t let my motorcycle ride interfere with the safety of your phone call.

Time spent on a motorcycle is not deducted from your lifespan.

OK. I hope you got a grin or two out of that. Now here’s the latest one for today.

Biker Quote for Today

You might be a Yuppie biker if you stop 30 miles from Sturgis to unload your bike so you can ride in.

Stump, the legislative liaison for ABATE of Colorado, continues sending updates on legislation at the capitol and he has sent out an alert about the pending distracted driving bill. This bill would make it illegal to use a cellphone while driving except in hands-off mode. It has been brought up repeatedly over the past few years and each year it gets further in the process.

Here’s the latest:

SB22-175 is scheduled to be presented to the House Transportation & Local Gov’t Committee next Tues or Wed (April 26/27). Committee member info is below. Please reach out to these legislators to request their support. Thank you for your continuing support on trying to make Colorado roads safer for everyone.

Tony Exum, Committee Chair
tony.exum.house@state.co.us
303-866-3069

Meg Froelich, Committee Vice Chair
meg.froelich.house@state.co.us
303-866-2921

Andrew Boesenecker
andrew.boesenecker.house@state.co.us
303-866-2917

Marc Catlin
marc.catlin.house@state.co.us
303-866-2955

Matt Gray
matt@matthewgray.us
303-866-4667

Edie Hooton
edie.hooton.house@state.co.us
303-866-2915

Mandy Lindsay
mandy.lindsay.house@state.co.us
303-866-3911

Andres Pico
andres.pico.house@state.co.us
303-866-2937

Janice Rich
janice.rich.house@state.co.us
303-866-3068

Tom Sullivan
tom.sullivan.house@state.co.us
303-866-5510

Donald Valdez
donald.valdez.house@state.co.us
303-866-2916

Tonya Van Beber
Tonya.Van.Beber.house@state.co.us
303-866-2943

Kevin Van Winkle
kevin.vanwinkle.house@state.co.us
303-866-2936

In an earlier update Stump also noted that “Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Holbert, gave a very ‘persuasive’ argument in support of the bill at 2nd reading, citing how his personal distracted driving experiences have changed his view to supporting a bill which he had opposed in the past.”

That is why this bill keeps gaining support. Maybe this year we can get it passed.

Biker Quote for Today

What do you get when you mix a motorcycle with a joke? A Yamahaha.

It’s already April 21 and I still hadn’t ridden the V-Strom this month so that was a sure bet for today with an RMMRC ride planned. This was going to be a little different; we were just heading up to Black Hawk for lunch at one of the casinos. That’s actually more like an OFMC outing than the RMMRC.

My first order of business when I got to the gas station in Morrison where we meet was to get gas. And, I believe, for the first time in my life I paid more than $4 per gallon for gas. $4.05.9 to be exact. Yow! But you know, I’d happily pay more if that meant that Russian oil was unwanted and that would help stop Russian aggression in Ukraine.

I know some people claim Joe Biden is responsible for the hike in gas prices, not Vladimir Putin, but I call BS on that. I’m a registered Independent voter, not a Republican or a Democrat, so I call BS on anyone who deserves it. If gas prices were stable around the world but soaring in the U.S. that would be one thing, but they’re not. They’re up everywhere. Is Joe responsible for higher gas prices in Australia? In France? In Japan? OK, that’s way more politics than I normally get into here.

So there were only five of us riding this day. Bob was leading and he said he would figure out some side roads to take. I had some thoughts about his route but he proved me completely wrong. We headed up Bear Creek to Kittredge and took Kerr Gulch over to meet up with Evergreen Parkway just on the south side of I-70, cut across the highway and then followed old U.S. 40 on up Floyd Hill and down to where we hit U.S. 6 heading down Clear Creek Canyon. Then we caught the Peak to Peak Highway to Black Hawk.

Bob’s plan was the buffet at this casino but when we saw that it cost $20 there were three of us who demurred. I personally never like buffets because as a fairly small person I can usually fill up easily at any restaurant for far less than the buffet cost. Plus, I really wasn’t hungry. So I went and played some slot machines while Roy and Bruce went to the casino’s other eatery and Bob and Maynard did the buffet. Yes I gave the casino the same $20 I would have paid for the buffet but at least I had the chance to go home with more than I came with and besides, I wasn’t hungry.

