Salida, Colorado

[roadscholar]

Salida sits at the south end of a long increasingly wide valley thru which runs the Arkansas River. Locals refer to it as the banana belt for it's moderate Winter temps. It's small enough to have a somewhat intimate but casual downtown area, with some decent nightlife and a selection of good to excellent restaurants. It's also big enough to have a wide variety of thriving daytime business and self-supporting economy, not to mention a Walmart Super Center.

 

Poncha Springs is 5 miles to the west at the intersection of US50 and US285. Riding from the South up 285 you'd cross 9000' Poncha Pass and have this view a couple miles out.

 

 

Coming from the West on 50 you'll crest 11,300' Monarch Pass and see this. And in the unlikely event you ran out of gas here you could coast the 20 or so miles into town.

 

 

Check your mirrors for these because objects may be approaching quicker than they appear : ) (lawnchairboy and dhanson)

 

 

 

If your traveling up Interstate 25 from points Southeast I would personally exit at Walsenburg and take the Hwy. 69 shortcut to US50. For about 60 miles the majestic Sangre de Cristo range will be on your left.

 

 

And then finish off with Hwy. 50 west thru the Arkansas' canyon.

 

 

If from I-70 to the North you could come over Independence Pass on 82 to Twin Lakes.

 

 

 

Or Tennessee Pass on 24 and thru Leadville.

 

 

 

 

Or Fremont Pass on 91, Hoosier Pass on 9, Kenosha Pass on 285, or if your Randy you could just ride 24 over from Colorado Springs.

 

Sorry no pics of those but if someone else does or really of anything in the area feel free to post (paging sfarson) : )

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lawnchairboy]

second the recommendation on Hwy 69.

 

 

 

can't wait to get out there again.

[randy]

so I am flying out to visit my son in Fort Collins, CO. I will be leaving Fort Collins Co around 2pm on Saturday July 21. I will spend saturday until 6pm, 9am - 5pm Sunday and 9am - 3pm (or around that time) getting to Salida, Co. Coming back I have to leave Thursday morning around 9am and be back in Fort Collins by 3pm. So coming back is just fastet route. I fly out Thursday night to LA for Laguna Seca Moto GP that weekend

 

Soooooooooooooo suggested route for the Saturday sunday monday trip from Fort Collins to Salida.

[dhanson]

Beautiful sights Bill! Can't wait to get back there to ride, and show Jean around the town.

 

P.S. I have new springs in forks and tuning, just ordered new shock spring. I love modding bikes to make them personal.

[Kathy R]

Wow, thanks Bill! Terrific to see the lay of the land.

 

You are just too good with a camera in your clutch hand!

[roadscholar]

Chris, tough choice on the bikes. You can cover a lot of miles on the RT but you can gain a lot of altitude on the DR : ), having both would be nice. Might want to think about a trailer, or just back that truck down into a ditch and ride the RT and DR in the back. But as it gets closer let's talk, may have another option like before.

 

Dave, glad to hear the tuning fork, er fork tuning, whatever : ), is getting dialed in. You weren't doing too bad the way it was, it was fun watching you get that big puppy crossed up a few times then recover.

 

 

Thanks Kathy, this was one of the uh, more exciting times. The little spitting, popping DR in 1st gear at 6000 rpm was a bit of a handful, I think Colette was happy when it was over.

 

 

 

 

[Whip]

Chris

 

Or you could get a 950/990 adventure and leave the trailer at home.

 

 

[lawnchairboy]

it is only a matter of time...

[roadscholar]

so I am flying out to visit my son in Fort Collins, CO. I will be leaving Fort Collins Co around 2pm on Saturday July 21. I will spend saturday until 6pm, 9am - 5pm Sunday and 9am - 3pm (or around that time) getting to Salida, Co. Coming back I have to leave Thursday morning around 9am and be back in Fort Collins by 3pm. So coming back is just fastet route. I fly out Thursday night to LA for Laguna Seca Moto GP that weekend

 

Soooooooooooooo suggested route for the Saturday sunday monday trip from Fort Collins to Salida.

