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HispanicSlammer

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  1. HispanicSlammer
    After arriving in Nashville three days of over 500 miles each on the bike had played me out, worn out and sore, I couldnt even muster the energy to go for some Chow. Still stuffed from the pizza I ate 3 hours ago in Erin TN I just sat in Baileyrocks massaging chair. I told him I was having a strange vibration in the front tire when the speed hit 50 mph and so later that night we rolled my bike onto his bike lift and removed the front tire and spun it on a stand to see if it was out of balance. Niether of us could get it to settle in the same place so I figured it must be the chain makeing the vibration. Somehow we ended up checking the runout on the brake discs too - BR is a stickler for getting brake discs into spec with his dial indicator and a few well placed hammer hits on this button out, that button in and soon it was right into line! Baileyrock made sure to make fun of how tight I had all the bolts - prompting me to go out and buy two new torque wrenches when I got home.
    I found out I had an old college friend living around the Nashville area and made arrangements to have breakfast with him the next day. Baileyrock was a good sport and sat with us while we reminised over eggs and toast for a good 45 minutes - it was great seein Keith again and I am glad he survived being in the special forces for 13 years. Good man and that was it we were off to the TMAC together for the second year in a row. The route was very enjoyable and we just lazily rolled up and down those TN hills - occassionally powering up for some great twisties but mostly we just enjoyed the ride.

    Great Falls Road at Rock Island State Park

    The Old Pump house at Rock Island State Park, a natural spring

    Great Falls Factory Rock Island State Park BRs and my bike parked out front

    Great Falls Rock Island State Park
    I took us most of the day to get to Franklin, and BR had finally had enough of my pace and took off on the last leg of Wyha bend road. I have to admit I gained a few pounds since last year and it showed in my riding skill, Wyha bend road kicked my arse. We both passed a KLR about 1/4 of the way up the 42 miles of the road and the dude was on my 6 for a good 5 miles before I finally broke away. Those KLRs can turn a good pace in the tight stuff, well at my pace anyway - BR was long gone at this point. I have been there before - on that road at least 4 times and the tightness of the turns in North Carolina always amaze and surprize me. I finnally seen BR pulled over on the side of the road (changing his oil or somthing waiting for me) and we rolled into the Franklin Hotel together.

    Thursday evening gathering The Usual Suspects Baileyrock seated Theoxmole Nicole Motorhead1977 Marazmus and a couple other women I cant rember all the names

    Wrestler next to Sebspeed

    Phedrusman and Hypertention

    Chev with a big smile on his face

    Vifferluv I think this is what the locals refer to as *all bowed up*

    Redfish Luther is a regular Texasmac attendee

    Oyama I think the question was *is there going to be cheesecake*

    IntAceptor Bob was on of our lead riders

    Trace always follow the Trace Pace

    Kperham well the back of his head anyway and House in the background carrying some whiskyous substance no doubt
    Having been on the road for 4 days I was a bit tired Friday morning when we broke out into groups, having ate too much, drank too much, and slept a bit too little. I think I may have bit off more than I could chew going off with the Chatanooga clan VFR chapter of VFRD - DB05 took off in the lead on roads I could hardley imagine being so close to Franklin and yet so foriegn to me it was like I had never been to TexasMac before. I felt like I did the very first time, excited tired and a in a bit over my head. I just ran a pace I thought I could manage and if I get dropped oh well I get dropped. Yup I got dropped a few times, Jebus it was like Wyha Bend road all over again. However after Sochiro Joined us the pace seemd to smooth out a bit, probably because of the rain, it started raining soon after we stopped and joined up. He took us up some mountains and then onto the Blue Ridge Parkway for a short spell then down into the valley below for somthing to eat.

    Pre Ride Meeting and a moment of silence for Bruce (Texasmac)

    Gathered for the pre ride meeting

    Earthshake asking where are we supposed to park

    Just a few bikes out here

    Group Bike shot

    Baileyrock photo op

    Layers on Layers
    I have to admit I did enjoy it but I felt like I was holding everybody up, and for once I would like to actually stop and look around a bit - take some pictures ya know. This is the third time I have been to the TexasMac and I never really stopped to enjoy it before so I took off on my own for the last leg and stopped at all the great places I had only glanced at in times before.

    Intermediate Group Balsam Grove waiting on Sochiro

    Lunch Stop At Juke Box Junction hwy 281 and Pigon Road

    Smoke Break

    This looks like a good place to stop to get off that stiffling rain gear
    [vid]91[/vid]
    Earthshake cautioned me that hwy 64 into Cashiers was a nightmare of slow traffic he was right be he failed to mention if you pull over and take some pictures you can space it so you get in some good riding in the gaps!

    I split off and headed back on hwy 64 this is one of those *boring* shots from that boring road - ha wow
    Now I have been on hwy 28 between Franklin and Highlands at least 10 times and I never once stopped, well Ok we stopped when Trace *stopped* once but that was it, all this time and I never once stopped at Bridal viel falls! Not this time!

    Bridal Viel Falls who hasnt taken a picture here

    Bridal Viel Falls

    Cullasaja Falls 20 minutes ride from Franklin on hwy 28
    I enjoyed being a tourist so much I decided I would just go out on my own for Saturday too, I borrowed a bit of the route from the day before and headed over to the Blue ridge parkway again, and spend more time looking around and taking pictures. I wasnt waiting on anybody and holding up nobody either, just me and my pace alone all day. It was fun and I just went where ever a bit into South Carolina too.

