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Snowpack 19

Time for the 1190 to stretch it's legs. Route today went: Lake City - Cinnamon Pass - Animas Forks - Silverton - Mineral Creek - Engineer Pass - Lake City.

I saw the damage caused by mudslides on the way to the pass... impassible. Repairs still ongoing to the LC side of C pass. Big equipment maxing out the squishy factor where mudslide damage occurred.

Heading up the valley toward Cinnamon Pass

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Snowslide damage is plentiful and impressive. Firewood prices have to be at a historic low.

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Not the sort of thing you want to get mixed up in.

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Still so much beauty

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Snow canyon just below Animas Forks. I've heard they had over 100 feet there this winter.

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That'll stick in the collective quad mind... maybe. Mike at the Silverton Funnel Cake place said RD 2 (from Animas Forks to Silverton) just opened up a week ago.

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After lunch at the old hotel (and ice cream at the funnel cake place) it was time to mosey on back. I'd planned to go the way I came but then at the forks decided to hook it on up Engineer instead. Little chunky but still a hoot. Bunch of TWT folks will recognize this scene.

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Looking back at Engineer from the LC side.

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Shadows were growing long (and cool) so back at the camp. Time to kick back with a mellow margarita and watch the magic of another fine evening happen.

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To be continued...
 

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What's the story on the squished up Mule?
 
We saw a house that was swept by an avalanche just south of Lake City. Lots of trees destroyed too.

The mule might of just surfaced from melting snow.
241244
 
We saw a house that was swept by an avalanche just south of Lake City. Lots of trees destroyed too.

I think that was the Sheriff's house. He and his two daughters were at home when an avalanche wiped out the house. All three survived. The house was totally wiped out. Happened back in the winter though.
 
JUST AWSUM RG . me and my buddys 6 total will be in brenckenrige for the KTM event .hope too maybe see ya there
 
JUST AWSUM RG . me and my buddys 6 total will be in brenckenrige for the KTM event .hope too maybe see ya there

I'll be there.

Planning to work my way toward Breckenridge: Kinda goes like this - Gunnison/Cement Creek, Sargents, Salida, Leadville, Breckenridge. Spending a few days at each place to ride. If there's anything left of me by 9-12, I'll see yall at the rally.
 
I think that was the Sheriff's house. He and his two daughters were at home when an avalanche wiped out the house. All three survived. The house was totally wiped out. Happened back in the winter though.

Yep, folks at the Baptist church here in Lake City went out there couple weekends ago to help pickup the remains. They said it was pretty much ground into toothpicks. The family lost everything...including a couple of cows that were in the barn. They were doggone lucky to get out of it unhurt.
 
I'll be there.

Planning to work my way toward Breckenridge: Kinda goes like this - Gunnison/Cement Creek, Sargents, Salida, Leadville, Breckenridge. Spending a few days at each place to ride. If there's anything left of me by 9-12, I'll see yall at the rally.
I'll be living in Durango by then so hopefully I can get up there for my first KTM event.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 
So it looks like the event is sold out. I'm not wanting the food, camping, seminars, etc. I would like to snoop at the vendor stations though. Does anyone know if you can just just show up and hangout?

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Hey Joe, I haven't been on the rally site for some time now but make sure you're not looking at the race or the campout thing being sold out...they have been for a while. The rally itself was advertising registration the day of the event...at a higher price of course. They may have filled up and called it nuff.... dunno. Just in case...
 
Just watched this video of two guys riding the day after the ultimate race. Kept thinking I wouldn't have a round wheel if I did that in the twin. Pretty impressive ridding!

 
The Bear

Not the William Faulkner classic but another exciting day in the life of our hapless hero.

