2005 Trip Reports |
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October 2005: Judi Purcell Memorial RideI didn't know Judi, but the crowd attending this ride did and the stories they can tell. Also, her daughter was along and that is a story within itself. I won't go into it because I don't want to get the details wrong, but if you happen to have known Judi, drop me a line and I will forward it to her daughter Melissa. Funny thing is, I formally met Melissa by teaching a class she attended. Little did I know that I had a new friend in the making. The trip was over the weekend of 15-16 Oct 2005. Fortunately, we didn't have weather like the previous weekend when I collect 4 inches of snow at my house. Saturday was bright, clear, and warm. Good thing as we were headed north toward Wyoming. Now first, Blue Wing Tours & Training did not set up this ride, I know better than to try to go north at this time of year. However, all worked out fine and I will take the credit for the weather although I know not to say that out loud. Our destination was Saratoga, Wyoming. That immediately made me get out the map as I had no idea where the heck that was. I did discover that I had been near the place, but not really close. Saratoga is located west of the Snowy Range of Wyoming and north of Walden, CO. Walden is somewhat familiar to me. Home of what is called North Park, I have read about Walden in almost all of the fishing magazines I subscribe to at one time or another. There are world famous lakes in which to float tube as well as float and hiking access to the North Platte River. Walden is a small town with these old small town cafes as those magazine stories usually point out. Great food, old fashioned cooking, plain atmosphere (no atmosphere for the city types), but great places to figure out where to fish next or to discuss the weather. However, as we came through town on the bike, there was a place with a bunch of other motorcycles parked in front. What we discovered was the River Rock Café and the Timbers Inn. What a surprise. My passenger and I both agree it is one of the best places we could have ever dreamed of finding anywhere for décor and food. What a place as the pictures below testify. And prices? Well, maybe in downtown Denver I could not afford the prices, but in Walden, they were right in line which made it one of the best values I have ever come across. The dish that really got our attention (so much so we had it again on Sunday) was the Chili Cheese Burger. This was New Mexico style chili and the waitress suggested both Red and Green Chili. Well, that was the way to go. Open faced, garnished with lettuce and tomato, wow, what a delight. Makes for sleepy riding, but we were only going about another hour north. Look, I liked it so much, I even took a picture of it!!
Did I ever get sidetracked with this article. That is how much I loved that café. The trip left Denver after breakfast with 9 bikes and 2 4-wheelers. We headed north to Ft. Collins, got off on US 287, and then stopped for that morning coffee break at Ted's Place. Ted's Place is just a Conoco station at the intersection of Colorado 14 west and US 287 (check that number). The reason I mention it is that it is also a favorite stop of kayakers in the springtime that run the Cache le Poudre river like I used to do about 13 years ago. But that is a different story. Colorado 14 takes you over Cameron Pass and into North Park. What a great ride and at the lower elevations, the cottonwoods still had leaves and the colors were spectacular. On we went and dropped into North Park through rolling hills and the large basin. Then a stop in Walden just to stretch the legs a bit. A few folks got snacks, but my partner and I wanted a real lunch, thus the story above about River Rock. There loss.....I usually don't abandon the group, but from here the trip was only about 60 miles from our destination and we wanted to stop and smell the roses. What is it they say, it is not the destination but the journey? Well, lunch was part of the journey. More stuff...... August 2005: Pagosa SpringsWhat to do in the middle of August if you have two days to goof on the bike and you have a new friend that wants to be a passenger?? What about soaking in the wonderful hot springs made famous by the Ute Indian Nation in the San Juan Mountains: Pagosa Springs. At a leisurely 6 hours from Colorado Springs, it is a perfect destination to enable the rider to put some miles under the wheels while the passenger gets to soak in the "touring" aspects of motorcycling. What a great combination. http://pagosa.com/ We stayed at the High Country Lodge which is located just east of town on US 160. The facilities made us really feel as though we were in the mountains, which we were, but not at a hijacked price. For the mere price of a hotel room at one of the nicer places in town, we had our own log cabin with all the amenities. If you were staying for a while, the place would have been a fantastic value as it had a small kitchen and refrigerator. Just enough to make a simple breakfast or keep lunch supplies, but not so much to encourage you to make the big meal so you can enjoy the wonderful restaurants. Speaking of which, before going to the hot springs, we did have dinner right next door at the Ole Miner's Steakhouse which was fantastic!! Nice, cozy, and a great meal. Of course, I had to try the steak.... After dinner, it was off to the Hot Springs. Since I had last been there so many years ago, it has changed ownership again. But, it seems for the better if my memory serves me correctly. It is now called the Springs Resort and contains more than 17 naturally-heated, outdoor pools of different temperatures as well as a naturally heated swimming pool. It was fantastic to lay back, relax, enjoy the cool night air, listen to the San Juan river, and day dream of the great ride we had and were going to have on the way home. At some point we gave up the therapy and decided we had better head back to the lodge. We arose the next day in time to go get......lunch. I didn't realize the Hot Springs had such an ability to relax as the morning just slipped away. We found lunch at a wonderful Mexican Food restaurant across the river from the Hot Springs and sat on the balcony over the San Juan river. Trout jumping into my net was the day dream of the moment, but no time this trip. We found a nice little art gallery that carries prints and originals of a favorite artist of mine, Milton Lewis. After enjoying the company of the gallery hostess, we headed toward home but knowing me, I just couldn't run straight back. So, eastbound, we hung a right and headed toward Chama. This would take through the southern San Juan's that extend into New Mexico, then a turn back north toward Antonito and Alamosa. Then we would take the shotgun up the northern San Luis valley, to Salida, and home through Sheep Canyon: US 50 along the Arkansas River.
