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3rd annual big ride coming up...

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$hooter

$hooter

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Joined
Sep 14, 2007
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Location
Fort Worth, Texas
First Name
Paul
Last Name
Slonaker
Well...here we go again and some of you are going to say...

1. Thats still too far off.

2. OOOOOOOOOOOOO...your going at the wrong time...the weather will be bad.


Well we are going and this is your public "invite" to go along or meet up somewhere and go for part of it...your choice..but we would like to have you along. We are planning to leave Fort Worth at 7am Saturday morning, May 22, 2010 and cutting a trail for Raton, New Mexico. We have made a tentative map route and you are welcome to check it out...make comments or whatever. Alot of the route, we have already been on, but it was so nice, we want to go on it again. If you have something in mind that you want to see or visit...let us know and we will figure out the best way to work it in.

If you want to see the pics fom the previous 2 years...click on this link... http://shooteraod.dyndns.org/Colorado-May-2008


If you want to see the routes that we took for the previous 2 years...click on this link...(this link also contains the May 2010 routes)... http://shooteraod.dyndns.org/trips


Just navigate your way to the pics or routes that you want to see. The links will bring you to my server in my network system here at home, so you will not get any bugs, cooties or whatevers...enjoy.
 
We decided on PLAN B for our trip. Everyone is welcome to view the route and make a comment.
 
My group ride to Deals Gap got moved to Colorado...

Is Durango a good base to ride from?

What we are figuring is 2 days to Durango.

3 days on riding with 1 day dedicated to Monument Valley
and 2 days for other riding in Colorado.

2 days for return...

If we move the base much further north the Monument Valley loop gets longer...

Thanks
 
jsb223 said:
My group ride to Deals Gap got moved to Colorado...

Is Durango a good base to ride from?

What we are figuring is 2 days to Durango.

3 days on riding with 1 day dedicated to Monument Valley
and 2 days for other riding in Colorado.

2 days for return...

If we move the base much further north the Monument Valley loop gets longer...

Thanks
Click to expand...

Durango will be a good base for what you want to do. I suggest staying at the Iron Horse Inn on the far North end of town on highway 550 that goes to Silverton. Use this link to see our map routes ( http://s956.photobucket.com/albums/ae50/paulslonaker/2009 GoldWing ride/?start=0

http://s956.photobucket.com/albums/ae50/paulslonaker/2009 GoldWing ride/2009 GoldWing videos/

http://shooteraod.dyndns.org/Colorado-May-2008 Colorado 2008 ride pics & videos

http://shooteraod.dyndns.org/trips trip route for the Colorado 2008, 2009 & 2010 ride
for this year and the last 2 years. There is lots to see around the Durango area.If you have any questions...gimmie a holler.

When are you guys planning on going?
 
$hooter said:
If you have any questions...gimmie a holler.

When are you guys planning on going? [/B]
Click to expand...

Once in the Durango area how many relaxed miles per day should I use for trip planning?

One loop planned takes us 145/142 to Gateway and back down 550 to Durango for approx 410 miles.

Too much?

Leaving Waco June 12 or 13th.

2 days out
3 days exploring
2 days back
 
Shooter when is your trip planned for? Looks like an amazing ride!
 
jsb223 said:
Once in the Durango area how many relaxed miles per day should I use for trip planning?

One loop planned takes us 145/142 to Gateway and back down 550 to Durango for approx 410 miles.

Too much?

Leaving Waco June 12 or 13th.

2 days out
3 days exploring
2 days back
Click to expand...

Gateway??? Never heard of that place...or do you mean Ridgeway?? If you leave Durango and go West on 160 to Cortez, then go North on 145 to Delores and thru Rico to Telluride...then back to placerville and then go Northeast on 62 to Ridgeway then go South on 550...this run is ONLY approximately 240 miles. Then on your next adventure, I would suggest that you go East on 160 to Southfork, then turn North on 149 and go to Lake City...thru Lake City until you hit highway 50. Turn left and go West on highway 50 and follow it until you get to highway 550 in Montrose and then follow 550 South to Durango. This run will be farther...something like 390 miles...but very scenic.

If you will navigate your way thru our maps, you can see some excellent runs. 2 days there and 2 days back is about right. 3 days in Durango will be nice. You can hit 4 corners & Monument Valley pretty easy. You can also see on the map how we will make our run thru Moniment Valley.