So it's Friday morning and that means a run day. It takes a couple of weeks for acclimaing to altitude but it eventually happens. I go out early. Temps around 41 and feels a little chilly for the first mile but great after that. Toward the end I'm headed downhill and see an angus steer of about 500# standing out in the middle of the road. I figure on sharing this with the camp host so someone can roundup their livestock. I keep the pace and get within about 30 yards of bos taurus but suddenly realize my black bovine is no bovine at all but Seniora Oso. Didn't really know if I should turn and run like heck the other way, grab up big rocks from the roadside for a futile defense or just keep the pace and see what happens. Of course in the interest of adventure we go with option #3. This was the biggest black bear I've seen. Black shiney beautiful animal with a bright tan nose. But we're within several yards of each other by now and I'm starting to feel that queasy sensation we all have when realizing we're no longer at the top of the foodchain. I felt this years ago while snokling a reef and spotted a shark the size of a piano patiently watching my every move. It's a deeply humbling perspective.

As I trot along, drawing closer with each step, I'm thinking if this thing turns and dashes my way I can jet for all I'm worth and hope to outlast her. An ambitious plan considering she has me outgunned by at least two good legs and a few hundred pounds of muscle. What the heck, right? I mean ending it all battling a ferocious beast in the San Juan mountains seems like a noble and manly way to go. It'd play well with family legend a couple generations on. My sons are so pragmatic they'd wonder if the bear really thought I was yummy or just got fed up with my abrasive nature and did the world a favor out of kindness to her fellow creatures. We can entertain some curious thoughts during exciting moments.

Anyway, from a distance of a few steps me and the bear gazed into each other's eyes for what seemed like a long moment. Then she shook her head as if to make comment on this crazy ole gringo and his reckless temerity. But as tensions built toward some disaster, she seemed to draw from a long lifetime of mountain wisdom and compassionate tolerance for sadly foolish creatures - and then she smiled. Just a slight curling of her lips at the corners and a sudden brightness in her eyes... a small dip of her head. Anthropomorphic fantasy racing through my feeble brain or maybe she really had a case of morning indigestion and belched? For me, she smiled and then gracefully ambled toward the banks of the Gunnison river. We both watched over our shoulders as the distance between us grew. And then I didn't look back again. But I sure needed to pee all of a sudden. Comes with old age I guess.

As natural a sight as I've ever witnessed.

Got back and saddled up the evil twins (that's the 1190) for a little exploring.

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Decided to turn around here and come back later to play with the 530.

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And then a quick lunch while overlooking lake San Cristobal.

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As days go... a feller could do worse, eh?

Until next time...
 

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Alrighty! Let's move this story on up the mountain.


A "micro burst" a week or so ago caused Cinnamon Pass to close due to mudslide damage to the shelf road going down toward Animas Forks. This threw a wrench into riding plans for folks doing the Alpine Loop. As of today (8/11) the pass is reopened and a path has been made through the remaining 20 feet snow bank at the forks.

To be continued...

We were on Cinnamon pass when it closed.

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RG perhaps you are the bear whisper

Incredible story glad you are safe to tell us all about it and not some random bear scat across the willingness




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South end of Hartman Rock....this place goes on and on. The woman in campsite 3555c is barking mad. As in certifiably nuts. :loco: Anyway, the snowy mountains to the west build clouds every afternoon just about sunset. It makes for some remarkable evenings. And the stars here...just amazing. Milky way from horizon to horizon.

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Other end of the place...looks out over Gunnison. I'll get back here at sunrise tomorrow for a better pic. East is toward the right here. Should make a cool morning pic.

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You don't carry bear spray when out and about?
 
Honestly thank you for these amazing ride reports, it helps keep a hint of hope alive for us working stiffs stuck behind our desks dreaming standing next to your bike soaking in the scenery and drinking in the clean air.

Careful with your neighbor, that would scare me more than a bear!
 
If you saw what was left of the Blue Mesa reservoir last year it's hard to believe that it looks like this today.

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This is the biggest body of water in Colorado...and it's deep. The volume it took to refill this thing is hard to imagine.
 
That is pretty amazing. It was crazy low last summer!
 
That is a beautiful view. I really like the rock formations in that area.
 
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