Passes & Canyons Blog

Hey, this year (last year now) people actually got to ride to ABATE of Colorado‘s Last Brass Monkey Run. Always held on December 31 as the last ride of the year, it’s no surprise that many times riding is just not an option. But this year Denver came just one degree short of the record high and it was a warm, sunny day. Yahoo!

I headed west on the V-Strom and while it was warm and the streets were clear in east Denver, where I live, I wondered about out west by the foothills. Golden. But out there it was just as warm and the streets were just as clear. Considering we had a bit of snow just three days ago this had not been a certainty.

As always, it was good to see the folks. I used to attend my ABATE meetings each month but have not done so for a few years, so I only see folks at events like this. The Last Brass Monkey Run used to be an actual poker run but these days it is all held in one place so you get your sheet and then move from station to station picking up your cards. I did well. I got a full house, queens over nines. Could be good.

But no. It was best five of seven cards and both the first place winner and the second place winner had four of a kind. So much for my full house.

They also hand out door prizes. Last year my ticket was the absolute, very last one to be drawn. Think about it. Someone has to have the last ticket drawn, and last year that someone was me. You don’t get much to choose from when literally everyone else has already taken all the good stuff. This year I was still late in the draw but not the very last. I got a card game that we hope our seven-year-old grandson will like. That’s OK, you don’t go to these things looking to bring home a bounty. That’s just a bonus if you do.

Heading home I couldn’t help but notice as I pulled up at a red light that the guy to my left was on his phone. Illegal in Colorado these days. His lane moved faster than mine so I watched as he drifted out of his lane to the left. You dip. Hang up and drive!

But I got home safely and got out of 2025 alive. Obviously you did too. Congratulations to each of us. Here’s to an even better 2026.

Biker Quote for Today

Live Free and Ride

I looked at the outside thermometer on Tuesday morning (28) and asked myself what I was trying to prove to who? I drove my car to the Last Brass Monkey Run. I knew that on a sunny day with no ice on the road there would be a good number of hard-core folks heading to the Rock Rest on their bikes, but I was not going to be one of them. A final temperature check (36) as I was getting ready to leave made me reconsider but nope, I drove.

ABATE of Colorado’s Last Brass Monkey Run is always promoted as the last ride of the year, and is held on December 31, regardless of the weather. It is held these days at the Rock Rest Lodge in Golden, and I generally go.

So I got there, and yeah, there were bikes parked outside. Oh well. Some people are more hard-core than me. I have ridden some years.

The event used to be an actual poker run but nowadays the poker is set up inside, with games you play to receive your card. I’ve never had even a decent hand at a poker run so I never expect much. But this time was different. I drew three 2s. A pretty low three of a kind but still a three of a kind. Who knows, I might win something.

There are always door prizes as well and in recent years there have been enough door prizes for everyone there to get one. Of course, due to simple reality, someone is destined to be the one with the last ticket drawn. Last year that was me. And my prize was pretty much the dregs of what you might receive.

This year I was not last. When I arrived they were already calling numbers but very soon afterward announced there were stopping the drawing to have lunch. I got some lunch and was sitting with Kathy and Mike, holding ticket number 699. People finished eating and they announced a resumption of the door prize drawings and Mike said “OK Ken, get ready, it’s gonna be 699.” Larry looked at the ticket and called out “699.” No bull.

My prize was OK, nothing great, but really something we had no use for. I didn’t care, I was waiting for the best poker hand.

Larry got up to announce the winners and he said he had never seen such a lousy bunch of poker players. That gave me more hope.

And the top winner was . . . three of a kind 8s. Dang. Well, there is a second place prize as well. Second place was three of a kind 5s. Double dang. My 2s were just too low.

Meanwhile, another Kathy, Larry’s wife, had joined us at our table and remarked how she had hoped to get what I had gotten. I gave it to her.

So it was an enjoyable time, good to see a bunch of folks I don’t see all that often any more since I no longer go to ABATE meetings. Who knows, maybe next year I’ll ride. Maybe.

Biker Quote for Today

100 reasons not to date a biker: 51. We pay more for insurance than your car payment.

