Passes & Canyons Blog

A little over a year ago I got an email from Sparky Pappas asking about being included in my list of Biker-Friendly Motels and Hotels on the website. She added that “if you’re interested, we would give you a complimentary one-night stay so you can check us out and – we hope – add us to your listing.”

I replied that I would be happy to add them to the listing, that it’s offered as a service to the visitors to the site and I’m happy to add anyone who is actively seeking motorcyclists as guests. And I did add them, the Nine Mile Guest Ranch, to the listing.

Fast forward a year, and Judy and I were planning to be out that way this past weekend. I emailed Sparky to ask if the offer still stood. It did and we dropped by.

One of the key things that Sparky and Rocky (in the photo, above) have to offer that our group looks for in accommodations is the larger, group sort of rooms. If we can get a room or suite that has five beds we’re taking it. Dividing the whole group up by twos is a lot more expensive. At Nine Mile there are four cabins with a total of 13 beds. We have eight going on our trip in a couple weeks and two of those cabins could handle us all. The rates are $75 per night for two, plus an additional $15 for each extra person, so that would come to $26 per person for us. You’ll have a hard time doing better than that.

Plus, the place is beautiful. It’s north of Meeker about 9 miles on CO 13, headed toward Craig. It’s quiet, the cabins are clean and homey, and the quiet is amazing. You won’t get plush or luxury here but the bed we slept on was great. We had stayed the night before at the Sheraton in Steamboat Springs and I liked this bed better.

You will need to figure on running into Meeker for dinner, or else bring something that doesn’t require cooking beyond the microwave. There is a barbecue grill, however, so you can use that. And there are refrigerators.

One other thing you’ll want to be aware of is that Sparky and Rocky don’t take credit cards. Plan accordingly. And don’t depend on your GPS to help you find the place. I looked on Google Maps and it showed the location about four miles further north than it really is. Sparky told me of a group of bikers who said they were on their way and she watched as they rode on past, then back the other way, and they finally called to ask “Where are you?” GPS is wrong.

So there you go. We liked the place and would definitely stay there again. If your group is heading out that way and you’re looking for a place to bed down for the night you could do a lot worse than the Nine Mile Guest Ranch.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Taking a spin on a Triumph Tiger 800

Biker Quote for Today

We all share a tacit understanding that houses are just a support system for riding motorcycles. — Peter Egan

I slept last night in a good hotel. I went shopping today for jewels.
–Joni Mitchell

Credits to Joni, I did sleep last night in a good hotel, though I did not go shopping today for jewels. Fact is, I found a jewel last night when I rolled into Casper, WY.

I had been in Sturgis for four days for the rally, and then went to Yellowstone to meet up with my wife and her family for a family get-together. I headed home to Denver yesterday, not knowing what my route would be, where I would stop for the night, or whether I just might go all the way home, about 600 miles.

Pulling into Casper, a bit more than halfway home, I hit a Starbucks to use their WiFi. I hoped there might be a Motorcycle Travel Network person close who could put me up for the night, but checking the MTN site I found there are no members in Wyoming at all. I also thought about going on to Wheatland and staying there, but I knew there were only two motels there and a quick check showed that they were both way out of my price range.

So it was going to be Casper or all the way home, another five hours of riding. And as far as I was concerned it was going to depend on price. If I could find a decently priced motel I’d stay in Casper.

Coming into town on the old U.S. 20, I figured I’d find some old (read: cheap) motels. Just before I reached the river and the bridge that takes you into downtown I saw a sign a block off the highway for the Sage and Sand Motel (901 W Yellowstone Hwy, Casper, WY 82601).

Now, this caught my attention because we have stayed at the Sage and Sand Motel in Saratoga, WY, many times. Were they connected? No they weren’t, the manager said, and he was asking $50 plus tax for a night. That was beyond my limit so I thanked him and turned to go. Making some money is better than making no money, however, so he offered me a price reduction and I checked in.

But before all this, he had showed me the room. I was blown away. This is a nondescript older motel in an industrial area and the room was beautifully decorated. (See the picture.) Underneath the shabby exterior, this was a classy place. So when he dropped the price I was ready to go for it. And for the first night in eight, I slept in a bed, rather than on an air mattress. Nice.

Biker Quote for Today

For some there is therapy; for the rest of us there are motorcycles.

Imagine if you had a large network of contacts all around the country, so you could travel on your motorcycle and have a place to stay the night pretty much everywhere you went.

Well, you can. I don’t know why I only just learned about this but that’s exactly what the Motorcycle Travel Network (MTN) is all about.Through a membership in the MTN you have the ability to locate people where you’re headed and arrange to stay at their homes, rather than getting a motel. You also can provide accommodations for other motorcycle travelers and receive a small compensation for putting them up at your own home.

Of course, the best part of this has to be that you get to meet and make friends with other people who share your interests. I’m very interested in learning more about this, and when I do I’ll pass along what I’ve learned.

The way it works is that you pay $30 a year to join for one year, or $45 for two years, or $90 for five years. Then when you stay at someone’s home you pay them a gratuity of $15 for one person per day, or $20 for two people per day.

Here’s a bit of what the MTN has to say on its site.

The goal of MTN is for motorcycle enthusiasts to share their knowledge, experiences and stories with each other in a warm friendly and comfortable environment, namely, in a member’s home. We want to help insure that as you travel you will be staying with people that share your enthusiasm for motorcycles and travel. When you stay with MTN hosts you will be staying with local experts on where to ride, where to eat, sites to see or where to get mechanical service. Likewise you will be staying with someone who is interested in hearing about your riding adventures, and sharing their own.

They seem to have this thing pretty well worked out; check the site for a lot of info on how it all works. And if you have any experience with this network I’d love to have your comments. Thanks.

Biker Quote for Today

I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth. — Steve McQueen

Are you a camper? Is sleeping on the ground in a tent something you like to do? I know that for a lot of people the answer is no. Heck, even for the guys I’ve gone camping with for 30 years the answer lately is no.

That’s really too bad because motorcycle camping is a great, and incredibly inexpensive way to do some terrific traveling. It also allows you to be more flexible in your trip. With hotels and motels you usually need to have a reservation, which locks you in.

In the earlier days of the OFMC we didn’t plan. Before we left we picked a direction to head and we took off. Then we would just go until we decided to stop. Or we’d go in this direction until we decided to go in that direction. Two things made this possible: there were only three of us and we all carried tents, sleeping bags, and foam pads or air mattresses. On more than one occasion that gear was a life saver when we rolled into some town late at night and found no room at the inn. There’s always some place to set up your tent.

And it’s not like you need a lot of gear. We never carried things like stoves or cooking implements. We would just eat in town before riding on to the camping site we chose, or, if close enough, we would set up camp and ride back in for dinner. Then in the morning we’d get up in a pretty quick manner, load up, and head into town for that cup of coffee we all had foremost in our minds.

Some people do carry more than we did. I know some folks on the big rigs have room for cooking gear. And then there are people like Rider magazine’s Clement Salvadori who likes to travel alone and pull off somewhere in the wild and drink wine with his campfire dinner. Clem really knows how to do motorcycle camping.

If you’re even remotely interested in camping on your bike you really ought to give it a whirl. I’ve made a point on the website to help anyone so inclined to find good motorcycle-accessible campgrounds. There are a lot of campgrounds in Colorado that are not motorcycle-accessible and they’re not included. If I’ve included it you can be assured that a campground is accessible on two wheels. There’s no better way to really experience Colorado.

Biker Quote for Today

The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome.

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.