Passes & Canyons Blog

The snow that was predicted but didn’t come over the weekend made all the difference in our street getting clear. On Monday we got a dusting but it was gone by afternoon. Finally on Wednesday, thanks to a little gouging with my heel, a lane just wide enough for my tires was open and I could ride out of the neighborhood without using the sidewalk for the first time in weeks. So I did.

Having no set route in mind I did what I often do, riding across the top of the Cherry Creek Dam heading southeast out of town. I got down to Parker and decided to go east on Main Street. Probably the last time I had gone east out of Parker on Main Street was about 35 years ago. I don’t know what the population was then but a quick search shows me it was 5,450 in 1990. Today that figure sits at about 50,000. So yeah, there have been a lot of changes.

I proceeded east past streets whose names I didn’t recognize–which is to say they are not major north-south streets–until I came to a T intersection at Delbert Road. I had never heard of Delbert Road. I figured I’d go north.

I was definitely out on the very eastern edge of the metro area here, with primarily 2.5-acre “ranchettes” and their McMansions.

Delbert Road effectively ends when it hits County Line Road, although it does go a little beyond. I stayed on it and to my left I could see the newest neighborhoods under construction. And after about a block Delbert turned to mud so I turned around. I was on the Honda so I would not have objected if it was just dirt, but mud was a different matter, especially since the tires on that bike are ready to be replaced and there is very little tread left.

Heading west now on County Line Road, I found that it does not even go through right here, hitting a T intersection at Powhaton Road. So I turned north on Powhaton and very soon it started looking familiar. When I reached the very end of Smoky Hill Road I knew why it looked familiar; I had been here coming the other direction once before.

So that gave me a very direct shot back into town along Smoky Hill. I headed home. The mileage on this ride was around 40, which was fine on a January day. I wore my electric vest and had it turned on and I even bumped my heated gloves up from the lowest setting to two notches higher. I would have been cold without them. I’ve also been wearing my fleece-lined chaps lately. They’re much warmer than my leather ones.

So the forecast for this weekend looks great. Anyone who isn’t out on their bike on Saturday just isn’t even trying.

Biker Quote for Today

Race the rain. Ride the wind. Chase the sunset. Only a biker understands.

I got out for three quick rides on Tuesday last week just to run the bikes a bit but on Wednesday the weather was very nice so I went out again on the Honda for a real ride. With no destination or route in mind–as usual–I headed west on Belleview to University and turned south. By this point I was thinking I would follow University as it curves to the east and becomes Lincoln Avenue, turning off at the road heading down to Daniels Park. I hadn’t been to Daniels Park in many years and it just seemed like it was due.

Now, just to date myself, I’ve been in Denver long enough to remember back when once you got south of County Line Road on University (C-470 didn’t exist back then) the road turned to gravel and there was nothing out there but grazing land. It’s all part of Highlands Ranch now, and it’s a city.

So Highlands Ranch had plenty of signs telling you this park is this way, that park is that way, and I figured they would have a sign pointing the way to Daniels Park but either they didn’t or I missed it. Back in the day it was easy: you just cruised along until you came to the solitary road going south, with a sign for the park. But I didn’t know what that road had become–it was probably something like County Road whatever back then–so I had no idea where to turn.

No problem. I continued on to where I hit I-25 and took it south to the Castle Pines exit and went west. I knew that ran into Daniels Park and I figured I would then take the road north and find out where it comes out along the road I had just been on. I was also sure it was all paved by now. I thought it was the last time I was out there.

So I got to the main parking lot and was very interested to see that the pavement stopped there. Fortunately, although I was not on the V-Strom, I was on the Honda and the Honda is OK on gravel. It doesn’t necessarily love gravel the way the V-Strom does, but it definitely doesn’t hate gravel the way the Concours does. You know, it’s an old CB750, a UJM, and those were do-anything bikes. I knew it would be OK.

It turned out the road was actually quite good. They’ve obviously put plenty of mag chloride on it so there was only the occasional patch of loose gravel.

So the road headed north as I knew it would, until it hit a T intersection marked Grig’s Road. To the right the road was paved and headed toward some houses. To the left it was gravel and open land, so I went left.

At some point this did turn into Daniels Park Road–I guess it has both names along here–and it was headed north again. But before long all the new roads totally obscured whatever the old road used to be. I ended up connecting with McArthur Ranch Road at another T intersection and this time I went right. That took me to Quebec, which I took north and eventually got to University.

Looking at the map I see that if I had jogged west a short run on McArthur Ranch Road I would have hit Wildcat Reserve Parkway and that looks like it would have taken me up to where the old Daniels Park Road must have turned off. But it’s all different now. There are houses and malls and churches and schools as far as you can see. It’s all just city. And even the roads that used to be don’t exist any more.

