• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

Riding the San Juan Mountains in SW Colorado 7/29 - 8/3

Less smoke today and epic views. The riding was incredible and exciting, especially when my rear brake totally went away coming down from Imogene into Telluride [emoji51] It happened at the worst possible time. I was praying LOUD, FAST, and FURIOUS!! I managed not to crash and got stopped. But I had to wait about 10 minutes and dump water on the calipers to cool them off. I finally got pressure back and was able to complete the descent without further trouble. We ended the day with a run over Last Dollar Highway from Telluride to Ridgway.

58f955a683058d670eba23eda493ee46.jpg


ae3d23b0b88dab489353bf3143711858.jpg


04e9c22ebc97a87d44525d39baa555c0.jpg


08a36dbca2a0119d2c1540bb7ffc959c.jpg


dbc8bdd14bf63be928e45ba78f3772f6.jpg


3fa598dd1c822630a31cfc138f0e8d23.jpg


fb8c43db959e9ce432b82c72bbc8a19d.jpg


c9355dfcce29ed91ab6e1b07f3c4dfdf.jpg


346f987d5aa0131bcfe763cedcf1b5a7.jpg


483bce0619341883f481e926f059c034.jpg


ea63468be1e1c6b074c70ddbcf5f94b4.jpg


fce63a3a17b17bd80abd083517c9890d.jpg


6cd7f667023a8472e0a1babab630aa3d.jpg


ee166bd830449e3de7b974064dcf38f8.jpg


e75934d723e5de6cfd4c66e41ddae1d7.jpg


4ed2a888fbf821b15f070469ebebe5f4.jpg


9546ccf81ce8bad3f3c3ba28bab142e8.jpg


748fddf90a495e6620306d3641fdaefb.jpg


318959c7b9500f9eafc25b33e82419ca.jpg


81895538918715a358bd24477ab5dee1.jpg


8345681e3df524b34a237f511c672426.jpg


a45eaa86fd519beca1ef142c55f05bb1.jpg


5da4c04bf15f95c07c329f26b2ee54e9.jpg


99246e23a612c48d87d0a2b3d5452932.jpg


97bdbff9f8de48418f26dd610906033b.jpg


19cbd2c8579c71338dededdd35aaadab.jpg


e978067f1df45f2b8c0a4aa050d628ac.jpg


988d8a4b14305952e0c9edacc3a124af.jpg


044681d151c084a3b4fd1f608a9c36cb.jpg


e554f6027296d7fc24a3886fe13869be.jpg


6f1c73a1de6674d1afea041c3c1f9b73.jpg


7645a45d3dabb8b0b6d2e859c9bc10d7.jpg


018bbce164bb34be4e132c0912d464db.jpg


ffa1bb8179e79e02f176ff1317805293.jpg


9d50326a20ae2d9d6ed2ab660782a31e.jpg


e1123d67c176179a9c6ac89b6d252f91.jpg


6b17a5366bba8eaf8eabdebc268dd4df.jpg


f5aaa1281210830ffee6e54d5bdf1530.jpg


a94c02531f81e988e61fd1df73972b0f.jpg


a7db61e2543532720ffca0c11688ad10.jpg


421e2305330d9725a51e4678e4277848.jpg


d2f426ef45eacdb5ae55dd65dd826c97.jpg


d1d3c71d8a96d436d62eafd516630eda.jpg


bd95d7e072a74039b00ee916aa8616f0.jpg


99c2e5ea695f771d7cff3f86a7892cd1.jpg


588a41274eacc5bf129a4079bd3215f6.jpg


One more day to go....
 
Incredible pictures Tourmeister! A few years ago my wife and I went over Imogene Pass in a jeep. I just read her your post about loosing brakes and her eyes got big as saucers :eek2: ! We know the area well and looking forward to going back soon! Safe travels!
 
Awesome pics, thanks for posting.

As someone that's never done this, what makes some of these roads big bike vs. little bike roads?

Is this not a big bike road?

a94c02531f81e988e61fd1df73972b0f.jpg
 
Awesome pics, thanks for posting.

As someone that's never done this, what makes some of these roads big bike vs. little bike roads?

Is this not a big bike road?

a94c02531f81e988e61fd1df73972b0f.jpg
I'm not as experienced as these guys up there, but t me, it's weight more than anything.
 
Your picture looks big bike friendly there but what's over the hill, lol.
 
Your picture looks big bike friendly there but what's over the hill, lol.

Exactly.

The ride might be 90% big bike friendly but that 10% that's over the hill might be steep, rocky, and give you a 90% chance of crashing your big bike.

And...

