Kawasaki Concours Forum

Riding => Rides and Stories => Topic started by: phoneman on February 08, 2014, 06:13:24 PM

Title: Colorado is calling--again
Post by: phoneman on February 08, 2014, 06:13:24 PM
  I'm planning to ride back to Colorado again this upcoming June.

  Made this trip in July of '12.  Rode to my buddy's place in Mancos--parked the bike in his garage and didn't get back on it until I left for home.

  This time I plan to do a little riding while I'm there.  Probably try to make it to Moab, Utah and the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

  I also want to retrace a route we made in the truck when I was there--I was drooling and wishing I was on the bike the whole time.

 Cortez--Durango--Silverton--Ridgway--Dolores--and back to Mancos.  About 200 miles of what looked to be some outstanding motorcycling riding.

  I'll be leaving the second week of June and have 2 full weeks off time from work.

  Haven't decided if I'll take the Wee or the Connie yet.  The Wee is awful comfortable but I'm getting the Connie dialed in.

  Anybody else want to tag along part or all of the way let me know.  It might be a whole lot of fun.

  BTW--those signs in N Texas that say " Caution-Strong Winds ".  They ain't lying.

  Dang near blew me off the road outside of Dalhart in 2012.
Title: Re: Colorado is calling--again
Post by: Son of Pappy on February 08, 2014, 08:47:14 PM
So many spectacular roads in CO.  A must do is that really high spot they maintain for races ;)  I described it as "Making love to the mountain on the way up, and to the road on the way down".  I did it on the GS and was missing the Connie.  I just could not imagine riding to CO and parking the bike, no way, no how.
Title: Re: Colorado is calling--again
Post by: Rhino on February 09, 2014, 04:16:26 AM
  I'm planning to ride back to Colorado again this upcoming June.

  Made this trip in July of '12.  Rode to my buddy's place in Mancos--parked the bike in his garage and didn't get back on it until I left for home.

  This time I plan to do a little riding while I'm there.  Probably try to make it to Moab, Utah and the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

  I also want to retrace a route we made in the truck when I was there--I was drooling and wishing I was on the bike the whole time.

 Cortez--Durango--Silverton--Ridgway--Dolores--and back to Mancos.  About 200 miles of what looked to be some outstanding motorcycling riding.

  I'll be leaving the second week of June and have 2 full weeks off time from work.

  Haven't decided if I'll take the Wee or the Connie yet.  The Wee is awful comfortable but I'm getting the Connie dialed in.

  Anybody else want to tag along part or all of the way let me know.  It might be a whole lot of fun.

  BTW--those signs in N Texas that say " Caution-Strong Winds ".  They ain't lying.

  Dang near blew me off the road outside of Dalhart in 2012.

Riding to Colorado and parking the bike should be a felony.  ;D As SOP said, once you hit the mountains there are so many great roads it's hard to go wrong. I've ridden between Colorado Spring and Austin many times and it takes me through Dalhart. Not too fun but a few hours later you are in God's country. If He had a motorcycle this is where He would ride.

And yes the Cortez-Durango-Sliverton-Ridgeway aka the million dollar highway is best experienced on a bike.
Title: Re: Colorado is calling--again
Post by: shreveportSS on February 09, 2014, 07:47:43 AM
I have family in Cortez. I go every August-September and ride my tail off.
Title: Re: Colorado is calling--again
Post by: phoneman on February 09, 2014, 06:17:45 PM
  I kinda felt like I was committing a crime against humanity by not riding any after I got my buddy's ranch.

  It was more of a get together with an old friend that I hadn't seen in too many years.  Several days of giving each other grief--just like old times. ;D

  Worst of all he had a beautiful anniversary HD Heritage sitting in the garage the whole time.

  He's gonna have to break that beotch out this time. ;)

  Of course the ride there and back was pretty good in itself.
Title: Re: Colorado is calling--again
Post by: 2talltim on February 11, 2014, 03:01:20 PM
Sounds like my kind of trip but our paths would not cross on the way out, and ive got a couple other trips in limbo right now. I was out there last July and had a stiffy the whole time riding in them there hills. Freaking beautiful
Title: Re: Colorado is calling--again
Post by: flitemdic on February 15, 2014, 11:08:18 PM
A truly excellent ride.

I did that loop a couple of years back, we based out of Montrose because of the abundance of lodging and then just rode the bejeebers out of 550, etc.  The only thing I would say to watch for is the time of year- you're going to go waaaaay up in altitude and then back down, and when you get up there, it can be friggin cold if it's not the high summer.

Have fun, it's a great ride.
Title: Re: Colorado is calling--again
Post by: Son of Pappy on February 16, 2014, 05:41:27 AM
This is the best route.  http://www.backcountrydiscoveryroutes.com/COBDR (http://www.backcountrydiscoveryroutes.com/COBDR)
Title: Re: Colorado is calling--again
Post by: sherob on February 16, 2014, 01:42:23 PM
US50 East out of Montrose to Canon City is a nice ride too. There is a little hole in the wall Mexican place called Ortega's in Canon City that was pretty decent...  but you have Ted's Tacos in Mancos, awesome food there.

Title: Re: Colorado is calling--again
Post by: shreveportSS on February 16, 2014, 04:44:25 PM
This is the best route.  http://www.backcountrydiscoveryroutes.com/COBDR (http://www.backcountrydiscoveryroutes.com/COBDR)
If you are going up to Groundhog on 526, you better be on an adventure bike with the emphasis on adventure. That powdery sand is pretty darn deep and  washboards a lot. You will also need a mask because the dust gets thick. I fish there a couple times every year.
Title: Re: Colorado is calling--again
Post by: Son of Pappy on February 16, 2014, 04:48:03 PM
If you are going up to Groundhog on 526, you better be on an adventure bike with the emphasis on adventure. That powdery sand is pretty darn deep and  washboards a lot. You will also need a mask because the dust gets thick. I fish there a couple times every year.
Did the route early June of last year on the F8GS.  I'll do it again next year, and again after that.  Needed 2 more weeks for Haggerman Pass, East side was still snowed in.
Title: Re: Colorado is calling--again
Post by: shreveportSS on March 09, 2014, 09:48:15 AM
Did the route early June of last year on the F8GS.  I'll do it again next year, and again after that.  Needed 2 more weeks for Haggerman Pass, East side was still snowed in.
This is how I get there. I wouldn't take either of my bikes up 526 past the end of the pavememt.
(http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r133/ShreveportSS/IMG_6306_zps7b0aef75.jpg)
Title: Re: Colorado is calling--again
Post by: stevewfl on March 09, 2014, 05:30:28 PM
This is the best route.  http://www.backcountrydiscoveryroutes.com/COBDR (http://www.backcountrydiscoveryroutes.com/COBDR)

 ;D