Passes & Canyons Blog

Norvin took a spill but was unhurt and there were plenty of folks to help him get back upright.

OK, now, this is the kind of riding that I bought the V-Strom for. And finding people to do this with is a large part of why I joined the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Riders Club.

I met up on Saturday with three guys at Performance Cycle and we were joined by three others in Sedalia. This ride was billed as a non-technical dual-sport ride. You bet I clicked the button to say “count me in.”

Leaving Performance we headed south on I-25 to Happy Canyon Road, down to U.S. 85, where we turned north to Sedalia. Our bikes included two 650 V-Stroms, two Africa Twins, one GS 650, a Super Tenere, and a street bike that I guess I didn’t bother to look at to see what it was. Or else I don’t remember.

With everyone gathered, we headed west out of Sedalia on what I see is called Jarre Canyon Road for a ways before it seems to just become CO 67. Once it gets past the Rampart Range dirt-biking area the pavement ends and we were on our first stretch of gravel. It’s good gravel and while I was concerned it might be muddy due to all the rain we have had, it turned out only to be a bit wet. I only slid once going down this really steep grade (19% I’m told) when I downshifted thinking I was in third but was actually in second, so it was a bit of a jolt to hit first.

CO 67 brought us out to the Platte River onto pavement at the Platte and we wound our way on around to Deckers, where we stopped for a break. Then we turned north for a short distance on Douglas County Road 126, to Wigwam Creek Road, which heads over toward Tarryall Reservoir. This was our second stretch of gravel, and by far the longest of the two.

Now, I had had this stretch in mind for some time as a potential ride because a couple years ago Judy and I had driven this road in her Subaru. At the time, though, there were large stretches where it was deeply rutted and largely washed out, and would have been challenging on a bike. It has since been graded and was a good road all the way.

So we headed up the gravel, me in third position, and within less than a half mile I came around a bend to see Norvin, the group leader, on his side at the side of the road. Whoa, what happened?! He said he hit some sand with his front wheel and the whole thing just went right out from under him. Norvin was unhurt and the bike was pretty much undamaged, except the latch for his right side bag, which he reattached. This was a good example of why it’s nice to have friends along. He was back up and ready to go quickly.

But only a very short distance. That bag attachment was more badly damaged than he thought and in very short order the bag was just hanging loose. So we stopped again and someone produced a bungee cord. That did the trick and all was well.

The rest of the ride on this road was beautiful. This whole area got burned in one of the really big fires a few years ago but with all the rain it was deeply green everywhere. And the one very small upside of forest fires is that they open up the view and you can see rock formations and vistas that for decades had been blocked by trees.

We met the pavement again at Park County Road 77, Tarryall Road, and turned south to U.S. 24 at Lake George. Lunch time, at the Bla Bla Blah Cafe. Yes, that is its name. After lunch I believe the plan had been to head back north past Tarryall to U.S. 285 at Jefferson and home via that route, but the sky up that way was black and threatening so the decision was made to head east on U.S. 24. Three members of the group turned north at Woodland Park on CO 67 but I stayed with the others on U.S. 24 down into Colorado Springs.

Cindy, who lives in the Springs, peeled off there and Norvin and Kevin and I got on I-25 up to Monument. We turned east on CO 105 over to CO 83 and then north. Coming along past Castlewood Canyon State Park I could see over in the foothills how black and wet it looked and was very glad I had opted for this route. I came up CO 83 to I-225 and got into some rain going past Kennedy Golf Course but then I was home and dry.

This was a terrific day. I really, really want to do more of this.

Biker Quote for Today

While the big GS is a competent street mount, and great on back roads, don’t even think about riding it fast off road. This would be as absurd as a fat transvestite running in high heels.

Making a stop at the top of Berthoud Pass.

OK, I admit it, I wimped out on the Ice Cream Ride. This annual RMMRC ride makes three stops for ice cream and I couldn’t do it. I did eat ice cream twice that day but at the third stop I just couldn’t.

But it was a really good ride–beautiful day and a good group to ride with. And it turned out to be a good bit longer than initially planned. It seems Sara and Sean went out to pre-ride the route the day before and ran into construction on U.S. 285 that was a major blockage. So the ride was re-routed.

We met up at an ice cream shop (where else?!) in Lakewood for the first treat of the day. I tried to go easy on myself by ordering the frozen yogurt. It was already hot out so it didn’t seem terribly out of place to eat it at 10 a.m.