The predicted high for today was in the high 70s but I had been cautious and had worn a sweatshirt and my electric vest. I had been glad to have them on the ride up as it was still cool in the morning. Leaving Black Hawk I was thinking more about getting back into town and it being hot, so I just put on the vest but stashed the sweatshirt. That proved a wise move, as even later in the day it was still darn chilly up on the Peak to Peak and even coming down Golden Gate Canyon.

When we reached the flatlands, however, it was definitely warm and I was really glad not to be wearing the sweatshirt.

Anyway, it was a beautiful day for a ride and we were all glad we had taken advantage of it. In a perfectly fitting coincidence, as I made my way home across Hampden I found myself behind a car with a sticker on the back that read “Never let a nice day go to waste.” Perfect. We didn’t.

Biker Quote for Today

You know you’re a biker when you use your dishwasher to clean bike parts.

As the day for our departure on the RMMRC’s Great River Road ride I’ve been hearing from Roy, who is the group’s mother hen. Come over and get this packet of information he called me twice to request. So I did.

I’m not exactly new to long motorcycle trips, having been doing them every year with the OFMC for more than 30 years. But this will be my first long trip with the RMMRC. So this is the first time I’ve seen this sheet.

Roy gave me this legal-size page with a lot of info on it, including the names and cellphone numbers of everyone going. Good to have. It also has “The 12 Commandments of Group Riding” and information on all our motels along the way. And then there’s “The RMMRC Emergency Road Pack.” This list, divided into “must,” “should,” and “handy for emergencies,” has about anything you could think of, and maybe some you wouldn’t think of. I’m just going to give you the list, rearranged into the three groupings.

Must

• Copy of M.C. registration and proof of insurance in Ziploc bag: Keep on bike.
• Waterproof list of emergency contact numbers: Also cell #s of group riding.
• Tire gauge: Check tires before riding and needed for other list items.
• Valve core cap that can remove the core: Needed for other list items.
• Cellphone with 12V and 120V chargers: Will need in emergency.
• Spare ignition key hidden on bike–don’t forget where: a must.
• Camping tie-down straps: Long straps from BMW dealer or camping stores.
• Pressured tire sealer–Slime: Carry both for different conditions.
• Tubeless tire plug kit–mushroom type is best: Follow instructions closely.
• 12V air pump with correct plug or alligator clips: Test connectors.
• Side stand foot pad with cord for soft ground or asphalt. Use cord on handlebar.
• Water bottle: A must for long hot days!

OK, that group is definitely looking at emergency needs. I personally carry six of those items normally. I’ll think about some of the others.

Should

• Hand sanitizer and hand towels: Need for tire repair.
• Flashlight with fresh batteries–LED lasts longer: Test before long trip.
• Bike cover and old T-shirt: Pull T-shirt over windshield to protect.
• Zip ties various sizes long and short: Have gotten many riders home.
• Stainless steel zip ties long–Harbor Freight: Great for broken mounts/brackets.
• Duct tape, gorilla tape: A small amount of each.
• Baling wire or hanger wire: Around a tool or in a bag.
• Pliers with side cutters and/or vise grips: A must for working with the wire.
• Inner tire patch kit with glue: In case of a larger tear in the tire wall.
• Short tire irons (2) and extension tube tubular socket or short pipe with irons.
• Used inner tube from dealer for emergencies: Dealers throw away old inner tubes.
• Combination cable lock–no keys: Secure your jacket and helmet when parked.
• Windscreen cleaner and polish and cloth.
• First-aid kit–small: Basic kit, carry in tank bag or handy spot.
• Leaf bags large–2: Cheap, compact and have many uses.

And again, I normally carry six of those things. Truth be told, if I had a flat I would not know how to fix it so I’ve never bothered with these things. And the one time I did have a flat the tire was beyond repair, even for a short distance.

Handy for Emergencies

• MOA Anonymous Book: Worth the membership and lots of helpful folks. (OK, this is a BMW-specific thing here.)
• Small metric socket set: Handle and only sizes for your MC.
• Home-made jumper cables with alligator clips 8 to 10 feet long: Cheap to make.
• Small siphon pump with pump: Cheap at Walmart and worth it.