I got in two last rides right at the end of 2023. The weather is looking OK so maybe I’ll be able to get in some January rides right away. We’ll see.

On Saturday it really wasn’t much of a ride. Mark over at Rowdy Rocket finally had a spot open for me to bring the Concours in so he can fix the issue that has the throttle not backing off as it should. That was just a very short, five-mile ride but hey, I was out on a bike on December 30. Were you? Now I’m just concerned, having given the bike to Rowdy on December 30, that I get it back before January 31 so I can get in a January ride on it. The last time they had my bike they had it for a very long time. If need be I’ll nudge Mark, but I’d rather not have to.

Then on Sunday it was the day for ABATE of Colorado‘s annual Last Brass Monkey Run. This was looking like the best chance in several years to actually ride to this thing so that was my plan. Also, I was still 26 miles short of turning over a new 1,000 on the V-Strom so you know I was going to ride if at all possible. And it was.

I checked the temperature and it seemed reasonably warm out there so I dressed accordingly but when I went out to roll the bike out it was a lot colder than I expected. I was wearing jeans with long underwear and the usual up top, including my electric vest, and planned to wear my winter gloves. I took off the jeans and put on a second layer of long underwear and then put on my riding pants, which I mostly wear in the winter. Then I pulled out my heated gloves. I didn’t want to be cold unnecessarily.

I took off, headed out west to Golden, to the Rock Rest Lodge, and yes it was cold. I had set the gloves at 50 percent power but soon wished I had set them at 75 percent. And I had carelessly draped the cord for the vest between the tank and my body in a manner that led to me accidentally turn it off three times. Let’s just say that when I reached the Rock Rest I was glad to get off and go inside.

It was a great turn-out–the best in years. And a lot of folks came on their bikes, as you can see in the photo. It was good to check in with all the usual folks (Mike: I guess it’s been exactly a year since I last saw you). Yeah, but in 2024 there are going to be some issues at the legislature where we’ll be seeing each other down at the capitol.

Coming home it was a bit warmer but I still set the gloves at 75 percent and that kept my hands toasty almost all the way home. And I was more careful with the cord for the vest and never once turned it off by accident.

Now I’m eager to check my odometers and see how many miles I put on each bike this year. I took three trips so it ought to be a higher number than last year. Those numbers will be showing up here soon.

Biker Quote for Today

2 > 4

I made it out to Golden Saturday for the Last Brass Monkey Run, ABATE of Colorado‘s annual year-end event, but I sure as heck was not on a motorcycle. While the main roads were mostly clear, my street still had an inch of ice on it. Normally when it snows as much as it had just done a couple days earlier the city sends a plow down the middle of the street, but that never happened this time.

So I drove. As did a whole lot of other people apparently. It was the biggest turn-out for this thing in quite a few years. It used to be ABATE would reserve the entire Grizzly Rose venue and it would be full, but in recent years attendance has dropped severely–I have no idea why. I was going to insert a photo from the days when this was a really big deal but apparently I’ve got all those old shots archived somewhere. I need to get my photos organized better.

There were nowhere near enough people to fill the Grizzly Rose but at the Rock Rest it was a nice crowd. And for me it was nice to see a bunch of folks again who I hadn’t seen in a while. I used to attend my ABATE district meeting every month but about a year ago I decided it wasn’t really that good a use of my time. I’m interested in ABATE’s legislative work and there hasn’t been much motorcycle-related stuff going on at the legislature.

One of those folks I saw was Stump, who is ABATE’s legislative liaison. I asked him what is coming up this year and once again it doesn’t sound like much. He talked about maybe working to get Colorado to drop its designation of motorcyclists as (vulnerable? at-risk? something like that) road users. Why? Apparently in some states that is now being used as an excuse to call for mandatory helmet laws. If these people are at risk, then by golly let’s make them protect themselves.

I’m all in favor of wearing a helmet and I always do but I am one of those who believe it should be up to the rider to decide. As is ABATE in general. As is the American Motorcyclist Association.

Anyway, there doesn’t seem to be much going on so I no longer attend meetings, so it was good to see these folks again.

