Solo Trips to Colorado

[Multisurface Rider]

I bought a KLX650 dual sport bike to go ride Colorado in 2001, solo. I had been off dirt bikes and dual sport bikes for about 10 years while I was riding cruisers. Looking back at the places I went on that bike while riding solo, well lets just say that was not the best idea I ever had. I have been back quite a few times with my KLR650's riding only 2 track roads. But I was hooked on ds bikes again, it still took me quite a few years to stop riding cruisers and didn't until I bought a R1100GS. That bike did it to me, I have always been a fan of the big four Japanese bikes. I loved owning and riding all four of their bikes although I am partial to Kawasaki. While I have owned other brands also, I'm a Jap bike guy at heart. I'm digging my BMW now.

Things change, I'm getting older and still riding solo most of the time. While I was riding in Colorado on my modified Versys Adventure in 2017.

I was having a fantastic time and that bike was handling everything I threw at it. I was thinking that I may need to rethink riding the backcountry gravel roads. I was on some roads for as long as 3 or 4 hours and not see a single person. I'm thinking how old are you and you are out here by yourself, maybe you need to ride more street. While being a jap bike guy and having a 1996 R1100GS BMW at home that is a much better street bike, I decided to buy a newer bike. The Yamaha Super Tenere has proven itself to be a fantastic dependable bike. I bought one modified it to my liking and went to New Mexico on it in 2018.

That bike did everything great and I put it thru the test. On my way home I was thinking of how great the bike was doing, I looked down at it while riding down the highway and though hmmm, it will not make me get rid of my R1100GS that I wish I were riding. At that point I decided to buy a R1200GS. After being home for 2 days I sold the Super Tenere, 2 weeks later I bought a 2012 R1200GS Rallye and in another 2 weeks off to Colorado I went.

I was already at the point of wanting to get to 1 bike after selling my house with the big garage I built, it was my dream garage for my motorcycles. I miss that garage but the idea was to simplify my life and travel more and that is what I am doing.

Then back to Colorado in August of 2018. The new to me Corbin seat on this trip was great compared to the stock seat on the first trip on my new to me GS.

I'm traveling more this year with 2 trips to Arkansas and 3 to Colorado. Arkansas trip was cancelled due to all the rain, waited another month and went to Colorado and just got back. I am planning to go back in July and August, then a trip to Arkansas.

Here are a couple of pictures of most recent and the best trip I have made to Colorado, I will add more in another post. I had a great time and can't wait to go back.

This next picture I had just went thru a few miles of snow falling and was very happy to make it thru without busting my butt.

 

[kickstand~prophet]

I see you were on CO 12 by the one picture. Where was that last one with the snow taken? What is your favorite road in Colorado?

 

[Multisurface Rider]

Highway 12 is a nice ride, a good ride that makes you feel good riding in Colorado. I stayed at the Cuchara Inn on one of you trips las year, cool old place with a good place to eat across the street.

Snow was on 149 between Creede and Lake City.

A lot of good roads that I like. This last trip I was on 12, 149, 92, 550, 141, CR-5, CR-8, 82, 24, 91 and 9. I really like so many roads I can't say that I have a favorite. I love to ride, a lot and as long as I am riding it's all good.

 

[julimike54]

Cuchara Inn is a nice place to stay, was there last year.

 

[kickstand~prophet]

That what I was thinking 149 but not 100% sure. Just looked so familiar. And you are right so many nice scenic roads it is hard to name just one. Love the pictures.

 

[Tracker]

Great pics. Nice rides.
Lake City is still one of my most favorite places in the world. My first trip to real mountains as a kid at 9yo was a family vacation that included 2 days in Lake City. Been back many times throughout my life, although it's been almost 12 years now. Helped friends back in the early 80's build two cabins on the north side of town. They lived there until just a few years ago and retired at lower elevations.

 

[Mr. Clortho]

You are livin' the dream brother. I spent about 5 days up there in my Wrangler last summer and already want to go back.

