The Great SW Colorado Mountain Pass Adventure of 2010

Day four... Thursday.

Today is the last day of riding for some of the guys. The plan for today is to hit Ophir Pass, then work our way South to Scotch Creek Road or maybe do Bolam Pass again. Everyone gathers outside our hotel in the morning, this time Steve and Bob are there and ready to roll before everyone else, intent on not being left behind this time As is usual, the temperature is in the low 50's while the sun still hides behind the Eastern ridge of mountains. We head South on US 550 again, having to ride almost to Silverton to find the start of Ophir Pass Rd.

The road starts out pretty easy, starting out around 10,000 feet at US 550 and climbing to around 11,800 feet at the pass. There are some rocky switchbacks early on, but then the road just kind of follows the side of the mountains.

Approaching the pass


I am the first to reach the pass and what do I find...? A KLR rider sitting there taking in the view. So I pull up and greet him, then get my own shot of the view.


Looking down from the pass on the West side


There's a pretty steep switchback just ahead


The three red circles are around jeeps, just trying to give a hint about the scale


This pass has been a nice easy ride. However, I can see that if the rocks were not kept clear of the road, things could be quite challenging! I see what looks like bulldozer track marks on the shoulder of the road, making me think it has been recently cleared. Once we clear the rock falls shown in the picture above, the road just runs along the side of the mountain down through the woods into the valley. We reach the "town" of Ophir at the bottom. This place is mostly a collection of homes that are not what we've come to expect after riding through places like Telluride where homes in the $1 million range are considered entry level. Most of the homes here look like they are inhabited by folks that play the lottery but never win it. There is a post office though... but not much else. As we ride out the far side of town, I pull in behind a few other guys on dual sport bikes and follow them to the highway where we stop for a break.

That ghost in the middle is Roger... he moved


By default, I have become the ride leader today. So... taking advantage of that role, I decide we will just revisit the route over Bolam Pass from yesterday. Bill and RG enjoyed it so I figure the rest of the group would probably enjoy it as well. But first... there is this other little road I noticed on the map that looks interesting. So we head South on Hwy 145.

This is Trout Lake with Sheep Mountain in the background


Steve with Black Face Mountain behind him


The whole view


The road wanders back around behind the lake where Lake Fork creek flows into Trout Lake via Groundhog Gulch. Here we find the remnants of an old rail line. No way to ride out on it though...


The road continues on around the lake, crosses Lizzard Head Creek and eventually rejoins Hwy 145 right at Lizzard Head Pass. The ride up Hwy 145 from Cortez over Lizzard Head Pass to Telluride is a great paved ride!


Now we have to do some pavement riding for a bit. I don't mind, but I think some of the other bikes may not run highway speeds real well. Fortunately, we are not going too far. Just down the highway we intersect the Delores River and then cut over to Barlow Creek Rd and start our climb to Bolam Pass. Once again, I settle into first gear for the steady and long climb. About two thirds of the way up, I stop after a series of switchbacks to take a break in the shade and get some pictures of the other riders.

Steve on his XR650R


Bob on his DR650


RG and Bill on their KLR 650's


Chuck on his KLX 250


Chris on his DRZ400


George on his DRZ400(?)


Time for a break


While we are stopped, I happen to be sitting behind Chuck's KLX and I notice that his little spare gas tank is hanging kind of funny on the back of his bike. When I point this out to him, we find out that seven of the eight bolts that hold it on are missing their nuts or are gone entirely!! I can't believe it as still hanging on. In the process of trying to figure out what to do about this, he discovers that the whole rear subframe of the bike is coming apart!! Time for another trail side maintenance session!

Between the lot of us, we have enough spare bolts, bungees, straps and bailing wire that the bike is good to go in short order!


We resume our climb and soon reach the top. Is that not one of the prettiest things you've ever seen...!? The lake that is...


The wildlife in its natural habitat...


After a quick break, we start down the mountain. I saw a road yesterday that looked like it might be more entertaining than the one we rode yesterday. It starts right next to the cabin that RG stopped to take a picture of yesterday. I turn to head in the direction the map indicates and almost immediate find one of those posts that has all the fun stuff like ATV's, motorcycles, and Jeeps in little red circles with lines through them Right at that moment, I look up and there is a bow hunter coming down the trail toward us, all decked out in his camo, even on his face, and not looking real happy to see a mess of bikes. We get turned around and head back to the regular road, disappointed that what could have been a great adventure is not to be. So down we go, just like yesterday. I probably should stop and take some pics since I managed not to get any of this section yesterday, but I just get so into the riding that I forget We soon reach the bottom (9000 feet) of the valley and have to cross Hermosa Creek. I hit the water running and just lay on the gas all the way across. Once across I quickly park and try to motion for the others to wait for me to get out my camera, but the first part of the group just follows me right into the water, so I only catch the last part of the group crossing.

I think this is Chad "Oilfieldtrash" on his Yamaha WR-250(?)


Chuck cleans his boots by holding them in the wheel wake His dismount on the far side is equally impressive


RG risking the thumbs up despite all the big rocks hiding under the water...


Uhhh Chris... I think you are target fixating there bud!?


George comes last, making it look nice and easy


A look at the whole creek. Not much water in it this year


After crossing the creek, the road gets smooth and wide again. I have a close encounter with the front of a fast moving van who is taking a corner on the wrong side of the road, but after that, nothing but fun all the way to the end of the road!