Tourmeister and gang have both big and little bikes up there. If the day is full dirt mountain roads with a few tight spots and very little pavement, it's twice the fun on the little bikes with big travel suspension and light weight. I've ridden that area a lot and it's smoother, easier and faster on the little bike so while it might be possible to do on a big bike....why would you want to when you've got a little bike right there?

But yeah....that section of road as seen in the picture......I could ride my Goldwing on that. :)
 
Last edited:
it might be possible to do on a big bike....why would you want to when you've got a little bike right there?

I guess that's what I'm trying to slowly figure out.

When is the right time for each bike?
 
I guess that's what I'm trying to slowly figure out.

When is the right time for each bike?
My .02 as a general rule...

If you're going to ride more than 150 miles or more than 25% pavement without anything super technical, take the big bike.

Short rides that are 75% dirt or more are better for little bikes.

Obviously any ride that has a lot of technical, rocky or steep sections are really only fun when done on little bikes.

Living in Arlington...little bike rides usually mean taking a trailer to the trail head for me. If I lived in the Colorado mountains, that would be a very different situation.
 
Last edited:
"Living in Arlington...little bike rides usually mean taking a trailer to the trail head for me. If I lived in the Colorado mountains, that would be a very different situation."

Living on site in Colorado or Arkansas would definitely change my choice of bikes that I ride.
 
Big bike...little bike - the lines separating one from the other have become raggedly blurred these days. And the whole topic of when to use one or the other is so squishy that I'm tempted to just say it's up to the person grabbing hold of the handlebars. Yeah, the trip may be 90% gravel road but the 10% near the pass - that's baseball sized angular rocks and kitty litter dust means we ride with that 10% in mind. And besides, I get tired a lot quicker when having to pick up a bigger motorcycle. :mrgreen:
 
Superb last day of riding!! The true grit riders headed out this morning under ominous clouds and a threat of rain. It never happened... It turned out to be the prettiest day of the week!! Mike and I ran the Divide Road up the Uncompahgre Plateau, 100 miles of big adventure bike bliss!! It rained ahead of us just enough to kill the dust but never on us. We stopped for gas and lunch in Gateway and then ran down the Dolores river canyon on Hwy 145. Then it was down the San Miguel river canyon and back over to Ridgway. I could not have asked for a better ride to finish off the week!

f0669b951e9fa66a9b78859f9389190f.jpg


cbf5c8fcb5c5b466067c0d21886ba80b.jpg


694a4b2340e774a2c80515477f9e657d.jpg


bf47dc50e3bdb94b1d2e10e8ddfb3dbc.jpg


cf6bc7eb94a08426a3b9ab926fc5b0e3.jpg


70e7fe75e6973850c2bcf34347c737f0.jpg


ca7665d24df94db72284d1f8da4863ea.jpg


d854e1f2eb8b8f6822f8f611b6058504.jpg


e2867a1d955a741649280748e9791d31.jpg


a809c3855baad93a911be2b06c4adc9e.jpg


22425333934b8e513d28b4bf298d8d20.jpg


6619689f75e3e8856ec147b8f2478794.jpg


0c1dca09ab49d7bc02e37d58a9261312.jpg


f5d16b8d12e1da30e99694e532f1495a.jpg


Straight down from where I am standing...
11d8aa0a482bc1d0cd8ff2a5d40e18b6.jpg


Anchor bolts for rock climbers
8238b367c9a148cf1b0bf2e7849f5a2f.jpg


A small granite quarry
be608f05ee72701b93dc81bff46df23c.jpg


1552f4a5d10153692e6add642ded1a0a.jpg


The switch backs to get down from the cliffs to the road way down below
fbfdb27ac300e580896c1d8f00370f47.jpg


dd2de1b189270bd73e86948c6076102e.jpg


8cad062786016d30ad7259a37e2ade3c.jpg


f5704a0e9839548da7487acfa0017d7c.jpg


b9397922686b60aa88469d4cea18f291.jpg


b082e364e0639c5eea32e8fea31c4d12.jpg


7626b7acec8221d3f25c356411b3861d.jpg


a2148cf7f6b14df281dcfb423b9182bd.jpg


6ea5cd3bf3b7d896c87cb3586b1af4e4.jpg


b093ee28908f761ee241533fb917151b.jpg


A neat oasis in the desert canyon! Take the rock off the end of the hose and lower the hose, and you get cool fresh spring water! It’s a nice place to stop and cool off!
8683db6f70a6c6e4de5c6dd621509b0a.jpg