There was a good-sized group, about 15. Of course, with this group, there were some BMWs, my V-Strom, Alan and Cheryl in their Honda sidecar rig, one Spyder, a Boulevard, one Harley, and a few others. An eclectic group.

We took Jewell west to C-470 to I-70, heading for U.S. 40 west of Idaho Springs. And soon ran into a huge traffic jam leading to Floyd Hill due to what the sign said was “a fiery crash at exit 244.” So much for avoiding delays.

Eventually it was up and over Berthoud Pass and on to Granby, where we stopped for lunch. Then on to Kremmling for the second ice cream stop. Here I followed another guy’s suggestion and ordered an “Electric Fence.” This was a milk shake with a shot of espresso. It was definitely good.

By the way, along the way we shed probably half of the group, all with their own ideas as to where they wanted to go, so when we left Kremmling we were down to about nine.

We headed south on CO 9 to Dillon, continued on as though we were going over Loveland Pass but then turned and took Swan Lake Road around the reservoir and reached Frisco–our actual destination–that way. And here we stopped for ice cream again.

So I was just sitting in the shade outside the shop, chatting with folks, when suddenly there was this huge crash and the sound of shattering glass and the thunk of a window screen falling down. Right behind me about a foot. Turns out it was a double-hung window that gave way and when it hit the sill one pane shattered and hit the screen so hard it knocked the screen out. Thankfully, the screen protected me and the two people beside me from the glass. As the shopkeepers rushed out asking if we were hurt we were able to say no, not at all. If not for that screen I think we might have had to give a different answer.

From here the group pretty much dispersed, each taking off on their own way home. It was late enough in the day that I-70 was clear sailing, which was a real blessing. A good ride, about 265 miles for me.

Biker Quote for Today

I’d rather ride my hog then sit around drinking beer. — Nsmith82990

Just out for a ride.

At least the last time I went on a ride that wasn’t it had a simple explanation. I went to take part in the Old Bike Ride and found nobody there. I got back home and checked and found I had gone on the wrong day. Doh!

Yesterday, however, I made plans to go with the RMMRC to breakfast and then on what they call an “impromptu” ride. The idea is to meet at the Original Pancake House, have breakfast, and then decide where to go. Breakfast at 8, ride at 9.

So I got to the pancake house about 8:05 and was puzzled not to see any bikes in the parking lot. Perhaps I’m the first to arrive. I went in and asked the hostess if there were some motorcycle guys there–we’re easy to spot, you know–and she said no, but you can look around. I did and there was no one.

I hung around awhile. Nothing. The hostess suggested perhaps I had the wrong location. I was at 8000 E. Belleview and there is another at 5700 S. University. I didn’t think I was at the wrong place but no one was showing up here and that place was only 10 minutes away and I had time. So I headed on over.

Got to 5700 S. University and nada. Not one bike. So now I’m thinking maybe I was the only one figuring on breakfast so I headed back to the first place, still with enough time to get there before 9.

Back at 8000 E. Belleview–nada. What the hey? I was hungry–I hadn’t had breakfast–so I just came home. Of course the first thing I did was to check to make sure I hadn’t gone on the wrong day, as I had before. Nope. And it was definitely the Belleview location.

So where the heck were the other guys? I still don’t know.

Biker Quote for Today

We don’t know where we’re going, but we’re going!

Coming down Squaw Pass toward Idaho Springs.

I got a different perspective on the concept of “ride your own ride” on the Old Bike Ride Sunday. Normally that idea is that you should ride in the manner you are comfortable and not try to keep up with someone going faster, especially if you are not comfortable with that speed.

Here’s a different take: Start off on the ride whenever you feel like it; you don’t need to start with the group. Then, do whatever section or sections of the ride you wish and blow off the others. This went on a lot on this ride.

It was a smaller group than I expected at the starting point in Golden. I’d guess there were about 35 people hanging around. Getting started, one person would take off, then maybe a group of three, then a few minutes later another single, another single, a group of two . . . OK, everyone knows where we’re going–just get there at your own pace. The first leg was up Lookout Mountain. Slow going with a lot of bicycles intermixed with the motorcycles and the cars.

Then we got to the first stop, up at Buffalo Bill’s grave site, and there were only about 20 people. Apparently a fair number of people just come to say hello and look at the bikes, but have no intention of actually doing the ride.

We took off from there but soon there was no group at all, just a bunch of bikes moving at different speeds and few in view either behind or in front of you. This leg was over to I-70, a short hop to Evergreen Parkway, and then a right onto CO 103 over Squaw Pass, past Echo Lake. We pulled in at the next stop, Echo Lake Lodge, with people straggling in over 10 or 15 minutes, even though we had all left the last stop at roughly the same time.

