Passes & Canyons Blog

OK, I guess it’s definite. I’m going with the RMMRC on the Great River Road Ride in May.

The river in question is the Mississippi River. The Great River Road is a series of roads that follow the river from New Orleans up to the headwaters in Minnesota. Judy and I took a portion of the road when we were in New Orleans two years ago and found that end of it totally boring. All you did was ride alongside the levee for mile after mile and you’d never even see the river. So forget that.

What we will do is blast in two days hard riding over to meet the Mississippi at St. Charles, MO. Presumably the upstream portion of this route will be much nicer than the downstream portion.

From St. Charles we’ll make stops at Davenport, IA; Red Wing, MN; South Haven, MN; Detroit Lakes, MN; and then Yankton, SD, and McCook, NE, on the way back. The stop in South Haven will be with the sister of one of the riders and we’ll stay two nights so as to have a day off the bikes and relax. Total mileage will be about 2,800. Nine days.

Although it’s not an excessively large group–about nine so far–Charlie, who set it up, has taken the approach of each person riding individually and then all gathering in one place in the evening. Basically, Charlie doesn’t like riding in large groups and I’m with him. So a list is being compiled of a variety of points of interest along the way and the idea is that each person plots out his or her day to make the stops that interest them.

I’m sure many people will be riding together; it’s not like we’ll each and every one of us go in a different direction each day. But I like this idea. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been riding with the OFMC, and even with the RMMRC, when I have wanted to stop somewhere but didn’t because I didn’t want to hold up the whole group. This kind of arrangement suits me just fine.

If this kind of ride interests you I’d suggest you consider coming along. All you have to do is go to the Meet-Up site and join the RMMRC ($12/year) and then you’re in a group that does a lot of riding. As an example, if you’re really into distance riding to exotic places, there’s another ride being planned this summer up to Yellowknife in Canada’s Northwest Territory. That’s a serious ride.

I’m pretty sure I’m not going on that ride but I definitely am going up the river. Oh boy.

Biker Quote for Today

100 reasons not to date a biker: 3. We always have helmet hair.

The forecast for Sunday had called for highs in the 70s so we were all a bit surprised to find the temperature in the low 40s as we geared up and headed out. Nevertheless, a big group, about 18 or 19 of us, gathered in Morrison for an RMMRC ride up to Lyons for lunch at Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ.

The gas station was a busy place. There were two other motorcycle groups meeting up there as well as a scooter group and a group of Mini Cooper owners. Presumably the gas station gets a fair amount of business from all this because the bunch of us took up nearly every parking place available.

The plan was to take side roads to avoid Boulder itself and then to come back via the Peak-to-Peak Highway. Presumably it was going to be a warm day.

In what was a nearly unimaginable feat, we made it all the way up to Lyons without getting broken into smaller bunches. We started out running up to Golden on C-470 and took CO 93 north over Rocky Flats. Coming down toward Boulder there was low-lying smoke all around thanks to the grass fire burning up near NCAR. But we didn’t really even smell smoke, at least I didn’t.

We skirted around Boulder to the east on Cherryvale Road and worked our way north to Niwot, then turned west on Niwot Road to where it meets up with 93 just south of Lyons. It was only at this point that we got a bit separated, and that was due to a few cars getting intermingled with us. We weren’t really separated, they just joined the group.

I was wearing my electric vest and darn glad of it, but my hands were pretty cold. We got to Smokin’ Dave’s and other people commented about how their hands were numb. Where’s that 70 degrees we’d been promised?

Lunch was good. I’m getting to like Smokin’ Dave’s more and more. And during lunch we discussed the question, do we really want to go higher, to the Peak-to-Peak when it’s this cool down lower. The general feeling seemed against it, plus, the South St. Vrain road that is the most direct way to the Peak-to-Peak continues to be closed. But a check on the weather showed that it was apparently warmer up in Ward than down where we were. Maybe the smoke was blocking the warming sun and the Peak-to-Peak is above the smoke.

Whatever the case, as we were getting ready to leave it was decided to run back down 93 and take Left Hand Canyon up to Ward and the Peak-to-Peak.

This was where I decided to go my own way. We’d been out for a pretty good while and I was more interested in just heading home so I stayed on 93. Going through Boulder with a large group would have been crazy but just a lone rider had no problem. Back down 93 to Morrison and then east on US 285 and home. A good day’s ride.

And then later in the day it really did warm up. Finally.

Biker Quote for Today

We know you’re a poser if you spit out the bug that just flew in your mouth.