 

Assuming you'll be riding a road bike, and there are others much more familiar with the area than me, here's what I might look at.

 

Head west out of Fort Collins on 14 thru Poudre Canyon to Walden then south on 125 to Granby, probably 3.5 to 4 hours if you don't stop too much. Granby seems to be getting built up, probably because it's the back door to Estes Park so I'm sure there are restaurants and motels to choose from. Walden could be a little iffy on a Saturday night w/o a res. I'd try to avoid Steamboat Springs too, always busy and therefore pricey.

 

Sunday might be the most crowded day but head over Trail Ridge on 34, then down 7/72/119 to I-70. From there lots of options. You could exit at Georgetown and go south over Guanella Pass, I hear it's mostly paved now with only a mile or so of gravel, but check. Or you could exit at US 6 and ride over Loveland Pass.

 

 

 

Then you could ride down 9 or 91 to Leadville. From there I'd go south and hang a right on 82 all the way to Carbondale, then left on 133 and left on 92 down to 50 and west to Montrose or maybe Ridgeway or Ouray for the night down 550. On Monday south to Durango, east on 160 to South Fork and if time allows left on 149 back thru Gunnison to Salida.

 

But again, the locals will know all the smalller roads and really good stuff so we'll see.

 

 

 

[randy]

yes I had considered bringing my GS450x and the tuono and doing some off road and street riding. I may still do that, if so I would traier to salida saturday morning (fastest route) then base out of salida for Sat - Thurs then trailer back to Fort Collins.

 

however this specific question was the option of only having my Tuono in Fort collins. So your assumption of street riding was correct. On the other had if it is not too bad a short section of gravel to get in some great roads and views, it is not a big deal to me. But remember I ride a 2007 Aprilla Tuono not a GS :-)

[randy]

ok so I plotted that route 1,000 miles in three days. somewhat aggressive as I like to take pictures and breaks, but douable. So my question is WHAT do I ride on Tuesday and Wednesday :-)

 

It looks like this route covers about all the great roads.

 

Never mind I am sure the locals will have many more roads for me to ride on tuesday and wednesday.

[roadscholar]

You're right it would require a hurried pace. Try this, scratch Guanella Pass and after Loveland Pass take 91 (Fremont Pass) or 24 (Tennessee Pass) south of Leadville, turn west on 82 and then call it a day at the Twin Lakes Lodge, nice little place that serves meals with a wine selection.

 

 

On Monday do the 133, 92 loop then turn east on 50 back to Salida.

 

The next several days you can do the 550, 160 loop and the 149 loop (Silver Thread). Plus there's a lot of good stuff between Buena Vista and Colorado Springs, but I haven't been over there yet. Again, I'll recommend 'Motorcycling Colorado' by Steve Farson, it covers about everything.

[Huzband]

Bill, stop posting pictures. A guy can take only so much.

[roadscholar]

It's a subversive plot Danny, sounds like you're starting to waver a little.

 

 

Resistance is futile.

[dhanson]

Jean is shopping panniers and rack for the little 696. Not an easy task, only one rack that I know of, and several soft bags, but they wait till you order before they make them. LOL

[eddd]

Wow, thanks Bill! Terrific to see the lay of the land.

 

You are just too good with a camera in your clutch hand!

 

Bill takes way better pics on the the fly then I take standing still.

[roadscholar]

Going downtown.

 

 

 

 

 

Looking West

 

 

 

South

 

 

and North

 

 

[roadscholar]

Dave, how about a Givi plate, they cover a wide range of bikes.

 

Edd, it's an easy formula. Take a lot and hope a few turn out : )

[dhanson]

She doesn't like the top case, but did go with givi racks. Not sure which bags yet.

[roadscholar]

OK, getting back to some of the roads and scenery around Salida.

