Another ‘Where Does That Road Go’ Ride
Oh my goodness, Indian Summer has come and gone, just that quickly. Now the forecast in Sunday’s paper is calling for a high over the next week of 38 and a low–on Wednesday–of 2. Yikes! About the only motorcyclist likely to be out in all this is Dom Pacheco. With his Ural sidecar rig he goes out in anything.
But I did my best to take advantage of the warmth while it lasted. As I had been coming up or going down U.S. 83 the last few times I had noticed a road that ran off a bit to the northeast just where the highway runs off to the northwest. Where does that road go?
Well, I actually learned where it went another time when I saw that it intersects U.S. 83 again further north just a little south of Franktown. But that still didn’t answer the question of where it went in between. I had to find out. I had no choice in the matter. The world simply requires some things of each of us. This is my own personal burden.
So I headed south on 83. It was a wonderful, delicious Indian Summer day and I intended to take advantage of it.
Down to the south junction I went, intending to head north. I could have come the other way but this was how I chose to do it. I suspected correctly that this was a saving the best for last move.
It’s pretty much open prairie at that junction and that was the way it was as I turned north. But you’re also right about at the Palmer Divide, so it’s high prairie. And sure enough, it didn’t take long until I was in the hilly, wooded crest line of the Palmer Divide. And just as in the Black Forest area further west, it was beautiful. And that beauty is not lost on a lot of people who have built very pricey homes in the area. Wow, was it gorgeous.
All too soon, though, the road turned west and led me back to U.S. 83. I didn’t want to just go back the same way I came so I jogged north just to Franktown and took the road west toward Castle Rock. Nearing the main part of town I came to one of those housing developments and I know they all are built these days with a central road running all the way through them. Hey, I’m exploring, so let’s just cruise through this development.
Well, this development is still being built so that road only goes so far. I wandered my way back out to the highway. Then I got to where I had to make a choice and my choice led me into the main part of the old town. But here was a road heading north that I had never been on. Let’s take it.
So I wound through a very nice, hilly area to the east of the Castle Rock outcropping and once again it was an interesting and somewhat scenic route. You can zoom in on that map above and see exactly where I went.
From Castle Rock I didn’t want to get on I-25 to get home so I wandered my way north. You can see that on the map above, too.
All in all it was a pretty darn nice way to spend an Indian Summer afternoon. Too bad there don’t appear to be many more of those in store for us.
Biker Quote for Today
Well, I might go get me a new tattoo or take my old Harley for three day cruise. Might even grow me a fu man chu. — Travis Tritt
Tags: Russellville Road
