2004
BIKE TRIP
TIME FOR ANOTHER HOLIDAY TRIP WITH MY SON. THIS TIME WILL GO
FURTHER SOUTH ALONG THE ROCKIES AND INTO COLORADO.
NO NEW BIKES IN THE SHED AS FINDING OUT I ENJOY THESE ONES AS MUCH
AS MY NEW BIKES......SO WE WILL TAKE THE 1981 HONDA SUPERSPORTS,
BOTH VERY COMFORTABLE BIKES , AND A GREAT HANDLING BIKE WITH NO SHORTAGE
OF POWER.
THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TIME FOR THE BIKES TO DO THE WESTERN
STATES MOUNTAINS AND EVERY TIME I GET RID OF A NEW BIKE AND GO BACK
TO THESE I REALIZE HOW WELL THEY DO THE JOB!
WE WENT AROUND MORE CURVES IN A DAY THAN THERE IS IN ALL OF
MANITOBA!! THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND ON THAT ONE....I KNOW!!
ONE THING...THE CAMERA DOES
NOT CAPTURE THE REAL SENSE OF UPHILL OR DOWNHILL...MOST OF THESE
PICS ARE ON 7% GRADES OR MORE AND THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN GET THE RIGHT
FEELING ABOUT THE STEEPNESS EXCEPT TO DRIVE IT YOURSELF!!! AFTER BEING
THERE , THE PICS LOOK FLAT TO ME!!!
ALSO SOME OF MY PICS MIGHT BE A BIT OFF CENTER, BUT I TOOK MOST
THEM ON THE MOVE AND JUST POINTED THE CAMERA..SOMETIMES AHEAD, SOMETIMES
BEHIND..
FOLLOWING THE KID DOWN #14 IN THE BIGHORNS TO
THERMOPOLIS
WE LEFT THE
LAND OF THE DEAD AT 4:00 PM FRIDAY AUG 6, AND MADE A BEELINE TO THE
MOUNTAINS...IF YOU LIVE HERE, THIS IS THE BEST AND FASTEST ROUTE TO THE
MOUNTAINS!! ONLY A FEW HRS OF REAL FLAT BETWEEN MINOT AND WILLISTON,
THEN A NICE WINDING ROUTE ALONG THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER!
11 HRS FROM CARMAN MB
PUTS YOU ON THE SWITCHBACKS GOING STRAIGHT UP THE BIGHORNS!! SURE BEATS
CROSSING SASK AND ALBERTA!!! THAT WOULD BE OK IF NO SPEED LIMITS, BUT
OH WELL........
MADE IT TO WILLISTON ND BY 9:30PM, RODE THRU A HOUR OF RAIN, BUT
SUN WAS WAITING DOWN THE ROAD....WHILE WE HAD THE WETEST CRAPIEST SUMMER
IN AGES AT HOME, WE HAD GREAT WEATHER THE WHOLE TRIP!
UP AT 7 AND ON THE WAY TO THE
BIGHORNS FOLLOWING THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER, BEST ROUTE OUTA THE PRAIRIES!
HIT I-94 TO FORSYTH THEN DOWN HIWAY 39.....A VERY NICE WINDING CANYON
ROAD THROUGH COAL MINING COUNTRY..GREAT TO PRACTICE THE CURVES BEFORE HITTING
THE MTNS!!
THRU COALSTRIP TO SHERIDEN WY. HERE BY NOON AND UP THE BIGHORNS!!!!
THIS IS A GREAT RIDE TO START THE HIGH RIDING..STEEP SWITCHBACKS RIGHT
OFF THE BAT! STRAIGHT UP!!
RAN WEST TO BOTTOM OF MOUNTAIN ON 14a, AND DOWN MEDICINE
WHEELPASS..9000FT..RETURNED
AND CAME OUT THE OTHER ROUTE 14.GRANITE
PASS...9000FEET....REALLY
HATED TO NOT KEEP GOING WEST TO CODY, ONTO THE CHIEF JOSEPH BYWAY AND THE
BEARTOOH PASS, BUT DID IT LAST 3 YEARS AND TIME TO MOVE ON!!(check out
my 03 trip for those pics!)
