Passes & Canyons Blog

I’m still not riding yet, due to my surgery, but that doesn’t mean you can’t. And if you lack people to ride with I definitely recommend the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Riders Club (RMMRC) because this very active group has a lot of fun and interesting rides planned.

The riding season starts early with this group so there are several trips that have already happened. Let’s go through what’s coming up.

The big trip this year is the Northwest Passage Tour, June 2-16, approximately 4,700 miles: We will be riding from Denver north through Wyoming, Montana, and Alberta then to British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah and back into Colorado.

Flaming Gorge Camping Weekend, June 22-24.

Full Mountain Loop, June 30, approximately 285 miles and four mountain passes (Berthod, Gore, Vail, and Loveland).

Taylor Canyon Camping Ride, July 6-8.

Autumn Southwest Ruins Ride, October 6-11: This 6 day fall colors ride will take us through the central and southern Rockies to the SW canyons, south into New Mexico’s Rio Grande Rift valley, around the Valles Caldera, and northwest to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

There are other events planned, too, as well as spur-of-the-moment impromptu rides you can ask to be notified of as they happen. One of these days you’re going to see me on one of these but that’s still a ways in the future. I’m getting to the frustration point where I feel absolutely fine but any strenuous activity at all reminds me big time that I’m still in recovery. Heart surgery will do that to you.

Biker Quote for Today

Leave it all behind and just ride.

This 2016 has actually been a pretty disappointing year for me in terms of riding. I haven’t totaled my motorcycle miles for the year yet but I know when I do the number is going to be a lot lower than last year. And lower than what I had intended. A lot of it has to do with this thing they call a “job.” But that’s going to end at the end of January; I’ll be leaving the National Park Service for the fourth time. And this time if they call me to come back the answer is going to be “No.”

So what riding plans do I have for 2017? Good question.

Of course I’ll be doing a ride with the OFMC. That’s a given. We’ve been doing these summer trips for more than 25 years now.

And I want to take at least a couple trips just on my own. I like riding alone. I like going where and when I want and stopping when I want for as long or as short as I want. I don’t have any definite plans yet but I’m doing some thinking.

The really big question for me is what rides the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Riders Club will have and which ones I’ll go on. At the November meeting the whole meeting was focused on next year’s rides and there were a lot of ideas thrown out for consideration. Being new to the group I’m not sure how this all works with the winnowing down of ideas and the decision-making that determines which ones actually happen. But there were quite a few that sounded pretty darn good to me.

Some of the proposals are pretty local; others are not at all local–we’re talking some serious rides. I’m interested in both, and I’m figuring some of these would be really good for Judy and me to do together. Here’s the list that was sent out.

• Bear Tooth Pass (3 Days)
• Wind River Canyon (TBD Days)
• Gateway Auto Museum (2 Days)
• Capulin Volcano (2 days)
• Guanella Pass (1 day)
• Gore Pass (1 Day)
• Chama, NM / Pagosa Springs / Gunnison (2 days)
• Saratoga, WY / Snowy Range (2 Days)
• Red River, NM (3 Days)
• Vermillion Cliffs, UT (3 Days)
• Pie Ride (1 Day)
• Ice Cream Ride (1 Day)
• Carousel Ride Burlington (1 Day)
• Yellowstone / Jackson (9 Days)
• Fall Colors / Ozarks (8 Days)
• Nova Scotia / New Brunswick / Newfoundland (35 Days)
• Roy’s Mystery Ride (1 Day)
• Texas Hill Country (TBD days)
• Louisiana / Cajun Ride (TBD days)
• Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum (TBD days)
• St. Francis Motorcycle Museum – First Annual Motorcycle Rally (1 day)

Anything there sound good to you? Maybe you ought to consider joining the group. Come on summer!

Biker Quote for Today

Friends will bail you out a jail. Biker friends can’t because they are sitting in the cell next to you.

I did. I joined the club.

Specifically, I joined the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Riders Club (RMMRC). My hope and expectation is that it will help me meet some new people and make some new friends to go riding with. Sure I go out for a week each year with the guys in the OFMC but beyond that we maybe get out for breakfast three times a year. Most of the rest of the time when I ride I’m riding alone.

And riding alone is not bad. In fact, I like it a lot. But I especially would like to meet some folks who want to ride off the pavement. I don’t want to be off on some trail up in the hills and need assistance in a place where no one might come along for a week or two. Yes, I’ve thought about getting a SPOT tracker, and that remains an option, but it would be nice to simply have other people to ride with so you can help each other out if need be.

So on Thursday night last week I went over to Piccolo’s restaurant–conveniently, very close to home–to see what the RMMRC was all about.

Turns out they’re about a lot. It’s a highly organized group. Every year they plan out a number of group rides far enough in advance that they print up a ride book, and we’re not talking just four or five rides. Here’s part of the list for this year:
April 2 — Season Warm-up and Orientation Ride
April 16 — Kick Up Some Prairie Dust!
May 10 – May 24 — Southern West Coast Tour
June 4 — Dual Sport Day Ride
June 6 – June 13 –Grand Canyon Tour
July 12 – July 20 — BMW MOA Rally, Hamburg, NY
August 4 – August 12 — Flaming Glacier Run

OK, you get it. And there’s a lot more. The point is, these are not just day rides. There are some big ones in there. I like that kind of stuff.