So it was a fun exploration, and a great day to be out on the bike. And then the next day it was cold and snowy. I want more days like that one.

Biker Quote for Today

Travelling in a car is like watching a film. Riding a motorcycle is like starring in it.

OK, I was wrong about our street being clear enough to ride on Tuesday. So I went down the sidewalk again. I’ve got motorcycles that need to be ridden, you know.

I took the Kawi out first, then the Honda, then the Suzuki. There’s more snow predicted for Thursday night and you never know when you’re going to get trapped at home again, and bikes need to run. So I ran them.

It was a warm day but I bundled up and put on my electric gear. The Kawi has good wind protection so I never turned the vest on and while the heated gloves were only set on the lowest setting, I considered turning them off.

The Honda has a lot less protection, just a windshield. Now I was wishing the gloves were set warmer.

Finally, the Suzuki was just about right, enough protection and enough electric warmth.

I also had all the other gear on. While I agree with ATGATT for the most part, the fact is I rarely wear my chaps. But I had them on on Tuesday, along with helmet, gloves, jacket, and boots. ATG. At this time of year you never know when you’re going to hit a bit of ice or gravel or something that is going to put you down. And that was almost exactly what happened.

I was coming north on University Boulevard past DU and was amazed how much new construction is going on along that stretch. It seems every old building for several blocks on the east side of University, south of Evans, has been removed and new multi-story buildings are going up. So there is a good bit of mud on the street from the construction vehicles. No problem, though.

Then I went to turn east on Evans and ran across what I took to be just a wet spot on the street. Wrong. It was a thin layer of mud and my back end swung way, way out to the side. I’m sure the guy behind me was wondering if this guy on this bike was going to fall right in front of him. I was wondering, too.

But the tire caught dry pavement and found traction and then, as I knew it was going to do, it stood up straight and shook the way a bike will do when you high-side. But I was going slowly and did not give it any throttle so I was able to ride it out. That definitely gets your attention, though.

By the time I got back from the third ride more of the street was clear and I only needed the sidewalk for a short distance, but even on Wednesday when I went out again the sidewalk was necessarily part of my route. We’ll see what happens with snow on Thursday.

Biker Quote for Today

Motorcycles are like girls: It’s always better to have two.

It’s that time of winter again. We’ve had some very nice days, good days to be out riding, but with our neighborhood streets covered in snow and ice I can’t get out. The forecast at this time suggests that before the sun does its job on our streets we’ll be having more snow. That’s exactly why I made a point to get out on all three bikes on about December 3 while it was still nicer weather. Who knows if I’ll get out again this year.

Some people are getting out, though. Obviously they don’t live on an inner neighborhood street. I mean, the main streets are clear if you can get to them.

What really amazed me, though, was a couple days ago I was out in my car and on Hampden I saw a guy on a bike. No big deal, except this was during the first melt after the snowstorm and while there was no snow or ice on Hampden, the entire road was very wet and sloppy. This was the sort of condition where your car gets coated in dark brown grime and if you don’t clean off your headlights, when you go to use them you find they don’t cast much light.

So this guy was out riding in this. Which means he was getting himself covered in all this gunk. Yow!

He was on a sportbike and had a helmet and leather jacket but unlike cars, helmets don’t have wipers to continually be clearing that stuff away so you can see. You’re more hard core than me, fella.

The next day I saw someone out, too, but by then the streets were much dryer. But at that point we were only starting to see a little asphalt show through on our street. It would take two or three more days like that to be clear and we’re apparently not going to get those days.

If there’s any way at all that I can get out, though, I will do so on December 31. That’s the day when ABATE of Colorado is having its annual Last Brass Monkey Run. This is intended to be the last riding event of the year but as you can imagine it is not always amenable to riding. So fine, if you can’t ride you go in your car. And I will. But I’d sure like to ride.

This thing has four starting points and the end is at the Grizzly Rose:
North–Rocky Mountain Saloon, 4329 CO Hwy 66, Longmont
East–Flying J Truck Stop, (I-70 Exit 285), 16751 E 32nd Ave, Aurora
South–Big Train Family Restaurant, 3050 N. Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs
West–In the Zone, 15600 West 44th Ave, Golden

If you’re going to participate the idea is to sign in (and sign your waiver) between 10 and 11 a.m. Or, finish line registration begins at the Rose at 11 a.m. Then they have food, music, and a chili cook-off, among other things. Plus an inside-the-Rose poker walk.

Then there’s usually a ride set for January 1 by a BMW group–the first ride of the year–but I’m not sure if that’s on this time around or not. I went looking for info but found none. Whatever.

So–bottom line: ride it if you can. Maybe I’ll be out there, too.

Biker Quote for Today

All I want for Christmas is you . . . Just kidding. Get me parts for my motorcycle.