View Larger Map
IF MAP DOESNT SHOW.....HERES IT IS... MAP OF ROUTE..CLICK HERE
OK..NO OTHER BIGHORN MTN PICS NEEDED HERE AS BEEN
THRU THIS ALL BEFORE..WONDERFULL ROUTE, LOTSA ELEVATION AND CURVES! SPENT
THE NIGHT IN THERMOPOLIS, FAMOUS FOR ITS GIANT HOT SPRINGS......... 99
DEG HERE..HOT!!
DAY
THREE!..DOWN THRU WYOMING QUICKLY VIA THE WIND
RIVER CANYON,(PICS ON MY 03 SITE) ANOTHER NICE RIDE! AND THEN
THRU THE HIGH DESERT FOR 3 HOURS... UGH STUFF....
REALLY FLAT FOR
A FEW HOURS, BUT FAST!!
THE GUY THAT ENDED UP HERE DIDNT HAVE A BIKE! HE WALKED!!
NEXT UP
THRU THE SNOWY RANGE PASS 12000' , CENTENNIAL
MOUNTAINS WYOMING..VERY NICE!! WAY UP!! BEAUTIFULL RIDE!
WE HAVE THE ROAD TO OURSELVES!! TOO COLD FOR THE LOCALS!!
OK OK..IT WAS BARRICADED OFF AND A DETOUR WENT A CRUMMIER
ROUTE. SO KNOWING THEY WOULDNT BE WORKING ON A WEEKEND, AND
KNOWING THE NEW SEALCOAT WOULD BE HARD WITH THE LOW TEMPS. AND FITTING
AROUND THE BARRICADES....AWAY WE WENT!!! JUST %&^%& WONDERFUL
IT WAS!!
OK!! HERES A PIC LOOKING BACK DOWN THE CALE
PASS @ 12,230"
SEE THEM TWISTIES WAY UP AHEAD......NICE..:) 20 MILES MORE AHEAD!!
SOME MORE FLAT STUFF, BUT I CAN SEE THE HIGH PEAKS TO
THE SOUTH IN COLORADO AND WOW!! GET ME THERE!!
TO LARAMIE FOR DINNER AND DOWN #287 TO LOVELAND
CO FOR THE NIGHT! SOON AS WE HIT COLORADO BORDER THE TERRAIN CHANGED, INTO
THE FOOTHILLS AND LOTSA CURVES AND THAT SMELL!! IN THE PINES!!
DAY
4!!
THIS WILL BE A GOOD ONE..HEADING UP TO ROCKY MTN NATIONAL PARK..
(HERES
A LINK)
AND THE TRAIL RIDGE ROAD!
OK!! THIS IS EQUAL TO THE
BEARTOOTH PASS IN MONTANA.........NEVER THOUGH I'D SAY THAT, BUT
ITS GREAT..WAY UP ABOVE THE TREE LINE TO 12,200'
AND NONE OF THOSE #$& GUARDRAILS TO RUIN THE VIEW!!!
THIS IS PART WAY UP LOOKING BACK EAST AT THE ROAD WE JUST
RODE UP. THIS IS MAYBE 1/4 WAY UP.
ABOUT 30 MILES OF THIS!!! WOW!! THIS 11000
FEET UP AND CLIMBING!
UP IN
THE SNOW!!!
THIS
WAS A GOOD ONE..HIT IT EARLY AS CAN GET BUSY THEY SAY!!
GOING UP TRAIL RIDGE ROAD
IN ROCKY MTN NATIONAL PARK!! ANOTHER 12000'
!!
BREAKFAST IN
GRAND LAKE COLORADO, TYPICAL COOL TOURIST TOWN!