Let me also suggest a great steak house in Durango...The Ore House and when you are in Silverton...go to The Grand Imperial Hotel...say HI to Lacey for me. She is the piano player at the hotel...and VERY good at it.
 
NitroRoo said:
Shooter when is your trip planned for? Looks like an amazing ride!
Click to expand...

We are leaving here (Fort Worth) on May 22...Saturday morning pretty early and making our first stop at Santa Rosa. Our trip will be 10 days...taking advantage of an extra day from Memorial Weekend Monday. We have all our reservations made and covered and you can see all of our overnight stops on the 2010 maps. Anyone wanting to tag along is welcome to go with us. We are not big spenders or drinkers, so there wont be any issues there.
 
jsb223 said:
Once in the Durango area how many relaxed miles per day should I use for trip planning?

One loop planned takes us 145/142 to Gateway and back down 550 to Durango for approx 410 miles.

Too much?
Click to expand...

:tab Easy. However, there is always the possibility of heavy traffic on 550 between Ouray and Durango. Sometimes there is also construction and you'll have to wait. If I were doing that route, I would go up to Grand Junction, get lunch at the Rockslide Cafe/Microbrewery, and then backtrack to Durango. You can easily run 70mph the whole route.

:tab Personally, I like Montrose as a base camp. It is ideally suited for about four awesome riding loops of about 300-350 miles each. It is also a bit less touristy and less crowded. Raton, NM is 18 hours for us, from Huntsville and driving straight through. It would be another day to Montrose.
 
jsb223 said:
Stay on 145 at the 62 cutoff and then take 141 at Vacorum go through Gateway and you come out near Whiteware, just south of Grand Junction...
Click to expand...

Awwwwwwwwww...ok, found it. Havent been that way before.

If you are planning on running 70 mph from Ouray to Durango on 550...I want to see that and also who to call for the next of kin.

If you are pic takers...you will be stopping alot on 550 between Ouray and Durango...same for 160 to Southfork and up to Lake City on 149. Cortez to Telluride also has some good spots...just not as many.
 
You might can do it because there isnt that much to take pics of after you leave Monument Valley. You could bump it up and buzz right along. However, the Utah State police patrol that road pretty good as an excellent source of revenue. Highway 550 from Ouray back to Durango usually takes us 3 to 4 hours and that doesnt count on the stop time in Silverton. While you are in Silverton and if you have time...try to go up the gravel/dirt road about 10 miles in the back side of Silverton to the old ghost town of Anamas Forks. Lots of good pic spots back there. The road just follows the Anamas Forks River up to the point that the river becomes a trickle.

When you go thru Rico...if you stop...be on the lookout for a double over weight yellow lad dog. He is VERY friendly and if he sees you stopped, he will mosey on over so that you can give him some scratching. Dont remember his name but he lives across the street from the old mill thing that you will pass on the West side of the road. There is also a cool cemetery that the highway goes right thru the middle of in Rico. Average speed on the highway from Cortez to Telluride is about 50 mph. Follow the main road thru Telluride (20 or 25 mph and they patrol it) to the back side and you can see the big water fall as well as the old road coming down the mountain from Ouray (Imogene Pass) and Silverton (Black Bear Pass)

The pic is of Silverton on the edge of the road coming from Durango
 

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Man, Shooter, that looks like a great ride. It's been a few years since I two wheeled it up there but I'm trying to make time this year.
 
I love that area and would love to do it ,but..................work!
We used to got to Tucomcari and take 104 to Las Vegas and then 518 to Taos and 64 west then north to Pagosa Springs. 104 is a real nice ride.
TexTom
 
TexTom said:
I love that area and would love to do it ,but..................work!
We used to got to Tucomcari and take 104 to Las Vegas and then 518 to Taos and 64 west then north to Pagosa Springs. 104 is a real nice ride.
TexTom
Click to expand...

104 is great...closer to las Vegas the road is as straight as a laser beam and you can run it out there.

http://www.streetfire.net/video/goldwing-motorcycle-cruise-0609_707162.htm

http://www.streetfire.net/video/goldwing-durango-co-to-telluride-co-0609_707166.htm
 
From Naturita to Gateway (141) is one of my top 3 rides in Colorado. A local rancher overheard me telling a group of riders that they were about to see some very beautiful country. They were headed south from Gateway. The rancher spoke up and said that there was nothing down that canyon except heat, rocks and rattlesnakes. We were both right. The beauty comes from how god arranged those rocks.
 
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