Passes & Canyons Blog

It was a beautiful day and we had heard the colors were good up on the Peak-to-Peak Highway, so of course we had to go for a ride on Sunday.

Heading up via Golden Gate Canyon we had the road almost entirely to ourselves. Too good to last, however, as we had every expectation that the crowds looking for fall color would be thick. We weren’t wrong on that count.

The funny thing was, on the way up and then headed north, Judy and I were both struck with how the colors were just not as stunning and intense as we expected. I suspect it has something to do with the lack of moisture. I think I remember something about how in dry years the aspen leaves go pretty much straight from green to brown, and that’s what a lot of them were doing.

Still, there were a few spots with good color, and we could always tell when we approached these because of all the cars and motorcycles pulled off the side of the road. And oh boy, did I mention motorcycles? It was like a rally on the Peak-to-Peak. We saw hundreds of bikes. There were probably as many bikes as there were cars.

So we cruised on up to Estes Park and had lunch. In case we needed the reminder, you really don’t want to go to Estes Park on a day when there are likely to be hordes of tourists. A gorgeous Sunday in the fall is one of those days. We ate our lunch and quickly departed.

Rather than go down the Big Thompson Canyon or some other canyon and then have to take CO 93 through Boulder, we just backtracked on the Peak-to-Peak, on the theory that a road looks completely different going the other way. And boy did it! Something about the change in the light, and possibly the different views north vs. south, but it was a lot prettier going south. It still wasn’t the kind of color we’ve seen up there before, but it was a lot closer to what we had expected.

So the word is that next weekend is going to be the peak on the Peak-to-Peak. My recommendation, if you’re only going one way on that stretch of road, go north to south. And be ready for crowds.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Head of motorcycle crash study exits, expresses concerns

Biker Quote for Today

Have maximum fun while preserving bike and body.

You don’t have to have a ton of horsepower to have fun on a motorcycle. And you don’t have to have a huge cruising bike to get out on the road. And let’s not even get into the times we’ve watched someone struggling to keep a behemoth from falling over and thought to ourselves how that guy has got too much bike for his size.

In celebration then of smaller bikes, Todd Wallis has organized this Small Bike Ride, for this Saturday. Here’s what Todd has to say about his ride.

Small Bike Ride is coming out of the shadows and we are going to make it official. The event is open to all motorcycles but it is geared toward small, vintage machines and speeds will normally be down to about 35-40 mph which will make it a great opportunity for sidecar rigs and prewar motorcycles as well. We will be riding about 100 miles from the Deer Creek area up through Conifer and Pine and this year we have a chase vehicle in case anyone has trouble. We will be on paved roads and we’ll have a stop for lunch in the middle of the ride. We will meet on Deer Creek Canyon Rd near the intersection of C470 and S. Wadsworth Blvd. The ride starts at 10:00 so plan on getting there around 9:00 a.m.

We will have maps printed and available for everyone the morning of the ride. If you plan to attend please call me or send an email just so I know how many to expect.

Starting Location: 9880 West Deer Creek Canyon Road, Littleton, Colorado 80127

Hope to see you there.

So hey, time to get out that little guy you generally just zip around running errands on. Get your motor running!

Note: I mentioned awhile ago that I was turning commenting off on this blog due to the comment spammers. I have now added a new captcha feature that asks you to prove you’re not a computer in order to leave a comment. So please do leave comments whenever you please.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Head of motorcycle crash study exits, expresses concerns

Biker Quote for Today

Ural miles are kinda like dog years.

We were over in Grand Junction at my brother’s place over the Labor Day weekend and wanted to visit some wineries. I’ve been through here numerous times on the bike and have wanted to stop and do some wine-tasting but I’ve always had other things going on.

Good thing. It doesn’t take a genius to recognize that wine-tasting and motorcycles are not a particularly good combination. But now that concept is not only theoretical.

We headed out in my brother’s car, with him driving. We wanted to taste a bunch of wines, buy a few, and just generally enjoy ourselves. Which is to say, we don’t spit; we swallow our tastes of wine. Now, we made a point to have lunch before we left so as not to be drinking on empty stomachs. Nevertheless, by the time we left the fourth tasting room, I don’t know about the others, but I was feeling the booze. And I almost never drink so much that I feel the booze.