 

Simply because of the rugged terrain, geography, and seasonal usage, there really aren't an abundance of paved roads crisscrossing all over the central Rockies, as you'd find say in the Eastern ranges. There are certainly enough to keep a rider busy for days and even weeks, but because 'most' of the paved roads in Colorado's mountains are legible on any average state map, I'll concentrate on some that aren't paved. Many of them are maintained 2-lanes and navigable on big adventure bikes and yes, fully faired touring bikes, particularly those with horizontally-opposed engines : ) The beauty of these roads is they get you away from the traffic corridors and into the middle of nature, and there is plenty of it for the viewing. Not saying paved routes are lacking, and there is amazing scenery fanning out in every direction from Salida, but on these roads it's just closer and a little more concentated.

 

Some of the roads are laid on old railroad beds and one is an old stage coach route. I'll start with the ones in best condition and easiest ridden and let it all head downhill from there : ) (actually in this case it's up). I've devised a rating system from 1 to 5 for level of difficulty, 1 and 2 being easiest and certainly rideable on a big bike. Obviously this is subjective but I really believe it'll accomodate an average rider of this group. A rating of 3 or 4 will require a GS type bike or dualsport and rider with some or more off-road experience. A 5 requires a lightweight dualsport and a good bit of experience. I try to avoid 5's (and 6's and 7's, oh it goes all the way to 10 : )) I'm sending UN-meister Randy some GPS files of day routes utilizing a lot of these roads and after each pass or road name in the title will be the rating number in parenthesis.

 

A few of the roads have already been mentioned in the Ophir, Colorado thread but some of those are quite a ways from Salida and could require more than a day trip.

 

http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=757621&page=1

 

Will pick up from there and base the rest out of Salida.

 

 

 

 

[roadscholar]

One of the more scenic rides is close by and just a few miles south of the 50/285 intersection, a turn west on FR200 will take you over Marshall Pass, becoming FR243 and emptying out on 50 at Sargents where you'll find the Tomichi Cr. Trading Post with gas, various stuff, and a cafe. I'd rate Marshall Pass Rd. as a 1. For more of a challenge on a dual-sport, FR203 is a two-track that parallels the main road along a creek bed to the top of the pass, call it a 3. (no pics of it).

 

 

Up and around O'Haver Lake with the Sangre de Cristos in the background.

 

 

Further up, Mt. Ouray (just shy of being a fourteener) comes into view.

 

 

 

We've taken this route several times over the last few years and while it is nice, this past Fall we rode Marshall Pass in the opposite direction (W to E) and maybe it was that particular day, but I really think it's more scenic in that direction. So let's start again from Salida and do a loop that ends up going over Marshall from the West.

 

I've managed to find and ride a lot of these roads on my own (a few with the help of a local I'll mention later) but have since discovered Steve Farson's wonderful book which has provided a much appreciated in-depth and historical context to several of them, thank you Steve.

 

 

Heading west on 50 only a few miles from the top of Monarch Pass turn right onto Old Monarch Pass Rd., FR237.

 

 

 

The surface of this road is in the 1 category but because it has a couple switchbacks and is a little steeper (only slightly) in places it'll be a 1.5 or 2.

 

 

The payoff is the view from atop the Continental Divide, looking toward Crested Butte.

 

 

 

OK I know what you're thinking, "well he's riding a lightweight dualsport, big whoopee"! Alright one, we were two-up, two, the first time I didn't know what to expect, and three, we were on our way somewhere else, take your pick.

 

Coming down the other side and re: the switchbacks I mentioned. A friend who spends a lot of time there told me Aspen groves have a common root system, it sure appears so. At the bottom turn left at the T and it's paved out to Sargents on 50.

 

 

 

 

Next up, heading west back over Marshall Pass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[roadscholar]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Ouray

 

As you may know Chief Ouray has a town named after him in SW Colorado. He also has a mountain named in his honor just outside Salida.

