Surfing the Gravel

The weather here in Colorado has been a complete mystery - snowing one day, sunny the next and 70 degrees out, the snow however is persistant and its not melting in the High country. Good news for the fire fighters out here but damn it sucks for riding. I know this happens every year but this year it seems to be hold out just a bit too much for my sanity, I want to ride man! So yesterday I decided to brave the cold and go out for a ride while the sun was out.

I headed up Ute pass to do my local loop - pine loop! It was a mess, gravel piled up the lane medians and between lanes in the double lane highways, when I turned off on hwy 67 I noticed a Buell blasting by as I gassed up at the Loaf and Jug. I went behind him but he was gone - just a couple of slow poke Metric Crusers to pass and a bunch of cars. Heading down into the creek area where it gets twisty the road was way too unpredictable, the gravel would look clean but as soon as you rounded the turn it was strewn all over the lane after the apex. It was ticking me off to say the least. The county wont sweep it till the snow melts so it will be at least early to mid June before its good enough to burn a tire on. I held to to 50-70 depending on the conditions, then I slowed way down when I hit the tighter higher turns at Deckers, where the Platte River confluence is. I noticed a sherrif in a pickup carrying an atv pulling out behind me at the Deckers strip mall, well more of an old west type wooden decked thing, his atv had snow tracks on it, very cool. I thought I was going the speed limit and so I did not pay the sherrif any mind. At the end I wanted to take a picture so I stopped at the parking area at the Cheeseman Lake trail head at the bottom of Horse Power Hill.

Mister Sherrif pulls in and starts hassling me about speeding? I say "what I wasnt speeding" then he says I was cause I was pulling away from the guy. I realize its pointless to argue with the Bald headed sheriff deputy and just let him be the boss - he starts in on me about the three speed limit signs I passed and asked me what they where, then he asks me what the speed limit is on Horsepower hill? I say its 55 - "NO" he says its 50mph! Geez come on I am not even on the damn thing yet I dont write that shit down for later reference! I remain smiling and in a decent mood since - well I am riding after all after a winter full of snow and cold wind, this is way better than not riding! I dont let the lecture get to me, he must see this and the fact that I am not being a prick, and I am not fighting his authority he decided to let me off with a warning! '

Then I see off with a hand shake and he heads up Horsepower Hill to wait for me no doubt, so I say 'F' that and turn about to Deckers to go a different route, I decided to ride along the Platte and head to Sedalia via a dirt road thats about 3 miles long, whats the difference between a dirt road and the shit I am on anway? Gravel and dirt are the same thing! It was fun, riding along the river, all the fly fishermen were waving as I went by, there must have been 20 out there!

Deckers road

I was soon in Sedalia and making my way back to Colorado Springs via hwy 105 to Monument, its been a year since I was on this road, it was clean so I wicked it up to 80-90 and was having much more fun now that I was out of the gravel pit! Then I got a few tacos in Monument and headed home, I wasnt able to do Horsepower hill since the sherrif was watching - he did however make a good point, he said "this time of year 30 mph means 30mph with all the gravel on the roads" I agree! I just dont think I was speeding thats all! It seemed like I was crawling! So thanks officer for letting me off on this one! I hate being lectured to by the cops but if it saves lives its worth it, and he did after all let me go! I just know he was waiting at the top of HP hill though to get me!

The route

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