    Blue Ridge Parkway

    Blue Ridge Parkway

    Blue Ridge Parkway

    Blue Ridge Parkway

    Wild Flowers

    Rhododendron along the roadside

    Blue Ridge Parkway

    Rhododendron everywhere

    Blue Ridge

    Blue Ridge Parkway

    Blue Ridge Parkway
    After comming down from the Blue Ridge Parkway I headed south into South Carolina and found some good roads down there too, Ceasars Head state park in South Carlina at hwy 276 was a real treat. Then a bit of slab and back into North Carolina on hwy 178 I was having a real blast on that one, called Moorfield Memorial Highway my gps said turn on horse pasture road and head west from there at the top, so I started climbing hwy 178 and the turns were delicious and I was really finding a good rythmn and riding the best I had all week, I felt like my old self finally. When I got to this horse pasture road it was a no go, no way it was all rocks and it looked like it was more suited for a jeep so I just headed for hwy 64 and routed myself back over to Franklin via a little zig zagging to hwy 107 and back over the same path the guys showed me the day before. It was called Cullowee Mountain road I think and it changes names a few time where it comes out near Franklin as Walnut Creek road. Fun and it can get tricky as I soon leared cause I ran into Ryanme17 on the side of the road with his bike on the opposite side totalled. I stopped of course and checked to see if everybody was alright - they were waiting for the police to show up. I told Ryan I would go get sombody with a trailer in case he could manage to ride it - I found motorhead at the hotel and together we took Sebs truck and went and got Ryan. Motorhead advised him to let the wrecker take it cause it looked like a complete loss.
    Too bad too cause it was a great meet so far, but he managed to walk away just a bit sore - but he walked away afterall.

    Looking Glass Falls Hwy 276
    I spend the rest of the day eating and drinking with the group and enjoying myself, For sunday I would have to head as far west I possibly could, the rain of the weekend was a bit of a downer but not all bad, however I would fight with it all day by myself across Tennesse, I bascialy headed over the Cherehola in the rain, down hwy 30 to Chatannoga and across the bottom of TN all in the rain! It was miserable for half the day and the rest it was just a bit boring, hwy 64 was a bust for the most part except I was able to sample some wonderful southern fried chicken!

    Cherehola Skyway in the mist

    Joyce Kilmer National Forest

    Platters Buffet Cowan TN
    I took a side trip up to Lynchburg TN - I could smell it before I saw it, the home of Jack Daniels no wonder I could smell mash from 3 miles away. It was the rolling hills and country roads there I found to be very enjoyable. The again back on hwy 64 till I crossed paths with the Natchez Trace, I pulled up onto it for a spell and then turned around again and continued onto Memphis, I think I was on the Natchez for about 50 feet then I turned around - but I was on it!

    Lynchburg Tennesse Town Hall
    I think I will keep Arkansas all to myself, some things are not ment for public - just ment to be enjoyed and rememberd fondly as you remember the good things on your trip. It had no time to stop and I had to get across the entire state in one day and I did but I took a great route I will not soon forget, it just melted away the miles in the most laid back manner - like a stroll into the woods I just rolled across the Ozarks with the wind in my face and a song in my ear all day long till the sun finally went down and I layed my head down and slept like a baby.
    Kansas on the other hand was not so pleasant, right off the bat my bike started surging, I took a wild guess after the 3rd time pulling over and removed my PC2 and the problem went away , then the wind started in on me so bad I had to lean the bike over all day long to stay stait, I made the mistake of rolling across Kansas on hwy 50 which was full of Semi trucks all of them when they passed by they hit we with a blast of air that sent me reeling for a second or two. I think I will call it Kansas airbording! cause it almost tourture, I am sure the boys at Gitmo can find somthing in Kansas to make those Terrorist more compliant, at least on the drive through.
    I knew I was home when I saw this though another TMAC done and gone, and I enjoyed myself thanks vfrd for being so great.

    Old Bent Fort Rocky Ford Colorado
    tmac2009tracks.gdb
  2. HispanicSlammer
    For me the lure of riding often comes with months of anticipation, especially when it comes to TexasMac. I have made this trip twice before on my vfr, each time a slightly different route and each time an epic journey. I watched in earnest the weather reports along the Colorado Front range, one thing about Colorado the weather can get cold an nasty in an instant. I woke up at 4am, a habit I picked up working nights and well I just do, still dark out I walked my luggage up the stairs and into the garage where I parked my bike the night before, attached my gps, snapped the Givi top bag onto the bike and slipped on my boots. Then I walked around for an hour, wondering did I forget anything. I had packed really light this trip - opting for gear and clothes that I can wash in a hotel sink if I have too. Fast drying wickable shirts and pants, they look awful but are really comfy on the road.
    Finally the sun came up, or rather the light diffused itself through the solid pillow of cloud overhead, sunk so low I could not even see Cheyenne Mountain 2 miles away. I worried it would all come tumbling down on me when I turned on the key. It did not of course but it was sure frosty, 55 degrees out and windy. I made my way down to Pueblo via the interstate, squirming around on the bike trying to find the best position in which to get comfortable in the cold weather. I turned on my custom heated seat and grips and just sat there solid following the morning commuters to Pueblo. I hate riding interstates, either your going too fast or too slow, so you have to change lanes all the time and adjust for the variable speeds of traffic, the worse is the constant passing of semi truck by semi truck. Its like watching snails pass each other, or rather turtles all the while your hoping they don't suddenly move that massive load right into you. Who would know your there you cant see them and they cant see you so you back off and wait for the massive snails to do their thing.
    I was soon off the interstate 7am and gassing up, I had routed myself along a secondary road along side hwy 50 going through Boone and eventually heading north diagonally to a Grain Silo they call Eads. I was enjoying the views of the bluffs along the north side of the road, they sheltered me from the wind and the road winded around them just enough to keep me awake and alert. I was surprised at the traffic, a car every minute or so heading the other way. I was in the rolling hills - hills of foothills of mountains that is. Along the Arkansas River Valley then the elevation climbed a bit coming out of the valley into Eads and I was soon on the Colorado High Plains. There I would see something that astonished me. Box cars, miles and miles of Box cars used for the transportation of Cattle. It was a good 2 miles into the endless row of box cars before I thought to look at the Odometer to see just how far these cars went. I could hardly imagine the amount of iron they had parked on the rail road tracks let alone the combined weight of them all. Ten miles long I estimated this went on for, and it was magnificent in the sunshine peering through the holes in the clouds. I was following a pickup truck with Missouri Plates already for a good half and hour and I just knew I would be seeing this one all day long. My path was to head strait across Kansas into Great Bend and then further along till I made it to Emporia to stop for the night.
    I followed the truck into 3 or 4 small towns - blink and you miss them but each one of them forced you to slow down to 35mph and one of them made a right turn into town. This pickup truck was going 25 in town so I followed a bit, till the town limit disappeared and I was able to make a pass, he was going 90 or so on the plains which was fast enoug for me but each town he would slow down 10 mph below the speed limit? Sorry see ya! I have no interest in following some pickup truck all day long anyway.
    Soon enough I was passing trough the last Colorado Town on the plains Towner Colorado where I have a cousin, a school teacher. No time to visit but I did notice the sign on the barn that said "Heres your sign" shit kickers have a sense of humor too. My cousin hates it when I call her that, so naturally.....

