In the shade on the deck at the Switchback Smokehouse, which was not open.

Those were exactly the words I wanted to hear when I finally lead this RMMRC ride I’ve been intending to lead for two years now. And I was rewarded. Nice.

That’s right, I finally did it. I was going to do it last year, and I set out to pre-ride the route but got hit by a drunk driver, which totally altered all my plans for the next several months. I figured now was the time, at last.

We met up at the farm that is run by Denver Botanic Gardens out along Deer Creek Canyon Road. I was concerned that I might get only one person showing up, and then that one person canceled out, but ultimately three others signed up and a fourth just showed up, so there were five of us. Three of us had brought communicators but only Dave and I were able to connect; Bruce was the odd man out. Some day we may figure these things out.

As hot as it has been, this day was supposed to be at least a little cooler. I considered setting the time for 10 a.m. but went with 9 because that would be cooler. That was a good choice. The ride across town was actually cool to chilly. Very nice.

We headed up Deer Creek Canyon, then took a left onto Deer Creek Road, which climbs and becomes High Grade Road and then Pleasant Park Road. I knew all these guys had been on those stretches, but it was the next turn that would be different. We got near Conifer and then turned right onto Oehlmann Park Road. The road goes up and over a big hill that is covered with mountain homes. How these people get up and down in the winter I don’t understand because the roads are steep and twisty. But that makes it a really nice motorcycle run. Along the way Dave asked me what road this was and I knew I’d scored a new road with him.

Down the other side to South Turkey Creek Road, a right toward Tiny Town, then a left under US 285 and up North Turkey Creek Road. Then a right onto the next new road: High Drive. Later it was Tom who told me he had been on all these roads until we turned onto High Drive. A new one for him. Yes! Score.

This was another road through areas full of mountain homes and then down the other side it becomes Stanley Park Road, then Little Cub Creek Road. And it was along here that we came to the area I had checked out a couple weeks ago to make sure the flooding that hit that area in late June had been cleaned up. Before we reached the place where I had stopped and turned around we passed through a construction zone with one lane only that suggested if I had kept going earlier I might have encountered flood damage much worse than what I did see. Wow.

So we got to Evergreen, turned east on Bear Creek Road and cruised down to Kittredge, where I was planning lunch. We got to the Switchback Smokehouse and it was not open, but the sign said they opened at 11. It was 10:30, and they have a nice, shaded deck out by the creek so we figured we could wait. We sat and talked but as time passed I was perplexed. There did not seem to be any signs of activity inside and the chairs were still stacked upside down on the tables. Not what you expect when a restaurant is about to open.

Finally it was past 11 and I went to the door again and this time I noticed what I did not notice before: It was Tuesday and they are not open on Tuesday. Now, I had checked this specifically when I first planned out this route and this stop but that was two years ago. Apparently they have changed their days of operation in the interim. No matter. We had a pleasant stop and we just cruised on down to Morrison and got lunch there.

From Morrison we all went separate ways so we didn’t even bother leaving the restaurant as a group. And then it was blazing hot getting back across town. So glad I decided to start at 9 and not 10.

Biker Quote for Today

100 reasons not to date a biker: 93. Shiny things and loud noises get our blood pumping.