Then, just a few minutes after I got there, about half the group headed out again. The remainder had no intention of going anywhere for at least another 15 minutes.

We continued on CO 103 down to Idaho Springs, hopped on I-70 a few miles to U.S. 6 going down Clear Creek Canyon. The group was heading on up to Nederland for lunch but I had no inclination to go to Nederland so I went down the canyon, back to Golden and on home. So I joined in the ethic of riding my own ride.

But it was a really nice day to be out riding. This was my first ride into the hills of 2019 and boy, was I glad I wore my electric vest and my winter gloves. Going over Squaw Pass was cold! And the ground was still almost completely covered with snow, although the road itself was clear and dry, with not even the expected sand you usually see at the end of winter.

And finally, on my third try, I took part in the Old Bike Ride 17.

Biker Quote for Today

An old motorcycle is like an onion, the more layers you peel back the more your eyes water.

At least there were a few riders there in Golden on Sunday.

“You didn’t happen to see about 100 folks on motorcycles right here in the last minute or two did you?”

I went to the Old Bike Ride this weekend–twice. And I’ll go again next Sunday.

Yeah, OK, explanation required.

I was running a little late Saturday, reaching Golden just a minute or two after 9:30 and the ride was supposed to start promptly at 9:30. And there was nobody there. There were two motorcycles parked but I didn’t see any riders. Where the heck is everyone? There’s no way that many people can leave that quickly.

Of course it was my error. The ride was on Sunday, not Saturday. Oh well, it was a nice ride, though a little brisk. I wasn’t dressed for winter riding and might have wished I was but it got warmer as the morning progressed.

So now it was Sunday morning and it was a lot cooler and much more overcast. Warned by yesterday, I dressed for the weather, and it was a darn good thing I did. Even with warmer gear and my electric vest it was COLD riding out to Golden.

But I got to Golden and there were about a dozen, maybe 15 guys standing around with their bikes. I parked, removed my helmet, and turned to the guys near me and said, “I expected quite a few more people here.” Oh, they told me, the ride has been postponed till next Sunday. Weather up in the hills is a bit nasty.

I spoke with the guy who seemed to be in charge and he confirmed that there was dense fog at Genesee and the ride was planned to go up over Squaw Pass and then along the Peak to Peak. He said there was a probability of rain on the Peak to Peak, possibly turning to snow. No, let’s do this next week.

OK, and for the second day in a row I surprised Judy by showing up back at home hours earlier than she expected. Next Sunday!

Biker Quote for Today

Slow is fast…smooth is fast. If it feels fast, you’re doing something wrong and probably going slower than you were before.

Just a shot in recognition that it is currently Bike Week in Daytona. (Photo by Friggs Pryor)

I was not the only one out of a bike on Thursday and Friday last week. I saw three other riders on Thursday and four on Friday. Meanwhile I was doing my standard thing of making sure each of my bikes gets ridden at least once every month.

It might seem that with that kind of policy I never have a chance for my riding skills to get rusty, and that is mainly true. However, when you think about it, in the worst case I can still go nearly two months without riding. That would be if I got out on the first of one month and then was not able to get out again until the last of the following month. That has happened a couple times.

And while it wasn’t so bad this time, it still had been quite a while since I had ridden. I went out first on the Honda and that was OK but when I brought that bike home and went out again on the Concours I could really feel a bit of hesitancy. The Connie is a big, heavy bike, and I just didn’t feel quite as at home on it as I normally do. Of course the best remedy for that is to ride, so I did. And by the time I was getting home I was definitely feeling more comfortable.

Not that the spin I took on the Honda was all peaches and cream. The road had been clear the day before but I didn’t pay much attention to the fact that we had a light snowfall overnight. I took off down our street and quickly found myself having to cross areas of ice from where the snow had fallen, melted, and then frozen. This was late morning and everywhere I rode through shaded areas it was the same. Then where it wasn’t icy it was generally wet. I got splattered a good bit and had to clean my visor when I got home. Of course the bike got pretty dirty, too, but I’ll tend to that later.

Getting out on the V-Strom the next day was totally different: dry and warm. It was just a good day to ride and was also an uneventful ride. We like those. “Eventful,” in this case, is a pejorative term. As in the Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.”

But now the weather is to get cold again. I sure hope I’m able to get out at least a few more times in March. Heck, that’s part of the reason I live in Colorado.

Biker Quote for Today

The best path through life is the open road.

