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Colorado 2014

Been looking at a lot of videos of Black Bear Pass. Other than the steps it does not look that bad and I can make Lee drive my Tiger down that bit. ;) Am I crazy?
 
Hail said:
I can make Lee drive my Tiger down that bit.
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Oldschool said:
What, you want me to hike back up after riding mine down?
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John has done that! LOL, he's had experience doing it already at 12,000ft. We found ourselves on Italian Creek, by mistake, and there were parts I never would have made it thru, especially in the shape I was in from my first crash up there.
 
The first 10 days

Some screen snips from the first 10 days on Basecamp. The first couple of days are mostly highway miles, before it starts to get a bit more interesting. Day 3 has a nice run across the south side of Yellowstone, on a cool road that I found last year.


Day one. July 26th


Day two. July 27th


Day three. July 28th


Day Four. July 29th


Colorado Section of Trip:


Day Five. July 30th


Day Six. July 31st


Day Seven. August 1st


Day Eight. August 2nd


Immogene Pass day 9


Day Nine part two. August 3rd


Day Ten. August 4th

I viewed all of these in Google Earth. You just hit the "view" tab on the tool bar in Basecamp. The pop up window's last option is Google Earth (assuming you have it on your computer). Click on it, then "current selection".

Wow some of these passes are going to be beautiful!
 
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lytehouse said:
John has done that! LOL, he's had experience doing it already at 12,000ft. We found ourselves on Italian Creek, by mistake, and there were parts I never would have made it thru, especially in the shape I was in from my first crash up there.
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I see a sign pointing to Corkscrew Pass in your pics also Lee. I had to run about 50 yards uphill in full gear up that one too (right near the top which must have been pushing 13,000ft). Nothing like hearing your wife screaming help over the Bluetooth to get you moving. Glad I didn't have my heavy duty off-road boots on that day.

That whole area in the San Juan's is fantastic, some of the best riding in the state. Lytehouse and I end up down there 2-3 times every year. I just realized I'll probably be down there July 31st-Aug 3rd for the Rocky Mountain Adventure Rider Rally. How does that align with your schedule Lee?

Oops, guess I should just look at your route...looks like dates are included.
 
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You tell me John. Take a look at the days and dates above for each section. I don't know exactly whicj day passes through that area you referred to. Sounds like I'll see a lot of bikes along the route. Let me know where the rally is and I will make it a waypoint on the route.
 
The RMAR rally is based out of Silverton which is east of Telluride and about 10 miles south of the entrance to Black Bear pass, which is the way you have to go since it is basically one way from just past the summit and going down towards Telluride. Silverton has easy access to Cinnamon, Hurricane, Engineer, California, Ophir and Corkscrew passes. Telluride is a nicer town to visit and stay at though. Here's the rally info, you can also see some shots from last years event.

2014 Rendezvous - Rocky Mountain Adventure Riders
 
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Day 11 to 15

These do not have dates attached as yet, since these are travel days and I / (the group) may want one extra day in the Telluride area.


Day 11 Last day in Colorado.

I have shortened Day 10 and added those miles to day 11 to even out the days and to accommodate a camping location at day's end. I also altered the route to Meeker, to stay on the smaller road on the east side of the mountain range vs going Hwy 13.


Day 12


Day 13


Day 14



Day 14 includes Chief Joseph and Bear Tooth passes, since my buddies didn't get to do those on the Moab trip


Day 15 Ending at home.

The last 3 days get progressively longer, but are almost entirely pavement so the mileage is within an easy day's ride for most. The real push is on the last travel day, but easy going on familiar roads. I find the last day of trips the riders just want to get home.
 
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Wow. As someone who lives in an area where the closest significant and beautiful landmark is the Walmart parking lot, I envy you. In fact, the jealousy that boils in my blood right now is quite impressive. I would wish bad things on you, but I'm not that kind of person...
 
Explore

BourbonNcigars said:
Wow. As someone who lives in an area where the closest significant and beautiful landmark is the Walmart parking lot, I envy you. In fact, the jealousy that boils in my blood right now is quite impressive. I would wish bad things on you, but I'm not that kind of person...
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As you can see from the distance I have to travel to get there (Colorado), it is as much about the journey. Each passing season I seem to venture further. None compares though to the Gypsy life that I used to lead as a Long Haul Trucker. At least now, I chose both both the route and the destination. I suspect you live closer the the roads and vistas of Colorado than I. Get out and explore, but know that once you start, there is no stopping.

By the way, I used to live in Winnipeg, Manitoba so I can relate to your Walmart parking lot problem.
 
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BourbonNcigars said:
Wow. As someone who lives in an area where the closest significant and beautiful landmark is the Walmart parking lot, I envy you. In fact, the jealousy that boils in my blood right now is quite impressive. I would wish bad things on you, but I'm not that kind of person...
Click to expand...

You have a motorcycle, a wonderful tool for exploration! Go out and ride! :)
 
Math

After a bit more fine tuning and doing the math it breaks down to a total of 5,113 km for the round trip. That averages to just under 320 km per day. This should at least keep the group fairly happy. In reality just over a tank of fuel per day for my bike.

Keep in mind this will be challenging terrain on half of the days anyway, and no days of purely pavement.



The route is still evolving at this point and I would like to combine 2 of the days coming home.
 