That was a good time to drop by the home of some friends of my brother. They have a peach tree and had harvested all the peaches they wanted and were glad to let anyone take as many of what was left as they wanted. I picked a lot of peaches. That provided a good break, so then we went on to our fifth tasting room.

That was it for our tasting trip and we headed back to my brother’s place. And the point here is simple: I was really glad I wasn’t on a motorcycle at this point. I’ve heard about people doing wine tours on motorcycles but I don’t see how they do it. Unless they spit. And spitting just seems wasteful to me. So go to Palisade and taste wines, just don’t do it on your bike. And even in your car, don’t overdo it.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Riding is the star of the inaugural Tahoe Rendezvous

Biker Quote for Today

Give big space to the festive dog that makes sport in roadway. Avoid entanglement of dog with wheel spokes.

I figured from the outset that by the time yesterday came around, when I had been on the road for 17 days and was headed home, that I would be like a horse headed for the stable. What I didn’t count on was that after a journey of nearly 3,900 miles, I would get stopped for speeding within 50 miles of home. Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.

In all my years of riding, this is the first time I have ever gotten a speeding ticket on a bike. Sure, I’ve had speeding tickets in cars, but never on a bike. I mentioned that to the officer and he laughed saying he had gotten plenty of tickets on his motorcycles when he was younger.

What happened was that I had come across Nebraska and Kansas, coming into Colorado on U.S. 36. Of all the states I’d been through, the only one I didn’t have a map for was Colorado. I was running low on gas and thought for sure there was a town out there called Last Chance. Isn’t there? Figured I’d get gas there. But I reached the Adams County line and passed the hazardous waste facility out there and still no Last Chance.

So without a map, I wasn’t clear on how far it was yet to Byers, where I knew I could get gas. I figured I must be a good ways yet, so I kept blasting. That’s when I passed this Arapahoe County Sheriff vehicle going the other way. I looked in my mirror and saw him pull over and then turn around. When he turned his flashers on I pulled over.

He was a nice enough guy, and I was certainly polite, and I let him know I had been riding for 17 days and was just a few miles from home, hoping he’d cut me a break. No such luck. I asked him how far till I could get gas and he told me Byers was just 15 miles ahead. Fifteen miles? Then the racetrack must be very close by, I said. Oh yes, it’s just up that hill, he said. And sure enough, when I took off again, I crested the hill immediately ahead of me and there was High Plains Raceway. Dang, if I’d know that I really suspect I would have slacked off on my speed a bit, knowing I was so close.

Oh well. It could have been worse. Truth is, I had been going a lot faster not that long before. I’ll take my ticket for going 77 in a 65 zone, rather the 87 or so that it might have been. I understand we need things like speed laws but I still fail to see how anyone was harmed by my going that fast way out there on the prairie with almost zero other traffic.

So one thing I did not do, at the end, was to say “Thank you” to the officer. I know that is a common thing that people do, because they’re trying to be completely polite and respectful to the officer. But that just strikes me as perverse. I acknowledged him and was very pleasant, but I did not say thank you. I really didn’t feel I had anything to thank him for. I really wish I’d never met him. Oh well.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Making the rounds at Vintage Motorcycle Days

Biker Quote for Today

Don’t mind the slidin’, the crunchin’, or even the sudden impact . . . it’s wakin’ up to the wife bitchin’ that bums me out!

A lot of Colorado is in flames. Obviously the impact that has on motorcycle riders and motorcycle events is nothing compared to the impact on the people who have lost their homes but that impact does bear mention. Fact is, I got an email the other day while I was up in Eagle from a rider who asked me to provide some info about the fires because, “We are set to head to South Fork, CO, and are concerned about the current wildfires!”

So I’m going to try to pull together some information here that is reasonably current.

First off, however, is this. I just received an email from the organizers of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) announcing that this event, scheduled for July 8, has been indefinitely postponed. Of course, the worst fire raging at this point is the Waldo Canyon Fire down by Colorado Springs, so this should not be too much of a surprise to anyone. No new date has yet been set but they say the PPIHC will be run at some point yet this summer.