Some people just simply have friends with motorcycles and they get together and ride. But not everyone. I know when I got my first bike, my CB750, John had already bought his Virago. A little while later Bill bought his Shadow. And we went out riding together. The OFMC was born and more friends and relatives joined and soon we had a big group. Easy.

As time has gone by, however, the OFMC has gotten a lot smaller and those few who are left really don’t care to go riding as much as I want to. So I looked around. I was an ABATE of Colorado member but I never got to where I would have called any of them “friends,” rather, simply acquaintances. And the majority of ABATE rides are poker runs and such, which I’m not much into.

Eventually I found the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Riders Club (RMMRC) and that has filled the bill. This is a good-sized group that does a lot of rides and I’ve gotten on much more actually friend-like terms with a bunch of these folks than I ever have at ABATE.

But there are a number of other groups, too, and often it could be the physical location that leads you to join one group or another. The RMMRC usually has its meetings here in southeast Denver where I live so it’s convenient. I know the BMW Motorcycle Club of Colorado is very active and they are open to all bikes, regardless of the name. They meet way out west, if that’s more convenient for you.

The British Motorcycle Association of Colorado is out of Colorado Springs, although it appears they do have affiliated chapters in Denver and the Fort Collins/Loveland area. They also are welcoming to other bikes but do ask that you have an affinity for the older British bikes.

There are also a number of groups that have formed through Meet-Up, including the Highlands Ranch Motorcycle Riders. As the name implies, they are centered out of Highlands Ranch.

Also the Front Range Dual Sport Riders, of which I am technically a member but have never attended one of their events. I don’t think they have meetings so it’s just a matter of getting together at a starting point to do a ride.

And now the latest one that Meet-Up informed me of, Colorado Inclusive Meetup 20s-40s. OK, this one is interesting. First off, as the name implies, they state up front that they are looking for people in their 20s through 40s. As in, I’m too old, sorry. And I get the impression that it may be pitched to gays, which is what the “inclusive” part of the name is about. OK, I’m not gay but that wouldn’t stop me from riding with you guys if I wasn’t too old.

And lastly, they have this sentence at the end of their Who We Are page: Who the group isn’t for: honestly, trump supporters.

I found that especially amusing, especially since the first time I looked at their page that statement was a bit more blunt and off-color. I like a little honesty like that. This group definitely does not seem to lean toward Harley-Davidson and as we all know, the guys and gals on the Harleys tend to skew heavily toward Trump. So if you’re getting a group together why not be clear up front what sort of crowd you’re looking for?

Obviously there are other groups, too–you just need to look for them. I know that since I hooked up with the RMMRC I’ve had a really good time doing a whole lot of rides and meeting and getting acquainted with a whole new bunch of people. If you’re looking for someone to ride with, they’re out there.

Biker Quote for Today

You know you’re a biker if you fainted when you met Willie G.

I just got home from a ride with the RMMRC. With temperatures expected to be in the 70s on this early March day it should be no surprise there were altogether 17 people on this ride.

With so many people it was basically assured we could not stick together all the way to our destination west of Colorado Springs, in old Colorado City. But we also needed to pick up three others in two spots along the way, so we just made sure everyone knew the two spots and said get there and regroup.

That worked pretty well but then, leaving the second stop, in Franktown, we were headed to a restaurant in Colorado City that nobody was familiar with and getting there was not going to be necessarily simple. So once again the deal to get into Colorado Springs, get off at Fillmore Street, and regroup. Then try to stay together to get to the restaurant.

Let’s just say we managed. Only a little bit of chaos.

After lunch we were going to essentially backtrack, but Tim said he could lead us on a nice ride up through Garden of the Gods and then on the way we were figuring. OK. Tim is the one person I know who knows the roads better than me.

So we all got on our bikes and ready to go and looked around and where the heck was Tim? Nowhere to be seen. What the heck? So someone else took the initiative and led us off on what was not a very good route and within two traffic lights we were already getting broken up. We got on US 24 headed toward I-25 and then someone got in the left turn lane. Some people were able to get over but others weren’t and I saw Susan and someone else just go on straight on 24. The rest of us turned, except the one who initiated the turn did a U-turn and went back the other way. We just went ahead.

By the time we reached I-25 at the Uintah interchange there were only four still together in the pod I was in. Then we got on the highway and very soon Gene was the only one behind me and no one in front. So we got off at the designated exit and were cruising along when I saw someone coming up behind. It was Susan. So the three of us headed north toward Denver on CO 83.