OUT OF
THE PARK AFTER DINNER AND TURNED SOUTH DOWN#40 AND OVER THEBERTHOLD
PASS, ANOTHER GREAT RIDE TO 11,300
FEET UP!!
AT THE TOP OF THE "GEORGETOWN HILL" (SOME HILL!!!)
AND
ONTO I-70 UP TO THE OLD LOVELAND PASS AND THE EISENHOWER
TUNNEL! THIS THING IS NEARLY 2 MILES LONG AND 11000 FEET UP! SOUNDS
GOOD IN THERE...TRY THIS AT 100 MPH AND GET "REAL TUNNEL VISION"
PLANNED TO TAKE THE OLD PASS WHICH TURNED JUST BEFORE THE TUNNEL,
BUT DECIDED TO GO THRU THE TUNNEL FIRST..HAD FUN IN THE TUNNEL!,
BLASTED THRU IT WIDE OPEN WITH ALL THE HARLEYS AND DID THE NEXT 10
MILES DOWNHILL AND THRU THE VAIL
PASS AT 7% GRADE TO THE NEXT TURNOFF..THIS WAS ACTUALY FUN AS EVERYONE
DOING 90 MPH AND FUN PLAYING IN THE TRAFFIC!!
OK....RETURNED
AND HEADED UP THE OLD LOVELAND
PASS THE TUNNEL REPLACED...CAN SEE WHY THEY NEEDED IT..THIS WAS
A GOOD ONE FOR A HR RIDE..TYPICAL STRAIGHT DOWN AND NO RAILS! GREAT!!!
DAY
5.....HEADED SOUTH ON #24 TO LEADVILLE,
OLD MINING TOWN, AND A FEW GREAT PASS'S...
OVER
THE TENNESEE PASS AT10,400'
AND SOME NICE RUNNING IN THE VALLEYS.
TURNED WEST AGAIN ON#82 AND
HEADED TOWARDS ASPEN
VIA THE INDEPENDENCE PASS...WOW!!
THIS WAS A GREAT ONE. RECOMMEND FOR SURE!!!. I PICK THIS ONE
RIGHT AFTER MT EVANS,THE BEARTOOTH AND TRAIL RIDGE ROAD..............HIGH,12,100
FEET UP, NOOOO RAILS , AND EVEN DOWN TO
ONE LANESECTIONS,. THIS WAS GREAT, EDGE OF THE PAVEMENT WAS CRUMBLING
OVER THE SIDES! PERFECT!!
HEADING INTO THE INDEPENDENCE
PASS..GOING UP!!
HERES
THE START ON THE WAY UP! CANT SEE ALL THE SWITCHBACKS AS THEY ARE
RIGHT UNDER MY FEET TIGHT TO THE EDGE IN THIS PIC! BUT THEY KEEP
COMING.
ALMOST CLOSE ENOUGH Y'KNOW!!!
YA YA..IM IN THE WRONG LANE, BUT BETTER PIC THIS WAY!!!
HERES
THE KID CHASING ME OVER THE PASS! 20 MILES OF THIS!!!
I JUST SHOT THESE BACKWARD
SHOTS WITH THE CAMERA UPSIDE DOWN OVER MY SHOULDER AND FLIPPED IT OVER
IN THE COMPUTER..WORKS GREAT!
DINNER IN ASPEN
TODAY....WOW..ANOTHER NICE $$$ PLACE I LIKE!!
WEST TILL CARBONDALE AND THEN
SOUTH ON #133 OVER THE MCLURE
PASS @8800'
AND THE
WEST
ELK SCENIC BYWAY ! PLAN WAS TO GO SOUTH TO THE BLACK CANYON OF THE
GUNNISON, BUT TOOO #$%^&$^ HOT, SO HEADED NORTH OVER GRAND
MESA SCENIC BYWAY AND MESA PASS @ 9000"!
