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Report being finalized. Stay tuned. 
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Stromchrome Back in SW Colorado
- Thread starter Stromchrome
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- Apr 28, 2007
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Re: Stromchome Back in SW Colorado
Well, Stromchrome was back in SW Colorado for a week of furious relaxation. Arrived in Durango late Saturday the 18th, got settled in and invited to the neighbor's for a little socialization and consumption of adult beverages. However, I first had to check the XR650L to see if it would start after an almost 3 month period of storage. I can happily report that the Harbor Freight cheep-o float charger worked like a champ, and the pig started right up.
Late Sunday morning I decided to call Dana, a nearby neighbor with a Strom. A while back when I first got my Strom, Dana flagged me down and informed me he had a DL1000 and could ride "anytime". Several planned rides were cancelled for weather, and we never got together. I now had to inform him that the Strom was back in Houston, but replaced with the XR. Well, he had to let me know that he just acquired a new '08 KLR and was in the middle of making it "rideable". Pro Taper type bars, stouter bark busters and progressive springs so far. A carbon fiber pipe and jet kit on order to get rid of the emissions restrictions. A really nice looking bike. He also traded his DL1000 for a new DL650 for the long trips he makes several times a year. Turns out he was getting ready to head north on the KLR to meet his wife, Sue, on her way back from Montrose on her DR650. Invitation accepted, and off we went towards Silverton. Weather - warm and sunny - another lousy day in paradise.
We passed Sue about three miles south of Silverton, and got her turned around so we could have lunch there. During lunch, I let both of them know I had limited off-road experience, but wanted to ride Cinnamon Pass while in town. Dana said he could probably get free on Thursday or Friday and would let me know. Sue, however, has a real job and would have to work. On the way back to Durango, they thought it would be a good idea to test my talents by taking a detour on Old Lime Creek Road. Old Lime Creek Road is an eleven mile detour off of Hwy 550, with the north entrance just south of Molas Pass, and the south entrance just north of the Purgatory ski resort. Not much of a challenge for Dana and Sue, but it got me working!
Here is the intrepid trio on Old Lime Creek Road.
Dana picked this spot on the road a short distance above Lime Creek. It just happened to be the same spot I fished about a year ago. Got there via cage that time! The photog for this pic was a nice guy sighting in his rifle before a once in a lifetime sheep hunt. We wished him luck and moved on.
Here are Dana and Sue at another scenic stop.
That was enough for Sunday.
Monday was a trip to Handlebar Motorsports in Durango to get the chain adjusted. The bike has only 1400 miles on it and I had never had to adjust the chain. Turns out some gorilla had tightened the axel nut and a set of travel wrenches was not up to the task. Handlebar took me right in and got the nut free and chain adjusted. Thanks, guys! The rest of Monday was filled with spousal activities – everything has a price.
Tuesday was fishing day. I loaded up the bike and slipped off to fish the Animas just south of town. The gods were smiling, as I caught 50 rainbows.
Most were small stockers, with a fair number of 12 – 15” holdovers. Loads of fun that ended when I lost the only fly they were hitting on. Wrapped up the day attending a great concert featuring Dr. John at Fort Leisure, er, Fort Lewis College.
Wednesday morning was “change the tiny tank” day. Once I found the two bolts securing the seat (note to moron self, look in the owner’s manual), it was no problem swapping for a 4.7 gal Clarke tank. Spousal time again was a trip to Durango Mountain Resort (Purgatory) for a ride up the lift and a hike down the mountain. Sitting on a rock part way up the mountain and splitting a sandwich for lunch, we had scenery galore.
Dinner that night was at Dana and Sue’s. Great lasagna and libations, along with stimulating conversation. Dana was excited, as he had finished the project he was on and was ready for an early start to ride Cinnamon. Needless to say, I was excited too.
Thursday dawned clear and cool. I geared up and met up with Dana at 7:15. Dana is a type “A” bundle of energy, and never seems to slow down. He has a lot of on and off road experience and I hoped I could keep up and not make him regret dragging me along.
The run to Silverton was uneventful, and we topped off the tanks there. Dana elected to ride his stepdaughter’s DRZ, so he was saddled with a small tank. He also had a bright idea, that Engineer Pass was easier than Cinnamon, so he said let’s do both. Having left common sense back home, who was I to argue?
Off we went out of Silverton. As mentioned before, my off road experience is limited. I will, however, offer a shameless plug for a great DVD, put out by Dual Sport Riders called Dual Sport Riding Techniques.
http://www.dualsportriding.com/
This is a great DVD for beginning off-roaders, and was invaluable for getting me out and back in one piece.
As we made the climb, the scenery changed and kept me wrestling between sightseeing and staying on the road.
Here is the shy and reserved Dana at one of our (way too few for me) stops.
A little more of this white knuckle crap ………….
……….. and we were at the top of Engineer Pass.
The Alpine tundra is amazing.
Uh – oh! Only half way to the half way point.
Trying to get Dana to stop for a photo op is nearly impossible.