It’s the time of year when I don’t go up in the mountains much any more. Even if it’s warm and dry down here on the prairie it can be cold and snowy up high. So when I go for a ride I turn my sights east.

I did that on Tuesday. It was a gorgeous sunny day so what else could I do?

As is so often the case, I had no plan in mind when I started off. I figured I’d ride across the top of Cherry Creek Reservoir dam over to Parker Road and make up my mind from there. And then I immediately took a left onto Quincy and rode it out of town. Now, looking at the map I see that I could have taken Quincy all the way to Deer Trail. I didn’t know that at the time, though I do now.

I got as far as Watkins Road, which I believe was only paved in the last couple years, so I decided to take that all the way up to Watkins. If I saw anything interesting along the way I would turn. There really wasn’t anywhere to turn east, however, so on the south side of Watkins I turned down the road that leads to a development where some friends of ours live. Cruising its length, whereas we go left to get to their house, I saw that that road is now paved to the south so I turned right. Now it was time to explore. This was county road 101, by the way.

Wow, there is a lot back in there. It’s mostly farms and ranches–saw a lot of horses and a lot of corn and wheat fields shorn of their crops. I saw a lot of really large houses, and big agricultural endeavors. One thing these farmers/ranchers do not seem to be is poor. And I saw a lot of dead ends.

I was on the V-Strom so if the pavement had ended I would have been good with going further, but it seemed that no matter which road I turned down, inevitably it dead-ended at someone’s dirt driveway. Maybe there is a “No Exit” sign at the turn-off from Watkins Road that I’ve never noticed. This entire area–a really big area–is one big dead-end.

But at the eastern extent of the area I was amazed at the forest I ran into. There are one heck of a lot of trees out there on the prairie, along the river drainage.

So I was looking for a way out that wouldn’t force me to back-track all the way to Watkins Road but it doesn’t exist. So I did. I’d covered a lot of miles in that cul-de-sac, and heck, I was all the way out east to Watkins, so it was time to head back. I had work to do at home. Heading back south on Watkins Road I took the first right I could, Jewell, and rode that all the way back to town. I bet I know more now about that area south of where our friends live than they do. I love exploring.

Biker Quote for Today

The back roads around here are better than Prozac. — Clement Salvadori

Judy is very good at merging what I like to do with what she likes to do so we both have a good time, and hiking is one of those things.

Don’t get me wrong, I like hiking, too, but perhaps not as much as she does. So now and then she will suggest that we get on a motorcycle and ride out somewhere to a trailhead and then do a hike. That’s what we did on Saturday.

One of the best things Jefferson County has to offer is an extensive list of open space parks and such, so we ended up having to choose between many appealing options. We chose Mount Galbraith Park, which has a trailhead just about a mile west of where the Golden Gate Canyon Road turns off CO 93 on the north side of Golden.

It was a beautiful, sunny fall day as we got geared up, this time remembering to connect our bluetooth communicators, which we’ve made a habit of forgetting and thus have probably not used in two years. Go figure. We headed west on Hampden/US 285 and then by the time we turned north on C-470 it was already getting cooler and had also turned blustery. I hadn’t worn my sweatshirt under my jacket but had brought it along. I was figuring at this point I was glad of that.

North to Golden Gate Canyon Road and then west to the trailhead and oh, man, was that place packed. The parking lot was overflowing and people were parked all along the road for a good ways. Being on the V-Strom we just pulled right in the parking lot and got the best space you could ask for.

There are three main sections of trail in this park, along with a number of smaller, unofficial(?) ones. From the parking area you climb toward the top of Mount Galbraith and then another section can take you all the way down into Golden or you can circle the top of the mountain and then return the way you came when you reconnect. We did the latter.

Climbing the first portion you get to where you have a really nice view of the canyon road below, as you can see in that photo. Then as you get higher you get views of North Table Mountain, South Table Mountain, and finally the whole metro area. Circling around the mountain top counter-clockwise, as we did, you get over on the west side and a whole area of unfamiliar hills, with nothing particularly dramatic. It took a while before I realized what we were seeing was the uphill area running down to where US 6 runs up Clear Creek Canyon. Now, Clear Creek Canyon is very narrow and the walls are pretty sheer but from this perspective you would never have known it was even there. The only thing that finally tipped me off was when we saw the cell towers on Lookout Mountain and I put two and two together.

So it was a good hike, about 5 miles altogether, and boy did it get windy! We had been getting blown around on the bike as we arrived and I was figuring we were really going to get blasted when we left. Nothing to do but to do it, though, so we climbed back on the V-Strom and headed out. And glory, glory, it really wasn’t all that windy down at this level now and we had a very pleasant ride home. What a really good way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Biker Quote for Today

If the countryside seems boring, stop, get off your bike, and go sit in the ditch long enough to appreciate what was there before the asphalt came.