Back in the day, too, you used to see a lot of folks showing up on December 31 on motorcycles. This year there was only one. And years ago, it was actually a ride. Starting from various points around the area people would gather and ride to the Grizzly Rose. Not anymore. It’s too unpredictable with the weather so they have created an all in one room poker run instead. (My worthless hand came out to be an ace high. Not anywhere close to a winner.)

Still, it’s the last biker event of the year. So I went. And I had a good time. What more can you ask for?

Biker Quote for Today

I don’t have a bucket list but my bikeit list is a mile long.

There were a few brave souls who rode their bikes to the ABATE Last Brass Monkey Run on December 31, but I was not one of them. I drove.

As forecast, the high for the day was in the low 30s. More importantly, the sky to the west was very threatening. All was dry, however, until I got out west of Kipling, at which point there were a few flakes in the air.

I reached the Rock Rest just before 2, and the event was billed to run till 4, but they had already shuts the games down. Velma had to go out to her car to get the materials for me to renew my membership for another year. If I had arrived 10 minutes later I would have missed seeing everyone I know.

They did have a good turn-out, though. Nothing like the old days when they used to fill the Grizzly Rose, but by today’s standards a good healthy turn-out. But especially those who rode were turning their thoughts toward home.

And with good reason. After half an hour or so of chatting with folks I hadn’t seen for awhile I figured I’d head out and Larry and Kathy were just clearing the (now much heavier) snow off their bike, preparing to head for home in Aurora. I wished them safe riding, then got in my car and followed them out of the parking lot. I figured I’d ride along behind them for safety’s sake but then they turned a direction I hadn’t expected. It occurred to me that to get to where they live in Aurora it made more sense to take I-70, whereas I was heading east on US 285.

But as heavy as the snow was in Golden, by the time I reached Kipling it was all dry, so it probably wasn’t all that bad for them. Just cold–darn cold. Yeah, they’re more hard core than me.

So we’re finally done with 2021. Here’s hoping 2022 is a lot better for almost everyone.

Biker Quote for Today

Every time people find out I ride a motorcycle they freak out and tell me about some time that someone they know got in an accident. I don’t get it. I don’t go around telling pregnant women that my dad left.

Or maybe not.

I was going to spread the word about the last organized ride of 2021, ABATE of Colorado’s Last Brass Monkey Run, but I just checked the weather forecast. Not good. Dang, I was planning to ride.

The Last Brass (as it’s referred to for short) is always held on December 31, regardless of weather. They tried moving it to the nearest weekend for a couple years but that didn’t work out so it’s back to December 31.

The current venue is the Rock Rest Lodge out at 16005 Old Golden Road. This is a nice old place that has been renovated and turned into a trendy lunch and dinner spot. Back when Sue and I lived out there, walking distance from the Rock Rest, it was just an old country bar where we’d go on Saturday night for country swing dancing. Big dance floor. The decor is a ton of funky old stuff, in a style that has become popular but unlike most places where it’s all imported and staged, this stuff was legitimately brought in and put in place years and years ago.

But the weather! Looking right now at the forecast it’s saying a high of 34 degrees and snow. Dang, dang, dang. Just a few days ago they were predicting something in the 40s and clear. It would have meant electric vest and heated gloves and all but I was going to ride. With 30s and snow, no, that’s not going to happen. I mean, heck, I’ll still go but in my car, and of course it will be interesting to see the few bikes that do show up. Because someone always rides.

I’ll go, too, because it will be a chance to see my ABATE friends. I used to attend the monthly meetings but with legislative issues–my main ABATE interest–pretty much non-existent the last few years, I have quit going to meetings. Just not worth my time. ABATE still holds poker runs and all but I’ve never cared about those. For me it’s always been about protecting motorcyclists’ rights.

Anyway, if you’re super hardy or just want to get out and mix with some other bikers for a few hours, come on out to the Rock Rest on Friday. And if you see me say hi, OK?

Biker Quote for Today

The hybrid bike was upset. “I can’t just be a half motorcycle,” it moped.