So what about the fires? Here’s what I can find.

Durango area–There is a fire northwest of Durango, the Lightner Creek Fire, but traffic along U.S. 160 and U.S. 550 should not be affected. Further west, near Mesa Verde, the Escarpment Fire is about 75 acres on the Ute reservation. That does not appear to be causing problems on the highway. A little further west, near Mancos, the Weber Fire is at about 10,000 acres but only impacted travel on the county road heading south out of town.

Pagosa Springs area–The Little Sand Fire 13 miles northwest of Pagosa has burned 22,000 acres and is 29 percent contained. It is not near any of the main roads and should not be an issue for travelers.

Leadville area–The Treasure Fire started up near Leadville on Sunday, along the Fremont Pass route to Leadville from Copper Mountain. I was in Leadville on Monday and didn’t even see any smoke but apparently this fire is still burning. Traffic was moving normally.

Boulder area–The Flagstaff Fire is burning behind the Flatirons. That could create problems if you want to use Flagstaff Road or other roads back there but otherwise should not be a problem. However, up on the hill at the National Center for Atmospheric Research there is some danger as the fire moves rapidly in that direction.

Fort Collins area–The High Park Fire continues to blaze and to spread but is gradually coming under control. Firefighters are projecting complete containment by July 15. This fire can have some real impact for riders. The Poudre Canyon–CO 114–should be avoided. Also, the road up past Masonville and over through Stove Prairie will not be open. Stove Prairie has been hit especially hard. The same with Rist Canyon, coming into the hills out of Fort Collins.

That seems to about cover it for now. But as dry as it has been, and as many beetle-killed trees as there are up in the mountains, it’s a safe assumption that there will be more fires yet this summer. It’s just going to be a matter of staying on top of what’s happening and planning your trips accordingly.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
STAR 2012 kicks off

Biker Quote for Today

Talk less, ride more.

Day Two of STAR 2012 and I went riding, along with just about everybody else here. “Here” is Avon, where the Motorcycle Sport Touring Association (MSTA) is holding its annual rendezvous, with STAR standing for “Sport Touring Association Rendezvous.” This is the 30th year for the event.

Approximately 400 people from across the country are here and these folks came to ride. None of this strolling down main street checking out booths of farkles or black leather, or doing some hardcore drinking at bars with semi-naked waitresses. No, this is not Sturgis. Heck, there’s hardly any leather to be seen here. It’s all textile, and most of these folks are serious ATGATT people.

And what they came here for is to ride. Hang around the headquarters hotel in the day and there aren’t too many people there. The garage where the bikes are parked is nearly empty. Come evening, though, it’s social hour and time to compare notes on the day’s ride.

Come here alone, not knowing anyone, as I did, and it’s easy to find someone to ride with. Just walk around and start talking to people, ask where they’re headed, and if it sounds good, just say, “Hey, do you mind if I come with you?” I don’t think anybody says no. Though you do want to make sure the group is into your style of riding. Considering that many of these people came a long way in a short period of time, that gives you a hint that some are into hard, fast riding. If that’s not your style, keep looking.

STAR 2012 goes on until Thursday, though I won’t be here for all of it. Now, if I had come 1,000 miles I’m sure I would stay, but when it was only an easy 100 miles to get here, you’re not as committed. But it’s sure nice to get away into the mountains for a few days.

Note: If you are a real person and wish to leave a comment, let me apologize for making that temporarily impossible. These damn comment spammers are swarming in such numbers that I just turned commenting off. But if you’re a real person and want to leave a real comment, send me an email and I’ll make it happen for you. I always appreciate real comments; I just get really fed up with the spammers.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
STAR 2012 kicks off

Biker Quote for Today

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

It was blazing hot on the prairie Tuesday but could not have been a more perfect day to be riding in the mountains. Fortunately, I was riding in the mountains.

Meeting up with Ron Coleman, of Western Dual Sport Motorcycles Adventures, we took off on a couple of the bikes he has for rent. Ron was on his BMW F800GS and I was on his Suzuki DR 650. Ron also rents out five Suzuki 650 V-Stroms and one 1000 V-Strom.