Having noticed an abnormal number of bikes on the road, Dana and I stopped and talked to a group. Turns out the Colorado 500 Invitational charity run was burning up the passes that day. There were 350 dualsporters out having a great time. Here is a link to the event:
http://colorado500.org/
I thought Dana might stop in Lake City for a cup of coffee and a slice of pie, but nooooooo. We blew through town and off we went to the start of Cinnamon Pass road.
These switchbacks nearly killed me. Here you can see Dana waiting for the idiot flatlander to traverse two switchbacks and catch up.
More fantastic scenery:
And finally:
As they say, from there it was all down hill. Back to Silverton and Durango for a celebration drink! I forgot to check my odometer until I was half way back to Durango, but I think it was about 77 miles roundtrip from Silverton through Lake City and back to Silverton. I now have a real admiration of you riders on big BMW’s and the like. I do not know how you wrestle those big bikes over those passes. I was fortunate not to fall, but there were three or four close calls. Dana wants to do some “hard passes” next time. I would gladly settle for doing these a little slower!
Friday I loaded the bike and drove to my now favorite fishing spot south of town. This time only (!!!) 44 fish, but a higher number of 12” – 14” fish.
Finally, out of the river and back for happy hour and a good dinner out, because Saturday was travel day. Having to go back to the heat of Texas was a bummer!
Well, Stromchrome was back in SW Colorado for a week of furious relaxation. Arrived in Durango late Saturday the 18th, got settled in and invited to the neighbor's for a little socialization and consumption of adult beverages. However, I first had to check the XR650L to see if it would start after an almost 3 month period of storage. I can happily report that the Harbor Freight cheep-o float charger worked like a champ, and the pig started right up.
Late Sunday morning I decided to call Dana, a nearby neighbor with a Strom. A while back when I first got my Strom, Dana flagged me down and informed me he had a DL1000 and could ride "anytime". Several planned rides were cancelled for weather, and we never got together. I now had to inform him that the Strom was back in Houston, but replaced with the XR. Well, he had to let me know that he just acquired a new '08 KLR and was in the middle of making it "rideable". Pro Taper type bars, stouter bark busters and progressive springs so far. A carbon fiber pipe and jet kit on order to get rid of the emissions restrictions. A really nice looking bike. He also traded his DL1000 for a new DL650 for the long trips he makes several times a year. Turns out he was getting ready to head north on the KLR to meet his wife, Sue, on her way back from Montrose on her DR650. Invitation accepted, and off we went towards Silverton. Weather - warm and sunny - another lousy day in paradise.
We passed Sue about three miles south of Silverton, and got her turned around so we could have lunch there. During lunch, I let both of them know I had limited off-road experience, but wanted to ride Cinnamon Pass while in town. Dana said he could probably get free on Thursday or Friday and would let me know. Sue, however, has a real job and would have to work. On the way back to Durango, they thought it would be a good idea to test my talents by taking a detour on Old Lime Creek Road. Old Lime Creek Road is an eleven mile detour off of Hwy 550, with the north entrance just south of Molas Pass, and the south entrance just north of the Purgatory ski resort. Not much of a challenge for Dana and Sue, but it got me working!
Here is the intrepid trio on Old Lime Creek Road.
Dana picked this spot on the road a short distance above Lime Creek. It just happened to be the same spot I fished about a year ago. Got there via cage that time! The photog for this pic was a nice guy sighting in his rifle before a once in a lifetime sheep hunt. We wished him luck and moved on.
Here are Dana and Sue at another scenic stop.
That was enough for Sunday.
Monday was a trip to Handlebar Motorsports in Durango to get the chain adjusted. The bike has only 1400 miles on it and I had never had to adjust the chain. Turns out some gorilla had tightened the axel nut and a set of travel wrenches was not up to the task. Handlebar took me right in and got the nut free and chain adjusted. Thanks, guys! The rest of Monday was filled with spousal activities – everything has a price.
Tuesday was fishing day. I loaded up the bike and slipped off to fish the Animas just south of town. The gods were smiling, as I caught 50 rainbows.
Most were small stockers, with a fair number of 12 – 15” holdovers. Loads of fun that ended when I lost the only fly they were hitting on. Wrapped up the day attending a great concert featuring Dr. John at Fort Leisure, er, Fort Lewis College.
Wednesday morning was “change the tiny tank” day. Once I found the two bolts securing the seat (note to moron self, look in the owner’s manual), it was no problem swapping for a 4.7 gal Clarke tank. Spousal time again was a trip to Durango Mountain Resort (Purgatory) for a ride up the lift and a hike down the mountain. Sitting on a rock part way up the mountain and splitting a sandwich for lunch, we had scenery galore.
Dinner that night was at Dana and Sue’s. Great lasagna and libations, along with stimulating conversation. Dana was excited, as he had finished the project he was on and was ready for an early start to ride Cinnamon. Needless to say, I was excited too.
Thursday dawned clear and cool. I geared up and met up with Dana at 7:15. Dana is a type “A” bundle of energy, and never seems to slow down. He has a lot of on and off road experience and I hoped I could keep up and not make him regret dragging me along.