The only thing in that list I carry is the wrenches. But I do carry a length of tubing on all my bikes in case transferring of fuel is needed. Does that siphon pump come with a long hose? If not you’d better add that. Maybe that was supposed to read “Small siphon pump with hose.” And by the way, I’ve never had to pull out my tubes. We just make sure not to run out of gas.

As I say, this is not my first long trip but I will think about adding at least a few of the many items I don’t currently carry. Of course, the good thing about traveling with a good-sized group is that if you don’t have an item there’s a good chance someone else does. I don’t think we all need to carry every one of these items. Looking forward to this trip.

Biker Quote for Today

You might be a Yuppie biker if the last time you went to the Harley dealer you came home with golf balls and a toilet seat.

I got an email from Anthony asking for some suggestions on a three-day ride across Colorado from Durango into Wyoming. Here’s what I mapped out for him.

From Durango I think it’s a no-brainer to head north on US 550 over Red Mountain Pass to Ouray. That’s one of the nicest stretches of road in all of Colorado. On to Ridgway and then, just a short distance north of Ridgway you could get off on County Road 10 for some gravel roads. Follow it till it meets up with County Road 8, and then CR 860 over to CR 858 up by Silver Jack Reservoir. You’ll go close to Court House Mountain, which is impressive. You’re headed for Owl Creek Pass, so I think there are signs. Then head north on CR 858 all the way to where you hit US 50 at Pleasant Valley. Take US 50 on into Gunnison for the night.

Next day I’d ride north out of Gunnison to Crested Butte and then take the Kebler Pass road (also gravel, but very good gravel) over to CO 133 at Kebler Corner. Take a right and go over McClure Pass and down to Carbondale, then another right on CO 82 to Aspen and on over Independence Pass. Just past Twin Peaks you’ll hit US 24, which you can take on into Leadville for the night.

Next day take US 24 over Tennessee Pass down to Minturn and I-70. Jump briefly on I-70 west to Wolcott and then go north on CO 131, which will take you all the way up to Steamboat Springs, for your third night. The next day, to get into Wyoming, I’d suggest going out by the Steamboat airport and taking CR 129 (some paved, some gravel) all the way up into Wyoming, hitting WY 70 up near Savery. Unless you’re intending to head west it’s then a good ride northeast on WY 70 over to Encampment and Riverside.

From Durango to where you would meet up with WY 70 this looks like about 500 miles spread over three days. That might not sound like a lot but mountain miles are a lot slower than flatland miles. Plus, you’ll want to stop and take it all in probably a bunch of times. I mean, why be in a hurry?

There would be a number of possible alternatives in case this sort of route doesn’t quite jibe with what you’re looking for. If so, feel free to ask me about them and I’ll be glad to give you my thoughts.

Have a great trip.

Biker Quote for Today

You might be a Yuppie biker if you need a biker lingo book.

The BMW Motorcycle Club of Colorado is a good place to go to meet folks to ride with, but their website is also a good resource even if you don’t want to join the club.

In particular, I’m looking at their Pass Bagger page. The Pass Bagger “quest,” as they call it, encourages members to earn patches for riding greater and greater numbers of passes in Colorado. First off, who knew there were so many?

There are three categories: paved passes, unpaved passes, and gaps and summits. If you click on the links to the lists you’ll see about 80 paved passes. OK, some of these have got to be just high spots that technically are passes but you would never realize it. And in some cases it’s a little confusing considering that, for instance, they list three Ute Passes. I’m not sure if this is all one pass or three separate ones. Each is listed in a different county. Doing a little digging it seems there really are three.

As for unpaved passes, there are probably something like 130 of them.

Where it really gets interesting is the gaps and summits. A sampling of these include Cat Creek Gap in Archuleta County, Limestone Gap in Moffat County, and Battle Mountain Summit in Eagle County. I have no idea what any of these are. That’s a pretty good reason to go find out, wouldn’t you say?

All of these also include the longitude and latitude so you can plug it into your GPS, as well as the elevation and the level of difficulty. A few are designated as favorites.

So I’d say that’s a pretty good resource. Of course the club has a whole lot of other rides and events to participate in. Yeah, I know I mentioned these guys in my post just a couple weeks ago about riding clubs in Colorado but I felt they have so much going on it was worth it to bring the club up again. And despite the BMW in the name they welcome all makes.

Biker Quote for Today

Why motorcycles are better than women: You only need to get a new chain or belt for your Motorcycle when the old one is worn.