 

Click to enlarge the 1899 picture that looks down on Marshall Pass.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ouray

 

 

For four days prior Colette and I had been dualsport riding on some of the dirt roads and passes around Salida, the most recent being a sizable loop with dhanson and lawnchairboy in tow. I think Chris referred to it as his best riding day ever : ), surely an exageration, but a nice route nonetheless, and so far my favorite.

 

But today I wanted to cover some westerly ground on pavement and once past Gunnison either take 92 to Crawford which is considered one of Colorado's finest stretches of asphalt, or maybe shoot for the 141 loop thru Gateway to give Colette a glimpse of how Colorado transitions into Utah, the beautiful sight that it is.

 

Once down the western slope of Monarch Pass though, near the Tomichi Creek Trading Post, the bike inexplicably hung a sharp left onto a forest road with almost no warning, as though a mind of it's own : ) I guess I had been a little curious to find out if the Wee-ster had any dirt cred whatsoever, or was really just a streetbike with poseur tendencies. That and the fact that, sadly I've become bored with riding on pavement, at least in this environment. And too, over the years I've learned to just sit back and follow the handlebars, instead of having a rigid plan, with so far about a 90% success rate. Luckily my traveling companion is always up for the adventure, a freedom that's hard to quantify.

 

On the west side it's FR243 then turns to 200 near the top of Marshall Pass. It's a maintained and smooth dirt road (1) and the WeeStrom took it all in stride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm still not sure if this is a great road or whether it was just one of those kind of days, may have to go back and check .

 

 

 

Climbing...

 

 

Mt. Ouray

 

 

Colorado skies are some of the best.

 

 

Nice trees too.

 

 

 

 

Locals

 

 

The Chief.

 

 

 

 

 

The Sangre de Cristos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dhanson]

I recognize those 3 mule deer! Lawnchairboy never exaggerates, lots of good memories in those trails.

[TEWKS]

Your pics deserve more drool but, short notice and all! Nice!

 

Pat

[Kathy R]

The photos are gorgeous. Thanks so very much, Bill.

[beemerboy]

The photos are gorgeous. Thanks so very much, Bill.

 

And it's all but a few hours ride from my home .

[roadscholar]

I recognize those 3 mule deer!

You know I almost believe that...

 

 

OK let's say you're in Salida and wanted to get to Lake City to maybe ride some of the Alpine Loop (4.5?).

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_Loop_National_Back_Country_Byway

 

Here is a fun and scenic route that's more direct than others, much of it over an old stage coach route.

 

10 or 15 miles west of Sargents on US50 is Doyleville, not really a town just a place, and with no fuel. Turn left (it's obvious) and follow it over a low ridge to Hwy. 114.

 

 

Go left on 114 a mile or so then turn right on NN14 and another right on KK14. This goes over Los Pinos Pass and becomes FR788 emptying out on Hwy. 149 a little east of Lake City. Don't know the mileaqe but you could look on Google Map and get an idea. There's no gas between Sargents and Lake City.

 

 

This is near the top in late October, shouldn't look this way in July.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two big horn sheep were in the road when we rounded the bend and hopped up on this wall, see them?

 

 

 

Lake San Cristobal just outside Lake City.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[OoPEZoO]

Oh, this is going to be fun!

[dhanson]

Nice, on the sheep!

[Paul Mihalka]

Bill's (Roadscholar) pictures from Colorado are absolutely beautiful - but let me assure the non-dirt riders: Colorado is just as beautiful from paved roads!

[TyTass]

Wow! On the pics. I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait! Jeez I hope I can go!

[hopz]

Dont they have any paved roads there?

[OoPEZoO]

Dont they have any paved roads there?

 

Here ya go.....enjoy

 

[Paul Mihalka]

Dont they have any paved roads there?

 

Yes they have:

 

 

 

[JustJean]

You have to admit tho, some of those flat dirt roads are doable looking!!

[Whip]

Dont they have any paved roads there?

 

Here ya go.....enjoy

 

 

Lots of paved roads missing on that map.