The view on some of the switchbacks right before we reach US 550




And we stop at the little water fall again before we reach Silverton


And then we hit some construction and have to wait a while... all the while that little tiny road snaking all the way up into the mountains in the distance keeps calling out to me... See it? Right there above the tree line? Looks like fun but it is not on my map...


Eventually traffic starts moving again. With nowhere to pass, it means sucking burning brake fumes all the way into Silverton. As we roll into town, I spot the DSNG train parked over at the station and decide to see if I can get close enough to get some pictures. This means hopping a few curbs and what not, but what the heck. When I get up close, the engineer motions for me to come on over and take pics.

This engine is still coal fired. Most that are still running have been converted to oil.














Trains are just cool. It is hard to overstate the impact they had on the development of our nation and other nations of the world during the 1800's and 1900's. This thing may be low tech by today's standards, but they were costly high tech pieces of machinery in their day. Some of the later engines are still far more powerful than the modern locomotives, but they are also FAR more costly to maintain and operate. If power is needed, modern locomotives are easily daisy chained together while still maintaining the cost advantage. They just don't look as cool or evoke the same feelings though

Time to figure out what we are gonna do for lunch. Most of the group has already headed further into town to find a suitable location. I get sidetracked by a half track...









Then it is over to the Black Bear Cafe for a great and VERY reasonably priced meal!


We lose a few riders during lunch, Roger, Scott, Duane and Chad. They are going to head back over Ophir and then run up to Imogene and head back over to Ouray. Sounds like fun but I am not really up for that much more technical riding today. So I grab lunch with the rest of the guys and then we decide to work our way back North on US 550 and maybe hit the Red Mountain Mining district road again like yesterday.

The start of the Red Mountain road. That is one of the several peaks in the area that are named Red Mountain. I believe that one is 3 of 3.




This time we stop at some of the mines and check them out.




Inside the mine shack, you can see the top of the elevator (in front of Chuck) and the operating lever (behind Chuck's leg). There is steel grating to keep us from falling into the shaft.


I don't see any indication of what was used to power the elevator, but I would guess it was powered by a steam engine.






The same mine from the outside




Downstream from the mines, Red Mountain Creek. I don't think Bear whiz has anything to do with the color of the water and ground




We reach US 550 and head toward Ouray. Just before town though there is another traffic delay. I am only about four vehicles back, so I cut up to the front and visit with the guy holding the stop sign. He's quite a character. He's very interested in the bike, where we've been riding, etc,... When I ask what is going on with the traffic, he points to a large crane poised on the edge of the cliff over by a sharp turn. It seems they have been prepping for a blast all week and today was the day they popped it off. Well, apparently they had a wee bit more boom stuff than they thought. Rather than just fracturing the rock and everything staying under the big heavy blasting mats draped over the rocks, the mats went flying, huge rocks were hurled off the cliff, and the big crane was heavily pummeled by flying rocks and left partially covered in rocks. This guy was REALLY excited about it when he was describing everything to me!! They are close to done and we only have to wait a short while before we can get through. He wasn't kidding about the size of some of the rocks that were piled up all around and on the crane!! Someone's fanny is gonna be in the hot seat over this! I cruise on through and then make the final run on into Ouray.

We've decided to head up to Montrose this evening for a large group dinner since this will be the last night everyone will be here. I have in mind a steak house that we ate at when we were last out here. It was very good and had a large upstairs banquet room that we used. This let us tell stories and be a little louder without bothering other diners. Unfortunately, when we get to the restaurant, we find out it is now a church. No problem, I noticed that the Big Red Barn is still here and open. So we head over there and have a fantastic meal, great visiting and story telling, and watching some of Chuck's video's on his laptop. Suitably stuffed and slow moving, we head back to Ouray and call it a day. I sleep like a rock.

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Man, you're doing a great job on the report here. I've been to all those spots, and your descriptions are spot-on. And your story telling of all the miscreants involved is excellent.

humanrace said:

http://s975.photobucket.com/albums/...=edit&current=P9140288_0158.jpg&startOption=3

Click to expand...

This just takes me to the main Photobucket homepage

Sorry, I don't know how to post pictures and that was one of my failures. I'm still trying.

"Downstream from the mines, Red Mountain Creek. I don't think Bear whiz has anything to do with the color of the water and ground"

No fish, no bushes and no moss=no drink.

One of Colorado's biggest problems is water pollution coming from the old mines. Mostly cadmium, zinc, manganeze and lead.

Alrighty then... getting back to the story...

Thursday morning rolls around and most of the group has hit the road for home. Steve has decided that he will not be riding today, but will instead hang out and explore the town. The plan today is to run over Owl Creek Pass up to US 50, maybe head over to Black Canyon of the Gunnison, then run down the Lake City cutoff to Lake City, grab lunch, and run back over Engineer Pass to Ouray. So Bob, Roger, and I set out.

We head North toward Ridgeway, taking the little dirt road on the West side of the river. We come up on some road closed ahead signs, which I go around, and find some guys standing around a highway department truck. I pull over and ask them if it is possible that we can get by or will we need to backtrack. They tell me we got here just in time because they haven't started yet. They are about to dig a trench right across the road. So they let us go on through. Nice. We soon reach the outskirts of Ridgeway and rejoin US 550.

The formal start of the Owl Creek Pass road, according to the signage, is up on the North side of town by the Ridgeway Reservoir. However, looking at the GPS, it looks like we can scoot around the Southeast side of town on some other county roads and intersect the pass road. So we turn East on CR 12, pick up CR 10, and then eventually hit CR 8 and start the run over to the base of the mountains. We don't really do much climbing until we reach the point where Owl Creek runs down out of the mountains. Then the road gets twisty and steeper, rising from 7300 feet up to just over 10000 feet by the time we get to the pass. The ride up is nice. The road is relatively smooth, hard packed, but covered in small gravel. So it is a bit like riding on marbles and I really have to pay attention to the corner traction! Soon we are climbing up through the Aspen trees.

