Day 7 - The climb up Mount Evans, The Highest Paved Road in North America

Ride log for Saturday, August 21, 2010

Today we woke up to a crisp 55 degrees in Buena Vista. And I'm happy to report that the Great Western Sumac Lodge provided a surprisingly quiet and comfortable night's sleep. And since there was no free hot breakfast as there was at our previous hotels, we instead chose to enjoy a package of cinnamon rolls from the neighboring King Soopers and 7-11 coffee on the picnic table.



In an effort to make sure the important items aren't left behind, Steve leads by example:





We headed north on US 24 through the San Isabel National Forest to Leadville, Colorado. US 24 is also known as the "Top of the Rockies Scenic and Historic Byway" for good reason: 14'ers (mountains with peaks over 14,000 feet) line the western view from US 24. It is absolutely beautiful. And Leadville (elevation 10,200 feet) is a very cool old mining town rich with historical museums and antique shops. We decided to take a short break in Leadville and ended up spending more than an hour walking the streets and browsing the antique shops. Too bad we had such limited space on the bikes!







Coincidentally, Leadville was hosting it's annual "Leadville Trail 100 Mile Ultramarathon" this weekend, where participants run 50 miles into the mountains and return on the same 50-mile trail. The race has a 30-hour cutoff, with most runners finishing within 24 hours. According to some nice people I met, the runners are not allowed to sleep or rest (beyond stopping and "grabbing a knee"). Runners who get caught sleeping or resting are disqualified and banned from the next year's event!

Since we didn't have our running shoes and we had bought all the antiques we could stow on the bikes, we headed out north on CO-91. We stopped at a roadside jerky stand in Climax, Colorado. Interestingly, Climax is the home of a large and historic molybdenum mine. Climax is now an uninhabited ghost town, located along the Continental Divide at an elevation of about 11,360 feet. It was the highest human settlement in the United States. Cool!



Riding north on CO 91, we stopped for a photo op at the Clinton Gulch Reservoir. In addition to enjoying the beautiful surroundings, we used a can of peanuts to make some friends:

After lots of laughs and good pics, we saddled up and continued north to Interstate 70. We rode east on I-70 through the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel (which was a bit unnerving on a bike) and exited at Idaho Springs, Colorado. A short but beautiful ride on CO-5 south took us to the base of Mount Evans. At 14,130 feet, Mount Evans Road is the highest paved road in North America.

Mount Evans Road is 14 miles in length from the admission station to the Mount Evans Summit parking area, and gains over 7,000 feet in elevation.

A MOMENT FOR A COMMENT: I believe that we here in Johnson County, Kansas, live in a fairly safe and sanitized world where if someone will let you do something (such as feeding animals at the zoo or walking in the infield at the Kansas Speedway) it's safe to assume that you won't get hurt as long as you pay a moderate amount of attention. Sometimes we try to make things seem scary and dangerous, such as the 70 mph Mamba rollercoaster at Worlds of Fun, but we know in our hearts that we'll be safe. Essentially, we live with a "it must be safe if they're letting us do this" attitude. THIS IS NOT SO IN COLORADO. In fact, it seems safety is largely left up to the individual. Such was the case on Mount Evans Road. Just because some very nice park rangers in Smokey Bear hats took our $3 a piece and gave us a glossy map of Mount Evans, our safety was not guaranteed nor even assured. Make no mistake: this was a treacherous ride. I offer my sincerest respect to all of us for safely making the ride to the summit, but especially to my Dad for riding his big heavy Gold Wing to the top! And Steve's new Ultra is no lightweight, either. Good job, all of us.

Here's are a couple pics I stole from the internet to illustrate what I'm talking about:





My point is this: Mount Evans is not your typical tourist attraction. Both rider and machine are challenged on this ride. The altitude affects the rider much like it does the motorcycle: thin air makes both struggle a bit. And then when you add a steep, rough road with a high crown and very few guardrails, the rider's slow-speed control of the motorcycle is put to the ultimate test. And then when you consider the "don't look down" factor as well, one learns that riding Mount Evans is truly an accomplishment.