Just before we reached Castlewood Canyon State Park I checked my mirror and Gene was nowhere to be seen. In other circumstances that would be cause for concern but with everyone basically just headed home he could easily have decided to take a different route. So we kept going. Around about Orchard Susan peeled off so I was alone but just then I saw in my mirror someone who looked to be Gene.

I figured I’d take it easy and let him catch up but Gene has a way of hanging back. Finally at a stoplight he got close enough that I could see it wasn’t Gene, but Pat, who also rides a Concours 14, as does Gene. Then things took a twist.

Traffic started moving and the guy in front of me started moving, just as I was looking behind me to ascertain that it was Pat. As I turned my gaze forward I saw the truck in front of me was stopped. I later learned there was a car stalled a few car lengths in front of him. I nailed my brakes and, fishtailing wildly, tried to direct the bike to the left of the truck. I came to a stop with my front wheel past the back of the truck but to the side and his rear bumper about two inches from my fairing. I would not have gotten hurt but there would have been damage to the bike. I got lucky. You know, forget trying to see who that is, ride your damn bike.

The rest of the ride home was uneventful, thank goodness.

Biker Quote for Today

Why motorcycles are better than women: Your motorcycle never wants a night out alone with the other motorcycles.

I just got back about 20 minutes ago from my first ride of the new year. Nothing special, just a run out to Patty Ann’s in Kiowa for lunch. But what a great day to be out on the bike.

There have been a couple other nice days already but our street was still covered in ice and snow. Yesterday’s sun finally cleared enough that I had about a 10-inch path I could take to carry me past the ice that was still there. And by the time I’m home now that path has expanded to about three feet wide. That alone tells you it’s a nice day to be outside.

There were five of us of the RMMRC who met up at Sam’s #3 and with uncertainty about the roads we opted to stick to the main highways, figuring they, for sure, would be clear. I was leading.

Out Parker Road to Franktown and then east on CO 86. Nothing eventful, just clear roads and not that much traffic. At Patty Ann’s we were sorry to learn that due to the universal lack of workers they were cutting no slack and since we had arrived after 11 a.m. we could not order off the breakfast menu. Darn, because I really wanted the huevos rancheros. So did Roy. Oh well.

To the total shock of no one, we were approached while we were there by two guys in riding gear, asking who owned a particular bike. So there were stories to be exchanged and ride invitations extended. Roy is always good about recruiting new members for the RMMRC.

Heading back, Roy had the idea to head north on the Kiowa-Bennett Road but Harlan offered what we all thought was a better route. With him in the lead we headed west on CO 86, through Franktown to Castle Rock, across I-25 and then turned north on Daniels Park Road. Where the road splits at the entrance to the park we turned east and then at that first roundabout turned north on the road that eventually becomes Quebec St. Shortly after, we started shedding riders as each person turned toward home.

And that was that. Chalk up one motorcycle now ridden for January with two more to go.

Biker Quote for Today

100 reasons not to date a biker: 7. It’s perfectly natural to have a motorcycle parked in the living room.

I find it pretty amazing how those container ships stack those things so high above the ship’s deck. It looks really top-heavy but clearly there has got to be a lot of ship below the water to keep it stable.

On dry land, the seemingly comparable situation is the way you sometimes see loads of hay stacked to tower way, way above the truck hauling it all. The difference being that there is no truck out of sight down below the road so that top-heavy load better be well stacked. Sometimes it is not.

Twice this past year, out on motorcycle trips, I encountered situations where those bales were not well stacked and secured.

The first was on the OFMC trip. We had been in Wyoming, having left Torrington, and were headed to Walden, back in Colorado. At Laramie we took US 230 southwest as it passes through just the southern edge of the Snowy Range.

Coming around a bend there was a warning cone in the road and a quick glance ahead showed why. A truck loaded to the sky with huge bales of hay was part-way off on the side of the road with its load leaning menacingly toward the highway. Oh my gosh, there’s a real mess trying to happen. We gave it all a wide berth.

At least that guy didn’t lose his load. He had folks there to help and they were doing whatever it would take to put it all back to right. But clearly somebody didn’t do their job all that well when that truck was loaded. Or maybe that driver was just going way too fast.

It was a very different case, however, when, on the Colorado Cruise with the RMMRC, we were crossing Grand Mesa on our first day out. As we came down CO 65 toward I-70 in Debeque Canyon there were warning cones in the road. And there ahead was another hay truck. But this one didn’t have any hay on it. It’s entire load was scattered on and around the highway. Somebody had a real mess to clean up. And somebody probably got seriously reamed out by their boss.

