Colorado as seen by my two wheels...slow internez be afraid.

[UnoMOTO]

So,the last three weeks of my life have been some of the most stressful that I have ever had. Nothing cures what troubles me more then the curves of our beautiful mountain roads. Sit back and relax as the MOTO takes you along for the ride.


Up at 5:45 and pack everything up in the tank bag. My bag has this perfect spot for a map right up top.

The sun is not quite up yet but the tires are checked and the tank is full.

Trip counter says that we are at zero. How far will the MOTO go today?

On the way up I see this place that must be a real clean place to live.

Yeah, that's where I am headed.

If you hadn't been to Colorado you might not know that it isn't all mountains. Half the state is very flat and filled with farm land.

Up quickly in the hills I see this building. All I can say is redrum. Do you know the rest?

My first view of the top of the rockies.

It doesn't seem right that a car load of people is the same $20 that a motorcycle is to get into Rocky Mountain National Park. At least the ranger was the cutest thing you've ever seen with a smokey the bear hat.

Here we have a series that leads me up above timberline.

And here we are, no trees at this elevation. The lack of oxygen makes it impossible for them to grow.

That little line in the middle is the road cut into the hill.

wadda you lookin at?

Curves above 11,000 ft are sexy...no?

END Part one

 

[TB]

At least the ranger was the cutest thing you've ever seen with a smokey the bear hat.

I didn't think you were into guys.



I'm diggin' these photo travel threads. That said:

END Part one

Begin part two! BEGIN PART TWO!!!

 

[Philly]

Looks like Kyle started a little trend of people going off on excursions. I went on a little hike into the Olympics this weekend. I think you pretty consistently get pretty stunning views once you get above the tree line into the alpine climates. Not to mention that that climate is an awesome place to be in general.

Looking forward to part two!

 

[McLaren]

The road in the last 2 pictures looks like fantastic driving road for car or bike. 👍

 

[UnoMOTO]

begin Part two

Coming down the other side I see a sea of red trees. Thanks to the pine beetle we may be loosing ALL of the pine trees in colorado. No Joke, some say that in 10 to 15 years all of our pine trees will be gone.

Sometimes strait roads are beautiful too.

Me and my lady friend.

Grand Lake does look grand, don't you think?

Yes, we were just at the top of dem der mountains.

Many of the following will show how much things change with our landscape.

Bah...what tha?

Precpi...precpi...precpi...er..RAIN (porky PIG)

Where the F... did my pavement go? and yeah, thats the rain on the hill.

So I tried stopping for gas and this Corvette thing showed up. If my ass didn't hurt so much by now I would have actually tried to get better pics for you guys but I was just so pissed that they had the streets closed for these cagers.

Back out of the vette hell I head up the hill to the highest tunnel in the world If I can remember right.

And I was welcomed by this on the other side. The last sixty miles of my trip was done at about 25 mph.

How far did the MOTO go on this fine Sunday?

I love to stay and chat but my ass needs some Ice. Thanks for stoping by.

 

[Perfect Balance]

Yeah, a mountain road with enough grass on either side to give you space if something goes wrong.

EDIT: Wow, a whole update while I posted.

 

[Kylehnat]

Very nice! 👍. Climbing mountains is fun...as long as there is a twisty, paved road to the top .

 

[Loon]

Very nice man. You didn't ride with that bag up front the whole time did you? The lady in between the C4 and C6 is giving you a very stern look.

And why does the bike say it's 167 degrees?

 

[YSSMAN]

SANP! A 427 Edition Corvette! One in 427, very rare!

Otherwise, a wonderful trip. My ass would have killed me, but that's why I stick to four wheels. Beautiful scenery you've got out there...

 

[UnoMOTO]

Very nice man. You didn't ride with that bag up front the whole time did you? The lady in between the C4 and C6 is giving you a very stern look.

And why does the bike say it's 167 degrees?

The bag is made to fill the space between your arms. It doesn't affect my riding. Actually, I often lay on it to take to pressure of my wrists.

