Posts Tagged ‘Deer Creek Road’

Last Day Ride Before The Four-Day Trip

Monday, September 14th, 2026


I finally got to try this place in Kittredge when Nick and I stopped there on a Sunday ride.

It was Sunday of Labor Day weekend with Nick and me set to take off on Monday for a four-day ride. Let’s get in one more.

We had already done a ride over Guanella Pass and another over Squaw Pass, and I didn’t want to go out on US 285 because that would be the way we would be heading out the next day. But I pulled up a map and the idea came together.

We headed west across town on Belleview till we came to Santa Fe and as we sat waiting for the turn signal I told Nick this was the exact spot last year on June 29, at about this time on a Sunday morning–like now–that that guy ran head-on into me. Not sure how that made him feel sitting there.

We got onto C-470 briefly, then off at Wadsworth and turned up Deer Creek Canyon Road. We turned south on Deer Creek Road, up that canyon until we climbed out of it. Along the way another rider going the other direction tapped his helmet, which I took to be a warning. I’m accustomed to having someone tap the top of their helmet to indicate cops ahead but this guy tapped the side of his helmet. Nevertheless we slowed down and paid close attention. Sure enough, we came around a bend and there were a whole bunch of folks on those wheeled foot platforms that you use the way you would use cross-country skis on snow. We skirted carefully around them.

We continued to Oehlmann Park Road, which goes steeply up into a mountain community and then steeply down the other side. On the other side we picked up Turkey Creek Road to meet US 285. A short run on that took us into Conifer where we got off and caught Barkley Road to CR 73. Another quick jog and we turned up Shadow Mountain Drive.

This road makes a scenic meander around to the west of Evergreen, coming into Evergreen past some very pricey homes. You pay for all that scenery. In Evergreen I feared we would encounter some street festival blocking our route but I was mistaken. Thankfully. We cruised on through and down to Kittredge.

In Kittredge we stopped for lunch at the place we had stopped recently on an RMMRC ride I led where this was my planned lunch stop. Unlike that ride, this time they were open. Pretty decent food at the Switchback Smokehouse.

Leaving Kittredge we turned up Parmalee Gulch Road over to pick up US 285. And now, after just a short ride, we faced getting home across town on a hot day. But hey! It was Sunday of Labor Day weekend. There was no traffic. It was great. We blasted. It was still hot but hot is not so bad when you’re moving.

Biker Quote for Today

“Tourists and locals are watching from sidewalk cafés. Non-racers. The emptiness of those lives shocks me.” — Tim Krabbé

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‘I’ve Never Been On That Road’

Monday, July 27th, 2026


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.

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Posted in Colorado motorcycle rides, motorcycle clubs, Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Riders Club | 2 Comments »

Sweet Ride On A Special Day

Thursday, September 19th, 2024

Stopped along the road on the Squaw Pass road.

What a nice ride I had on Tuesday! And then it turned out it wasn’t just any day.

I had intended to go out on the Honda on Monday but got busy so I reset my plan for Tuesday. Well, what does my calendar show me on Tuesday but that this is the day, in 1988, that I bought this motorcycle. Thirty-six years ago to the day. Still have it, still ride it.

I know most people don’t mark on their calendars the date on which they bought a motorcycle, and I hadn’t either, but back earlier this year when I was selling the Concours I was digging through my titles and related documents and found the bill of sale for the Honda. I decided then to put that date on my calendar. September 17, 1988. A day that changed my life.

And then what a good ride. I started out figuring I ought to pick up where I left off the last time I headed out on this bike, heading up Deer Creek Canyon. This time I knew to avoid the construction blockage on South Santa Fe and headed west on Bowles to Kipling and then south to Deer Creek Canyon Road. I turned up the canyon right behind a pick-up and that guy pulled over to let me past so as not to slow me down. Nice guy. Not that I’m a speedster but I made sure not to slow him down.

Part way up the canyon I decided to turn south onto Deer Creek Road. Two different roads: Deer Creek Canyon Road and Deer Creek Road. Deer Creek Road climbs and winds and eventually comes out at US 285 at Conifer. Just a short bit before I got to Conifer two guys on Harleys pull out in front of me but then just a couple miles later they turned right onto Oehlmann Park Road, which I had never noticed before. Wonder where that goes? I wouldn’t have necessarily paid attention except that this whole way we were riding on brand new asphalt. So new it has not yet been striped. And Oehlmann Park Road also is covered in brand new asphalt. So presumably not a completely minor road. More on this later.

And then I came upon the paving crew, at work. That’s how new this asphalt was. I got to Conifer, went under the highway and got onto County Road 73, which runs up to Evergreen. But I went just a short distance and turned left onto Shadow Mountain Drive, which goes through some really nice areas and eventually bends back around to rejoin CR73 just south of Evergreen. As I was waiting at that intersection to pull out onto CR73 who should come along but those same two guys on Harleys. What the heck route did they take? Looking at the map now I see that Oehlmann Park Road winds through some rural neighborhoods and comes out onto South Turkey Creek Road, the same as I would have hit if I’d just stayed on Deer Creek Canyon Road. Then they must have gone left to meet up with US 285 at Meyer Ranch Park and gotten off at Conifer to take CR73 north. Now I know.

So I got into Evergreen right behind these guys and as they went right I went left to go up Upper Bear Creek Road. There was a sign right away saying something about elk in the area and I had only gone another 100 yards or so and there were all these elk, on both sides of the road. OK, cool. I watched closely as I passed them and headed on only to come to another group. Past them I figured that was it but then there was one more group and this time I came around a tree and one big male was right in front of me in the road.

I hit my brakes and on this CB750 the brakes squeal. Always. Always have, presumably always will. Nothing I can do seems to stop that squealing. Well, that squealing seemed to really bother this big guy in front of me so he skittered very quickly out of my way, which was fine with me. And those were the last I saw.

On up Upper Bear Creek Road till I got to the Witter Gulch Road. This is a great road. It climbs steeply up out of this canyon and has a whole bunch of hairpin turns toward the top. A fun motorcycle road. And that brought me up to the Squaw Pass Road. I turned east, back down to Evergreen Parkway and took the parkway back into Evergreen, then headed down the canyon to Kittredge. At Kittredge I made the turn onto Parmalee Gulch Road over to US 285 again at Indian Hills. From there it was US 285 all the way home.

This all took more than three hours but I only put 96 miles on my odometer. But it was really nice country, the day was beautiful, and I had a great time. And so nice to take the CB750 out for such a nice anniversary ride.

Biker Quote for Today

Don’t rash ride.

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