The most wonderful surprise happened between Chama and Antonito: the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. Known as America's highest and longest narrow guage railroad, our route would cross its tracks a couple of times. Around one corner we saw cars stopped at one of the crossings but I figured there was no telling when the train would come by that particular point. As we rounded the next turn, I both heard and got a very quick glimpse of the train up the mountainside a little ways. So, u-turn and back to the crossing with the rest of the folks. What timing!!! I had just seen this train a few weeks earlier while camping and fishing with a co-worker and his family so I knew what to expect. Wow!! I just love the contrast: pounds of steel and aluminum vs. tons of steal!! IF ou are in the area, it is a great attraction to take in more beauty of the San Juan mountains. For more info, here is their link: http://www.cumbrestoltec.com/ Well, I had to get back to help our CMA chapter up at the Veterans POW/MIA Motorcycle Rally at Cripple Creek. I could have easily shown my new passenger many more vistas of the San Juan Mountains. But one thing for sure: she not only enjoys the back seat of Blue, but she now has her own bike and just completed the Basic RiderCourse. One more rider for our big family!!! June 2005: CMA Rally in Ridgeway, COWeather again. I love the Jimmy Buffett song, the "Weather is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful" and it seemed to fit. The saying wait 5 minutes and it will change fit. If you think it can't get worse, wait a minute..... Okay, enough about that. Our state rally was held in Ridgeway, CO, which I call the northern jumping off point for the San Juan Mountains. What an incredible location: Go south to Ouray, Silverton, and Durango, via the million dollar highway; or go Southwest to Telluride, Dolores, and circle back to Durango. Either way, it is incredible scenery and incredible roads. For those of you that don't like that sheer drop-offs (or co-riders that will beat you), I would advise taking the million dollar highway north out of Durango vs. south from Ouray. It puts more of the canyon on your left where at least you have the oncoming lane between you and the drop. But what incredible country. I didn't travel much as our CMA Rally had us a bit busy plus I wanted better weather. Yes, I ride in the rain, but when you are trying to take pictures and really enjoy things, you can choose what you do. For me, a nice Mexican Food lunch in Ouray, great conversation, and then a ride back to Ridgeway was in order. A stop in Ridgeway at a fly shop was also in order and what great information he had. I camped at Ridgeway State Park but there are two units; one on the lake and one just about 4 miles north (closer to Montrose). This northern part of the park is on the outflow of the lake. Well, that little outflow, the Uncompahgre River, is a Gold Medal river in that area which means catch and release. Although the flow was high, the water was clear even with all the rain. That is the nice thing about tail-waters!! So, a very short hike of probably less than a 100 yards from the parking lot and this motorcyclist was fishing. Yep, on trips like these, I have a fly rod with me and this trip was very rewarding, especially the nice Cutthroat that I landed. I only fished for a few hours, but a few hours was a wonderful distraction and made the trip that much more enjoyable!!!
The trip home was less exciting than the trip over. No hail this time and the rain never really hit me. It tried a few times, but overall it was just damp. But the cold was incredible, especially on Monarch Pass. That will teach me to leave the intermediate gloves at home this time of year. The rest of me was pretty much okay as I had a few spare layers with me. But I can't over emphasize the importance of having enough clothing on trips to Colorado. I have also seen a little of this type of weather on the 4th of July as well as Labor Day weekend. We can usually brag about a "dry" cold, but this was like New England: damp and cold. Another weekend on the bike though....now this is what I am suppose to be doing. It was great to meet more state CMA members, we had a great band Saturday night with a very inspirational message (Desert Reign), and good fellowship. What more can you ask for out of a weekend?? June 2005: Still Springtime in the RockiesYep, should have looked a little closer at the weather report. Then again, how often are they wrong? Especially at this time of year So, hail going to Mt. Evans, clear skies as I near Rollinsville, more clouds as I continue north, then the bucket dumps in Estes Park. And it does not stop until about 3 Sat afternoon. So, how did I get to Washington State so fast?? I didn't!!! Welcome to a very odd Spring storm in Northern Colorado. Just like a Nor'Easter, it just circled back around against the mountains for a couple of days before blowing itself out onto the plains. The trip was to teach an ERC course at Marsha's site in Ft. Collins and catch up with Marsha and Joe. Marsha did the update last summer while I went through the MSF Instructor Program along with her son Nick. I also taught once last summer with her and I learned so much I take any opportunity I can to get up and learn from her some more. So, I have Friday off, take off out of the Springs at about 10:30, have a nice ride to Evergreen, head toward Mt. Evans and the hail hits. Check out the first picture. I finally pulled off the road afraid that it is about to be slick with these little quarter inch marbles of ice. Thanks goodness for full face helmets. About 5 minutes later it has stopped hailing and another 5 minutes the hail had melted enough for me to continue. I did get a few more pictures, but not the ones I thought I would get. Fast-forward to Sunday as class was cancelled on Saturday. Nice to lounge around for a day, but I could have done that at home. The idea was to teach an ERC class and make a little money. I started home on I-25 Sunday morning and I kept looking at the gorgeous mountains to the west, including the fresh snow at the higher elevations (above the road) and I turn around and head back through Big Thompson Canyon (US 34), breakfast in Estes Park, and then on up 7 to the Peak-to-Peak Highway. This is the same way I came down on Friday, but what a difference.