    George Washington Carver lived in Kansas Before beginning his career as a scientist
    Crossing the boarder is really no big deal Kansas and Eastern Colorado are the same, just the road is in better condition in Kansas and a lot straiter! At least Colorado has a few bends here and there bumpy and potholed but it has bends! The clouds got thicker and the temperature dropped even more to 42F, time to pull off and put my Electric vest on. I stripped off my back protector and put on the Gerbing jacket, sure enough that same MO Pickup truck went speeding by. I pulled back onto the road toasty and warm and a few mintues later I passed a gas station 12 miles down the road (guess who I saw there?) He waved! I waved back, and it was just about 10am when I needed gas myself so I checked my gps for the next town, it showed 20 miles to go on mile 182 of my tank. I thought well that should be good, then the 2 lines on my dashed disappeared at mile 195 and it started flashing. I had 8 miles to go and I started to get concerned - I hate how my dash does that skips from 2 line to flashing no one line left just 2 lines then all of a sudden its empty?
    I made it into town looked around and found that it was closed, the whole place was closed, no gas station, no diner, no nothing just empty boarded up houses - OH SHIT! I hit the gas locater on my gps and it said 45 miles away to the next station! OH HELL! Well shoot I just said OK why not just head east as far as you can get then thumb it if you have to to a gas station. Just then a major intersection came up and there was a gas station there, 2 miles east of that ghost town. YES! I filled it up and watched as that same MO pickup truck shot right by me again I waved! Now it was 11am I thought I can make it to Great Bend for lunch! Then it would be 2pm I estimated to Great Bend - the road was even straiter and the wind picked up however with it the clouds disappeared and I had sunshine finally and I was baking like a potato. I pulled off and took a break on the side of the road under a tree. I drank my Red Bull and ate some beef jerky and stripped down to my one shirt, 3 layers peeled off and much more comfortable I popped a acetaminophen and stretched my legs. My butt was in pain after some 300 miles on the road. Only 200 more to go! 2pm and I was in Great Bend and I was so unimpressed I just kept on going stopping only for more gas - guess who I saw at the gas station! MO PICKUP again! I pulled in and said hello and talked with them a bit, they were from Fredricksburg MO and had family in Colorado, apparently they where staying with folks till clean up crews could clear up the town - a massive tornado had hit there property and made it unlivable, they took their kids to their folks in Colorado and were going back to clean up. I decided I would check it out the next day for myself.
    I spend the night in Emporia Kansas and promptly fell asleep at 5pm on the bed without even getting out of my clothes, waking up at 4am again I was disoriented and confused - where the hell am I? OH yea Kansas. I watched some stupid movie on the tube and waited for the sun to come out, it did not, same old pillow cloud nightmare covering the entire sky again, but whoa it was warm! 60 degrees felt like a warm shower, I gassed up and hit the road.
    I was disappointed by my route mostly 4 lane freeway like stuff, that doesn't look like that on the map, so I turned on my audio book of "Beloved" by Toni Morrison and listened as the miles shot by. It wasn't until I was half way across Missouri before I found a twisty road, and it was a typical Missouri road, first it started to undulate up and down rolling over hills for miles then it got steeper and lower into the hills and then boom it started twisting like a snake, easy at first then I had to lean it over a bit YEA now it was getting fun! Then the rural roads started getting darker and the trees started closing in and I was really enjoying myself . The Mark Twain National Forest - I must have been there, Salem MO popped up and I realized it had only just begun - then all of a sudden I saw the damage this tornado had caused, whole trees uprooted and lying on there sides, large trees where the roots where taller than I am. Thousands and thousands of uprooted trees - clean up crews everywhere with chain saws and chipper trucks - the place looked awful and it went on for 50 miles! I did not take any pictures cause well I had 500 miles to do that day no time to stop really except for gas.

    Baileyrocks new business heh not really this is Bixby MO
    There was a family at the gas station asking for a pay phone cause cell service had been knocked out, and back on the road I found myself in the hometown of the MO pickup truck, Fredricksburg MO and it had been hit hard, the place was beautiful for a mile are so then disaster, then beautiful and again disaster. I looked for that pickup truck but never saw it again. Houses seemed ok for the most part but all the trees where uprooted, barns torn apart and sheds gone, but amazingly the homes were ok save a few shingles here and there - every once in a while I would see a home completely gone just torn to shreds. It really got to me how bad it was and how far it went on for, thousands of folks displaced. The town was on curfew and no school so I saw tons of kids out and about in their yards playing Frisbee among the dead trees. Kids it seems can cope with anything.
    I found a great road that rivaled anything I had ever been on for fun, hwy 32 at Bixby was awesome! I railed it at 8/10ths cause there was still dead trees in places some in the road. I was soon coming to the Mississippi river where I would spend the next night, and cross into Illinois in the morning.

    Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge Cape Girardeau Missouri completed Dec 13 2003
    I was able to stay up later this time and wake up around 7am - just in time for the sun rise, and losing an hour to the region. I was impressed by the bridge but not with Illinois in that area as soon as you cross you run into strip clubs and liquor stores over there, strait roads again and turning south I made my way to Cairo IL where I would cross into Kentucky across the Ohio river this time. I rolled through the sleepy town of Cairo and its run down buildings watching this incredibly beautiful young black woman cross the street in front of me she crossed it sideways and it took what seemed like forever for her to make it, all I could think was watching her walk was like watching music. Wow she was something she even turned around and waved as I went by, of course I was going like maybe 3mph the whole time behind her caught in her spell. I don't care I admit it you probably would have too guys! I think she said "hey" and that was it, gone she was and the spell was broken.
    Wickliff KY was an interesting little place, right in the confluence of the Mississippi river and the Ohio it sits on the east side soaking up the traffic and shuffling it out in a fan on all directions east, I headed south east to Nashville, its not twisty like Missouri but it has the undulation of the hills - and 4 lane roads that to see seem like pork barrel projects going off to nowhere towns for no reason, 5 miles of 4 split lane freeway with maybe 3 vehicles on it only to merge back into a 2 lane road again? I was wondering why cant we get another lane of freeway between Pueblo to Denver to Fort Collins? They can send money to make unused freeway in Kentucky why not a busy freeway in Colorado?
    I waited 2 more hours on these strange freeway like roads in Kentucky and was soon crossing into Tennessee, I found hwy 232 off the Donnelson Parkway and was again thrown into the twisties, twisties that seemed to me to be a bit tighter than I remembered - had been on this road before, and it had a slope going down hill I did not remember it reminded me of Warwoman road one of the roads on the menu for Texasmac.
    wow - I was soon lost and I found myself at the Cumberland river at a Damn with no exit.

    Cheatham Damn Cumberland River

    Tug Boat pushing a barge up the river at the Cheatham damn locks
    I waited out a small rain under the gazebo and talked with a Harley rider who lived only 3 miles away, he having lived there all his life had a Harley with 180,000 miles on it. Second owner 1978 Harley He said of the AMC era with a full fairing and Mag wheels. It looked ancient but it sounded Harley! He had a definite Tennessee drawl and I knew I had arrived in the south. I stopped at this Pizza place in Erin Tn and ate a small pizza that took over my body and made me unable to ride any good. OH boy I was stuffed I had a hell of a time riding into Nashville, getting lost in town till finally I was at Baileyrocks Doorstep, the first phase of my ride was complete, I was was there!

    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/1243382074_tm2009.wmv.flv
  3. HispanicSlammer
    Long Scraggy Overlook
    Mrdude - or Millertm as he is named here at vfrd - Mark by everyone else said hey lets go riding! I says "where" he tells me that he was up on Horsepower hill 2 weeks ago that it was clear. Then he told me a story of how he smoked some guy on a CBR or some such thing liter bike going up HPH. On his 1250 Bandit that he has piped, sliponed, big sprocketed, and fuel thingy adjusted to give him more torque and HP. Big Horsepower for Horsepower Hill. Anyways we head up the interstate to Hwy 24 and make our way up the Canyon into Cascade. Mark is hanging back presumably at the speed limit cause hes unemployed at the moment (layed off like half of America is right now) and he has to keep his driving record clean to get a truck driving gig. Me I take off for a few turns and wait for him on the straits. Its a short set of double lane twisties that is way overcrowded anyway and sometimes patroled but not often going up. More cops on the down side than the upside but either way its not worth a ticket, then it opens up near Cascade and you just have to Cruise to Woodland Park. Its not a freeway but it might as well be, split like a freeway with 2 lanes going up and down.
    It starts to become clear there is a lot of snow near Woodland park, its melting all over the road with cars spraying up the wet muddy water thats streaking across the road. So I try to stay far enough behind the cars that I dont smudge up my visor with overspray. Its always a chore from Cascade till your out of Woodland Park. I dont know maybe 6,500 live up there? Mostly White guys who drive SUV's, wear baseball caps and chew tobbacco. The girls are cute but not too friendly - in other words I dont fit in there! Well maybe thats not true but I avoid the place if I can, but its difficult since I have a couple of friends who live there.(both white guys who wear baseball caps, drive sub's and chew tobbacco HEH) REDDOG YOU KNOW YOU DO!
    THE MAP

    Full Size
    A) Colorado Springs
    B) Woodland Park
    C) Deckers
    D) Horsepower Hill (I dont know we just call it that)
    E) Pine
    F) Pine Junction
    G) Bailey
    We finally get past the the last remnant of Woodland Park the golf course (which looked like it would be fun on a snowmoble today) and are following a few cars north on 67 for about 10 miles till the road turns into the hills, so far your just on the high mountain plains till you get to Rainbow Falls where it gets curvy. We are weary of the gravel on the road so we follow a few cars down the hill into the creek bed - Westcreek its called - where the road is fun. It follows along side the creek for a good 5 miles again afraid of gravel I followed a truck for a mile till I finally said "F THIS" and went around him only to find that there was a whole chain of cars basically spaced 1/4 mile apart, I get them all one by one. Mark follows cautiously behind and soon we are passing Deckers - no more cars! I hate the part from Deckers to Horsepower hill it always has gravel in the turns, no matter what time of year, no matter if it is in the sweetest part of summer it always has had gravel in the turns. I baby it and Mark is right on my tail.
    I was expecting him to take off at the base of Horspower hill since he was talking about his CBR encounter just that morning, I see its rather clean and so I hit it - seeing triple digits for a good couple of minutes and Mark is about a 1000 yards back basiclly mirroring my speed, I slow down toward the top cause its not so clean I am thinking but its is clean! Its clean all the way to Pine! Matter of fact the climb from Pine to Pine junction is super clean! I enjoyed that alot, Mark was nowhere to be found cause well he is more into sweepers that the tight turns. Any way I stopped at the top of Horsepower hill at the Long Scraggy Overlook