 

[Multisurface Rider]

You bet I am.

A Jeep would be a lot of fun up there.

 

[Multisurface Rider]

Heading out for another solo trip to Colorado Saturday 9/21.

 

[kickstand~prophet]

Heading out for another solo trip to Colorado Saturday 9/21.

What part are you headed over to this trip?

 

[Boulder Ed]

Well I'm leaving for a Utah parks run 9/21 as well. Nobody from TWT wants to come despite an epic plan, but thats the way it goes. Timing and testosterone still rule. Riding out from Austin area with a very nice gentleman, with a great personality, on a R1200GSA who flagged me down to talk bikes at the tail end of a 670 mile day as I went through Georgetown. Heck we had the same bike, and he wanted to do adventure touring and saw me packed up and reached out to make the connection. That's what its about.

I lived 10 years in Boulder CO so don't really need the late fall weather possibilities of CO anymore, but I'd surely chance it to see the fall colors again. If you search ADV Rider you may come across some of the rides we did back in the day. We lived em, from our home at 8250' and got bit pretty much every year trying to sneak that late ride in. Heck, we created the Switzerland chain gang to chain up our bikes and ride the trail of trails above Boulder.

Good luck with the CO ride; when it snows now, as it always does late Sept. , you can always wait a half day and let it melt then get back at it. My buddies say there is already snow in some of the higher country 8000' + Come to think of it, that's why my buddy in GJ is coming to Utah to hang with us, instead of going to the plateau, or higher in his backyard. Nice fall colors to be found riding UT outside of Torrey towards Escalante direction as well. Some of the largest aspens in north america, if you know where to go.

 

[Vec]

Heading out for another solo trip to Colorado Saturday 9/21.

ride safe, ride fast, take lotsa pics, and have a great trip !

 

[Multisurface Rider]

What part are you headed over to this trip?

I try to change my rides every time I go, but I do ride some of the same roads. I usually..... This might be easier, see attached.

 

[Multisurface Rider]

Well I'm leaving for a Utah parks run 9/21 as well. Nobody from TWT wants to come despite an epic plan, but thats the way it goes. Timing and testosterone still rule. Riding out from Austin area with a very nice gentleman, with a great personality, on a R1200GSA who flagged me down to talk bikes at the tail end of a 670 mile day as I went through Georgetown. Heck we had the same bike, and he wanted to do adventure touring and saw me packed up and reached out to make the connection. That's what its about.

I lived 10 years in Boulder CO so don't really need the late fall weather possibilities of CO anymore, but I'd surely chance it to see the fall colors again. If you search ADV Rider you may come across some of the rides we did back in the day. We lived em, from our home at 8250' and got bit pretty much every year trying to sneak that late ride in. Heck, we created the Switzerland chain gang to chain up our bikes and ride the trail of trails above Boulder.

Good luck with the CO ride; when it snows now, as it always does late Sept. , you can always wait a half day and let it melt then get back at it. My buddies say there is already snow in some of the higher country 8000' + Come to think of it, that's why my buddy in GJ is coming to Utah to hang with us, instead of going to the plateau, or higher in his backyard. Nice fall colors to be found riding UT outside of Torrey towards Escalante direction as well. Some of the largest aspens in north america, if you know where to go.

Are you saying that I will likely encounter snow that will mess up my ride?

 

[Irishcoffee]

Heading out for another solo trip to Colorado Saturday 9/21.

 

[Tourmeister]

Nice fall colors to be found riding UT outside of Torrey towards Escalante direction as well. Some of the largest aspens in north america, if you know where to go.

I did a big trip back in 2016 with Rsquared, ToeJam, and Jfink in this area. We started mid Sept. Weather was great for most of the trip. We had some cold mornings and rain over night. Views and trees were great!

Right click on the attached GPX and download it. It has our whole route. I was two up with my then 11 year old daughter on my 07 1200 GS. The other guys were on big KTMs riding solo. Other than one day with a bit of mud where we turned around, we had no issues on the big bikes.