I’ve been doing this blog for more than 10 years and over that time I have received very few comments, and I’ve never understood why. Some people who I actually know in person will occasionally send me emails with comments but I’ve always wondered why they don’t just post responses on the blog. That’s what happens on most blogs I’ve seen.

Now, early on I got a lot of comments, but they were about 99.5% spam. So I set up a spam-blocking plug-in on the site and that took care of things. But then I hardly got any comments at all.

Well, at some point I figured out the biggest reason was that anytime anyone tried to post a reply the system failed to carry through. The blog is run on WordPress so I went to an online meeting of a WordPress Meet-Up and asked if anyone there had any ideas. They all looked at the site right then as we were meeting and the only suggestion anyone could offer was to check to see if the plug-ins were causing a conflict. They said I should deactivate all of them and then reactivate them one by one and test each time to see if the system was working. If you activate a plug-in and suddenly things stop working then that’s your problem, probably.

I never got serious about this, but deactivated a couple that I figured were not essential, but no change. But just now I decided to try again. I was running one spam-blocker and it was showing that it needed to be updated. I clicked to update but that took me to a page where it said this domain name was available. What?

So I googled the name and found comments about the company shutting down and the plug-in causing systems to fail. Holy crap! So I deactivated that plug-in and tried to post a comment. It went through. And significantly, in the bare minute or so that that took me, I also received a spam comment. Just that quickly!

OK, I definitely need a spam-blocker so I reactivated another one I had installed but had been deactivated, Akismet. I don’t remember why I deactivated this one, quite some time ago, but maybe it was because they quit offering a free install and I was being cheap. Now they have a “pay what you want” option for non-commercial blogs so I chose that and agreed to pay a dollar a month. And boom, now I have a spam-blocker and it looks like you can finally offer comments again.

Anyone who wants to give it a try, please do. I’m going to be really pleased if this turns out to have solved this issue. Thanks.

Update April 11: Yeah, it looks like it’s working now. So is the spam-blocker. I’m now seeing hundreds of spam comments showing up in the spam folder every few days. If I had to dig through those looking for that stray actual comment it just wouldn’t be worth it.

Biker Quote for Today

My girlfriend, Ruth, fell off the back of my motorcycle. I rode on, ruthlessly.

OK, I guess it’s definite. I’m going with the RMMRC on the Great River Road Ride in May.

The river in question is the Mississippi River. The Great River Road is a series of roads that follow the river from New Orleans up to the headwaters in Minnesota. Judy and I took a portion of the road when we were in New Orleans two years ago and found that end of it totally boring. All you did was ride alongside the levee for mile after mile and you’d never even see the river. So forget that.

What we will do is blast in two days hard riding over to meet the Mississippi at St. Charles, MO. Presumably the upstream portion of this route will be much nicer than the downstream portion.

From St. Charles we’ll make stops at Davenport, IA; Red Wing, MN; South Haven, MN; Detroit Lakes, MN; and then Yankton, SD, and McCook, NE, on the way back. The stop in South Haven will be with the sister of one of the riders and we’ll stay two nights so as to have a day off the bikes and relax. Total mileage will be about 2,800. Nine days.

Although it’s not an excessively large group–about nine so far–Charlie, who set it up, has taken the approach of each person riding individually and then all gathering in one place in the evening. Basically, Charlie doesn’t like riding in large groups and I’m with him. So a list is being compiled of a variety of points of interest along the way and the idea is that each person plots out his or her day to make the stops that interest them.

I’m sure many people will be riding together; it’s not like we’ll each and every one of us go in a different direction each day. But I like this idea. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been riding with the OFMC, and even with the RMMRC, when I have wanted to stop somewhere but didn’t because I didn’t want to hold up the whole group. This kind of arrangement suits me just fine.

If this kind of ride interests you I’d suggest you consider coming along. All you have to do is go to the Meet-Up site and join the RMMRC ($12/year) and then you’re in a group that does a lot of riding. As an example, if you’re really into distance riding to exotic places, there’s another ride being planned this summer up to Yellowknife in Canada’s Northwest Territory. That’s a serious ride.

I’m pretty sure I’m not going on that ride but I definitely am going up the river. Oh boy.

Biker Quote for Today

100 reasons not to date a biker: 3. We always have helmet hair.