 

 

[Endobob]

You have to admit tho, some of those flat dirt roads are doable looking!!

 

Must admit that my KRS sometimes thinks it is a GS.

 

Have enjoyed many a ride down so called "fire roads". A few I should not have attempted that required some time to repair both the bike and my body.

[Kathy R]

You come across some real interesting bikes in Colorado

 

 

 

 

 

[Endobob]

You come across some real interesting bikes in Colorado

 

 

 

 

 

It is certainly interesting!

 

I have heard motorcycle friends speak of long days in the "saddle" but never thought this is what they may have been talking about.

 

Do you know if the extended pipe is a "muffler" pipe or some part of the frame or luggage mounting?

[Kathy R]

I had just woken from a quick nap and saw him about 100 yards away on the other side of the parking lot. I think I remember the exhaust was on the right side. Not sure what that pipe was. He had a cane and maybe it was the holder? I didn't take a photo of him, as he had some kind of disease that disfigures the face, and I wanted to be polite. He was just happy that I wasn't afraid of him. When I saw the seat I had to stop and talk to him.

 

Every time I am in Colorado I meet very interesting people. I am very eager to be there again this year.

[roadscholar]

You have to admit tho, some of those flat dirt roads are doable looking!!

 

That is a great attitude, and it's why I'm posting pictures of them. Kebler, Marshall, Owl Creek, and Cottonwood Passes are easily doable on a streetbike, and probably a few others too. Then there are others that require a more focused bike and Some experience.

 

I remember Kathy getting on a dualsport and riding all day on forest roads in the North Carolina mountains, with little prior experience, and having a great time. Colorado has some breathtaking scenery whether you're on road or off, but those places above can get you off the beaten path w/o having to worry about off-road conditions, they're basically like riding on a lousy paved road.

 

And for you hotdogs, here: The first 3 or 4 minutes will suffice.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whjviUck9G0

 

[Endobob]

He was just happy that I wasn't afraid of him. When I saw the seat I had to stop and talk to him.

 

Every time I am in Colorado I meet very interesting people. I am very eager to be there again this year.

 

I can't imagine you being afraid of anyone and must assume you gave him a big hug.

 

I too am eager to be back in Colorado and I'm looking forward to my hug!

[Kathy R]

Bill, you are right, I was having TOO MUCH FUN

 

I'd be comfortable riding my old RT on the roads you've shown in CO. Heck, I'm going to be crying that I'm not riding my old RT, or any bike, on those roads. I promise to pull the Buick to the side and let you all pass.

[mrzoom]

Hum, Ride to Denver leave the RT at a dealer for service and talk them into a GS loaner for a few days.

[beemerboy]

Bill, you are right, I was having TOO MUCH FUN

 

I'd be comfortable riding my old RT on the roads you've shown in CO. Heck, I'm going to be crying that I'm not riding my old RT, or any bike, on those roads. I promise to pull the Buick to the side and let you all pass.

 

What about riding pillion?

[Kathy R]

 

What about riding pillion?

 

Not ruling it out, but I will have a four legged companion along. Might get crowded.

[beemerboy]

 

What about riding pillion?

 

Not ruling it out, but I will have a four legged companion along. Might get crowded.

 

Then we'll have to arrange for a volunteer to take the pup out for an extended walk while "mom" goes for a ride.

[Burt]

And for you hotdogs, here: The first 3 or 4 minutes will suffice.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whjviUck9G0

I saw that in the theater when it first came out. I enjoy it just a much now as I did then.

[roadscholar]

Hum, Ride to Denver leave the RT at a dealer for service and talk them into a GS loaner for a few days.

 

I'd expect Front Range dealers are onto that one by now!

[roadscholar]

 

What about riding pillion?

 

Not ruling it out, but I will have a four legged companion along. Might get crowded.

 

Then we'll have to arrange for a volunteer to take the pup out for an extended walk while "mom" goes for a ride.

 

Good plan Randy.