The run to Silverton was uneventful, and we topped off the tanks there. Dana elected to ride his stepdaughter’s DRZ, so he was saddled with a small tank. He also had a bright idea, that Engineer Pass was easier than Cinnamon, so he said let’s do both. Having left common sense back home, who was I to argue?
Off we went out of Silverton. As mentioned before, my off road experience is limited. I will, however, offer a shameless plug for a great DVD, put out by Dual Sport Riders called Dual Sport Riding Techniques.
http://www.dualsportriding.com/
This is a great DVD for beginning off-roaders, and was invaluable for getting me out and back in one piece.
As we made the climb, the scenery changed and kept me wrestling between sightseeing and staying on the road.
Here is the shy and reserved Dana at one of our (way too few for me) stops.
A little more of this white knuckle crap ………….
……….. and we were at the top of Engineer Pass.
The Alpine tundra is amazing.
Uh – oh! Only half way to the half way point.
Trying to get Dana to stop for a photo op is nearly impossible.
Having noticed an abnormal number of bikes on the road, Dana and I stopped and talked to a group. Turns out the Colorado 500 Invitational charity run was burning up the passes that day. There were 350 dualsporters out having a great time. Here is a link to the event:
http://colorado500.org/
I thought Dana might stop in Lake City for a cup of coffee and a slice of pie, but nooooooo. We blew through town and off we went to the start of Cinnamon Pass road.
These switchbacks nearly killed me. Here you can see Dana waiting for the idiot flatlander to traverse two switchbacks and catch up.
More fantastic scenery:
And finally:
As they say, from there it was all down hill. Back to Silverton and Durango for a celebration drink! I forgot to check my odometer until I was half way back to Durango, but I think it was about 77 miles roundtrip from Silverton through Lake City and back to Silverton. I now have a real admiration of you riders on big BMW’s and the like. I do not know how you wrestle those big bikes over those passes. I was fortunate not to fall, but there were three or four close calls. Dana wants to do some “hard passes” next time. I would gladly settle for doing these a little slower!
Friday I loaded the bike and drove to my now favorite fishing spot south of town. This time only (!!!) 44 fish, but a higher number of 12” – 14” fish.
Finally, out of the river and back for happy hour and a good dinner out, because Saturday was travel day. Having to go back to the heat of Texas was a bummer!
RedPill
0
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- Gill
Wow, what a great trip! And the fishing sounds wonderful. Don't you just hate it when you lose the only thing the fish like to eat?
Good report and great pictures!
Good report and great pictures!
Great report! I was up there a week after you. I saw all the Colorado 500 folks, but didn't venture off the pavement. I'm still nervous abou it.
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- Friday
Awesome report!
I did Engineer's Pass on my 1150GS going from Lake City over to Silverton. The upside was not so bad. Coming down the Silverton side was a white knuckle ride! 
Unfortunately, I did not make the Cimmaron Pass run due to a slight highside on Owl Creek Pass 
I decided to call it a day and head back to the hotel... I have not been able to go back since (2005) on a lighter bike, but I am really looking forward to riding that area again on something lighter and smaller than the GS 
I did Engineer's Pass on my 1150GS going from Lake City over to Silverton. The upside was not so bad. Coming down the Silverton side was a white knuckle ride! Unfortunately, I did not make the Cimmaron Pass run due to a slight highside on Owl Creek Pass I decided to call it a day and head back to the hotel... I have not been able to go back since (2005) on a lighter bike, but I am really looking forward to riding that area again on something lighter and smaller than the GS 
Looks like you guys had a blast. SW Colorado is my favorite playground
- Joined
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Your report "The Tiger Goes to Colorado" was great! I am envious of your trip. You had a great plan, got good advice and adjusted accordingly. I am continually torn between on and off road. Both are fantastic! Ride safe.
Thank you very much for the compliment. I'd like to try some of the easier off road stuff, like some mild fire roads. I'm relatively new to riding, only about 10,000 miles. I hope to find a mentor with a similar bike at some point to "break me in."
Anyway, thanks again for the great report!
Clay
- Joined
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Sorry to keep the hugfest going, but I have been riding for less than a year and a half (ever). I owe my continuing joy in learning to ride all forms to - Terry (who is to blame for starting me riding - he is never without many bikes and his courage in overcoming great personal adversity is inspiring), Steve, a Harley guy with a knowlege of and love of all bikes who I rode 300+ miles with today, even in the rain, and Dana, my off road teacher in Colorado. Any good mentor will make you a better rider. I have been gifted with three fantastic mentors - hopefully more to come. I can only hope to return the favor someday by being a mentor to someone as they have been to me.
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- hirsch
Wow, Thanks for all the pictures. We camped outside of Ouray about 25 years ago, riding over the pass to Telluride and some of the other routes in the area. I was on a fairly new Husky 125. It was in September and the color of the Aspens was awesome. I need to dig out some of the pictures and scan them to post. I really need to get myself back up there very soon. RH