Colorado 2015

[Lorne]

Colorado 2015

Seven guys, seven states, three ferries, cold & hot, wet & dry, sea level to 14,000 feet and back, in 13 days and 6300 km.

The late June afternoon view of the valley below and Chalk Mountain in the distance was quite lovely. Perhaps the biggest flat-topped mountain in the world, Grand Mesa is nearly 2 miles above sea level. Less dramatic than at Colorado National Monument this morning, but elevation and a high overcast tempered the fierce summer sun. It was a perfect day, I thought while stowing my camera. Until I discovered my 2009 VFR800’s battery had died. In 20 years of bikes trips I’ve never had a mechanical, not even had a flat tire - knock on wood. Sure, I’ve run out of gas a couple of times. But that’s an own-goal and not a fault of the bike. Tried bump-starting worked - woohoo!, the VFR fired up. But with a duff battery for how long? - it was 70 km to Delta. I worried it would die at any moment but rolled into our motel an hour later.

The battery measured12.0 vdc engine off, 12.8 at 5k rpm. At 6 years old it became the prime suspect. A local independent shop, Fast Repair, had a battery and owner Allen stayed open till I arrived - after another bump start. Two of the stator coils at 45 vac but third only ~16. Both new and original batteries were put on charge overnight. Was it the battery, reg/rec, or stator? Hmm, troubleshooting is trickier a thousand miles from home. Next morning we fitted the new battery and wrapped the old in a cloth & zip lock bag as a backup. I pulled the headlight fuse and disconnected the wiring for my heated grips and e-vest. If my VFR gave any more trouble I’d rent a truck and haul it home. By 9 am we were heading for Colorado Springs.

Day 1

Six days earlier we’d met at the Coho ferry terminal at 5 am(!) bound for Port Angeles, Wa. for a 2 week trip to Colorado. Later in the morning another ferry took us across Puget Sound to Seattle, and the freeway to Pendleton, Ore. Thankfully, it’ll be the last freeway for at least a week. A tasty dinner was had at Prodigal Son pub.

Day2

SR-204 and SR-82 were nice back roads through farm & forest on the way to breakfast at the Red Rooster in Enterprise, Ore. Wallowa Mtn road is a narrow, bumpy ride through forest with 15 miles of gravel at the south end. And most of us missed the spur to the overlook of Hell’s Canyon. So, all in all, not worth the effort. SR-71 was good fun before heading up US-95 to McCall, a resort town on the shore of Payette Lake for the night. Dinner on McCall Brewing Company’s upstairs deck was enhanced with a view of the sun setting over the lake.

Day 3

A cool morning ride down SR-55 along the east side of Lake Cascade, then on SR-55 to Lowman. This was the twistiest road of the trip and there was no traffic - great fun. At Lowman we regrouped before breakfast near Stanley, Id., at Elk River Lodge - a great spot for a meal. Stanley is set in a very pretty valley along the Salmon River with views of the Sawtooth Range to the west. It didn’t fit this year’s plan so we opted for Salmon, Id. Bertram’s Brewery was a short walk from the motel, with great food and good selection of beer. And the finals of the US Open on telly.

Day 4

It was 250 km down the road in Rexburg before we could find a meal. The terrain en route reminds me of Nevada; a broad sage-covered valley with mostly straight road. By Rexburg it became low rolling farmland, and nearing Teutonia on SR-33 we caught our first glimpse of the Teton Mountains. High prices killed plans to overnight in Jackson, so the Three Rivers Inn at Alpine Junction substituted. Construction and heavy truck traffic over Teton Pass was unfortunate.

Day 5

Cool temps under hi thin overcast on our way down US-89 and over Geneva Summit before breakfast in Montpelier, Id. En route a handful of antelope decided to test our braking skills so keep your eyes peeled and stay safe out there. US-30 to Diamondville, Wy., for fuel and a water break. Flaming Gorge has red rock vistas so common to this area of the USA and unfamiliar to me that make it seem exotic. Nearing Vernal, the temperature jumped up to the mid-30’s ℃, or mid-90’s ℉. Warm, but the dry near-desert air kept it bearable. The rest of the trip we’d see similar afternoon temperatures. Vernal Brewing Company was our choice for dinner, as it was for many other folk. Thankfully, it was worth the wait.

Day 6

From Rangely, Colo., SR-139 is a surprisingly entertaining ride through low farmlands and over Douglas Pass before descending to Grand Junction. Colorado National Monument was another pleasant surprise, like a scale version of Canyonlands NP in Utah. Some of us are a little nervous about the loong drops. Our two hours or so wasn’t enough but Colorado is a big state and we had more ground to cover. A couple guys headed straight to Delta, the rest of us took the side trip over Grand Mesa. Dinner in Delta was one of the few bad choices and is best forgotten.