DAY
6 DECISION TIME..DO WE GO WEST TO THE OCEAN, 2 DAYS OF DESERT
RIDING THRU THE GREAT BASIN, AND $%^$^% HOT!! , THEN UP THE COAST IN BUSY
TRAFFIC TO BC, WHERE I HAVE A PLACE TO STAY FOR A FEW DAYS, OR DO WE STAY
IN COLORADO AND GO BACK UP HIGH AND COOL DOWN, AND GO ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM???
EASY ONE.......
LEFT
GRAND JUNCTION EARLY AND HEADED DOWN THE UNAWEEP
SCENIC BYWAY..THIS WAS DIFF FROM ALL THE REST, THIS ONE WAS DESERT,
CANYON RIDING AND HOT..100F..AND JUST ABOUT LONG ENOUGH , ENDLESS CURVES
ALONG THE RIVER, BUT NO UP!!!!
ABOUT
2 HOURS OF THIS AND TIME TO HEAD ACROSS THE DALLAS
PASS @9000' TO RIDGEWAY
AND INTO THE SAN JUAN MTNS, AND OVER THE SAN JUAN
SKYWAY. BETWEEN OURAY AND DURANGO.
HEADING
UP THE RED MTN PASS NEAR SILVERTON...11000'
THIS IS A WONDERFULL RUN, TRIP BACK IN TIME TO ALL THE MINING TOWNS,
ALL ALONG THE WAY, WRECKAGE AND OLD MINES...
STARTING AT OURAY AND GOING THRU SILVERTON (ABOVE)TO DURANGO..
YEP, THATS WHERE THOSE BUTT UGLY NEW GIANT SUV'S MUST COME FROM, I'M
SURE THEY CRAWL OUTA THE MINES AT NIGHT AND SNEAK OFF TO DETROIT!! EVERYONE
I ASKED HERE DENIES THEY EVER SAW ONE!!! WEIRD.....BUT SOMETHING
IS IN THOSE HOLES.......
THIS IS THE SILVER MINING AREAS! NOT HARD TO SEE WHY CALLED "RED MTN"
ME ABOUT TO HEAD UP ANOTHER PASS ONLY 1/2 HR FROM THE LAST ONE, MOLAS
PASS @ 10900'
ON TO DURANGO..HOME OF THE TRAIN RIDES!!
REAL NICE PLACE TO HANG OUT, BUSY DOWNTOWN, LOTSA PEOPLE WATCHING, A
BUNCH OF OLD TRAINS CHUGGING BY EVERY HOUR..GOOD STOPOVER!! CHECK
THIS LINK....
OK....DAY
8......HEADING EAST TO PAGOSA
SPRINGS,SOUTHER COLORADO ... EARLY START AT 7 AM...BEAUTIFULL DAY
AGAIN STILL NO CLOUDS AND NICE AND COOL! 
TURNED
NORTH ON 160 AND HEADED UP THEWOLF
CREEK PASS @10,900',
FASTER ROAD, GOOD ASPHALT, FUN ON THIS ONE IN THE CURVES!!! ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM!!
OK..I NOW CROSSED THE RIO GRANDE
RIVER HEADING TOWARDS THE SPRING
CREEK PASS NORTH OF CREEDE!! EXPECTED JOHN WAYNE TO COME OVER
THE HILL WITH THE CALVARY, BUT NO LUCK,!! STOPPED AT A GENERAL STORE FOR
A SNACK JUST N OF CREEDE..THIS WAS A GOOD STOP! GOOD FOOD!
THATS CALE EATING HIS MONSTER ICE CREAM CONE..YOU CAN SEE IT!!.....
ON THE VERANDA!.....THATS JOHN WAYNE AND TONTO COMING IN FOR A STEAK!!
HEADING TO THE NEXT PASS JUST UP THE ROAD....SLUMGULLION
PASS @11,500'
...
LOVE THE NAME!! REMINDS ME OF WHAT I WILL BE EATING THIS WINTER!!!
PART
2 OF THIS TRIP.....
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HERE
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