Rockin the Western Slope

[_RG_]

This year's trip to Ouray (and other spots) is in the books. We had a really good crew of riders who made the whole experience an enjoyable ride. I took very few pictures this year but there were several cameras along and some folks who knew how to use them. Here are my attempts.

Oilfieldtrash, Subcomm, Stan817, FJR Rider and I met up at Taylor Lake Park for a few days of single track fun. I expect we'll be making this a tradition. Rather technical stuff and not for everyone but Great Riding!...if you're into this kind of thing.

Sunrise over Taylor Lake...it's doggone cold up there!



The lake is down about 30 feet this years. Local folks say they just didn't get their usual snowfall last winter. We normally see flowers everywhere at higher elevations. Not so much this year.



After some awesome single tracking, we all loaded up and headed for Ouray. The first big ride had 15 bikes. You know what happens when that many machines get together in one place?



Here's Rydah looking over the territory from on high.



Satn817 on top of Imogene pass feeling some serious cool air.



Mail at 13,134 feet?



Telluride from the bottom of the steps of Black Bear pass.



Lunch in Telluride. We had to move along fast because of the big bicycle race. TV cameras and folks all over town. Seems like Telluride always has stuff going on.



This is called the great nonconformity. Notice how the rocks suddenly go from your typical horizontal layers to vertical? There's a big geologic question here that folks come from all over the world to study.



This is along Lost Trail Creek. Pictures just don't do it justice. Rydah said it reminded him of Mount Rushmore. It does.



Just an old rowboat sunk by a waterfall way out in the mountains.



We are blessed in so many ways. To ride as we do, to ride with the good people we know as friends, to come home safely and start planning the next trip... what more can be asked!

[Vinny]

[Gravel Guy]

[The Bruce]

[ekms377]

Awesome!!

[Buelligan]

colorado dirt ride down rocky road between ouray and teluride.MP4 - YouTube

colorado dirt ride down rocky road between ouray and teluride.MP4 - YouTube

following RG 1st day ride

[Buelligan]

colorado crash twt ride 1.avi - YouTube

colorado crash twt ride 1.avi - YouTube

following RG until I crashed the crf450 on a downhill going into Telluride, Co. broken left arm, crushed left elbow, split open right hand, multiple cuts and bruises, 5 hours surgery, 2 days in ICU, 1 day in room, and flew home. Thanks to Joe, Rob and Chris for making sure I got helped and bringing my things home. Thought I had planned for everything, but didn't think of this.

Originally Posted by Buelligan

colorado crash twt ride 1.avi - YouTube following RG until I crashed the crf450 on a downhill going into Telluride, Co. broken left arm, crushed left elbow, split open right hand, multiple cuts and bruises, 5 hours surgery, 2 days in ICU, 1 day in room, and flew home. Thanks to Joe, Rob and Chris for making sure I got helped and bringing my things home. Thought I had planned for everything, but didn't think of this.

It looks like you hit a rut of some type with loose rock in it. The handlebars then proceeded to snap from your arms quickly. For me, the Scott's steering damper makes a massive difference for stability in the rough stuff. If I did not have them, many portions of Colorado would be have very hard on the 650GS.

I would be curious to know what your protective riding gear consisted of.

You ride very well, but I felt you were riding slightly faster than the terrain allowed. Around 8:40, I would have stayed in the right lane away from the cliff to allow some margin of safety in case of a mishap. The challenge on group rides is riding your own ride. I know sometimes on dual-sport rides, there is a wide range of abilities and folks feel they have to try to keep up with the faster riders.

Just my two cents.

I hope you heal up quickly!

RB

[DFW_Warrior]

Looks to me like the front end unloaded and washed out when it went over that rise mid-corner. No good, and heal up quick.

[Gravel Guy]

Ouch...hard to watch but the guys with you were sure a blessing!
Kind of surreal looking through the frame of your bike and listening to the chatter. Heal fast!

[Buelligan]

Red, fyi, I wear, mx boots, knee pads, jersey, pants w/pads, chest protector, gloves, mx shoei helmet googles, and do have a gpr stabilizer on the bike, what i don't wear is elbow protection, but that's kinda like, if i knew then what i know now, i would have invested in Apple at the beginning. What happened was I hit one of those rain ruts they build into the roads to keep the water from running straight down it, I was watching too far ahead and didn't see it, it threw the front in up slightly and when the back end hit it, threw the back into the air too high, and well the rest is history.