Looking for some folks to ride with? Try the RMMRC.

As the OFMC continues to shrink–after years of growing–it is starting to look more and more like I made a good choice to join the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Riders Association (RMMRC). The OFMC continues to ride but we are back down to just three guys this year, same as when we started more than 25 years ago.

So it’s good to have another group to ride with.

So what rides are on the RMMRC agenda this year? There is an events page and here’s what is coming up.

Capulin Volcano Ride — May 25 and May 26. Two-day ride from Denver to visit Capulin Volcano National Monument in northeast New Mexico. We will stay overnight in Trinidad, CO. Capulin Volcano was formed approximately 60,000 years ago from four lava flows which formed the nearly perfectly-shaped cinder cone that rises over 1,000 feet above the surrounding landscape. A road winds around the cone to the top of the volcano.

BMW MOA Rally Ride – and so much more! — June 9 through June 20. Join us for all (or parts) of this 12-day ride that will include the 2019 BMW MOA Rally in Lebanon, TN and tours of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, AL, the Corvette Factory and Museum in Bowling Green, KY, and Hannigan Motorsports in Murray, KY. We will visit 8 states outside of Colorado and ride approximately 3,050 miles.

Rocky Mountain National Park and Walden loop — July 13. This will be a long, all-day ride traversing Rocky Mountain National Park on US-34W from Loveland to Granby, riding CO-125N from Granby to Walden, and CO-14E from Walden to Fort Collins. US-34/Trailridge Road, CO-125 and CO-14 are perennial favorites for Colorado riders and offer an abundant supply of curves, elevation changes, and scenery. In fact, this route has been named one of the top motorcycle rides in the US for 2019. Assuming a start and finish near I-25 and 136th, the ride will total approximately 335 miles.

Ride Colorado – A 4-Day Scenic Tour — August 9 through 12. This will be a tremendous 4-day tour of southwestern Colorado, featuring lots of twisties and awesome scenery EACH day! Approximately 1,254 total miles.

Fall Colors Ride – See Fall Colors in the Rocky Mountains — September 28 and 29. Join us for a 2-day weekend ride. We will spend Saturday night in Steamboat Springs.

Of course, to participate in an RMMRC ride you have to join the group. It’s $25 for a one-year membership and if you’re looking for folks to ride with I strongly recommend it. There are monthly meetings that frequently have interesting programs and if you’re free, there are impromptu rides going on any time the weather permits.

Let’s go for a ride, hey?

Biker Quote for Today

If you can’t buy happiness, explain motorcycles and beer.

A section of the Buena Vista Rides home page.

I got an email the other day from April Kali, writing to tell me she has just launched her new motorcycle tour company in Buena Vista. The name is Beautiful View Rides. Get it? Beautiful View = Buena Vista.

Actually, April also goes beyond Colorado. Her offerings include a Southern Colorado tour, a Sturgis Motorcycle Rally tour, and a custom tour going wherever you like.

I’ll let April speak for herself here a bit:

The goal of Beautiful View Rides is to provide all inclusive motorcycle tours, so participants simply have to just “show up and ride.” I advertise the numerous options for participation: riding your motorcycle out, trailing motorcycle out, shipping motorcycle or renting. I offer assistance in all options and want to provide an experience that is easy to plan but is once in a lifetime. As a participant of my tours all you will have to worry about is taking in the scenery. All the logistics of the route, gas stops, dining, lodging, scenic stops, etc. are all planned. Just simply follow me! Plus, I limit the participating motorcycles to only 6 in order to ensure a smaller more intimate experience.

At this time I am mainly promoting a Southern Colorado Motorcycle Tour that will be offered four times this summer.

Unlike some tour companies, Beautiful View Rides does not provide motorcycles, but if you don’t come on your own bike April will connect you with rental outfits that do offer bikes.

April tells me she has been riding motorcycles since she was 18 (she’s 31 now), when she got a 2001 Yamaha R6. Before that she did spend a lot of time on her grandmother’s Motobecane moped starting at age 15. (And unlike scooters that so many people call mopeds, the Motobecane is an actual moped! It has pedals and a motor.) She rides a Street Glide now.

Now, April has a bit of competition in this new endeavor. Motorcycle tour groups have proliferated in the last 10 years in Colorado, so I’m wishing her success. I told her I was happy to add her to my list of tour companies and would mention her here on the blog. Have at it April. Best wishes.

Biker Quote for Today

A woman who rides a motorcycle is in tune with the universe, a candidate for high adventure. — Celestine Sibley