8b306f1a3655ac8548b3404e5d09146e.jpg


70a70bcf8689fb498a5050b0ac21da02.jpg


ef95552abbe7693c5de2f0cd26dcc11a.jpg


The view out the door of the coke oven
8328eb9003091554c582e3e072ebf787.jpg


Looking out the top vent
b0611804a00c9efdda88f93abb5b5169.jpg


83c3197ad34e4203b436970eb3dcb77d.jpg


72d5cfb4552c04b3cbd372f73e4ae301.jpg


Dolores river
36aacc80160c0448d8cb914f785b77c6.jpg


a5325c593733433c83bd1cca6f64107c.jpg


a6f27f511a3fa6672d3912f1d34edcd9.jpg


ae980e4fcae713c48bb9aafabc828152.jpg


75cb18206ca4abb962f8e2038bba597d.jpg


d9f6ef79a6695beb1234babdc225a43b.jpg


94f161bdb35172ddb025ae5159e04051.jpg


21096ca2f514282370d82c9e33f6d034.jpg


ab718d9b7254b12b33baabd38a88c50a.jpg


2004dca1efac328f0378d21bd891c8b0.jpg


11ce17826e834c32a7c8e0b212bc04b5.jpg



And that’s a wrap...
 
When is the right time for each bike?


That depends totally on the rider. I struggled coming down Imogene Pass into Telluride on my KTM 530 EXC. While stopped to take pictures, a guy went zipping by on a KTM 990 like a mountain goat on steroids...

Generally speaking, the tougher it gets, the lighter you want your bike to be. That said, highly skilled riders can do things on big bikes that other riders would flounder on while riding light bikes. Less skilled riders should lean toward smaller and lighter bikes when in doubt simply to reduce the chance of injury to rider and bike.

Knowing YOUR skill and experience level is the most important factor. DON’T rely on other rider’s views unless you are very familiar with their experience and skill level. One rider might tell you something is easy for a big bike because for THEM it is! Another might tell you something is super hard when it might not be for you.

Being familiar with the route also helps. Being willing to stop and even turn around when you are about to get in over your head is very important! Group pressure can lead to bad results for less experienced riders!

Finding good people to ride with is priceless. Skilled riders willing to teach and coach are invaluable. I have been fortunate to ride with quite a few. Unfortunately, I can be a bit of a slow learner when it comes to this dirt stuff... :doh:
 
Looks like it was a blast. Not sure when I will get out there again, but can you post your final tracks sometime?

Thanks

Rich
 
Looks like it was a blast. Not sure when I will get out there again, but can you post your final tracks sometime?



Thanks



Rich



I can recreate them from memory but I didn’t have the track mode on while riding. I forget to turn it on...
 
Scott, what is it about you and coke ovens? :rofl: :giveup:

Great ride, I've been to most of those places via full size Ford van and/or XL-185s! :rider:
 
All of these pics were taken with my iPhone. I did take MANY more pics with my camera and will eventually go through them and share the good ones. It might take me a while though!

We made it Huntsville around 1:00pm Sunday. Roger and Mason left here about 30 minutes later. They live in Tomball. They managed to cram a 450, 690, and 1190 in the bed of Roger’s truck! It was a tight fit!!

My 530 EXC ran fantastic the whole week! I did have to keep topping off the radiator fluid before riding each day because of a water pump seal leak, but other than that, it was awesome! The jetting was spot on and the suspension settings were almost perfect. Amazingly, after swapping my front tube the night before the first ride, there were no other tire issues for anyone during the entire week!!

It is good to be home.
 
Awesome pictures!

I rode the Divide Road area on my Fazer a few years ago. To get to Divide from say Whitewater on US 50 southeast of Grand Junction, take Colorado 141 west for 15 miles. You then turn left onto Divide Road (FR 402), switchback up the plateau, and continue to Montrose County. Castro Reservoir - take FR 403, off of the Divide Road, three miles west. Divide Road stays on top of the plateau for most of its length, at times exceeding 9,000 feet elevation and giving you stunning views of below. Several interesting side roads lead off the plateau. I did not try those due to my Fazer's lack of underbelly protection.

:trust:

Other high-clearance forest roads connect to highways in the valleys, but be aware of weather and road conditions before attempting them. The road is packed dirt and gravel, but when it rains, everything changes...not as badly as New Mexico red clay.

:lol2:

A scenic place to camp on the plateau is Divide Forks campground.
 
The Adventure V.2.0

Started today in the usual way... just in a different place. "The Church on the Hill" - Silverton, Colorado. A truly unique group of faithful. Highly recommend this.

silverton%20church%20on%20the%20hill.jpg


After lunch (at the church) it was time for a little exploring locally. Just kind of let the 1190 chew on some mountains and watched the results.

