Last fall when first thinking about this trip, I traded out the C10 Connie for a Honda 919. No problems, Death Valley naked. Fun bike. Enough motor and lighter than I am used to. Wolfman bag and top box, all good.
On a short ride this Spring, we discovered my wife doesn’t mind me being naked; she just doesn’t want to be naked with me. In the late 80s and 90s, she was happy to be naked with me. Now, not so much. Nothing personal, just not a great two up bike for two folks closing in on 50, so we had to find a bike she could enjoy on the occasional rides we take together. A week and a half before leaving, we wound up with this.
What better way to get to know a bike than with a 4k mile trip, right? Change all the fluids, slap on a new rear tire and let’s go! Determined to get to Death Valley, in July, on a bike I’ve had for 10 days. What could possibly go wrong?
The picture above is from a free campground in St Francis KS. I first visited there in 1987, met an old man there, and wrote this:
http://leroylanes.blogspot.com/p/old-man-in-st-francis.html Northern IL to St Francis turned out to be 800 miles on this day. Left dark and early.
Rode and rode and rode, decent lunch stop and few others. Eventually got off the super slab and by sun’s light setting gold, came across some Great Plains views of Nebraska and Kansas.
Free camping in St Francis is a great option and the park is still well maintained. Long ass ride to start a trip, but at least now only a few hours from big mountains. Midwest is in the mirrors. Great Plains are vast and open and very different from home. Bigger sky, smaller towns. Talk slower, listen longer.
Daybreak on the Plains.
Kansas melts into Colorado range country and little changes other than the signs. Next thing you know, a little traffic through the springs, there it is, off in the distance.
Rocky Mountain altitude high. And some of the best sporting roads of the trip where here in the great state of Colarada.
A turn off said no trucks or RV’s. How can you pass on that?
And then a lot of this.
Honestly, could have taken a lot more pics, but the riding felt too good to stop. You know how it is.
So, for someone from a different state, all this talk about Colorado’s recent decision, of course, makes one curious. And there, in tiny little Salida, CO, I saw it. Needed a pic. Tourism, don’t ya know.
Throughout the trip, there were great, even paced conversations at nearly every stop. Lunch in Salida turned out to be a group table with two sets of travelers. Great discussions and insights. Had nothing to do with the local dispensary ;-)
Reservoir outside Gunnison. Big water and big views.
More good conversation and cold pop inside. Awesome paint.
50 leads into a nice spur off onto 92. Never on this road before and well worth the detour. Decent sightlines, great pavement, and very little traffic. Eventually, some time on the Million Dollar Highway. Decided to take a fortunate change of route at Ridgeway.
Great smooth roads. And, of course, the views.
That led into what I think is called Red Canyon. 62 to 145. Never been here before - oh my. This is likely the best sport riding of the trip.
I’ve been through Colorado a lot, but mostly to the north. And, will be there again in a few days. But, no doubt, really enjoyed this route. Some places I haven’t been to in 30 years. Some, never. Nearing the border, Utah lies ahead, the southern canyons, 95, and the beauty they bring...