Motorcycle tour of Colorado

[Bob W]

Each year, for three years now, I travel in early June to Colorado. Meet up with a few friends, ride together for a couple of days, then take off for a couple of days of solo touring. Here are some random photos from this year's trip:

Still in New Mexico, between Tres Piedres and Tierra Amarilla. The cliff in the background is the oldest exposed rock formation in New Mexico:

View from Molas Pass:

Black Canyon of the Gunnison. For scale reference, check out the highway cut on the hill in the background.

Congested highway near Spring Creek Pass:

Slumgullion Pass:

McClure Pass:

Hoosier Pass:

 

[shaldag]

Dang- that looks like fun. I'm jealous--those pics bring back lots of memories.

In a year or 2, I plan to take the family driving all over the back roads of Colorado.

 

[k5blazer]

Wow! I was just there last week.

 

[Bob W]

Back in June it seemed that the tourist traffic was lighter than usual - more motorcycles than RVs. But as summer progressed it seemed that people became accustomed to the higher gas prices and there was as much traffic as ever. Glad I went in June...

Early Fall is a great time too, after school restarts. But weather can be an issue, even in the Southern Rockies. I remember my first overnight ride ever, to Salida in September, 2004. Hit cold rain and snow on top of Monarch Pass.

New Mexico in the Fall is a great option. Avoid the Colorado congestion and limit the possibility of snowy roads.

Wow! I was just there last week.

Where'd you go?

 

[Trent Rock]

I love the Tres Piedras area!!
Nice pics!! and I dig the old skool whitewall tires too...

This is a pretty good book====>
http://www.amazon.com/Tierra-Amarilla-Stories-Mexico-Cuentos/dp/0826314384

 

[k5blazer]

Went and spent some time in Creede, Lake City, Gunnison, Pagosa Springs,the Great Dunes and Taos. Passed through Tres Piedras on the way up. Such a relief from the heat in southern NM. Las year we took our motorcycles form Las Cruces up through Chama over Cumbres Pass and back down to Taos. Great ride.

 

[Bob W]

Las year we took our motorcycles form Las Cruces up through Chama over Cumbres Pass...

From a past year's ride:

Taos is a congested craphole, but you have to pass through to get anywhere else.

If you're back this way again, there are some great riding roads in Northern New Mexico. That stretch from Tres Piedres to Tierra Amarilla is a favorite of mine. Red River to Eagle Nest Lake is a good one, as well as Cimarron Canyon. Near Raton, check out Hwy 555 that is a 38-mile dead-end paved road to the closed coal mine. And Hwy 72 over Johnson Mesa is a lonely scenic road.

Such a relief from the heat in southern NM.

Tell me about it - I spent a summer working outdoors in the desert near Hobbs. Days that were only 95 degrees felt nice!

I also had a great time one Fall riding from Raton - Ruidoso - Carlsbad, and back up the far eastern edge of the state.

Silver City is on my to-do list. Any good Fall riding roads down there, scenic and no traffic?

 

[Trent Rock]

HiWay 17!!!
La Manga Pass?
You went right by house

Bikers always stop by my house for some reason

I haven't fished La Manga Pass in years
I used to pull out about 30 brook trout a day when I was a kid
Young Trent never saw a game warden either :thumbup:
Then my dad would cook them that night in his cast iron pan on his green 1960's 2- burner Coleman stove (I still got it too!! works fine!! I actually like PUMPING the gas...old skool!!)
There was no variation to the recipe either
Through out the years
Always the same
Flour, pepper, and LARD....

Here is one of my CTSRR pics===>

 

[Bob W]

Here is one of my CTSRR pics===>

That looks like the station at Antonito.

For our honeymoon, Wife and I stayed in Chama at a B&B and rode the Cumbres Toltec. It was a cold Fall day and when the train got to the sagebrush flats, I was the only one still standing outside. Wouldn't have missed the sagebrush for the world!

Bikers always stop by my house for some reason

What do they want, your women?

 

[T.K.C.]

GREAT pix!!! Thanks for sharing. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

 

[k5blazer]

"Taos is a congested craphole, but you have to pass through to get anywhere else."

How true! Almost fell out of my chair laughing! Some of the worst drivers I have ever seen.

If you are coming down from the north to Silver City, at Socorro take 60 west to Quemado. Take 32 south to 12 and then on to Reserve. From Reserver take 180 south to Silver City. From Silver City you can take 15 north to go up to the Gila Cliff dwellings. Coming back down 15 take 35 to Mimbres and then 152 over Emory Pass to Hillbsboro and back to I-25.

Have fun!

 

[k5blazer]

Here is my picture at Cumbres pass. We had a great time going through there. Will have to stop by next time through.

 

[Bob W]

That's a beautiful motorcycle. Kawasaki Nomad?

If you are coming down from the north to Silver City, at Socorro take 60 west to Quemado. Take 32 south to 12 and then on to Reserve. From Reserver take 180 south to Silver City. From Silver City you can take 15 north to go up to the Gila Cliff dwellings. Coming back down 15 take 35 to Mimbres and then 152 over Emory Pass to Hillbsboro and back to I-25.

Checking this on the map right now and making a note. Thanks!

 

[k5blazer]

Thanks. It is a 2007 Nomad. Hope the directions came out okay.