Many of the roads are free range... so we have to keep the eyes peeled for these beasties!


Here you can see the road surface real well


I LOVE the sound and sight of the wind blowing through Aspen trees




Bob taking a break while I take tons of pics




Roger decides it is time to shed a few layers


Chimney Rock in the background, it can be seen for MANY miles




This is a pass you could drive most any car over without any problems at all.




And here's the top




Roger gets creative with setting up his shots




Another shot of Chimney Rock from a closer vantage point, but where does that road go...


While stopped, I notice that it is still real early in the morning and we have time to burn, so I decide we need to do some exploring... Looking at the map, there is a little road that wanders off to the South and eventually deadends. However, it looks like it would be fun. So we decide to head down and back to see what we find. The road starts out very smooth and nice. It follows the West Fork Cimaron River back up to its head waters. We come upon a BIG hunting camp, empty except for the Cookie. He looks like he has an incredible setup for feeding a lot of people at one time. We wave and motor on by at a nice slow pace so as not to kick up too much dust. Just beyond the camp though... things start to get interesting as the condition of the road begins to deteriorate!

Roger having a good time!


Now we're talking!!


The road gets pretty rough and technical. Time to start thinking about picking the good lines. We keep going further and further, crossing the river which is more like a creek at this point, and eventually we reach the end of the road. It was worth the effort! We end up in a big clearing, like the bottom of a bowl, surrounded by towering mountains. Little streams of water flow from many places and eventually start to coalesce into the creek that becomes the river. We shut down the bikes and just hang out for a while, eating snacks, drinking water, and just soaking it all in...

If you were to print this, and then fold it around your head to form the entire view of your eyes from one side to the other, then it would look right. I spun about 180 degrees while shooting the images that make up this panorama. The straight line of trees and mountains actually curves around us.


Bob is just soaking it all in...


After about a 15 minute break, it is time to get back on the bikes again. I take one last look around and then head back down the road. This would be an awesome place to camp with the family. Someday I hope to get them up here.

Roger heads back across the river


And as usual makes it look effortless...


Bob follows




I head across and get back in the lead. Dead end roads are great because it is like riding two roads, each direction being a different experience. This is especially true where there are changes in elevation, climbs, descents, etc,... I really should take the time to explore more of them. We soon pass back by the hunting camp and get back on the smooth graded road. I spot a large deer up in the woods on the side of the road but it runs off into the woods instead of right into me... thankfully. I'm a little deer shy after my experience with hitting one back in October of last year.

The view just past the hunting camp as we head back to the main road


It does not take long to get back to the main road where we continue down the East side of the pass. It also does not take long before I reach a spot that brings back some tender and painful memories... Five years ago, on our fifth straight day of 250+ miles per day of dualsport riding, we were coming up this side of the pass. I was on my R1150 GS. Early on it was apparent that I was not on my game that day. I slowed down. I let some air out of my tires thinking it would help ease the feeling of sliding all over the place on the loose rocks. I dropped to the back of the group instead of leading. And then it happened. As I exited a slow corner and got back on the gas, the rear of the bike decided to take the lead. Before I could even think about reacting, I was airborne. I had about enough time to realize what was happening, to marvel at the surreal nature of the experience and just how far away the ground looked while my feet were pointing at the sky, and then came the pain... I never lost consciousness, but I was definitely in la la land for a while, laying in the road and thinking all kinds of crazy thoughts. After a few minutes it occurred to me that I probably ought to get out of the road and turn off the bike engine, which was still running even though the bike had flipped! Soon my buddies came back, checked me over, righted the bike, patched a hole in the valve cover, and we were good to go. I called it a day and headed for the hotel. I ended up with a partially separated shoulder and a hip bruise that would cause discomfort for over a year when I would lay on my left side... The emotions and memories flood back like it was yesterday. I pause for a moment to look at the tree where I had laid while waiting for everyone to come back for me. Then we kept going. I was thinking that it was good to be on the KLR for this trip, but I still need to pay attention in the corners!

The run down off the pass to US 50 seems to take forever! I won't say that it gets boring, but it does take a while. The loose rocky surface is pretty much the same for the whole time. It follows the Cimaron River down out of the mountains, twisting and undulating over the landscape. I settle into a nice rhythm and just play around with the traction in the corners, sliding the back end and accelerating out. By the time we finally reach US 50, I've had quite enough of the loose stuff and am thinking it would be nice to get back to some technical rough stuff for a while. Unfortunately, I don't think we will see too much of that for the rest of the day.

We stop for a break when we reach the highway.


After an ice cream and a drink, we get back on the bikes and head East on US 50. We are not on the highway long, but the section we are on is really fun! We start out with a climb of about 1300 feet that runs up the side of Fitzpatrick Mesa. There are BIG fast sweepers, fortunately with passing lanes Then as we reach the top of the climb, the road goes into Blue Creek Canyon, a deep narrow winding canyon. I am lucky and don't have much traffic in front of me so I can enjoy the run through the canyon. When I reach the top and the road straightens out, I slow down and wait for the others to catch up. Then we start looking for the Lake City cut off.

[Ohh... Look! My lunch just arrived!! Back soon!]

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On to Lake City...