    Millertm Mark and his Bandit

    Me New knee pucks - nope not even close this ride
    I sent my suit into Aerostich to have it repaired and had them sew on some knee puck velcro, not sure I will ever get a knee down or not? I ride fast enough but I just dont toss my knees out far enough to do it? I am hopeing to get in a trackday and learn - I do ride fast but my form can use some improvement. In more ways than I can count starting off with the wieght!
    I stopped at the light and waited for Mark at the top of Pine Junction, he pulls in about 30 seconds later and I say lets go to Bailey and get a burger at the Cut Throat Cafe! Hes good with that and so we head west for about 7 miles to Bailey - going slow cause the road is busy and there are construction crews out, the hwy 285 cooridoor is rather congested in the mountains all the way to Grants where it opens up, thats bascially where most of the mountain communities end, the commute to Denver is too far from that point to be reasonable, which its not reasonable anway, some 20,000 people must live along that route? I dont know its all strung out along the highway. Its beautiful up there in anycase, but cold in the winter.
    We pull into the Cut Throat Cafe and find its closed, a fire it says forced a shutdown - shoot! I love that little joint too. So we go across the road to the bar and it is closed as well! OH hell back to Pine Junction and we finnaly find some food at the Junction Resturant. Good food there! We hang out for an hour, seems like a good place just to hang out and talk! Alas we are 70 miles from home, Mark says he needs gas? I am like HUH? Gas after 70 miles? OK he says he can wait till we get back to Woodland park. My bike has at 3/4 tank and he was at 1/3rd? Jebus man that thing is thirsty!
    On the way back I am not so scared anymore and know where the worst parts are and proceed to basically run it at 80% pace of my normal summer speed. Its much more fun for me the way back, going down HP hill I get a good view of the snow on Pikes Peak and enjoy the twisties much much more, I just run it my speed and check to see if Mark is still back there every once in a while, he is! Its all good, it is great to be in the mountains once again!
  4. HispanicSlammer
    My employer has come into hard times - just like the rest of the world and closed the plant for 2 weeks forcing everybody to take a vacation who works there in an effort to reduce inventory and save money. Two weeks is a bit of a hardship for most but I am in pretty good shape having saved up my tax refund since last year and this years refund I had a good bit of money to go travel. My friend from College (whom I roomed with after graduation for a couple of years) recently moved back to Denver from LA and we have been getting back into touch with each other. He was also taking a vacation around the same time. Andy is an avid scooterista and he had booked a trip to Las Vegas to attend the 10th annual High Rollers Weekend scooter rally at the Tropicana - he offered to split the room with me and we could go have some fun.
    So I put on a new back tire and headed out to Vegas!

    Mt Mestas Near La Veta Colorado

    The Spanish Peaks heading up La Veta Pass hwy 160

    La Veta Cross Mountain snowcapped in the background

    Historic Fort Garland once commanded by Kit Carson

    Fort Garland with Mt Blanca towering over it 14345 ft
    My first day on the road started out really cold in the 40's so I broke out my Gerbing heated liner for the first time - it performed well keeping my arms and chest warm - even hot! I was warm as I climbed the sandy and snowy Cumbres Pass, liner heat, seat heat and heated grips. I was heading up into 30 degree 30mph wind at the top of the pass, but I was as comfortable as you can get on a bike in those conditions.

    Cumbres Pass The Colorado side facing north

    Cumbres Pass The New Mexico side facing south - much more snow on this side
    I crossed the Colorado Boarder into New Mexico with the intent of heading west on hwy 64 to stay out of the Colorado High country. I stopped in Chama to get some water and shed my liner since it was around 60 degrees there. It felt down right warm after riding sub 45 degree winds all morning. I was wearing my leather jacket and some tourmaster over pants that I had stuffed my old stich tf2 pads into. I reused my aerostich, I sewed the shoulder and elbow pads into the liner of my jacked before leaving. I was really missing my stich since it was in Duluth MN getting repaired and fitted with brand new tf3 armor. While in Chama I was greeted by a couple of travelers from Minnesota who just happened to live in Duluth which I thought was a bit of a coincidence. They saw my license plate and asked me a few questions on the best route to take into Colorado. They where all paranoid about going up McClure Pass but surprisingly had no qualms going over the million dollar highway. To which I thought was probably more dangerous to a traveler this time of year then McClure pass. I said it probably was going to be OK to do both - since the sun had been out for a week now. I recommended a lunch stop in Durango and pointed them in the the right direction. Then I headed west into indian country, where I found there is allot of Oil and Gas exploration/development going in near Farmington - it seemed to be to be booming. Oil Trucks and construction going on all over North West New Mexico.
    I hated Farmington with its 4 lane safety corridor that dragged on for 15 miles into an oblivion of industrial parks and road side businesses. Folks where pulling out incessantly in front of me I was covering my brake lever as best I could. Safety corridor my ass these drivers were nuts! In Farmington I looked for a good lunch spot that was local - so after riding around downtown and having found nothing satisfying I settled on a burger at Wendy's. I was sporting my new high and tight haircut (thinking I would be immune to helmet hair with it *wrong*). I seemed to fit in since I look just like a Navajo Indian - even have the same haircut - most Navajo males all sport buzz cuts. I was not local though its still a small town and everybody recognized I wasn't from there. The woman at the counter started talking to me in Navajo which when she realized I did not understand she changed over to english, I really got a kick out of that. I had the same thing while in college in Durango the local Navajos would talk to me in Navajo all the time till I realized I am Hispanic. My girlfriend though was 100% Hopi indian and she would do all the talking, all of it, all the time. Good girl and I was really in love, too bad I let her get away. I was glad to make a friend like Andy back then, he will talk to anybody anywhere and he can be spontaneously funny, me I am a bit shy. So I make up for it by hanging out with guys like Andy who are not shy than I get to know people through them and feel more comfortable getting involved.

