Passes & Canyons Blog

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

Rain is why God invented rain suits–get one!

The weather could not have been better the last few days as we rode our motorcycles around southwestern Colorado. Fall colors were at their peak, the temperature was perfect, and the sunshine made it all completely glorious. Crossing Monarch Pass on the way out to Montrose from Denver had been a treat, and our ride over Red Mountain Pass, between Ouray and Durango, was even better than its usual spectacular.

Now it was time to head home and the weather gods had turned against us. We woke up at John’s house to rain and the weather radar showed unbroken storm clouds over much of the state, and over all of our route home. Time to suit up.

Right away Bill had a problem but it was easy to rectify. Bill was on his brand new Harley Classic, his first bike ever to have a fairing, and he had been over-optimistic as to how much protection that fairing would offer him. He had only worn a half-helmet and in a brief shower we’d ridden through a few days earlier he had seen the inadequacy of that arrangement. Fortunately John had an old full-face helmet he no longer used and it fit Bill, so that problem was solved.

As for the rain itself, hey, that’s why we have rain suits. Let’s roll.

Leaving John’s the sky seemed to be clearing, as if the storm might move ahead of us, but to the north, over Montrose, it was a lot darker. We headed for Montrose and rode into it. From there our route was east, so there was no chance we’d be parting ways.

There was a very noticeable absence of motorcycles on the road, and we’d probably been riding for half an hour before we saw any others. This may be prime riding season in Colorado but on a day like this the only bikes you were going to see were folks who had places they needed to be. Like us.

Riding in the rain makes for a very different ride. Slick curves can be dangerous, as can sudden stops, so the pace is necessarily more sedate. Oncoming vehicles can through waves of water over you, so you stay as far to the right as possible when they approach. Riding close behind a truck is a guarantee you’ll get soaked, so you don’t close up to traffic ahead, and if someone passes you quickly drop back behind them.

Cold and Getting Colder
Reaching Gunnison, we were dry but cold. Time to stop at a fast food joint for warmth and coffee. The thermometers on the Harleys read 40 degrees. Monarch Pass was ahead of us and it would be another 3,600-foot climb to the top. Would there be ice up there? Not a pleasant thought.

About a dozen other riders were stopped at the same McDonald’s for the same reasons, and when we came in they asked what direction we’d come, hoping for news of the pass. We had nothing to offer them. After awhile one group said good-bye, they had decided to find a motel there in Gunnison. Later, another group put on their gear and headed toward the pass.

While weighing our options, Dennis overheard a young woman speaking on her cellphone as she headed for the restroom. She was telling her friend about snow on top of the pass. We waited for her to come out and collared her, asking for details. She confirmed the snow.

We decided to cross our fingers and go for it. If we saw bikers coming the other way and they were waving their arms to warn us off we would heed their warnings. Otherwise we were optimistic.

There was no snow or ice on top of Monarch when we got there, and with the highest point on our route behind us the way home was clear. Yes, we had two more hours of cold rain ahead of us but we took our time and made a couple more warm-up stops.

Gearing up again after one stop in Fairplay, Dennis, who lives in the mountains in an area vulnerable to forest fires, remarked that it had damn well better be raining at his house considering that he was having to ride all day in the rain. At our final stop, at the turn-off Dennis would take to get home, I told him with confidence that I was sure it was indeed raining at his house.

Bill and I rode on to where our paths diverged and I headed home. At home it was only minutes before I was enjoying one of the best things a day like this has to offer: a long, hot shower. Now that is bliss!

Biker Quote for Today

You’d kill yourself on a bike? You mean your wife won’t let you have one.

The Honda alongside Hess Road.

It wasn’t the first warm day in January but it was the first day when all the ice and snow were melted off our street so I could get out of the neighborhood on a motorcycle. I didn’t need a written invitation. I chose the Honda.

As is so often the case, I had no idea where I was going. I headed south and east but when I got to the road over Cherry Creek Dam my instincts rebelled. No! I go over the dam much too often! So I turned south on Dayton, alongside Cherry Creek High School.

At Belleview I turned east toward the park, and then south on Peoria down to Arapahoe. This is common ground, though usually in the other direction. So I continued south until Peoria became Broncos Parkway, then south on Potomac along the east side of Arapahoe County Airport, west on a disconnected section of County Line Road, then south again on Peoria to Lincoln Avenue.