US 50 runs down hill for a long way toward the point where the dam for the Blue Mesa Reservoir is located. Just before the dam, there is a dirt road on the right, CR 25, also known as the Lake City cutoff. Normally, you'd have to drive further East on US 50 to Hwy 149, then turn South and run to Lake City. The cutoff lets you go almost direct straight to a point on Hwy 149 called Gateview. The cut off is 16 miles versus nearly 45 miles going by regular highway. Now don't get me wrong, the long way is actually a VERY nice ride, if you are on a good street bike. We're not here to ride the pavement

Almost immediately the road starts to climb up onto the Pine Creek Mesa




The terrain here is quite different than what we've been seeing earlier in the week, and even earlier in the day. It looks more like rolling hills and grasslands. There are a lot of pine trees as well. It is not what one would normally think of as mountainous. It is quite pretty though. The road continues once up on top of the mesa. It is wide with great sight lines through the corners and low grass to the sides. Time for some fun We get spaced pretty far apart as the trailing riders fall back to stay out of the dust of the rider in front. We settle into a nice pace and run for a while.

As I round the corner at the end of a slight climb, I spot two bikes parked on the side of the road. Like a moth to a flame, I have to pull over to talk with them. It is two older guys, maybe in their late 60's, and they are enjoying a nice cup of coffee while they take in their surroundings. One is riding a Vstrom 650 and the other a nice looking Honda TransAlp. Both have several others bikes in the garage at home as well. After a nice chat, we take off again, soon reaching the point where we come down off the mesa into the Lake Fork Gunnison River Valley.

More marbles in the corners...








And eventually we cross the river...


When we reach Hwy 149... I get this strange urge to explore again. I look at the miles on the odometer and wonder if we really have enough gas to make it to Lake City if we don't take the direct route... The KLR is a tanker, so I am good. Bob's DR can go some ridiculous distance on one tank so he's good. Roger has been getting something like 70 mpg on his KTM, so even with his smaller tank, I figure he's good. So I decide to head back up the highway to the North a short bit and look for a "town" called Powderhorn, where we will cut South on CR 27 and run back up into the Cebolla Creek valley.

Powderhorn is a few houses and not much else. We reach CR 27 and turn South, the road closely following the creek along the base of the hills, starting out around 8000 feet and ending at around 9000 feet at the "town" of Cathedral. In these little valleys, there is a LOT of hay growing going on. Apparently, it is hay cutting season and every where we have been, we've seen massive pastures of hay being cut and baled. Sometimes it looks like large commercial enterprises and other times it looks like just a small family operation.

One of the many hay pastures




We are able to run a pretty decent pace on this road. The curves are gentle sweepers and the surface is smooth. We soon reach the town of Cathedral and turn West on CR 50. Once again, the scenery changes and we continue to gain altitude.



I believe that is Fish Canyon Ridge in the background


Here's something always nice to see


The color of the dirt starts to take on a reddish brown tint. The dust in the air is from road construction/maintenance


It seems no matter where you go in Colorado, there is ALWAYS road construction! The dirt roads are no exception. Parts of this road run along narrow ledges with steep drops to the side. I pass several dump trucks that are hauling in dirt. I also pass a grader that is waiting for the next load of dirt to spread. It is pulled over so it is easy to get around. The truck drivers on the other hand do not give an inch and make me squeeze by them There are quite a few camping areas out here. However, as I pop out of the woods into a long straight stretch of road, I spot a KLR sitting in a field about a hundred yards off the road. It is next to a small trailer. So I cut through the field and head over to say hello. However, there is no one home. So I head back to the road to join Roger and Bob and we keep going. The road continues to climb and eventually we drop back out on Hwy 149 right at Slumgullion Pass, just over 11000 feet.

If you have never made the run from Creede to Lake City on Hwy 149 on a bike, it should be on your bucket list. It is a fantastic ride, even on a KLR! I've done this run probably six or seven times on various bikes in the last 10 years. Every single time it has been a blast. This time is no exception. We are on the Northern side of the pass, dropping down into the valley. I settle in and focus on being smooth and finding my rhythm. The KLR is no sport bike, but if you ride it well, it can still get on down the mountain in a respectable manner, even on knobbies! It does not take long and I am rolling into Lake City. I gas up and park across the street at Poker Alice's to wait on the other guys to catch up with me... and wait... wait... hmmm... FINALLY, I see their headlights. It seems that they decided to kick back and enjoy the scenery rather than the challenge of the curves. They gas up and join me at Poker Alice's for lunch.

This has always been a real popular stop when I have led group rides through here in years past.


We eat a quick light meal. I never eat heavy while riding, especially when I know there is rough riding ahead. We are heading for Engineer Pass and there will definitely be some shaking and jarring of the bike! With tanks and tummies topped off, we head out of town. It is getting late in the afternoon and there is virtually no traffic heading up the mountain to the pass. However, there is a good bit coming down off the mountain, so I have to really watch the blind corners for jeeps and ATV's. We don't make any stops along the way and thus make pretty good time. Almost to the summit and I spot sheep across the valley. There are so many of them and they are so loud that I can hear them even with earplugs in, my helmet on, and the engine idling!

Little dots all flowing up the hill in unison




They don't show up well in this shot, but the whole mountainside is covered with them all the way to the top.


We stop at the top of the pass for a few moments and then start down the far side. Things are going pretty good but then we hit some traffic at several of the switchbacks.

We pull over to let the traffic clear


Eventually we will be exiting stage right way down there...


Still more traffic...


Finally clear...?