Originally Posted by Buelligan

Red, fyi, I wear, mx boots, knee pads, jersey, pants w/pads, chest protector, gloves, mx shoei helmet googles, and do have a gpr stabilizer on the bike, what i don't wear is elbow protection, but that's kinda like, if i knew then what i know now, i would have invested in Apple at the beginning. What happened was I hit one of those rain ruts they build into the roads to keep the water from running straight down it, I was watching too far ahead and didn't see it, it threw the front in up slightly and when the back end hit it, threw the back into the air too high, and well the rest is history.

What works for me is to wear a full hard shell thorax protector with elbow plastic reinforcement under my mesh fully padded jacket with a neck brace.




I get double the protection on the elbows due to the jacket padding as well. It got tested a couple of times in similar situation as you on those infamous road ruts.

RB

[Vinny]

Originally Posted by Buelligan

Red, fyi, I wear, mx boots, knee pads, jersey, pants w/pads, chest protector, gloves, mx shoei helmet googles, and do have a gpr stabilizer on the bike, what i don't wear is elbow protection, but that's kinda like, if i knew then what i know now, i would have invested in Apple at the beginning. What happened was I hit one of those rain ruts they build into the roads to keep the water from running straight down it, I was watching too far ahead and didn't see it, it threw the front in up slightly and when the back end hit it, threw the back into the air too high, and well the rest is history.

Glad you had friends with you. Great video. Who-ever did the triage on the field did very well from what I can asses on the video. You must have a high pain tolerance.
I rode that exact road a month before you guys. The dust was crazy ! I did like the town of Ophir (specially a cabin that was for sale at the entrance of town)

I rather crash in Colorado than anywhere else

[webnel]

That would be Rob on triage. Whenever a rider was in need of assistance Rob was there to help out. He climbed some of the nastiest hills twice (once on his bike). Defiantly the type of person good to have in the group.

[Irishcoffee]

Originally Posted by Red Brown

It looks like you hit a rut of some type with loose rock in it. The handlebars then proceeded to snap from your arms quickly. For me, the Scott's steering damper makes a massive difference for stability in the rough stuff. If I did not have them, many portions of Colorado would be have very hard on the 650GS.

I would be curious to know what your protective riding gear consisted of.

You ride very well, but I felt you were riding slightly faster than the terrain allowed. Around 8:40, I would have stayed in the right lane away from the cliff to allow some margin of safety in case of a mishap. The challenge on group rides is riding your own ride. I know sometimes on dual-sport rides, there is a wide range of abilities and folks feel they have to try to keep up with the faster riders.

Just my two cents.

I hope you heal up quickly!

RB

Good post obviously born of experience. Very good point concerning which "lane" to be in. A ds ride should never be turned into a race. There are plenty enduros, hare scrambles, etc to display who can ride. Those were some serious injuries, shame to see that occur on a fun trip. Gonna take some time for all that to heal. Good luck.

[webnel]

Wow, I now know why so may return to do the Ouray trip year after year. What a great place to ride! Excellent group of folks to hangout and ride with too!

Here are some photos - (All of my best photos can be found here: http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/25039314_JBZnT7)



























more later...........

[Mudclod]

Great report gents, lovin' it!

[DeOneDeOnly]

Originally Posted by Buelligan

colorado crash twt ride 1.avi - YouTube following RG until I crashed the crf450 on a downhill going into Telluride, Co. broken left arm, crushed left elbow, split open right hand, multiple cuts and bruises, 5 hours surgery, 2 days in ICU, 1 day in room, and flew home. Thanks to Joe, Rob and Chris for making sure I got helped and bringing my things home. Thought I had planned for everything, but didn't think of this.

If we planned for this, we'd never leave home!
I think the lesson we can all take from this is that we should ALWAYS ride as if if could happen... and ALWAYS ride with a great bunch of guys who are prepared to do whatever it takes to make it as good as it can be, even when the bad things happen. Last year, the same thing happened to my son, at Ophir Pass, but at a much slower speed... he was just picking up speed and hit a barely visible patch of loose rock that sent his front end cock-eyed, and down he went!

glad to hear from ya Larry, hope all is going well, and hope to ride with you next year in Ouray.....

[webnel]

Here is a quick vid of the sheep dog that ran me off while on the nice mountain top road.

Sheep dog chase - YouTube

Sheep dog chase - YouTube

[saikhan]

Beautiful place. Greats pics. Is the food in the pot some traditional american camp food or....

I can't really tell what it is, made me hungry though.