Riding Boreas Pass
I have never been on Boreas Pass before, drove or ridden past the entrace at Como several times on the way to College or on a vfr ride. I decided this last August that I would give it a try. Not knowing if it was challenging I figured I would take the Piggy this time. Turned out to be really tame actually since I passed an Accord and several minivans on the way up. The way to Cumo was much more challenging to be honest, taking every dirt road I could find that connected me all the way to Breckenridge. Boreas pass was the old route to Breckenridge by stage coach from Denver and the front range.
I rode up to Woodland Park by hitting the Pikes Peak highway then splitting off just before getting there and heading northwest to Green Mountain Falls. It is a sleepy little village on the way up Ute Pass about three quarters of the way to Woodland Park from Colorado Springs. Its a nice diversion from the hustle of Hwy 24 and all the highway traffic, you can avoid hwy 24 by about 80% if you turn off at Chipeta Park and stay to the left. In Green Mountain Falls there is a nice lake in the center of the village, and a big Gazebo and fountain highight the park in the middle. Then to the west is a strip of small buisnesses, a local tavern and a great little resturant called "The Pantry" the ham sandwitch has 1/2 inch thick ham and real swiss cheese, and the breakfast is scrumptious. I like to stop there when possible for some lunch.
I rolled into Cumo to find its mostly closed up, boarded up old buildings so I started my way up Boreas Pass with large rain drops falling all around me, it was a quick summer shower and it did not last long.
Boreas Mountain Packer Road
Tarryall from across the valley on Boreas Pass
Packer road from which I just came
I was surprised to see so many cars on the pass, its wasnt challenging at all really so I rode it very fast. I passed about 4 minivans and was at the top in less than 5 minutes, seemd all too quick really. There were a ton of folks stopped at the old rail house at the top so I kept on going prefering the solitude of riding than stopping with tourists everywhere.
Windy Point Boreas Pass
Boreas Mountain Crossed the Continental Divide
Breckenridge hwy 9 lies below - Hoosier pass is to the left
I did not stay around Breckenridge only to gas up at the 7-11 and get a snack of some chewing gum to make my ears pop. Sometimes up in high elevation my ears dont equalize like they should. I decided to head up Loveland pass and ride down to Georgetown via I-70 then make my way up Guenella Pass. I had a burger at the "Red Ram" in old Georgetown and well I did not enjoy it as much as I would have liked too. Its a very old 100 year old building and well I can only take so much hippy music from the 70's before I have to get out, I like the Grateful Dead but not that much! I have had a better time there before, I should have waited for lunch - headed up Guenella pass and had a burger in Bailey instead there is a wonderful little diner there called the Trout diner, just a few hundred feet from the Gas Station. Should have but didn't Oh Well I was surprised to see all the work being done on the North side of Guenella pass, there was lots of heavy equipment being used to divert the creek and expand the road, it was practially paved all the way to the top, paved over 70% I would say!
Guenella Pass strait south of Georgetown once again crossing the Continental Divide
I headed down the pass and was soon back on gravel road again all the way to Grant at hwy 285, I found myself rubbernecking when I caught a glimps of a large hot dog building just west of Bailey. It was the old hot dog stand I remembered from my youth - Coney Island Coloradoā€ˇ. It wasnt were I remembered it, they moved it by truck from Connifer to Bailey some 15 miles down the road! "Whoa" I said "whats that doing there?"
They have the best chili dogs - foot long chili dogs and fries!
I turned off hwy 285 as soon as I made it to Bailey, saw the trout diner and sighed that I missed out on a good cheeseburger and headed back into the dirt on Wellington Lake road, then I turned off at the Buffalo Creek turnoff sign and was on Hwy 67. The pavement was perfect and I at that moment I wished I could flip a switch and be on my viffer cause boy the road was perfect!
Pikes Peak Heading down the bowl at hwy 67 to Horsepower Hill
Pikes Peak in the late afternoon
A - home
B - backroads
C - Tarryall
D - Packer Road
E - Boreas Pass
F - Loveland Pass
G - Georgetown
H - Guenella Pass
I - Wellington Lake Road
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