For example, if a rider gets a little wobbly and miscues a clutch/brake/throttle combination on a slow, tight U-turn in a parking lot, he might drop the bike on the pavement (which is bad enough!) Now put that slow, tight U-turn on a steep mountain road with oncoming traffic and no guardrails and the rider becomes keenly aware of the possible extreme consequences.

Oh yeah...and did I mention that our bikes were fully-loaded with all our luggage? Add top-heaviness to the above.....end rant.


Now back to our story....

We had a few exciting moments along the way, but we all made it to the top. Keep in mind that this was a Saturday afternoon with a lot of vehicle traffic. There were a lot of big "dually" pickups coming down on Mount Evans Road, probably because people dropped their campers and drove the tow vehicle. When we made it to the parking lot at the summit, we celebrated our success. But someone (me) reminded everyone that we still had to get back down the mountain. We decided that we weren't in THAT big of a hurry, so we wandered around the summit and took a lot of pictures.

I'm really glad that I can share this accomplishment with my friends and my Dad.

Mike hates being in pictures. I convinced him to pose for this photo because he earned it.

Notice that our jackets are zipped. It was 39 degrees!

If you look carefully, you can see the road we traveled to get to the summit.

Bruce and Steve read the altitude sickness warning sign and thought, "this sign should have posted at the BOTTOM of the mountain!"

Parking was tight at the summit.

We made it to the top, but we still have to ride back down.

Parking was so scarce that cars were parked along the road leading to the parking lot.

This was a visitor's center until it was destroyed by a storm in 1979. It was decided to leave the walls standng to serve as a windbreak for visitors to the summit.


A family of mountain goats drew a lot of attention!

Eventually, we had to face the inevitable: we must ride back down the mountain. I don't know how long it took us to climb Mount Evans, but the downhill trip took 35 minutes. And we all agreed the downhill trip was easier than the climb. Once we were down the mountain, we headed to the gas station for fuel, drinks and a post-Mount Evans debrief. Now was the time for high-fives!



Some more photos from the summit of Mount Evans:




After fueling the bikes (and ourselves), we officially began the journey home. We got on I-70 east at 5 pm and enjoyed a nice relaxing ride through Denver...NOT. When it comes to the most harrowing moments of the trip, I pick these three:

1. Mount Evans Road:: 14 miles and 7,000 feet of elevation changes, with multiple switchbacks and lots of loose rock and sand

2. US 550, The Million Dollar Highway: 71 miles and 165 turns, many of which are low speed and at 7% grade

3. I-70: 40 miles though the heart of Denver.

Actually, I put I-70 as the most dangerous leg of the trip. Even though it was 5 pm on a Saturday, it was jammed with cell phone-jabbering idiots, safe and ignorant in their cars. At least on Mount Evans and US 550, most everyone we encountered was on the same page, being careful and looking out for others. Maybe we all need "I Survived I-70 Through Denver" t-shirts!

We rode east on I-70 all the way to Hays, Kansas where we had rooms reserved at the Hampton Inn. It was a long day, and we rolled into the hotel parking lot in Hays a little after midnight. And since it was only midnight (Ha!), we headed for the neighboring IHOP for some breakfast.

Today's mileage: 512 miles and about 16 hours on-and-off the bike. It was a full day.





As a bonus, here's a video I found on Youtube of a guy riding a motorcycle up Mount Evans. He's wearing a helmet-mounted video camera. Mute the audio!



And here's one shot from a Gold Wing rider's perspective as he descends Mount Evans. Much better soundtrack...Donovan's "There is a Mountain." It was the inspiration for the Allman Brothers' "Mountain Jam."

Day 6 – The sun returns and we dry out on the Continental Divide

NOTE: I’ve had a few blog followers ask me to provide details on the bikes we were riding.