GPX viewer

 

[one Wolf]

Nice. My daughter always like to see Clear Creek Falls.

 

[synthlegend]

@Tourmeister does your now 14yr old daughter still talk about that trip? I bet y'all have some great memories! What was the deal with all those sheep in the one pic?

 

[Multisurface Rider]

Nice pictures Scott. I am a little early for full fall colors, hopefully I will see more as I head farther north.

 

[kickstand~prophet]

Nice. My daughter always like to see Clear Creek Falls.

My grand baby got to see it for the first time in July. Beautiful place to take people to. Hard to know it is there unless you have been before since you cannot tell it is there from the road.

 

[Tourmeister]

@Tourmeister does your now 14yr old daughter still talk about that trip? I bet y'all have some great memories! What was the deal with all those sheep in the one pic?

Oh yeah. It was a big deal for her to be able to do a trip like this without her siblings competing for attention I've not been able to do a similar trip with her since this one, but I did a similar trip with her younger brother this past June to North Carolina. I have done shorter rides with both of them around here and also in Arkansas/Missouri. My youngest is not as excited about riding as the two older kids, especially the unpaved stuff. She doesn't like all the bumps They are Sarah 14 (15 in Dec), Daniel 13, and Rachel 11.

When we were heading up the West side of the route I posted above between Cedar City and Salt Lake City, there were thousands upon thousands of sheep up high in the mountains. There were many sheep dogs keeping a watchful eye on them as well, but no people. There were these little chuck wagon trailers that we'd see every know and then that had places where the dogs could get food. Also, there were often horses with the trailers and places for them to get food/water, but never any people. I suppose the ranchers just come up on occasion to check on things but otherwise go about their daily lives in the towns down in the valleys. I had no idea the sheep industry was so large in that area. I didn't get any pics of those sheep up close because they were usually so far from the roads. However, they apparently like to poop in the roads instead of the fields where they eat, so it got a bit messy a few times...

The pic above is actually over in Colorado on the East side of our loop. We were heading South from Rifle, Co., toward Paonia. These high school aged kids were bring a herd down from higher up, I guess because it was getting late in the season and it was getting colder at altitude. We rode through the herd, with several sheep dogs getting between us and the sheep to keep them moving. However, the road wound up being a dead end because of a land slide. So we ended up having to turn around and go back down through the herd again to get to the new detour route. Just North of Paonia we encountered a LARGE bull moose, two cows and two very young calves. Whenever we mentioned this in town (Paonia) everyone acted like this was a rare thing. They moved away before I was able to get my camera out for pics.

 

[synthlegend]

Awesome! Even though I grew up in a farming area (rural N.C.) I'm still captivated by wildlife and the outdoors. I hated Houston when we first moved here because of so much urban sprawl. I moved way out to Sienna Plantation which at the time had Pecan Groves and cotton fields. Now it's all gone!!! Regardless, I can't wait until I can do a ride like this! Was watching a Moab adventure ride on YouTube last night and the wheels started turning.

 

[Texas T]

When you grow up in the "life"...

 

[Irishcoffee]

Awesome! Even though I grew up in a farming area (rural N.C.) I'm still captivated by wildlife and the outdoors. I hated Houston when we first moved here because of so much urban sprawl. I moved way out to Sienna Plantation which at the time had Pecan Groves and cotton fields. Now it's all gone!!! Regardless, I can't wait until I can do a ride like this! Was watching a Moab adventure ride on YouTube last night and the wheels started turning.

I love Houston and the Austin/Hill country because of what is available. BUT, it is horribly sad to see what the sprawl has done to the state.

 

[Tourmeister]

I moved to Alvin in 1978 from NE Alabama. I went from living in beautiful wooded mountains to FLAT gulf coast grassy plains with almost no trees. It was literally a traumatic experience. I was in the 7th grade and had never lived anywhere so utterly boring and bleak. Prior to that, most of the places I had lived were very Calvin and Hobbes like with creeks, great trees, woods to explore, etc,...