I’m still not the most experienced dual-sport rider so I was glad to have a decent gravel road, going up Sunshine Canyon, to get accustomed to the gravel. In the meantime, it was extremely interesting to see this area and how it has changed since the devastating fire that swept through here two years ago, especially in light of how hazy the sky was due to the High Park fire still burning a bit to the north.

About the time I felt reasonably comfortable on the gravel we turned off onto a segment of the Switzerland Trail and oh boy, I felt like a total beginner again. I didn’t push myself to keep right on Ron’s tail but I’d have to say I was pushing harder than I should have been. At one point I hit a patch of loose stones about the size of bricks and lost control. I careened to one side, certain I was going to crash, but corrected, only to over-correct, and careen off in the other direction, certain once again that I was going down.

After about five of those backs and forths I miraculously managed to get stabilized and was still upright. At about that time I was thinking how, as much as I want a dual-sport bike so I can explore the gravel roads that are so plentiful in Colorado, I really don’t have an interest in doing these really rough ones. It just wasn’t fun!

So we rode on and it was a beautiful day to be out in the woods, up in the hills, and I didn’t have any more close calls. After awhile we turned back and this time I was in the lead because I wanted to shoot some photos and wanted to be in a position to stop and get set up before Ron rode on into the shots. This was when I saw it really had been a ride-your-own-ride situation. Taking it nice and easy because I was focused on looking for a spot to shoot, I had no trouble at all on that rough road. And that was pleasant because that told me I can ride off onto these tougher roads as long as do it at my pace.

Back at the main road we crossed it and followed the trail on the other side to a place called Mt. Alto. This is a spot where a hotel once stood, though all that remains of it now is the stone fireplace. It’s a vary nice spot, though, and there are now picnic benches for people who want to come up and use the place.

After lunch in Nederland we got on the Peak-to-Peak Highway to Rollinsville and then headed up toward Rollins Pass. This dirt road we were on was one of the best I have ever seen. It goes up to the Moffett Tunnel, so maybe the railroad maintains it, I don’t know. But it was so good I wouldn’t hesitate to take my Concours on it and that’s really saying something.

About a mile from the tunnel, though, we took a sharp right turn and headed up the much rougher Rollins Pass road. I was over this road once, more than 30 years ago, in a jeep but had no recollection of it at all. It was kind of rough. But you know what, by this time I was feeling much more confident on the rough stuff so we just cruised along. Contrary to my thoughts from the morning, I was perfectly happy to be on some rough stuff. A challenge is a good thing, and when you meet that challenge successfully you feel good.

We didn’t go all the way to the top but it was a good ride and some good scenery. Then it was time to head back down and scoot back to Boulder.

Cool and comfortable as it had been up in the hills, it was blazing hot down in Boulder, really emphasizing how nice it had been to be riding up somewhere higher all day. Yeah, for Ron and me it was business. This is what we do. Dang, someone has to do it so I guess we’re both pretty happy that those someones are us.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Spending a day on a Suzuki DR 650

Biker Quote for Today

Sometimes wheelies happen.

I mentioned recently that I had entered the photo above in a contest EagleRider is having and now, of the 63 photos entered, they have selected 20 for the run-off. My photo is one of those 20 and I would appreciate your votes.

Here’s the scoop. EagleRider, the groundbreaking company that opened up the concept of motorcycle rentals, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. They ran this contest asking people to offer photos for their 20 Years on the Highway contest, with the winner to receive an all-expense-paid trip for two to Los Angeles for the celebration.

The winner will be decided by votes. The way I see it, at this point it becomes a matter of who can work their social network the best. Each person can vote once a day, every day from now until midnight on June 29. To see the finalist photos, go here and scroll through the entries. Whichever one you like the most, click the “Like” link. Of course, I’d be very pleased if you vote for my photo but if you like something else better you really should vote for it.

Then, bookmark the link and go back every day until June 29 and vote again. Please be advised that the page loads a bit slowly, so be patient. Thanks.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Call made to push Congress on motorcycle-only stops

Biker Quote for Today

You know you’re becoming addicted to riding when you almost crash your car in a turn because you were trying to counter-steer and lean rather than turn the wheel.