DSCF1070.jpg


Sometimes things can be so close but so sadly far. :doh:

DSCF1073.jpg


And then sometimes things can be so very cool. :rider:

DSCF1072.jpg


A photographic disaster... this falls is the entire side of a mountain. Pix makes it look like minor crack in the rock.

DSCF1094.jpg


Works of the Almighty's hand.

flowers.jpg


DSCF1100.jpg


DSCF1108.jpg


DSCF1096.jpg


DSCF1095.jpg


DSCF1089.jpg


pan1_1.jpg
 
RG, you doing all that alone on the big bike? Impressive!
 
RG, you doing all that alone on the big bike? Impressive!

Rob, it is and then it ain't. I'm not sure who came up with that saying but we'll go with it for now. Seems like every ascent follows a similar pattern. As I go up, there will be a sequence of strata... places and zones where - by whatever mechanism of nature - the path changes personality. Sometimes drastically. Lower elevations are generally pleasant dirt or kitty litter gravel. Kitty litter is smooth but can be deceptively wicked. I find a lot of it around sharper switchbacks. When the immediate ascent coming out of the switchback is off camber, putting the spurs into the bike a tad too soon has exciting results. The rear tries to kick out and sometimes is quite successful.

Continuing higher up the mountain, I start to see transitions. Typically it's a distance where pointed angular rocks begin to poke up and gradually become a lot of the road. I call this a road because that's what they usually start out as. But – that holds true for only some distance up the hill. After a point things get kinda chunky. These areas take constant weaving between larger obstacles and berm surfing to avoid scree filled erosion. There are unending opportunities for pinching a tube or banging a rim into a perfect square or triangle through this. From increasingly protruding rocks the path changes into areas having not one blessed rock attached to any other. If you're familiar with the western side of Ophir pass – that's it. There are also normally areas where huge domed shaped rocks become the road. They mostly form little hills and folds and make for fine traction. Having the front tire drop into a crevasse is a hazard but mostly avoidable.

Approaching higher altitude is where the road becomes two track that a few heartier quads have pushed through. Here's the part where the trail takes on more of the hillside tilt and pleasant horizontal shelf road similarities end. By now we're in loose 3-6” angular rocks. They behave themselves remarkably well provided the angle of incline isn't crazy and traction entirely elusive. There's a certain need for keeping speed and momentum to help – and I know this sounds nuts, but – get the motorcycle up on plane. Like a boat. Slowing too much means literally sinking into the mess, having several of the little buggers grab the front and make mischief with your life. Having the front end deflected or the rear kick out is simply going to happen - so deal.

At some point the trail either makes it to the top of the mountain or just gets to a spot where pitons and rope are needed. Here, turning around is something best considered before stopping the motorcycle. This is my least favorite part of the ride. I've yet to figure out how to make my downhill leg telescope out a few more inches. I take it slow and gentle and sometimes have to do some creative maneuverings. Always leaning up hill. Wiggle some stuff and try to move forward or back – keeping a really close eye on the edge of whatever it is I don't want to go over. Eventually it works... so far.

As far as getting into trouble goes out here alone, there are so doggone many people up here right now. Seems folks from Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico and who knows where else have discovered our biggest state park (Colorado). This past Saturday had to have been some kind of record. I didn't know there were that many jeeps and quads running loose in the free world. A portion of these things are rentals and the folks driving them may have zero experience with high altitude navigation. They go slow and there may be groups of them all lined up along the trail. I've gotten very accustomed to passing. They generally haven't gotten comfortable with being passed. Mostly, they're great about it. They hear or see me behind and either stop or move over just a squeeze. Some are so entirely wrapped up in driving that an unexpected flash of orange zipping past is sort of disturbing. I consider it my duty to help desensitize them to the trauma.

To answer your question about it being dangerous out here alone. Well, mostly alone is a temporary thing. To be certain, folks do get hurt regularly out here. Scott and crew came upon a motorcycle accident last week. I've learned since that the girl didn't make it. That was on pavement up on Molass pass. We see rescue helicopters at least two or three times a week. I mean, statistically, you put this many folks in these mountains with moto toys and little experience and stuff is simply going to happen. It'll slow down a lot in a couple of week when folks start going back home and schools start gearing back up. That's when I'll need to mind my manners a lot closer about getting in over my head out there, alone. :rider:
 
You my freind are way more of a rider than I can dream of being! Doing that on a big bike, just wow. Of course as Scott makes me famous for I don't do heights very well anyway! I'd sure like to get up there and try some easy stuff one day!! Enjoy and be careful!
 
Back
Top