Thinking all the traffic has cleared the switchbacks, we head down. When going down the switchbacks, it is usually best to run them wide around the outside if possible. This is because the outside tracks are usually not as rough or steep and it is easier to control your speed. As I am rounding the outside of this switchback and starting down, a Polaris Razor comes around the corner of the next lower switchback, which is pretty close to this one. He's on the correct side of the road, but I am near the middle and slightly on his side. Rather than stopping to wait for me, he darts to the other side of the road, which is exactly what I am trying to do when I realize he is not stopping. When I see him head for my side of the road, I just try to stop... Bad idea...

Right as I try to stop, I slip off a ledge in the middle of the road. When the rear wheel lands, it just starts sliding and the back end starts coming around almost immediately. I am now sliding down the road sideways with the bike leaned back into the hill side hoping to avoid going over the top. My handle bars are at full lock turned into the slide, but it is not coming back to me. I see the Razor zoom past me on the right and then the bike just falls to the ground, right on top of my leg... the same one that had its ankle broken when I hit that deer back in October However, this time I am wearing my dirt boots and not the street boots, and it pays off. The boots do their job and I am fine. There are a few moments right after hitting the ground where I sit wondering if all is well. Roger has parked his bike and comes over to help me get the bike up and roll it down to semi level ground so we can check it over for damage.

The arrow points at the small ledge, the rest of that is where I slid and eventually fell.


I am fine. The forks on the KLR are twisted. That is not unusual in a fall like this and we easily get them straightened. The left hand guard is bent pretty good, but it did its job. However, it is bent up so far that it will hinder my ability to stand and work the clutch. Roger pulls a He-Man on it and amazingly bends it back almost perfect. We check everything else and all looks good. So... nothing to do but get back on that pony and ride!

Down we continue to go...


We reach the bottom where we turn back to the right to head North. Something doesn't feel right. I feel fine. The bike looks fine. But something just feels off... Have I lost my mojo? I continue on and focus on relaxing and being smooth. It has been a long day of riding and I can feel the fatigue coming on, which only makes it harder to concentrate. Soon we reach the start of the "fun" part of Engineer Pass, that last section that drops down several thousand feet to US 550.

Good grief... does it get any nicer than this!?


Stopped at the start of the rough descent






Roger takes the lead


Followed by Bob








It's a long bumpy drop if you blow a corner...




You can see that the shadows are coming on as the sun drops down behind the Western mountains. This makes picking lines even more challenging once we get down in the trees. I am really tense. I can't seem to relax and it is really affecting my ability to get through here smoothly. I had no problems with it at all back on Sunday when we came through here at the end of the day. Of course, that was a much shorter day of riding and it was the first day of riding. I find myself struggling with some of the rougher sections, having to slow down so much it makes it hard to keep my balance. At this point, I am just thinking, "Just get down off this mountain to the nice smooth pavement below!!" Eventually, we do just that, arriving at US 550.

Upon reaching the pavement and setting off for Ouray, I am amazed at how smooth the road is. Of course, it is exactly as smooth as it has been all week. Nonetheless, it feels VERY different in this moment, almost like I can feel the smoothness flowing through my body, taking the tension out of the nerves and muscles. It's kind of like when you first get in a really hot shower and can feel the warmth coursing through your body. I set to tackling the curves in front of me and can feel my focus coming back to me. Then, something occurs to me...

After whacking that deer last year, I noticed that the front wheel and and handle bar seemed out of alignment. Of course, I noticed it right before a trip to Cloudcroft, New Mexico. It was not severe, just enough to be visibly noticed when sitting on the bike and seeing that the bar is not parallel to the bottom of the dash like it should be. I took the whole front end of the bike apart, checked the forks for any signs of being bent, checked the front wheel, axle, triple clamps, and for the life of me I could not find a problem. Yet whenever I would bolt everything back together, there seemed to be a twist that resisted straightening. A local friend, Donnie "99VFR" came over and helped me and eventually we just twisted it straight and then clamped everything down tight. I rode it and it stayed straight. So I made the Cloudcroft trip. Over the course of each day of riding, it would slowly twist out of alignment. The first few days, I would restraighten it. Then I just quit and rode with it out of alignment. I continued to do his and even on this trip, I had not straightened it. I had simply gotten used to it being slightly tweaked.

When I fell earlier and we straightened everything, we got it perfectly straight. You might not think this matters, but the brain is very sensitive to where the hands are when doing all its calculations about what is going on while riding. I was now realizing that what was bugging me is that my hands were not where they had been all week while doing all this technical riding. This was throwing off my feel for what was happening with the front of the bike. Crazy...

Well, anyway.... I roll on into Ouray and park the bike at the hotel. Nearly 180 miles on the day. It has been a FULL day of riding! We decide to have Mexican again. Afterward, Roger and I end up on the roof of a local microbrewery to enjoy a cold beer and the beautiful evening. The local brew was excellent. I was NOT prepared for the $8 per 10 oz. glass price tag though!! Thank goodness we only had one each. We head back to the hotel and call it a day.

Tomorrow, I take the 1200GS for a spin and take a break from the dirt...

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Finally... the last day of riding, Friday.

Friday morning rolls around, cool as usual. Today I plan to take the R1200GS and do a nice road ride. Bob, Steve and Roger are going to do the dirt again.

The guys getting ready to head out


Gotta love the temps here compared to East Texas at this time of year!


