colorado adventure

[focus frenzy]

after last Saturdays bonus pie run to Pie Town New Mexico the metroplex contingent turned north instead of heading east back home.
our goal was to ride the Pikes Peak Highway all the way to the top of Pikes peak, and to visit the Royal Gorge.

we departed Roswell, NM early Sunday morning and headed north on US285 for Vaugn NM where we picked up US54 to Pastura where we turned back north on NM state route 219 to US 84 where we had a first casualty, a small bird decided to turn back into my Clutch reservoir.
we picked up I-25 just south of Las Vegas where we stopped for lunch ans couldn't find a single slot machine.

we decided to blast up I-25 to Colorado springs to save time and put Jeff (tossing lead) on his KLR in the lead so we would run at the best cruising speed of the slowest bike which turned out to be quite brisk as a KLR is perfectly happy to run wide open for hours on end.
if there is a tougher motorcycle engine out there than a KLR650 engine I don't know what it is. Jeff's 08 KLR gave its all everyday running with much bigger bikes and always was ready for more and never missed a beat.

 

[focus frenzy]

monday morning we started out early and headed from Colorado Springs up to the Pikes Peak Highway. the four of us headed up US24 for Manitou Springs where we picked up the Pikes Peak Highway. over 160 turns and 19.5 miles long it climbs 7400 feet to the summit.

it is a sweet ride up to 12K feet where you reach the tree line and there is virtualy nothing growing above it. above that it is a white knuckle ride with a very clear view over the edge with no guard rail to stop you from falling a very very long ways down the mountain.

the whole way you are slowly loosing power, at the top my ZRX was down to around 50 hp, Jeff on his KLR was down to around 18 hp but it never failed to accelerate out of the hair pin turns. that is one tough bike!

now to some pictures.

sign at the top.

hizzo3 and Tossing lead with the TWTEX banner and Mr Pie

my ZRX on top with gift shop in back ground.

the view down to Colorado Springs.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/leonhogan/colorado adventure/coloradoadventure001.jpg

 

[focus frenzy]

what a view

the easy way to the top is to take to the train, the climb is s o steep it has to proppel its way up using a cog gear running on a rack between the rails.

 

[focus frenzy]

after our trip to the top we looped around to the old gold rush town of Victor for a 23 mile run down Phantom Canyon road. PCR is a grave road full of granite outcroppings, wash board surface, sharp blind curves, dark Tunnels, switch backs and often just wide enough for single narrow vehicle passage.

perfect road for a KLR, V-Strom, and a Super tenere, not so much for a Kawasaki ZRX, so it was puzzling to me why I had to stop regularly for the others to catch up!

at the top of Phantom Canyon road

 

[focus frenzy]

once down to the bottom we ran over to Canon city, CO to check out the Royal Gorge and the bridge over the Arkansas river. it is 1000 feet down to the river from the bridge and up to 2003 it has the highest bridge in the world.

wood plank decking and most of it isn't bolted down!

the tiny line next to the river is a standard gauge rail road line

the tiny yellow specks are 8 person rafts running the rapids on the river.

in a small side canyon there is a tram that runs down a 45* angle to the bottom of the gorge.

a long long way back up to the bridge

 

[focus frenzy]

row row row your boat gently down the rapids!

we were lucky to be at the bottom when the Royal Gorge rail road train came through

power car for the AC systems and a control booth for the return trip.

beware of falling rocks!

 

[focus frenzy]

part of the entry fee to the Royal Gorge bridge and amusement park is you get to ride (or drive) across the bridge, a fun experience when you know the only thing between you and a thousand foot drop is old wood planks held on by gravity!!

we worked our way up CO 9 to high park road and country road1 to US24 for the ride back into Colorado springs, a odd experience riding the roads in the greater Cripple Creek/ Victor area is a very large prairie dog population and their fondness for running back and forth across the road. on the way to Victor is where I had my second Motorcycle VS wildlife encounter when I splattered one of those little fur bags

the next day we started back towards Texas but had to stop by Palo Duro Canyon when I learned Jeff and Kenneth had never been there before.

Mr Pie checking out the view

right before a wind gust very nearly took him over the edge, save at the last second by Jeff.

on the run home Kenneth got our attention and told us something came off one of out bikes and he narrowly avoided it as it bounced past him.
Jeff looked his bike over

but it turned out to be my left bar end weight. fortunately he missed it as it would have done potentially serious damaged if that chunck of steel had hit him or his bike.
my total for the six day adventure came to + or - 2500 miles and was a fun ride.
I am already working on the next adventure.

 

[Sleepy Weasel]

So, no donut at the summit?

My girlfriend & I were out there in March, when we could only get up to 13k feet before the road was closed due to ice. Even in a car, she was terrified the entire time we were above the tree line, but she toughed it out because she hoped for a donut.

She claims the donuts from the shop at the summit are the best she ever had. I suggested that perhaps she's a little delirious when she gets there, and any donut would be the best donut ever. We're going back out there in August, so I said we should buy a donut at the bottom and take it to the top to eat.

 

[tshelfer]

Looks like y'all had fun. Except maybe Pike's Peak. I'm with you - drove it once, and I'll take the train next time.

 

[TossingLead]

Looks like most of the pictures I took match Leon's but the view at Pike's Peak never gets old.

 

[focus frenzy]

the mountain is burning!

Manitou Springs has been evacuated, it is where the Pikes Peak highway starts.
evacuations also effect Cascade and Ute pass, 21 homes in Estes Park have burned.
they are also calling for evacuations on the west side of Colorado springs.
areas we just rode.

 

[Jbay]

my wife is at UCCS for training, they were going to take the railroad today but the trains are cancelled

 

[RedPill]

We drove to Pike's Peak once. I enjoyed it but my wife definitely did not. Next time we'll take the train, too.

 

[humanrace]

Thanks for sharing your pictures and ride report. We rode up Pikes peak in 1980. Ever since, I have been telling people that there are much better rides in Colorado. I'm glad I went, but I've been there/done that and don't need any more. Mt Evans is higher, nicer ride and prettier scenery. For a short ride, time wise not distance, you picked some nice areas.

 

[Jbay]

today at Colorado Springs

 

[achesley]

In comparing my '82 1st trip to Pike's Peak and my Last trip in 2010. The '82 trip was way more fun and work. Rain to Sleet to Snow and over half dirt road on my '82 Yamaha XV920RH to beautiful weather and almost all paved and lots of traffic on my '07 1250S Bandit.

 

[Gravel Guy]

Thanks for sharing Leon, Kenneth and Jeff!

 

[hizzo3]

Wow, we did this just in time. Colorado Springs is in the process of turning to tender & ash right about now.

 

[Manfred]

We visited Royal Gorge when I was a kid, drove our Rambler station wagon across and then walks across. Our dog (on a leash) was fine, until he looked over the edge - between the wires. He got bug-eyed and stiff-legged and sloowly backed away from the edge and was careful to stay in the middle of the bridge. I think of that pup every time I go there or look at pictures.

Excellent report!

 

[focus frenzy]

Wow, we did this just in time. Colorado Springs is in the process of turning to tender & ash right about now.

got lucky and picked the right date, a week early and it would have been snowing and below freezing on the peak, a week later and the whole place is on fire.

 

[wanabeguru]

Excellent r/r. Thanks!

 

[Tourmeister]

A cool blast from the past brought to me by one of the header thumb images at the top of every forum page (unless you are using Tapatalk )