Mike Powell: 2007 Yamaha Star Stratoliner
Steve Hahne: 2010 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide Limited
Bruce Miller: 2004 Harley-Davidson Road King Classic
Mike Herrmann: 1996 Honda Gold Wing SE
Me: 1998 Harley-Davidson Road King Classic

-CH




Ride log for Friday, August 20, 2010

Talk about the difference between night and day: after last night’s treacherous ride through driving night-time rain, we awoke to clear blue skies. We packed up the bikes and headed out for Pueblo. Riding US 160 east, we stopped at Wolf Creek Pass for photos. The elevation at Wolf Creek Pass is 10,850 feet and provides a beautiful view of the San Juan Mountains and the San Juan River.



We continued on US 160 to South Fork, where we picked up CO-149, also known as The Silver Thread. It runs 135 miles from South Fork to the Blue Mesa Reservoir, near Gunnison. Interestingly, it includes crossing the Rio Grande River a few times. It’s only about 50 feet wide where CO-149 crosses it. Pretty cool. We rode the Silver Thread through Lake City and Creede, with a photo stop at the Continental Divide at Spring Creek Pass in Gunnison National Forest, elevation 10,901 feet.



We spent a little extra time off the bikes here and hiked through the forest. It was so quiet and peaceful. A bit of a Zen moment for all of us.



We rode CO-149 to US 50 east, and stopped in Gunnison for lunch at Mario’s Pizza. During lunch, we began discussing changing our hotel plans for the night. Instead of riding to Pueblo, we decided to ride to Buena Vista and find hotel rooms. A lady we met on the sidewalk in Gunnison (a Buena Vista resident) said there were lots of hotels in BV and we should have no problem finding a room.

With our bellies full of salad and pizza, we got back on US 50, stopping at Monarch Pass for a snack and photos. The elevation at Monarch Pass is 11,312 feet and has a nice visitor’s center. While taking photos of the bikes in front of the Monarch Pass sign, we spotted a small bat on the pavement in the parking lot. The poor little guy seemed lethargic until I approached him to take get some photos and video of him. As I stood over him with my camera, he seemed to come back to life and actually started to chase me, providing a nice photo opportunity for all the other riders in our group. Before departing, we also called and canceled our rooms in Pueblo, feeling confident that we’d find lodging in Buena Vista.



Here's a nice photo of me being chased by the bat. Notice that both Mikes have their cameras out:

And here's the video I was shooting in the flattering photo above:



We saddled up and made our way to Buena Vista via US 50 east then US 285 north. When we arrived in Buena Vista, we learned that most of the hotels had no vacancy, evidently because of a weekend event in Leadville. Our first choices, the Best Western and the Super 8, were full. We finally found lodging at the Great Western Sumac Lodge. It was clean and reasonably priced. In addition, the management was bike-friendly and allowed us to park our bikes under the canopy in front of the office. The manager also told us that they always have a box of clean rags available for motorcyclists to use to wipe down their bikes in the morning. She asked that we make sure to return the dirty rags so they can be laundered for the next biker to use. And the hotel has a very 1960’s vibe, complete with wood-grain paneling and a swag lamp suspended by a chain. Very cool.






A nice view of the sun rising from our room at the Sumac Lodge:



Today was an easy ride and a welcome change from yesterday. We logged 254 miles on the bikes under sunshine and blue skies, with high temps in the 70s. It’s forecast to get into the 40s tonight, so tomorrow’s trip to Mount Evans, the highest paved road in North America, will likely be a cool ride. Time to break out the heavy coats and chaps.

Day 5 - Riding The Million Dollar Highway and a long, hard ride back to base.

This entry is for Thursday, 08/19/2010. It's being posted now because of a lack of internet access the past few nights. -CH


We knew there was a pretty good chance of rain when we left the hotel in Pagosa Springs at 8 am, heading out for a ride on the famous Million Dollar Highway. We stopped for gas in Pagosa Springs before heading west and saw several other motorcyclists wearing rainsuits. We decided to “suit up” and ride on.



