Looking at Colorado Map there seems to be an unpaved road between

[Bud]

Gunnison and the south end of Paonia State Park.

 

Anyone have local knowledge about the road and if I could ride my K1100LT on it w/o major difficulity?

[DavidEBSmith]

The road from Paonia to Crested Butte that runs over Kebler Pass? If it's not wet, it's very doable. It's unpaved, but it's a pretty good unpaved road. Trucks use it as a short cut, so it's pretty well packed down. But that also means you have to be on the lookout for trucks coming around the corners at high speeds. As well as deer and cattle.

[JB80120]

Bud,

 

E.B.'s post is correct. I would just add that if it continues to be dry out here, as it has been all this month, that 40-mile dirt road will be VERY dusty. We're talking about talcum powder dust!!! You'll want to find someplace to wash the bike at the end of the ride.

 

It's a pretty ride though. Lots of aspen stands with their leaves fluttering in the slightest breeze. I don't get too worried about animals (cattle are more likely to be encountered than deer or elk) as the usual speed is fairly low. Cars and trucks are a different matter and I don't recommend taking liberties with your side of the road on any of the tight turns where you can't see up ahead. I'm not trying to talk you out of this ride. I've done it a few times - even 2-up on the RT. I'm just setting your expectations a bit.

[DouglasR]

I did Kebler on my RT two years ago, it's mag-chlorided so it isn't even dusty. I think in the entire ride from Crested Butte to Paonia I saw about five cars, and if I remember correctly it's about 35 miles one way:

 

 

This was a few days before the Top of the Rockies Rally at Paonia, and there were already some hard-cores there camping and drinking! It was HOT, mid-90's. I stopped and blabbed with them for a while, then rode the North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River back to Blue Mesa Reservoir and Gunnison. In the ride along the Rim I saw three cars and 4.76 million deer , but it was OUTSTANDING and the asphalt was brand new for almost the entire way!

 

 

I'm bringing the GS this year so I can explore some more of the dirtier dirt roads! I had it out playing in the dirt this weekend and doing the pre-flight checks, the roads around home are drying out nicely!

 

 

I can't wait!

[Bud]

 

I hope you are not both talking about the same road:

 

 

"I would just add that if it continues to be dry out here, as it has been all this month, that 40-mile dirt road will be VERY dusty. We're talking about talcum powder dust!!! You'll want to find someplace to wash the bike at the end of the ride."

 

" I did Kebler on my RT two years ago, it's mag-chlorided so it isn't even dusty."

[Mike O]

 

I hope you are not both talking about the same road:

 

Bud,

 

None of us will know WHAT this road is like until a few days before the rally. Conditions change in the area frequently.

 

Yes, it's been dry here...and yes, the road is generally well maintained.

 

Regards,

 

Mike O

[DouglasR]

Maybe we're confusing Kebler Pass with Ohio Pass?? Ohio Pass leaves Gunnison and goes up Ohio Creek, over it's pass, then joins Kebler a few miles west of Crested Butte. Ohio Pass Road is all loose gravel and dusty as hell, they don't maintain it as well as Kebler because Kebler gets the vast majority of traffic. I've been over Kebler many times in a car and the one time on the RT and it was in great shape all times. My first photo above is Kebler Pass looking toward the Paonia side in early July, just a few weeks from the time of the UnRally, and it was in GREAT shape.

 

Let's go see!

 

Now this was "bull dust" and loose rocks, red silt that was about four inches thick, tough conditions. It's in Red Canyon (cool name, huh?) above Lander:

 

 

I'm getting excited, boys....

[Paul Mihalka]

Talking of dirt roads: How is the road from top of Cottonwood Pass down toward Crested Butte/Gunnison?

[Bart Anderson]

I did Kebler during Un-1, it was very dry and I don't remember the dust bothering me.

 

Speaking of dry...this was Lost Lake that year. It really was lost!

[DavidEBSmith]

Kebler Pass Road.

 

Ohio Pass Road.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Talking of dirt roads: How is the road from top of Cottonwood Pass down toward Crested Butte/Gunnison?

 

Did that four years ago on the way to the first Unrally. Nice paved road all the way from Buena Vista up to the pass, including some fun switchbacks and twisties.

 

The dirt road west of the pass was nicely graded when Carl and I rode through. Some tight switchback sections early on (close to the pass), but soon it opened up to longer straight stretches where we felt comfortable going 40+ mph or so. A lot of it, though, probably upwards of thirty miles of dirt roads.

 

Gunnison Chamber of Commerce (or maybe Buena Vista CoC?) might know who you can call for exact information on the current condition of that stretch of road. Maybe Colorado DoT?

[eakins]

Gunnison and the south end of Paonia State Park.

 

Anyone have local knowledge about the road and if I could ride my K1100LT on it w/o major difficulity?

should be fine. riding from paonia to crested is easier as it's more up that direction.

[eakins]

Talking of dirt roads: How is the road from top of Cottonwood Pass down toward Crested Butte/Gunnison?

again riding from gunnison towards buena vista is easier as it is up & then down the paved side.