Gosh, the things some people will do just to keep life interesting for us traveling motorcyclists!

Biker Quote for Today

You know you’re a biker if you have a refrigerator in the garage just for beer.

Conspicuity: the quality or state of being conspicuous

One of the really big issues when you ride motorcycles is being seen. We all know how this goes. How many times have we heard drivers who caused, or nearly caused, crashes with motorcycles say “I didn’t see him.”

They’re not lying. I myself have twice been in situations where I nearly caused an accident with a biker because I did not see him. So there are two things we all need to do: make yourself as visible as possible and then ride as if you’re invisible.

In the RMMRC there are a good many people who make a point to wear the eye-catching bright yellow or orange vests that go on over your riding jacket. Roy, the club’s safety director, has spoken to me more than twice about my black helmet and black jacket. Roy always rides sweep and he has told me that as he looks ahead he can see this rider and that rider but that I frequently blend into the scenery. Now, I do have reflectors on the sidebags of my Concours and a couple of my helmets but I guess that really doesn’t amount to much. I put more focus on riding defensively, as if I were invisible, as I said.

And so far that has worked out pretty well for me. The closest encounters I have had have generally involved people changing lanes without turning to actually look to see if there was someone in the lane they wanted to shift to. If you’re–even just for an instant–in their blind spot, and they don’t look, nothing you wear will make them see you. I pay a lot of attention to that sort of thing.

So I found it interesting riding with the RMMRC on the Colorado Cruise, hanging out in the rear of the group, that many of these guys in their fluorescent vests were barely visible, at least from behind. Why? Because they had dark top bags and such rising up behind them that almost totally blocked my view of their bright vests.

And who was the most visible of all? It was Susan, a very short lady on a small bike whose white helmet and fluorescent-striped jacket stood out vividly. And the funny thing was that Susan told me she preferred to be in the middle of the pack because she was afraid, being so small, that it was too easy for people not to see her. But in fact, nobody was more visible than her. And of course, she didn’t have bags stacked up behind her.

So who knows, maybe I ought to get another jacket, this one with blazing yellow stripes or something. Like I don’t have enough jackets. We’ll see.

Biker Quote for Today

You know you’re a biker if your only three piece suit is a leather jacket, leather vest and chaps.

We were riding up on the Peak-to-Peak Saturday. Think about that. It was December 4 and we were up in the hills. That tells you everything you need to know about the weather we’ve had so far in this late fall. Generally by this time of year those roads are either icy or treacherous with sand and gravel.

Not that there was no sand–we encountered a fair bit of that coming down through Golden Gate Canyon. But that was the only sand we ever saw and there was no ice at all. How could there by ice? The day-time highs have continued to be in the 60s.

The only thing that surprised me when I received the notice of the ride, an RMMRC ride, was that it hadn’t come sooner. You can’t have this kind of great weather and not have rides getting planned.

There were nine of us who took off from a 7-Eleven in Golden. We headed north on CO 93 toward Boulder but then skirted around the city to the east, following Marshall Drive to Cherryvale Road and north, then Baseline Road further east to 75th St. and north on 75th to Niwot. Then Niwot Road and Neva Road took us west to US 36, which took us north to Lyons. Time for lunch.

After lunch we tried to go up South St. Vrain Drive (CO 7) to the Peak-to-Peak but it was closed for construction. So we headed back south on US 36 to Lefthand Canyon Drive. That road brought us to the Peak-to-Peak at Ward.

It had been warm down in front of the foothills but now up higher I was very glad to have my electric vest. I had dressed warmly because I didn’t trust it would be warm the whole ride and that was a good thing on my part.

We headed south on the Peak-to-Peak, through Nederland, and on to CO 46, down Golden Gate Canyon. This was where we encountered the only sand of the whole ride. Most of the time it was right in the middle of our lane, although sometimes there would be two lines of it and you’d need to be careful to stay in between them. The worst was in a really tight turn but again, if you stayed in the track you were OK. So be advised if you head up that way. This is not the road that hot-shots on sport bikes should go blasting down any time soon.

Once we were back at CO 93 in Golden it was every man for himself and we scattered quickly. Great day for a ride.

Biker Quote for Today

Whenever I ride my motorcycle I always keep an excess of hay with me. I use hay to increase the horsepower of my bike!