Colorado June 2012

[gbagen]

Next June
I'm setting up the following ride for next June. Any suggestions or comments are welcome.

June 7 Day One: 120 miles Get organized at the airport and take a short 3 hour ride through Clear Creek Canyon and up the Peak-to-Peak Highway to Estes Park. Alpine Trail Ridge Inn, $120, 9 rooms booked, http://www.alpinetrailridgeinn.com/


June 8 Day Two: 300 miles Cross Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park (12K+), Berthoud Pass (11K) Loveland Pass (11K) and at least one more at 12+ (Monarch Pass) to Gunnison. ABC Motel, $65, 9 rooms booked, http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._Colorado.html


June 9 Day Three: 300 miles A big loop down to Durango and up to Ouray including several 10+ passes and The Million Dollar Highway from Silverton to Ouray, a true Alpine road that is one of the best in the US.
Ouray Victorian Inn, $95, 9 rooms booked, http://www.victorianinnouray.com/home.html


June 10 Day Four: 120 miles Back down the Million Dollar Highway to Durango, (worth doing both ways) and over to Mesa Verde National Park, arriving at lunch time to spend the afternoon seeing the cliff dwellings. Far View Lodge, $108, 9 rooms booked, http://www.visitmesaverde.com/accomm...iew-lodge.aspx


June 11 Day Five: 280 miles Up the other side of the San Juan Skyway past Telluride and on to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, then up to Cedaredge for the night. Cedaredge Lodge, $90, 9 rooms booked, http://www.thecedaredgelodge.com/index.html


June 12 Day Six: 280 miles Over the fantastic Grand Mesa, over to Aspen and over Independence Pass (12K+), then up through Leadville (at 10K) and on to Eagle, in the Vail /Beaver Creek area. Eagle Lodge and Suites, $110, 9 rooms booked, http://eaglelodgecolorado.com/


June 13 Day Seven: 260 miles Up to Steamboat Springs, over the Cache de Poudre and back around to Estes Park. Alpine Trail Ridge Inn, $120, 9 rooms booked, http://www.alpinetrailridgeinn.com/


June 14 Day Eight: 185 miles Back down the Peak-to-Peak and up to the top of Mt. Evans (14K+), the highest paved road in America, then back to the Denver area to load the truck(s) to carry the bikes back. Country Inn and Suites, Denver Airport, (Not booking, just using for planning purposes.) $170, http://www.countryinns.com/denver-ho...80239/codenair


June 15 Day Nine: 1800 air miles Fly home, unless you choose a Red Eye on Friday.

1850 road miles in all.

[wncbmw]

Sounds like a great trip! I have done virtually all those routes within the last year. Unfortunately, I was in a car both times (wishing I was on a bike!).

The run on the Million Dollar Highway is indeed spectacular but be constantly aware there is a high price to pay for inattention. Many parts have no shoulder, no guardrail and first contact to the ground is way more than you can survive! Make good use of the pullouts! We sat on the road outside of Silverton for 2 hours while a car was hauled up from about 300 feet down.

If any of the bikes are dual sports, there are lots of detours on Forest Service or State gravel roads also!

[Ric]

I'm planning a similar adventure for 2012. In my research it has become my understanding that September would be the optimum month. I'm riding from Alabama so I want my best possible chance for NOT running into closed passes.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong....

[gbagen]

I have ridden all of these roads, some of them several times. In fact, I did three up to Ouray and back to Silverton runs within 24 hours on one vacation. I arrived in Ouray from the South in the late afternoon, where my wife and cousin were arriving by car from the North. The next morning, while the girls slept in, I did a run down to Silverton and back. After breakfast, they wanted to go shopping, so I did another run. Then, in mid-morning, I left ahead of them heading for Mesa Verde for a sixth run. It's the nearest thing to the Alps that I have found in the US,

[Dr. Strangelove]

Do not forget Co 92 on the north side of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison--a great ride.

and y'all are right...550 is terrific. It's hard to find a bad road around there. 145, 149, 141--all good. 12 outside of trinidad; 165, 96, 9, and 12 again between 133 and Crusty Butt, I mean Crested Butte, for a dirt fix.

last 10 days, about, of Sept will get you the aspen in their glory.

John

[gbagen]

92 is on Day 5. Not to be missed. No dirt for this group, though. We are all old men, 52 to 71, on street bikes.

[wncbmw]

No dirt for this group, though. We are all old men, 52 to 71, on street bikes.

Hey, I resemble that remark! I didn't even ride a dual sport till I was 56! Now I have a DR 650 to go with the Roadster! I would loved to have been on either one while I was in Colorado!

[Dr. Strangelove]

the 12 to Crested Butte is not bad dirt. Mostly hard packed gravel. I did it without any issue on my RR. There was some washboarding, but I admit this was a couple of years ago, so things may have changed on it. It's worth an investigation though since you're in that area. The 12 out of Trinidad is very nicely paved.

[gbagen]

Let me add my 4 neck surgeries and one low back into the mix. I traded my R1150GS for the R1200R because I don't do dirt, and I like the R better anyway.