Peoria then continues south across Lincoln Avenue, winds through a neighborhood, and comes out finally at Ridge Gate Parkway. Ridge Gate is quickly becoming a major road but it can’t be much more than two years ago that it was dirt. It runs from I-25 over to Parker. I headed east, in the direction of that once little town.

I was in explorer mode so when I came to a new housing development, called Stepping Stone, I turned south on Stepping Stone Circle and sure enough, it wound through the development but came back up to Ridge Gate. That’s fine, I was curious. Plus from that street I spied some other major road just a bit further east.

Ridge Gate, which was now Parker’s Main Street, took me quickly to what turned out to be Chambers, so again I turned south. At this point I could see the enormous earthen ridge of Rueter-Hess Reservoir so when I came to another new development, Heirloom, I figured it was likely that Heirloom Parkway would hook me up with Hess Road. It did, and I turned west on Hess.

Hess goes south and west until it hits I-25 at Castle Pines Parkway. I crossed the highway and continued west on the parkway but I knew it would take me to Daniels Park and I didn’t want to go there. I knew there was some road going north before the park if I could find it.

That turned out to be Monarch Boulevard and I headed north. Getting into the McArthur Ranch area the road becomes Quebec and I followed it all the way across C-470 and on up to Belleview, east on Belleview, and back home.

It was only about 38 miles and one hour’s riding but oh what a nice day to be out on a bike! The morning had been clear and warmer but I was busy, so once I was ready to ride it was clouding over and getting cooler. Nevertheless, my electric vest was all the extra warmth I needed and it was just delightful to be out.

Now I have two more bikes to ride in January but the weather is looking good all of the next week. I think I’ll get it done.

Biker Quote for Today

They say life is a highway and we all travel our own roads, some good, some bad, yet each is a blessing of its own. — Jess “Chief” Brynjulson

Again, I didn’t know where I was headed. I’ll just have to find out.

Friday was nice so I needed to ride. I headed southeast on Parker Road. And I kept going.

By the time I reached Franktown I had a thought in mind. I would head over through Castle Rock, on over to U.S. 85 coming down from Sedalia. Then I’d turn up Happy Canyon Road and who knows where from there.

But as I cruised along I thought about Daniels Park Road. I’ve been up there numerous times and it was gravel north of the park. But I had read a while ago that they had paved that stretch of Daniels Park Road, so here was something new for me to explore. Decision made.

Turning off 85 onto Daniels Park Road it wasn’t long before I found myself coming up on a car that was stopped right in the road. What’s up? As I slowed down and drew near I saw the situation. There were three wild turkeys feeding almost right on the road on the left. The guy in the car had stopped to look at them, and who knows, shoot a few photos. He continued on when I came up behind him.

Then maybe just 100 feet further on I spotted a flock of about 12-15 more turkeys off on the right side of the road. Then a quarter mile further there were a bunch of deer lounging on the hillside next to the road. Who knew this was a nature preserve? Actually, I bet anyone who lives out there and tries to have a garden knows all too well. I live in the city and I have trouble with deer trashing my garden. These folks would have that problem in spades.

So I got on up to the park and immediately missed my left turn so I went just a little further and took advantage of a roundabout to make a U-turn. You know what’s amazing about this Rever map I’m embedding in this post? If you zoom in you can go all the way down and see my trip around that roundabout. GPS is amazing.

I got back on my intended route and quickly saw the changes since they paved, and it was not what I expected. For one thing, much of the newly paved stretch is one-lane divided. The northbound lane veers away to the right while the southbound lane veers away to the left. And man have they put up the fences. The whole stretch of road is flanked with what I think are commonly referred to as split-rail fences, except that instead of split rails they used round fence posts. And they put them in between the traffic lanes as well.

And then beyond those the whole area was lined with new six-foot wire fences, like someone wants really badly to keep deer or livestock off the road.

But then I got out of the park and hit Grigs Road, a T-intersection. To the right the road was paved but to the left–the way I wanted to go–it turns out it is still gravel.

Fortunately, I was on the CB750 and that old bike is a do anything, go anywhere sort of bike. Mostly the road was fine, though in places a bit dicey. I just took it slowly.

I got into the Highlands Ranch area, hooked up with Quebec, and headed north for home. Another nice November ride. And oh yeah, I had my winter gear on. It’s chilly out there most days now.

Biker Quote for Today

You’re a biker wannabe if you never ride to work.