My plan for today is to head up to Ridgeway, then over to Naturita and make the run up Hwy 145 and 141 through Gateway back to US 50, coming out just South of Grand Junction. Maybe hit the Colorado National Monument, the Grand Mesa, and depending on time, maybe even run over Hwy 92 to the Blue Mesa Reservoir. Getting on the GS feels kind of funny after a week of buzzing around on the KLR. A lot of KLR guys like to think they are smart because they bought a KLR for 1/4 to 1/5th the price of a GS and it does the same things as a GS. I can only surmise that they have never owned or ridden a GS Having both bikes and having put many miles on them, I can promise you that they are NOT even remotely in the same realm of capabilities. This is especially true on pavement. I use my GS strictly as a street bike now and save the KLR for dirty doody. The power, handling, and comfort of the GS are simply in another world compared to the KLR. This is all driven home to me as I head out of town.

I reach Ridgeway and turn North on Hwy 62. The San Mountains run in a generally East/West direction to the South of 62. In all my past trips here, this long line of jagged mountain peaks was hidden under a thick blanket of snow. Not this year. In fact, I don't see ANY snow at all. Of course, it is later in the year now than it was on my other trips which were usually in mid June and early July. Another thing that is interesting is the number of clumps of dead/dying Aspen trees I see. It reminds me of patches of the East Texas Piney woods that have been hard hit by Pine Beetle infestations. I don't know if there is something similar attacking the Aspens or if it might be something else. These things run through my head as I flow through the wonderfully smooth and fast sweepers until I reach Hwy 145.

At Hwy 145 I turn North. This is a great stretch of road. It runs up through the Sam Miguel River Canyon. The walls of the canyon are steep and rocky, the bottom full of trees hugging the banks of the river, and the road twisting and rolling between the trees and rocks. Several times I think about stopping to take pictures but I don't want to break my groove. So you will just have to use your imagination The fun does not last too long though because a mere 12 miles up the road, I cross the river and the road climbs up out of the canyon onto a plateau. I stop in Norwood for gas and notice a lot of Forest Service vehicles everywhere. I don't give it much thought and head out toward Naturita. However, as I get outside of town, I spot the reason...

Looks pretty big. It is hard to tell how far away it might be though.


Just before reaching Naturita, Hwy 145 ends at Hwy 141, which then drops back down into the San Miguel River canyon again. This is where the real scenery starts!

Looks a lot like the Texas Hill Country at first...


But that does not last long!!




You can't even see the river canyon here, but it is deep!


Note the black SUV to give an idea of scale.


The San Miguel River down below


Looking South


Looking North


Looking down and South


Walking right out to the very edge of a ledge like the one shown above always makes me nervous. It's a LONG way down and you just never know how stable the edge is. Will it hold me? Will my weight be just what it takes to make a rock crack or dislodge, sending me tumbling down? I'm not really worried about dying. I worry more about surviving. I figure with all the gear I am wearing, I'd probably survive, albeit with many broken bones and potentially some nasty internal injuries. But then who knows how long I would lay there before being found... dead or alive...? Yeah... I pick my steps real careful as I nudge closer to the edge...

Looking down and to the North... what is that!?


The red circle above is a big truck that just passed me. Just above the red line is the Hanging Flume. It was used to divert water for use in hydraulic mining further down the river canyon. It did not last long. The thought of what went into building it is mind boggling!!

Here you can see the remains of the flume along the smooth rock face, and the truck off in the distance.


A zoomed out view of the whole area


Truck with trailer for scale again


The smooth rock face is sand stone. Above that layer in the loose rock there is Uranium. There are a LOT of uranium mines in this area, most started during the effort to build the first atomic bomb during WWII. The gold is down under the sand stone layer, along the river.

Where scales are so large, distances and relative sizes are hard to gauge. In the shot below, the river doesn't look to far down if you look at the left side where I am standing. However, where I am is even with the top of the rock ledge running just under those hills on the other side.



These are seriously big hunks of rock...






The highway eventually reaches a point where the Dolores and San Miguel Rivers come together. There is a path out to a point where you can stand and look down over this point, which I have done in the past, but I keep moving today. However, if you ever find yourself out here, it is worth the short walk. The road continues to the Northwest, following what is now the Dolores River and it snakes back and forth much more as the road drops down to the level of the river. I also notice that the tops of the canyon have a familiar greenish/blue hue to them, that of weathered copper...



The area under the big trees in the distance looks like it might have been some kind of base camp/dwelling area at one time, but there is not much here now. The river is on the right.


There are a lot of corners like this, where the road just runs right against the base of the rock face which sometimes almost hangs out over the road.


While stopped to take some pictures, I see a truck stopped on the opposite side of the road and an elderly gentleman rummaging about in the weeds. I'm in no hurry so I walk over and introduce myself. At first, he seems to eye me with a hefty does of suspicion. As we get to talking, he relaxes. He is actually out here panning for gold. Rather than doing it in the water, he is simply using ever smaller screen meshes to filter out small stuff from the larger rocks. He screens down to about 1/8" and actually finds gold this way. I ask how much he thinks he's found, but he tells me he's never really bothered to weigh it all... uh huh This is his hobby. Once he realizes I am interested in what he's doing and not in robbing him, he opens up and really gets enthusiastic about telling me the history of the area, explaining all about the claims, the prospecting club he belongs to, etc,... And claim jumpers are STILL a serious issue. He points out an area where someone recently came out to work his claim. The BLM owns the property but they also handout the claims. This whole area is still covered with them and most are still active. I have no idea what the penalties might be for trespassing on a claim though.