Day 7

SR-133 to Carbondale is a lovely rural highway, scenic but not dramatic, curvy but not tight. Hickory House in Aspen, Colo., is a ribs joint with a pretty varied menu. Atop Independence Pass the brilliant sunshine kept us warm despite the 12,000 foot elevation, as we enjoyed the fantastic alpine vista. But walk slowly or you’ll soon find yourself panting. One photo recreated a shot I took on my first visit back in 1996. The western approach is narrower and tighter, the eastern side has I think better views. After Twin Lakes we turned east on US-24 bound for Colorado Springs. Crossing Wilkerson Pass we caught a heavy rain shower, but it barely dampened my jeans.

Day 8

The Pikes Peak Hill Climb was scheduled for Sunday, but on Friday morning we could ride up after the practice session ended ~9 am. Unfortunately there was heavy stop & go traffic for the last 15 miles to the summit, not fun on the tight switchbacks. The wx cooperated and only near the top was it get socked in, and then only to the northeast view. The air at 14,000 feet tasted pretty thin but no worse than on Independence Pass. Spending the past week above one mile elevation must have helped. iPhone panoramas are handy but sometimes give queer results - zoom in on #76 ;-P

Downtown Colorado Springs hosted a Fanfest in celebration of the race. Lots of competitors as well as a chil cook-off (cheap dinner), but no vendors that I saw. And it was within walking distance from our motel. Btw, this was the furthest south and east for the trip.

Day 9

Little traffic and a mild, sunny morning on ride up SR-67, SR-126, SR-73, SR-74, and CR-65, to Idaho Springs. Breakfast at Wildfire in Idaho Springs then a short stint on I-70 before taking US-40. Berthaud Pass was good fun despite being a 3-4 lane highway. Coffee break at Kremmling, Colo. We stayed on on US-40 the rest of the day. Another thunder shower on Rabbit Ears Pass, then a great view of Lake Catamount descending into Steamboat Springs. Another timeout for an iced coffee to beat the heat. As with Jackson, Steamboat Springs was pricey and busy so we opted to stay just down the road in Craig. Two thumbs up to the Castle Ranch Steakhouse at the Clarion.

Day 10

For 3+ days and 1,000 km the VFR ran well, but the battery died again early Sunday. Bump started the VFR again and at the next fuel stop in Rawlins, Wy., I swapped in the original (recharged) battery. Lunch at the Split Rock Cafe in Jeffrey City, Wy., was … interesting. The temperature hit at 35 ℃ later while riding through Wind River Canyon. Maybe an hour after checking into our motel in Thermopolis a massive thunderstorm roared in, first the wind then heavy rain. Starting early has benefits.

Day 11

Cooke City, Mt., was our first stop. Fuel first, then a leisurely breakfast at the Prospector Restaurant. Lots of photos on SR-296, Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. It was one of the best roads of the ride, or would have been had the western slope not been under construction. Very little traffic though. We scratched Beartooth Pass, opting for a shorter ride through Yellowstone NP to Bozeman. Too bad ‘cause it was a lovely day. The northeast part of Yellowstone is typically the least travelled and we practically had the road to ourselves - other than for the bison that is. No photos because if I don’t mess with them and they might not mess with me. Final break was under the trees at Mammoth Hot Springs visitor centre, then on to Bozeman, Mt.

After checking into the motel I bought a battery charger and a small digital multimeter from a local auto parts store so I’ll start tomorrow with a fresh battery.

Day 12

SR-84, SR-287, snd SR-41, took us past Norris and Virginia City to breakfast at Dillon, Mt. Some great vistas along the way, too. SR-287 over Big Hole Pass is more flowing than twisty, with a lovely view of the valley below. Then SR-43 to US-93 at Chief Joseph Pass. US-93 was ok for the first few miles then became forgettable into Missoula. Our early starts mean ending the day by mid-afternoon, a big bonus with the high temperatures. And it gave me time recharge both batteries overnight. Dinner next door at Mackenzie River Pizza was another good choice.

Day 13

Our earliest getaway yet for the longest leg, we were on the road by 6 am. Last night we decided on a more direct route tomorrow to Winthrop, Wa. I-90 made for a quick ride to Spokane, with only a quick gas & coffee stop in Coeur d’Alene. Then onto US-2 through the rolling farmland to Davenport, and a relaxing coffee. On the way to Grand Coulee I got separated from the others after some photo stops and ended up solo for the rest of the day. SR-155 climbs into the cool forest before hotting up nearing Omak. Then onto SR-20 and on to Winthrop, a small, western-themed town that relies on tourism. We had our only Mexican dinner of the trip at Carlos 1880 - may I recommend the grilled salmon fajitas?

Day 14

Breakfast at Three Finger Jacks before leaving. No reason to hurry as it is the shortest leg of the journey, giving us plenty of time to get to the ferry at Anacortes. More photos of the Liberty Bell formation on Washington Pass, and then at Ross Lake. I caught up to the guys at Nehalem. At Anacortes we had time to unwind over coffee at Starbucks, then time for the boat. The 2 hour ferry ride had us back home by dinnertime.

[SCguy]

Beautiful, simply beautiful. Great pics! I'm heading for a lot of that country in a little less than 5 weeks, so it's great to get a preview.

[Belfry]

Thanks for the great write-up and photos! Have you had a chance to dig into your charging issues yet? Curious as to what you found.