167 is the engine coolent temp. When running is hovers around 210.

Very nice! 👍. Climbing mountains is fun...as long as there is a twisty, paved road to the top .

I almost avoided dirt roads today.

Yeah, a mountain road with enough grass on either side to give you space if something goes wrong.

They all weren't like that today. The big drop off roads tend to not have any shoulders to pull off and take some pics.

I didn't think you were into guys.

I knew I should have taken HER pic.

The road in the last 2 pictures looks like fantastic driving road for car or bike. 👍

There were many better then that today but they are mostly hidden by trees.

 

[Loon]

The bag is made to fill the space between your arms. It doesn't affect my riding. Actually, I often lay on it to take to pressure of my wrists.

Looks like it'd take up a lot of the room that you'd otherwise use for tucking into the bike.

 

[UnoMOTO]

There isn't really a need for tucking while street riding. That said, triple digits do just fine with that tank bag.

 

[Touring Mars]

Wow, some fantastic shots there. And Jeremy Clarkson should take the Top Gear crew to some of those roads! I bet they are great to drive. Must be great being able to just jump on your bike and get out there... we have some beautiful parts of the country in Scotland, too, but without the necessary means to get there, I might as well still be in the East End of London

I've been lucky enough to spend a week in the Rocky Mountains - albeit at a conference (Snowmass Village, near Aspen) - but I still got into the mountains a couple of times and saw some amazing scenery. 👍

 

[ferrari_chris]

Thanks for sharing UnoMOTO.

 

[wfooshee]

You didn't ride with that bag up front the whole time did you?

Tank bags are great on a bike!!! Room for cameras, spare clothes, rainsuit, whatever. You'll note that he has very little cargo space on the R1 otherwise.

You can also get saddlebags that strap to the pillion, but if they're generic, i.e. not made for and fitted to the specific bike, they can flap around a bit, get straps in the wheel, yucky stuff like that.


Uno, I used to have family in Colorado Springs, and we'd get out there every 5 or 8 years. Never been on 2 wheels, but I sure hope to someday soon. Brings back memories of Pike's Peak, Royal Gorge, Mt. Evens, etc. My wife and my son got altitude sickness and were miserable anytime we went over 8000 feet! I did the "Dr. Science" thing for the kids with balloons, carried partially inflated balloons up the Pike's Peak road and watched them get bigger by themselves as we climbed. When we unpacked our lunch, 2 of the potato chip bags had exploded in the trunk of the car! Thanks for your trip report and the pics!

Loon, as for carrying stuff on a motorcycle, here's my bike loaded up for the AMA weekend last April, rode from Panama City to Gardendale, just north of Birmingham, where we had guest privilege at a friend's house, but not for the whole weekend, hence the tent and sleeping bag. The top case had my laptop and some loose clothes along with a small soft-side cooler folded up. The tank bag held more clothes, the right side case had rain gear and sweatshirts, and the left bag had my camera bag and shoes. Tent is a 10x12 cabin-style, too big, but the only tent I have. Garbage bag is to waterproof my sleeping bag, and the other bag on the seat is a folding chair.

Not a day trip, but a 5-day weekend.

 

[UnoMOTO]

Wow, some fantastic shots there. And Jeremy Clarkson should take the Top Gear crew to some of those roads! I bet they are great to drive. Must be great being able to just jump on your bike and get out there... we have some beautiful parts of the country in Scotland.

If you can imagine, the best roads that I traveled yesterday have no pics because who would dare ruin an awsome set of switch backs by stoping to take pics. wfooshee might relate to this but there are times that I am litterally yelling outloud in my helmet because I am having so much fun.

I see many beautiful pics of Scotland but most of the roads I ever see from there leave me less then impressed. Very narrow and full of sheep, slow moving vehicles and often bumpy looking.

Tank bags are great on a bike!!! Room for cameras, spare clothes, rainsuit, whatever. You'll note that he has very little cargo space on the R1 otherwise.

You should see that tank bag when I unzip the expansion part and really stuff it full.