I forgot his name... Very nice guy though once he realizes you mean him no harm


The big piles of rocks behind him were originally started back in the late 1800's. Miners between now and then have simply continued to add to them as they sift the soil looking for nuggets of gold. His process is to pick a spot, dig a hole, toss away the large rocks onto the piles behind him, then shovel the smaller stuff on to his filter screens. He shakes them back and forth until all the small stuff falls through and then discards the larger bits. He repeats this several times using ever smaller screens. So the nuggets he finds are usually 1/8" or larger in size! Give the recent spikes in the price of gold, I wonder what might be involved in getting a claim and just how much it might pay out... It seems a MUCH better means of providing for retirement than relying on stock investments to pay off

The river runs along the bottom of the lower rock face. There is the lower sand stone layer, the rocky stuff, then another higher layer of sand stone, and an upper layer of the loose rocky stuff (where they find the uranium). The old guy also confirms the presence of copper in the hills above as well.


A close up of the upper layer


I thank the guy for taking the time to visit with me and educate me about the area, then get back on the bike and keep going.





The canyon opens up after a short while and the views become more expansive








The road continues following the Dolores River until it reaches Unaweep Canyon, where it turns to the Northeast and runs along the West Creek Canyon. When I first rode out here, there was NOTHING between Naturita and US 50. The maps showed a place called Gateway, but there wasn't much there. That has TOTALLY changed!! It seems someone with a LOT of money came in and built a pretty fancy resort area! Just looking at it, I imagine it is priced a bit out of my range, but it looks busy. I head out of town and keep going, climbing to the Unaweep Divide which reaches about 7000 feet. Then the highway starts its drop down toward Grand Juntion, following East Creek down out of the mountains.

The dark trees at the base of the mountains in the distance is Grand Junction


The road just meanders down through some small canyons as it gently winds its way down to the main highway






I finally reach US 50 and turn North. I took a long time coming up 141 because of all the stopping. So I think I'll forgo the run through the Colorado National Monument and just head for the Grand Mesa. But first, I have to get gas and something to eat. I opt for the gas station "lunch" since I am on my own and don't normally eat big lunches while riding. Some Gatorade and a Snickers and I am good to go... I head for I-70 to make the run out to the start of Hwy 65. Yeah, freeway riding sucks in general, but I-70 has some pretty cool stretches on it. Besides, I only have to go about six miles or so.

I still recall very well the first time I rode Hwy 65. I was on my 2001 VFR 800 and in those days I still rode pretty fast. I've slowed down since then. The first nine miles of the road follows Plateau Creek and is mostly flat with BIG FAST sweepers!! Some of the corners just seem to go and go and go... Visibility through the corners is great so there is plenty of opportunity to pass. I don't blast through here today like I might have done before, but I still run a fun pace Of course, the experience on a big GS is quite different than on a high revving VFR. It also helps that today it is not 107 F like it was the last time I was out here!!! It's only in the low 90's today. Soon though I reach Mesa creek and the road turns South, heading toward the base of the Mesa.

I can see the base of the Mesa getting closer and there is some traffic ahead of me, trucks pulling RV's. No way am I going to make the climb up the Mesa stuck behind diesel trucks chugging under the strain of pulling their RV's! When the opportunity arises, I get around them and it is clear sailing. I hit the bottom of the Mesa and start the climb. The road is not as in good condition as years past, but it is still fun. The curves are smooth and fast. I climb pretty quickly, through the Aspen trees, rising from 6500 feet to nearly 11000 feet. The temperature begins dropping rapidly, a most welcome relief.

Nice and smooth... Still have to watch for falling rocks though!


I reach the top of the Mesa and make the run across to the South side. Looking at the GPS, there are TONS of little roads around here begging to be explored. Perhaps the next trip up here needs to be based further North than Ouray and not focus so heavily on high altitude mountain passes The area all around Hwy 141 is the same way, just riddled with little dirt roads in and above the river canyons. I'll have to do some serious map daydreaming when I get home after this trip. For now, time to focus on the descent!

Island Lake - One of MANY lakes in this area!!


Still above the Aspen trees


The road makes a sharp bend around the East end of Island Lake and then it is game on all the way down to the bottom of the Mesa When we first did this ride, the entire road had just been repaved, maybe a week before. The black top was still a deep clean black and PERFECTLY smooth with FANTASTIC grip!! We had so much fun, we eventually wound up doing the whole run back and forth three different times in the week we were up here No time for that today though, I have to press on if I want to make the run over to Blue Mesa Reservoir. So I finish the run down to Hwy 92. The scenery changes from lush forests to dry dusty desert in the space of a few miles. I turn East and head for Hotchkiss where 92 turns South and heads for the mountains! If you ever find yourself here, the run up over Hwy 133 and Mc Clure Pass to Carbondale is a wonderful ride!

I head South and stop just after Crawford to get gas and an ice cream. Yes... I love to get ice creams when I am riding. I know... they are bad for me. But let's face it, most people think motorcycles are bad for me too Time to head for the hills! The approach is long and mostly straight. I pass a sign indicating the direction to the North side of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, a VERY cool place to visit by the way. Then soon I am climbing again, from around 7400 feet up to around 9000 feet. This area is known as the Curecanti National Recreation Area. The road clears Big Hill and Flat Iron peaks, then turns East and just follows the contours of the mountains above the Gunnison River and the Morrow Point Reservoir.

It is a popular road with riders. In years past I have seen hundreds of bikes up here in a single day!


That red line is where the road is


The reservoir is down and to the right behind those trees


Beautiful blue skies, cool temperatures, clean twisty pavement, nothing but trees... I'm Lovin' It! McDonald's has nothing on this!