In addition, Roy, the safety director, told me that for those (mostly retired) who have the availability, they will often take short-notice week-day rides out for breakfast or lunch somewhere. And then of course, once you make some friends, you can always just call up a couple guys and round up some folks to do your own, non-club-sponsored rides.

Really, that’s probably more what I’m interested in. I believe in riding safely, and riding with the OFMC that is something that’s pretty hit or miss, but neither am I fond of severe regimentation. I believe in riding in staggered formation but the rules of some riding groups is more than I am comfortable with. I want some happy medium. So I’ll go on some club-sponsored rides, and if I don’t find the regimentation to be beyond my tolerance I’ll do more. But I may not do more; that’s where meeting new riding companions and doing your own rides comes in. I’ll just play it by ear.

So stay tuned. I suspect you’re going to be reading a lot more about this group in the months ahead.

More website-related stuff
One of the first things after the RMMRC meeting began was an introduction by first-time attendees. That meant me, plus another couple who were also there for the first time. After giving my name and listing the bikes I own I added that I run this website and that frankly, I was going to be a little disappointed if there was no one there who was familiar with my site.

I wasn’t disappointed. In particular, there was one couple who each told me individually that when they first got into riding, they looked for information on places to go and discovered my site. And they used it a lot. “You’re something of a celebrity for us,” Sarah told me. That is so totally gratifying. That’s the whole reason I built the site, because I wanted to share all this with others.

Which takes me back to that website in the UK that I mentioned previously. With these guys, if I want to sell my bike, they’ll buy it. Except, of course, you have to be in the UK. But I was curious so I tried going to their site. I wanted to at least see what they’re all about.

Well, turns out you can’t get far on the site unless you’re in the UK. I don’t know how the technology works but if you’re not there, all you get past the home page is a notice saying, “Could not Connect to Valuations Service.” Oh well. But if you’re in the UK and have a bike you want to sell . . .

Biker Quote for Today

Old bikers never die, our leathers just get tighter.

If you’re looking for people to ride with in Colorado, then one of the most open and friendly groups you can try is the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Riders Club. It’s an organization designed to welcome any model and age of bike. Really, it’s a club that’s concerned with combining a love of motorcycling with beautiful and adventurous treks around all of Colorado.

Founded in 2004, the Rocky Mountain Riders Club has been continuously active ever since its inception, now boasting more than 90 members. And, its open door policy means that anyone can join for a trek around Colorado, with guests also welcome. It also boasts a large number of female riders, proving that its welcoming atmosphere doesn’t split along gender lines.

Not only this, but the club also accepts any experience level, meaning that you can find some interesting routes and build up your experience with this diverse posse. And, with a lack of snobbery about the kind of bike you own, you can pick up any motorbike for sale and ride with the pack.

The great thing about joining a motorcycle club, generally speaking, is that, while you can still plan your own routes, it’ll be much easier to find new places to journey, and the added company can really enhance the riding experience.

The opportunity to meet other riders who know the lay of the land can be invaluable and it’s almost inevitable that you’ll make some friends as you journey through the mountains and forests of the surrounding area.

There’s an inherent beauty to trekking all around Colorado, with the wondrous mountain ranges at either side of you as you career through vast forest lands, eventually ending up in one of the bustling cities or by the wide open space of its many lakes. It’s always worth a ride through this diverse state.

And, with a pack of 90 members to help you on your way, there’s a much better chance that you’ll be able to appreciate all that you can from this varied and beautiful area. Everyone will have their favorite spot, motel, or diner that they can share with the rest of the group and broaden the knowledge pool of the club.

Where to find a meeting
Meetings generally take place on the first Thursday of every month at the Piccolo Restaurant, 3563 South Monaco Parkway, Denver, which is a great place to eat before a leisurely ride.

Offering Italian and Mexican food stuffs, there’s plenty on offer at Piccolo, with the Italian roasted chicken coming highly recommended. It’s certainly one of the most appetizing meals available, and is rich in the taste of olive oil and herbs. It makes the mouth water just to think about it.

The rides themselves are dotted regularly around the calendar and are perfect for the biker with a day to spare and a predilection toward good company on their ride.

But, for the rider with a little more spare time in their back pocket, some journeys can span multiple days, so if you’re looking to take in all of Colorado’s agricultural and urban beauty, you can set aside a few days for a trip with the club.

Essentially, the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Rider’s Club is an ideal way to learn the finest biking routes of Colorado and, with a single annual membership setting you back a mere $25, it’s not going to set your wallet alight.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Only a biker knows . . .: Motorcycle wit and wisdom, #29

Biker Quote for Today

It’s not who dies with the most toys. It’s who wears out the most toys.