Uno, I used to have family in Colorado Springs, and we'd get out there every 5 or 8 years. Never been on 2 wheels, but I sure hope to someday soon. Brings back memories of Pike's Peak, Royal Gorge, Mt. Evens, etc. My wife and my son got altitude sickness and were miserable anytime we went over 8000 feet!

I spent the first 18 years of my life in Colorado Springs so I'm with ya there. Every visit from the relatives ment a trip to all those typical spots. Flat landers and Pikes Peak all too often don't mix very well.

 

[opendriver]

Do you have a larger version of this? It would make a great wallpaper.


I think a 56K warning might be applicable to this thread too.

 

[UnoMOTO]

Do you have a larger version of this? It would make a great wallpaper.


I think a 56K warning might be applicable to this thread too.

I'll have to get back to you when I get home. The originals are there, and a warning has been issued.

 

[UnoMOTO]

Time to add some content to the trip.

Trail Ridge Road

Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park's heavily traveled highway to the sky, inspired awe before the first motorist ever traveled it. "It is hard to describe what a sensation this new road is going to make," predicted Horace Albright, director of the National Park Service, in 1931 during the road's construction. "You will have the whole sweep of the Rockies before you in all directions."

The next year, Rocky Mountain National Park's lofty wilderness interior was introduced to the first travelers along an auto route the Rocky Mountain News called a "scenic wonder road of the world."

Was all this just enthusiastic exaggeration? Hardly.

Covering the 48 miles between Estes Park on the park's east side and Grand Lake on the west, Trail Ridge Road more than lives up to its advanced billing. Eleven miles of this high highway travel above treeline, the elevation near 11,500 feet where the park's evergreen forests come to a halt. As it winds across the tundra's vastness to its high point at 12,183 feet elevation, Trail Ridge Road (U.S. 34) offers visitors thrilling views, wildlife sightings and spectacular alpine wildflower exhibitions, all from the comfort of their car.

Whether they begin their journey at Estes Park or Grand Lake, Trail Ridge Road travelers climb some 4,000 feet in a matter of minutes. The changes that occur en route are fascinating to observe. A drive that may begin in montane forests of aspen and ponderosa pine soon enters thick subalpine forests of fir and spruce. At treeline, the last stunted, wind-battered trees yield to the alpine tundra.

Up on that windswept alpine world, conditions resemble those found in the Canadian or Alaskan Arctic. It's normally windy and 20 to 30 degrees colder than Estes Park or Grand Lake. The sun beats down with high- ultraviolet intensity. The vistas, best enjoyed from one of several marked road pullovers, are extravagant, sweeping north to Wyoming, east across the Front Range cities and Great Plains, south and west into the heart of the Rockies.

But for all its harshness, the Trail Ridge tundra is a place of vibrant life and vivid colors. Pikas, marmots, ptarmigans and bighorn sheep are commonly seen. About 200 species of tiny alpine plants hug the ground. Despite a growing season that may last just 40 days, many bloom exuberantly, adorning the green summer tundra with swatches of yellow, red, pink, blue, purple and white. All are seen from the Tundra World Nature Trail, a half- hour walk beginning near the parking area at Rock Cut.

Most Trail Ridge Road travelers drive to treeline with a certain amount of urgency. They are advised not to ignore all that awaits in the verdant country below the alpine tundra. Forested moraines, great heaps of earth and rock debris left behind by melting Ice Age glaciers, rise above lush mountain meadows. The Continental Divide, where streamflows are separated east from west, is crossed at Milner Pass, located at a surprisingly low 10,120 feet elevation. Moose munch greenery in the upper reaches of the Colorado River, which flows through the scenic Kawuneeche Valley. Grazing elk greet sunrise and sunset in many of the forest-rimmed meadows found around the park.

At all elevations, the drive on Trail Ridge Road is a memorable adventure. Put aside at least a half day for the trip. Longer, if possible. The experience, as Horace Albright suggested more than a half century ago, is hard to describe.