More Aspen...


Are those thunderheads brewing in the distance...




Dang... I hope they are not coming my way...


Miles and miles of this...


Gotta be careful in corners like this though, it is an open range area and there ARE cattle in the area!!




Too soon, I reach US 50 at the Blue Mesa Reservoir. No rain, thankfully. I turn and head West, running back through the canyon that we did yesterday on our way to the Lake City cutoff. Once I clear the canyon and start the crazy sweepers down off the mountain, the fun begins. It is getting late in the afternoon and my backside is letting me know that it is no longer used to doing so many miles in one day. Off in the distance everything looks real hazy... As I get closer and closer to Montrose, it dawns on me that what I am seeing is the smoke from the fires I saw this morning. It is covering the entire horizon and obscuring many of the peaks to the South toward Ouray. I can even smell it now. By the time I get through Montrose and start heading South on US 550, my backside can't take it anymore. Fortunately, the GS is very comfy to ride in the standing position and I finish the last 35 miles or so riding this way. I get some strange looks, especially while passing people. I soon reach the hotel and find the other guys have returned from their riding. I've clocked just under 400 miles for the day, and it was a GREAT day!!

After I get out of the gear, we head into town for dinner. This time we opt for Maggie's Cafe. The owner/cook is quite a character. IF you are offended by colorful language, give this place a pass This guy does not beat around the bush and will let everyone know exactly how he feels about whatever the topic may be. Nonetheless, he makes a killer Bacon Cheeseburger!! Best of all, it does not cost an arm and a leg. Why couldn't we have found this place before our last night here When I mention this to the guy, he informs me that the economy has been sucking so bad this year that they can only afford to be open for breakfast and lunch during the week, and only do dinner on weekends. Oh well...

Stuffed, we head back to the hotel and call it a day. Tomorrow we load up and head back to reality...

[Click here for next section of the report.]

Final shots and thoughts coming soon...

Great stuff. I was in the Gateway area last month beating it up on a KLX300S. That drive from Naturita to Gateway may be one of the best pavement stretches anywhere. That area is one heck of a unique transition. On a good bit of the east side of the highway, it stretches up to the heavily forested Uncompahgre plateau. On the west side you have more Moab'ish terrain until you get to the La Sals. I'm going back to this area to do even more off road, as it's chock full of surprises. Excellent pics there.

Okay... Last thoughts...

The end of a trip is always met with mixed feelings. As much as I enjoy the trips, getting home is always nice. Still, it is hard not to feel a let down because the fun is over and I have to get back to the daily grind.

Loading up Saturday morning for the 20+ hour drive home




Steve and Bob's cabin on the river, not bad for $50/night.


The front porch and fire pit (which was nice last night...)


The footpath follows the river through most of town, the sounds of the river made for good sleeping according to Steve and Bob


Some other Texas riders getting ready to head out for some fun as we get ready to leave


A whole lotta Orange Kool-aid drinking going on here...


We get the bikes loaded and hit the road by about 9:00am. No point in getting up too early as it would just put us back in Huntsville before daylight and make the unloading process more of a hassle. With a final glance around, we head South on US 550 and start the climb up into the mountains. We stop in Durango to top of the truck with diesel. There are bikes EVERYWHERE in town, huge parades of them going by one after the other! For all the people that like to make comments about Harley riders being posers, they need to get out and realize that Harley riders are by far the most commonly seen bikes when touring. We pass by the local Harley dealer on the way out of town and it looks like a huge bike rally is in process because of the number of customer bikes parked outside! Soon, we are leaving town and heading for the New Mexico border.

Somewhere along US 550 South of Durango




And then the scenery just goes BLAH for most of the way home... We reach Huntsville around 7:00am, get the bikes unloaded, say our good byes, and I head inside and go to bed

I always enjoy these trips. Sure, the riding is fun and the scenery amazing, but I think most of all I really enjoy the groups I get to ride with. I have yet to do a trip where I was not riding with a great group of people. I've enjoyed watching how everyone looks out for each other, helps when needed, accepts help when needed, and generally just how everyone works together to make sure everyone is having a good trip. I really enjoy the after ride bull sessions at dinner or around the hotel. During my regular daily routine, I really get to see very few people that I get to spend any time visiting with them. I go to work, where there are three of us in the office, and I talk to folks on the phone that I have "known" for 16 years but have never met in person. Then I go home. I see folks at church and our weekly bike night, but generally don't get to visit much because we have the three kids we are trying to keep in line. So I REALLY enjoy the opportunity to get to know the guys, on the drive out and back in the truck, standing atop a high mountain pass absorbing the views, sharing stories over dinner, and just hanging out around the campfire watching shooting stars and satellites pass overhead. This is what really makes it hard to head home at the end of the week and also motivates me to figure out a way to attend other events in the future.

So... till next time...

Just read through this RR... amazing. So jealous and need to make a trip to CO at some point in the future. Don't you wish Texas had something like this here?

cdn_bacon said:

Just read through this RR... amazing. So jealous and need to make a trip to CO at some point in the future. Don't you wish Texas had something like this here?

Click to expand...

I like to tell myself that if I had all that right outside my back do that I would just take it for granted and it wouldn't be so special...






















I have to tell my self that A LOT

One of the guys on this trip snapped a pic of me coming down the steps on Black Bear on my KLR, but I can't seem to find it now. I thought I had saved a copy of it, but I can't find that either!?

If any of you recall that shot and have it, could you please post it here so I can snag a copy of it again?

Thanks.

I'll see if these pix are still around.