After a quick stop in Durango for some gift shopping, the sun came out and it was a beautiful 66 degrees. Off came the rainsuits and we began the ride. The Million Dollar Highway is US 550 between Durango and Ouray, Colorado. It stretches 71 miles and includes 165 turns, most of which are extremely low speed and steep grade. It also includes the treacherous Red Mountain Pass with an elevation of 11,018 feet. The gorgeous weather provided an exhilarating (if not down-right nerve-wracking) ride into Silverton, where we took a break for a nice lunch at Grumpy’s. Silverton is a fun place that feels like an Old West movie set, complete with gun fights scheduled daily, weather permitting.





After lunch, we continued north on The Million Dollar Highway to the Red Mountain Pass for another photo op stop and then on to Ouray, the northern end of The Million Dollar Highway.

A rare group photo at Red Mountain pass:



Me and my dad:



Ouray is a cool town with an Old West feel and lots of neat shops. We enjoyed some ice cream from Mouse’s and saddled up for the ride north to Ridgway. It took us approximately five hours to ride The Million Dollar Highway, including photo stops, lunch in Silverton and a couple of mandatory stops for road construction. It was a blast!

A typical sign along US 550, the Million Dollar Highway:




As we left Ouray, our plan was to take US 550 north to Ridgway, then take CO-62 west to CO-145 south to Dolores. We would then take CO-184 east to US 160 east, which takes us though Durango on the way back to the hotel in Pagosa Springs.

Unfortunately, the blue skies we had enjoyed all day vanished as we rolled into Ridgway, giving way to dark, scary clouds and rain. We hid out at a gas station, chatting with locals who told us “you’re never going to make it to Pagosa Springs before dark.” Oh good. We shared the gas station canopy with a nice couple from Minnesota and their Harley Heritage Softail. They were not equipped for the weather, and the man bought the lady a rainsuit at the gas station. He remarked that it would be the best $20 he ever spent. We finally decided that it was as good as it was going to get and settled for light rain. With rainsuits on again, we wished our new friends from Minnesota a safe trip and ventured hotel-ward at approximately 5 pm.

The storm blowing into Ridgway. Notice the flags!



It was slow and painful as we rode though the driving rain, with the dark clouds combining with the surrounding mountains to create night-like conditions by 6 pm. We eventually made it to a gas station in Telluride and took shelter under the canopy and enjoyed some snacks while we waited for the storm to break. As we waited, our Minnesota friends arrived to share the canopy. She was much happier than when we saw her in Ridgway, no doubt because of the rainsuit. And I’m sure the fact that they were only 15 minutes from their hotel room and hot tub helped. (It was 55 degrees, plus the cold rain and wind that made flags stand out straight!) We, on the hand, had several more hours of riding left to go.



We again decided it was as good as it would get and headed out. We rolled into Dolores at about 8:30 pm cold and soaked. The weather map showed a break in the storm was coming in about an hour, so we decided to take refuge at the Ponderosa Restaurant in Dolores. The Ponderosa is not part of the national chain, which was good. This place welcomed us and took good care of us.


After our meal, we got back on the bikes and rode storm-free all the way back to Pagosa Springs. We rolled in the hotel parking lot at Midnight.




We logged 350 miles and 16 hours on the bikes. It was a long, hard day but it was one for the history books. We experienced the extremes of riding motorcycles in the mountains: the joy of tight, twisting roads bordered with yellow road signs that read “Caution – Elk” and lots of squiggly arrows. However, those same signs take on a much scarier tone at night in the rain. Personally, this was the longest and most challenging ride I’ve ever had on a motorcycle, with poor visibility and weather conditions like I’ve never experienced.

But we stuck together and lived to tell the tale. We watched out for each other. We pointed out potential hazards to one another. And when needed, some would slow or stop to wait for others to catch up when careless car drivers split us apart. To me, this day – the entire experience of this day – is what riding with friends is all about.