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Placing Yourself In the Saddle Right Here

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sfarson:
Rode 100 miles to meet others for lunch in Guffey, CO.  On the return I chose a different route (you all can probably relate to this) and this meant riding north on a road I typically ride south on.  I was reminded how different the "texture" of a ride can be by simply riding a road in a different direction.  Is this true for any of your in-the-vicinity rides? 

So I'm struck by the setting and pull over at the top of modest Currant Creek Pass.  No one coming or going.  I hang around for about ten minutes, alone, then hear the rumble in the distance.  I fish my Droid phone out of the pocket to take a pic.  This is where you can place yourself.  Can see the empty winding road in the distance...


You know, while Currant Creek Pass on Colorado 9 south of Hartsel isn't that high in elevation, it is an example that pass elevation quantity does not necessarily equate to pass riding quality.  Yes?  So a descent is made and I have to pull over for a sight the Ute Indians would behold in this area 170 years ago.  I'm not sure anything has changed since then while looking this direction.  No sign of man made intervention.  Looks like it was a good year to have some offspring...


Just a little further and I pass this tree.  I ride a little further.  OK, I have to turn around.  What a valiant effort to survive alone in these high and windswept meadows of South Park.  From the scraped and thinned bark, possibly it was the bison it couldn't overcome.  Not a whole lot has changed this direction either.  I wait for the clouds to part...


OK, I wasn't on the Street Glide, but there is a lot of shared genetic material here!...

Ken R:
Steve, I just got back from a Colorado trip.  One of the routes we took was the typical Durango, Silverton, Ouray highway.  As usual, it was astounding.  (I've done it several times).  But instead of backtracking all the way back to Durango, we decided to keep heading north and turn left in Ridgeway.  Our hotel was in Cortez, it seemed like the quickest way home and the Sun was getting low in the afternoon. 
 
Oh my gosh!  I was expecting a boring semi-desert ride.  Instead we got one of the most beautiful rides I've ever done.  There were a couple or three highways involved.  I saw the sign to go to Telluride, but it was too late in the day to take it.  But how could anyting top the ride along the back side of the Million Dollar Highway mountains?  One of the 12,000+ ft peaks rose right from the shoulder of the road, maybe 4,000 feet almost straight up!  The aspen groves were like carpet . . . acres and acres of Aspen, whole mountains covered.  I'll bet it's a sight in October!
 
So I gotta get my copy of your book and see what you say about the route we took from Ridgeway to Cortez via Dolores.
 
Ken

sfarson:
Ken... Was wondering about your June trip through CO!  You rode the northern and western sides of the San Juan Skyway "rectangle".  Much less traffic than the Million Dollar east side, and still, stupendous views.  Wilson Peak near Telluride is huge and majestic at 14,017ft.  Lizard Head Pass just south of Telluride is incredible.  Next time, reverse the direction and head north out of Cortez/Dolores.  It is even better.  Scenes like this are over your handlebars versus in your mirrors. Glad you had a great ride.

Steve

Ken R:
Yeah, I missed that view.  There were a lot of 'em in front of me but like you say, reverse the direction and routes become totally different ride.  I will definitely do that again, backwards and visit Telluride on the way, too.  I think it was only a few miles from where we turned right to get back to Cortez.
 
Lizard Head Pass.  I remember it well.  We were in the shadows of the mountains to the west.  It kept getting colder and colder and colder.  I only had a short sleeve shirt on under my breathing riding jacket.  Didn't realize that we'd climed to over 10,000 feet.  Checked the Zumo.  Oh gosh . . . . no wonder I'm freezing!  We were 2 miles higher in the sky than here at home! 
 
Ken
 
 

sfarson:
Ken, How was your ERG Colorado tour?  Were you affected by the fire up north?

Steve

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