Needless to say, the road to Mt. Evans and the road from Central City/Blackhawk to Estes Park has some of the prettiest scenery in the state, great twisties, and as many diversions as you desire. Contact me and to find out more about the route and entertainment along the way. May 2005: Seven State TourSeven states in a weekend, well, a long weekend? Why not? Is there another purpose? Not really. I mean, it is pretty easy to travel to 7 states in a weekend if you live in New England: RI, CT, VT, NH, ME, and MA....wait a minute, you have to stick NY in there as well to pull that off. Maybe it is not as easy as it sounds. So, off we went on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. My first question was where were the other 3 or 4 riders. Well, our organizer, Ed, said the last backed out the night before. Guess they just don't have what it takes to make a trip like this. Of course, "what it takes" may not include sanity. So, Ed, Rodney, and I headed off for Clayton, NM, via Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Yes, check the picture. We made it to Texas. Now, the objective as stated was to be in 7 states. We didn't say how far into those states we were going. Check out the picture, we did make it to the state line.
We felt really safe that night at the KOA. I mean, having a dinosaur as your guard dog, well, nothing better than that. I can't say enough for the camper cabins. Take a sleeping bag or sheets and a blanket, and it is down right cozy. I mean, we always say we just need a bed. Well, this is the economical answer. We stayed in another out in Cortez, CO, the next night. The Ecklund Motel in Clayton is the place for dinner with their historic 30 foot oak bar. Great food in a nice place. The next morning dawned wet after over-night thunderstorms and a bit cool. We made it to Raton and the weather looked like it was getting worse. We put on a few more clothes and headed north toward Walsenburg, CO. We just got down the road, crested Raton Pass, and wow!!! Clearing skies and bright sun. It warmed us immediately and gave us a great outlook for the rest of the day. We peeled a few layers back off in Walsenburg and kept going west. We had lunch in South Fork and then on up Wolf Creek Pass. We ran into wet roads part way up the pass but the rain had already passed. Part way down there is a turn out where the valley picture above was taken. It is a gorgeous overlook just before you get to Treasure Falls. Continuing on down the pass, we started running into showers. We didn't know how bad things were until we tried to fill up in Pagosa Springs. Sort of hard to pump gas without electricity. It turns out the whole town was out as they had severe thunderstorms right before we arrived. After hanging out for about 30 minutes, we finally headed on toward Fairfield Resort. It has been 10 years since I had been through there and that place has really become a town itself. Anyway, power was back on, we gassed up, and off we went toward Cortez and the finish of our day. As I said earlier, we stayed at the KOA again and they recommended Main Street Brewery for dinner. It turned out great and I will definitely be back sometime. But on the way through town we noticed what appeared to be a hot rod and classic car event going on. It turns out it was the Second Annual Horsepower show. So, we did a bit of cruising after dinner, stopped and looked at some great cars, and wondered over to where they had a burn-out competition. Someone really tore one up. But, they had the regular tire ready to go back on. Sunday shown clear and gorgeous, but as always in the high country, it soon turned cool as we rose in elevation. We came home via Lizard Head Pass just outside of Telluride, continued to Ridgeway, Montrose, then U.S. 50 to Canyon City, and 115 home. A few showers along the way, but we missed the heavy stuff. Oh, I forgot to mention: we got lazy and skipped the 4 Corners. We just couldn't get motivated to run 40 miles down to a monument, then 40 back. Instead, we hung out at breakfast a bit longer and took our time at lunch. Yep, good trade. We are talking about doing Yellowstone and Road to the Sun next year. Want to go? May 2005: God’s Road Warriors’ Run for the SonAs our CMA Chapter’s Road Captain, I helped organize this year’s annual fund raising event. As the weather can always be unpredictable this time of year (known as springtime in the Rockies which is equivalent to snow one day, hot and sunny the next) we decided that going east would be the best bet. Our destination became Bent’s Old Fort, a national historic park just outside of Lajunta, CO. The destination is secondary for this event as the real objective is to be one with all the other CMA chapters across the nation to support the organization in prayer and giving. When we finally all came together we had 19 bikes and 23 total attendees. It was a gorgeous day, great fellowship, and a feeling that we contributed to a much larger cause. Final Note: We made our goal this year; Praise the Lord!! |