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Colorado Rocky Mountain High

Colorado Rocky Mountain High

“It's a Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it rain fire in the sky
Friends around the campfire and everybody's high
Rocky mountain high”

It is with a sense of humor and irony that I use this as my trip report title. The Lyrics of the John Denver song bring a smile to my face for a different reason lately. As at least one fellow rider has pointed out Colorado has a new “high” available and endorsed by the state government (not that there’s anything wrong with that ;). Riding is my favorite high and in honesty, I just don’t see the appeal of the other, but perhaps it’s my age. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no puritan, but the college days are decades behind me and the life of a suburban working man have long since set me along a conservative path. Thankfully I found a more exciting escape from “Suburgatory”, one that allows me to see the world around me with all my “senses working overtime”, without need of medicinal assistance.

This particular journey has been in the works for years, starting as a vague idea, the seeds of which, pictures that Adventure Riders had posted of their trips, had inspired. Over the winter of 2013 I have researched and planned with the idea of making the trip (there and back) just as interesting as the main objective. I wanted to travel as much new territory as possible, and retrace as little as practical, returning. I am a firm believer in the adage; It is the journey not the destination. The responsibilities of modern life don’t always allow us to enjoy life to that mantra, but certainly our free time should.

Modern technology can be a curse and a distraction but does have its uses for someone wishing to plan a trip. Between Satellite images and the wealth of information on the net, nearly every detail can be planned beforehand. I did this for the Moab trip back in 2012 with great success, and again in 2013 with the Idaho trip, to a lesser degree. Last year I wanted to leave a bit more to chance and by doing so, make it a bit more of an adventure. Another quote comes to mind, “Adventure starts when things stop going as planned” and although it is true in one sense, it usually refers to the problematic side of adventure. I always try to remember that this is a vacation as well and supposed to be enjoyable, not just a test of mettle. I have a lot of respect for event organizers especially after organizing a few years’ trips. It is a tough balancing act, to make a ride or event that will please the majority of riders in a group. As we all know from riding with others, every rider’s skills and expectations differ. The challenge with the Adventure Motorcycle trip is that it has to be enough of a challenge for all of the riders without being too much so for anyone. To compound the challenge you have to get along for days or weeks at a time, through the inevitable highs and lows of the trip. Watch Long Way Round to see that even the best of friends can find themselves at odds when the stress of adversity, whether mechanical problems, illness or simply exhaustion take their toll. I have seen it first hand, and keeping a cool head and being patient are crucial to getting past these obstacles. This year I hope to have found the planning balance between too much and not enough, but only time will tell. I have the daily tracks done, each ending at a campsite. Unlike last year when we had problems finding spots by the end of the day’s ride, when we were tired and hungry. My idea of enough miles in a day was very different than my co-adventurer last year and the trip found us doing mostly off road. The amount of miles that is realistic drops in relation to the challenge and difficulty of the terrain. I have taken that into account this year, hopefully enough.
Alternative stops have been plotted as well as fuel stops. The route takes us through enough civilization that finding food shouldn’t be an issue. As long as all of the bikes have service done right before the trip, none should be needed along the trip, with the exception of unforeseen issues.

Like last year, at this point, I still have no idea who will actually make it on the ride. I am determined to take this ride, even solo, but will be disappointed if it happens that way. This is the toughest challenge of any organized ride. It is easy to plan your own schedule but trying to mesh several, or many, is extremely difficult as demonstrated by last year. The natural disaster in southern Alberta played a big part in that and I am hopeful to not see a repeat, despite not being personally affected.

A good friend once told me that, “once you get a taste of travel, you won’t want to stop” and they were so right. Each year I plan, and venture further from home, and try to “up” the adventure level. Moab was an incredible trip, so to, was Idaho, and I have had many years of incredible adventures in British Columbia (on and off road), but this year I am really looking forward to the vistas of Colorado. Although the Rockies in Canada are higher and more rugged, the access is no where near as good as the Rockies of Colorado. I have been higher up, elevation-wise in British Columbia (on tree-lined logging roads), have chased a Grizzly and Moose down narrow over-grown trails, too narrow to turn around, and have seen crystal Alpine lakes without another soul around. None however have offered the spectacular views of the high passes of Colorado that I have seen in pictures. It is time to meet them in person.

chargingbear.jpg


My planning is nearly finished; save for knowing who else is coming. I am going to try to write each day, posting “live” when possible, and may even post pictures along the way if I can organize the right tech (small laptop with Lightroom on it).

The long winter is still holding us in its icy grip, with the days still getting shorter, but I have a dream, and it will get me through until spring.

Besides, I have parts on back-order with a March ETA, Oh Canada!


LK
 
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Fine Tuning

I really wanted to incorporate a visit to Engineer pass but still do California and corkscrew. After a bit of fine tuning, I was able to combine and create a nice, challenging loop out of our camp base near Telluride and make that Day 9. I also combined Days 11 and 12, altering the route to make it doable. This accomplished the desire to see more passes, and eliminate a day for a total of 15 Days for the trip, allowing me a day before going back to work. The trip flows better and has less doubling back although the tracks do cross a couple of times. Day 8 now includes Black Bear Pass, but is a really short day at about 100 kms. Day 9 now goes over Imogeen, Engineer, Animas Forks, and Ophir passes.


Day 8 includes Black Bear Pass!


Day 9


Day 10


Day 11 mostly the same.


Day 12

Links that may make the next person's trip easier:

http://www.telluride.com/things-do/dining

http://www.urbanspoon.com/n/101/42254/Colorado/Gunnison-CO-restaurants

http://koa.com/campgrounds/buena-vista/

http://www.urbanspoon.com/n/101/42293/Colorado/Steamboat-Springs-CO-restaurants

http://www.campcolorado.com/

My Spot for when the fun begins (for all you stalkers); http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0q283BA3LkUYTNbI5h0gprGBJBkEQSD58

Most Up to date track:
 
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