    Shiprock New Mexico hwy 64

    Shiprock boring riding out there

    Vally of the Gods Utah hwy 163

    Valley of the Gods Monument Valley way off in the Distance
    I stayed the night in Mexican hat the Mexican Hat Lodge, the famous swinging steak, I have featured it a few times before. This is my favorite stop for the night in Southern Utah, good company good food and great atmosphere. It makes you feel like your on some kind of cattle drive or something complete with old Gene Autry movies on the tube before you go to sleep on the comfy beds they have, not a 4 star hotel but its authentic as it gets. I drank beers with the family who own the place and discussed all sort of things while they cooked my steak over an open fire on their one of a kind swinging grill. With beans cooked on an old wood stove out on the patio. This is the sort of place you go to get unplugged and away from everything.

    Mexican Hat Lodge home of the swinging steak - as seen on the food channel

    Mexican Hat Lodge next best thing to roughing it

    Monument Valley early in the morning hwy 163

    Monument Valley at a road side indian art display

    Monument Valley

    Setting Hen

    Monument Valley Stagecoach - King on his thone - Brighams Tomb

    Top of Monument Pass hwy 163

    Hwy 98 to Page AZ I stopped cause my phone rang - gps bluetooth thing went off - this horse was all alone watching my every move

    Phone calls out here?

    Colorado River down stream from the Glen Canyon Damn in Page

    Navajo Bridge at Vermillion Cliffs Marble Canyon - Lee's Ferry
    I stopped in Page to get a burger at some local joint, lots of kids there and it was a bit greasy but it hit the spot, allowed me to stretch my legs but nothing to go on about. I was surprised to get a phone call out in the sticks on the way there from Andy - I had no idea there was cell coverage out there, my Zumo made a funny noise and it had a phone icon on it so I pressed it but the call sounded like hell so I pulled over and tried connecting with the hand set - no luck I had to wait till I got to Page to let him know what was going on. I wasn't going to make it all the way to Vegas in one day - not since I planned on hitting the North Rim of the Grand Canyon along the way. It was a bust since the road was closed at Jacob Lake on hwy 89 up there at 7k feet there was allot of snow on the ground but I was happy to see some curves on the mesa going down into Fredonia where the road took a turn for the worse - boring and windy again.
    I avoided the traffic and cold into Zion NP and headed into Colorado City (est 1985) on a lower route - a low road and a high road to the same place as it is! I couldn't believe they would even put that on the sign (est 1985?) - the place was an eyesore next to some pretty rocks - nothing but dirt roads carved into the hills and ugly houses mixed in with warehouses it was just a hodge podge of disorganization and sprawl. I wouldn't call it an establishment at all. It wasn't long before I headed down the hill to Hurricane an equally unappealing town next to Zion National Park its just one long 4 lane enterprise zone to nowhere that goes on and on with stop lights every 2 minutes your more then happy to be riding on interstate 15 as soon as you get to the end of it. Now thats not saying much - interstate was more appealing to me than Hurricane. I stayed in Saint George for the night and I do like that place, its got pretty scenery and its not so much stop and go traffic to endure as Hurricane and it has a lot more to offer.
    I ate at a steak house right next to the motel and enjoyed the food, but there was an obnoxious family sitting in the next booth. Parents constantly slapping the kids down till I got sick of listening to it I ask to be moved, two parties in the place and they sit them right next to me? I drank my beer and got the hell out of there.
    The next day I had 150 miles to Vegas and I chose to take the Road to Lake Meade, I pulled off and recognized where my Busa had broken down 6 years ago leaving me stranded in the desert for 2 hours till a tow truck came along. I patted the tank on my viffer cause I know that wasn't going to happen again! It was starting to piss me off since I was again traveling in stop and go traffic in these small towns near the lake going 30 mph behind some local pickup trucks, one would pull out in front of me, turn off and another would take its place. ON and on like this for 15 miles till I was finally out of town but then I ran smack into road construction for another 20 miles - stripped down to bare dirt and following a string of RVs behind a lead vehicle with a follow me sign on the back. I was thinking I was never going to get to Vegas!
    Then the road got good, new pavement, lots of shoulder and good sweepers I was starting to enjoy it, two days of crap and now finally some good road. Still I was thinking about what Toddulu told me - the Feds patrol that area and they hate speeding bikes so I kept it under 90mph, for the most part. It seemed like they could hide anywhere in those bushes and bust you. You have to be going 110mph there to really lean it over but I was just cruising at 80mph hitting the brakes when I saw something that looked like a car.
    I finally rolled into Vegas around noon following an R1 on the freeway from Henderson that began the overheating water boiling weekend of riding in Vegas! Me and Andy on his scooter we resorted to lane splitting and pissing off the 100's of taxis on the side roads along the strip. I over ate, over drank and over partied for 2 days in Vegas and later met up with Tod and Ben for a ride around the city for a half day ride.

    Fremont Street Las Vegas

    Golden Nugget right on the mall

    Street Musicians everywhere

    The Light show at Fremont street KISS theme

    I have seen this on TV its huge

    The pool at the Golden Nugget

    Day Ride with Toddulu and Canib we went where ever it wasn't raining - around Lake Meade

    Red Rock Park near Lake Meade
    I must have spent $500 bucks in Vegas even though I had not planned on it, its too easy to drop money there. I said goodbye to Andy and Tod and took off to explore Arizona

    Heading out of Vegas I stopped at the Hover Damn

    Bridge construction above overlooking the Hover Damn it was huge too

    Lots of Concrete I need a wide angle lens to see it all
    Once the again the wind was blowing and it wasn't quite cold but it sure wasn't warm, I rolled into Kingman on Sunday and fell into line with the truckers on the Interstate 40 with plans to go ride some twisties in Arizona near Prescott. I turned off toward Phoenix and found a back road hwy 97 that resembled a roller coaster ride the whole time I was on it, I kept expecting to see cattle in the road when I crested a hill so I was worried about going too fast. I took out the camera and did some video.
    [vid]82[/vid]
    I ended up in Prescott around 4pm and decided the cool wind had gotten the best of me - I found this great old hotel in down town Prescott and enjoyed the night sitting at the bar of the Bistro there. Met a bunch of people and talked most the night with a couple who were living in Boulder Colorado - he was a scientist she a homemaker and they retired there after living in San Jose for many many years. The Bar tender was a good kid who was also a transplant from California, they apparently have a homeless problem there so they have a lock on the bathroom door that uses tokens - which was kept in a cup by the bar. I must have handed out 20 of them sitting right next to it, I thought I would give that bartender a break and just hand them out to whomever came looking. A big family was having dinner in the Bistro after a wedding - a young couple just married - the groom in his Dress uniform from the Army. I decided to buy them a drink so I could toast the newly weds I was having a great time in Prescott.

    The Historic Saint Michael Hotel In Prescott AZ

    Public Library Prescott AZ

    Historic Downtown Prescott lots of tourist at the St Michael
    The hotel had a parking garage in the alley behind it so there is where I locked up the bike for the night, old elevator, old everything but it was very cool. I headed for some more twisties toward Jerome AZ and into Sedona, my buddy Craig told me to head to Sedona. It was definitely pretty there but I was again stuck in urban sprawl stop and go traffic there with 15 miles of road construction I was going to spend some time there but decided the place was an eyesore next to those great rock monuments, like it was just piled on top of the place hodge podge but with allot more money than Colorado City, It would be great if it was a National Monument with none of that crap surrounding it but thats just me. I hate to see million dollar houses sitting on top of beautiful bluffs it just ruins the landscape no matter how much money they pour into it it looks horrible. The 15 mile per hour speed limit for and hour wasn't much fun either I was glad to be out of there and I crossed the Interstate on hwy 179 and encountered 11 miles of dirt road to the turn off at hwy 260. To my surprise it was rather smooth and 40 mph on smooth dirt road is way better than 15mph of traffic in Sedona any day!
    I was soon into some enjoyable mountain riding for the next 3 hours, passing into Payson for a gas stop I stopped and ate at a road house in Overgaard on hwy 260. Nice joint with good food but It was pricey so I cant recommend it - it was a bit steep in price for a burger and onion rings and a Dr Pepper $17? Rim Café I think it was called,
    I ended up staying the night in Sprigerville AZ on the New Mexico boarder I was lucky to find a room since the had no vacancy signs on all the motels, construction people they said. I couldn't for the life of me figure out where the work was going on? But I found a room, I met a couple of riders at the gas station headed to Santa Fe like me. They warned me it was supposed to snow the weekend so I made plans to stay with my sister for the weekend in Santa Fe over the phone, I could go see her new home they had built. The guys were staying in Socorro - a place that is alright but the last time I was there some drug dealers took over the motel 6 where I was staying at. For 4 hours they were selling out of a room on the first floor (last year on a trip to Silver City NM). Guys with guns in the doorway, they were menancing looking 5 of them out in the grass of the yard. I decided there was no way I was going there again.
    In Springerville I walked across the street to the Mexican restaurant and had some great chili relleno for $7 - and $4 corona = cheap food and expensive beer? OK it was good though. I was on my way to Santa Fe the Next Morning 9am. Once again 50 degrees out and windy like it had been the whole darned trip. I took out the Gerbings again and got comfy on the slab. I was surprised to see some good scenery near Grants though

    El Malipas National Monument New Mexico hwy 117 at a place called the Narrows

    The Narrows along the La Ventana Trail

    La Ventana Natural Arch

    The Highway Borders the Acoma Indian Reservation

    INFO

    This is a seldom traveled road
    I gassed up in Grants and got a meatball sandwich at the Subway, to warm me up. Sat next to some really really old folks who did not even recognize I was there, boring conversation anyway! I minded my own business. When I went outside it had warmed up to 65! Yea I stripped down and took off my over pants too. Headed to Santa Fe

    This is a seldom traveled road

    Madrid New Mexico

    Madrid NM on hwy 14 called the Turquoise trail

    Arrived at my Sisters new home in Santa Fe her family just moved in this month - its huge inside
    It was great to see my sister though she was sporting a cold, the kids looked great, grown a few inches and my brother in law was exited about his new home. We took a trip to go get a new couch that weekend but mostly I just hung out with my Sister for 3 days at home. I had to wait a few hours when I arrived in Santa Fe so I took in a movie - then I went to the school they both teach at and sure enough there was my sister Laura in the Parking lot waving at me as I pulled in. Kind of nice both their kids attend the same school too. I waited out a snow storm then headed home Sunday on some boring route to avoid the cold, again found myself in Fort Garland and I stopped for lunch at the Old West Café - wow it was cheap and it was great, the food on the menu all looked great and affordable I couldn't decide so I asked the waitress to just get me a burger and she brought out the best green chili burger I have ever had! good and scrumptious! Then I made it home and found I a sore throat - my sister had given me her darned cold! So I have been camped out in my room reading vfrd and blowing my nose for 3 days. Good trip all in all!

    My lunch stop in Fort Garland I needed a break from the cold - wonderful menu - I had a great green chili burger good service too
    trip log in gpx form attached
  5. HispanicSlammer
    The Barbie Scooter
    This is what I came expecting to see and I did find it, riding some 2000 miles round trip on my vfr I was expecting to find a rally representing somthing like this. I wasnt expecting to find a bunch of skin heads 6 foot five in vintange british clothes and wayfairer glasses listening to ska music turned way up riding 80mph down the highway on a souped up scooter! Now that wasnt what I was expecting - bashing on the plastic scoots this MOD crowd came with all kinds, young and old alike the atmosphere was rather different from what I thought it would be. There was alot of drinking, alot of music, alot of patches, alot of color and alot of attitude. It reminded me of my college days listening to ska music from England wearing my thin black tie and tight suit with a fedora on top. I couldnt beleive they had the English Beat booked to play that night at the Tropicana Ballroom - now I was really taking a trip back in time.

    Things to know about scooter people

    Vintage is better than new
    Italian nuff said
    Metal is better than plastic even if its half rusted out it will still pass you going 80mph on your Kimco any day of the week
    Tikibars are a way of life
    funny haircuts are normal

    These scooter people they seem to come from everywhere all ages all shapes and sizes, even more so than motorcyclist they are more female friendly too, lots of women ride scooters,

    Tropicana Hotel Las Vegas

    What a typical scooter motor looks like all one peice - motor and swingarm

    People where all tribal about thier scooters and thier clubs

    An old Lambretta series 1 I am not sure - not a scooter expert

    The Vintage scooters where the real draw

    A nicely restored Lambretta

    more scooters arrive from a group ride

    A large contingent of British came out to the event aka Quadrophenia style

    The newer scoots were quarantined

    Modifications were considered normal

    For the brits more mirrors more horns more lights

    Now this is a racing scooter stripped down and customized with custom exhaust and fitted with a water cooled head

    another racing scooter note the upgraded shocks the flatside carbs (dirtbike carbs) and no frills stripped down

    stripped down cafe racer bars

    A fully restored vespa two tone paint and blue accents
    Now we took off to go hang out a Tiki bar the 6 of us from Denver but not before the girls did some scooter judging of thier own

    more comments from the East German Judge

    The girls were doing thier own judging this one is unofficial though

    Most people called it a cooler the glove box that is, cause that is where the booze was

    This guy is a true enthusiast he is probably older then the scoots he owns too

    This restored Lambretta just needs somthing a Dalmation sitting on it perhaps

    This is what Vespas look like now days

    High performance exaust on a vespa? hells yea!

    The freaks dont only come out at night really nice guy stopped and posed for me

    I think a pin ball wizard owns these

    I like this one classy

    The judges have spoken
    There were a few of these three wheeled things too

    Dont hold back tell us what you really think

    wow thats red

    I loved the restored scooters made me want to go out and scour the classifieds for a beater to fix up

    Wha how did that viffer get in there

    Mine wasnt the only one this guy is a member of the scarab scooter club though

    My buddy Andy was out snapping me 4 to 1

    Lavender vespa

    Another look at the fire truck again in the morning this time

    this guy spent 5 hours polishing and preening this one

    This one was rescued from the scrap yard

    Again they quaranined the new ones banished

    Want a margarita?

    The Margarita Mobile courtesy of the Heat Siezed Scooter Club of Las Vegas

    This Stella was full of hope

    Kermit came out for a Margarita too he was busy gaurding the tires though

    wow Metzler makes sport scooter tires

    This one has been pressed into military service

    If I had to guess I would say wavy gravy owns this one

    I couldnt get enough of this color I must have taken 8 pictures of this one

    Another souped up Lambretta nice color too

    Hey I may have found Pedrosa's ride for next year just his size - he might even be able to stay on it.

    This one looks like it should have been in a production of Grease!

    I think this would be Dutchinterceptors if he owned a scooter

    Vendors where out too A cute Canadian couple selling one of kind patches you cant get anywhere else

    I bought this one

    come on now Andy - back away from the dumb I had to knock some sense into the man - 50cc's man what are you thinking

    Andy kept telling me how rare the color of his vespa was well looky there hmm truely rare

    It seems the Lambretta club is into performance

    The British invasion 2009

    thats what I call mod

    Custom seat and hand drawn pinstriping

    Same scoot it was souped up too

    OK this one is just cool

    yup Dutch would have this one

    The helmet makes it art complete with a before picture before it was restored

    This one comes with central plumbing

    What this sticker is from my hometown looks like its on the colorado college campus

    This is one of Andys friends ACE scooter club out of Denver entered in the buildoff contest

    This one was just finished the paint wasnt even dry

    The Lambrettas really looked cool

    1966 Starstream

    This made me laugh

    This one wins the wtf award a wii in a trailer - behind a classic vespa wtf?

    Loading up the Vespas Me on the other hand was headed to Arizona on the BIKE
    The funny thing is Andy took his bike off the truck to rejet it for the weekend, replaced the jets and then he rode it 20 feet and some car backed out and hit him smashed up the fan/flywheel and took off all the cooling fins. so he had to stay close for short rides only GEEZ 20 feet and he gets hit? It was a great rally and one of the best organized I have ever been too some 500 people came from all over the country and it was a lot of fun
    http://www.highrollersweekend.com
  6. HispanicSlammer

    Jim Dillard's Vintage Motos Vintage Motorcycle Museum and Restoration
    I had the opportunity to visit my old college friend in Denver Tuesday - he suggested we go visit this vintage motorcycle museum in Lo-Do down by Coors Field. We jumped on his two scooters and headed across Capital Hill and made our way across downtown Denver on two vintage Italian scooters. I couldnt remeber what they were called if you tourchered me about it? All I know is it shifted funny, and I kept honking the horn every time I tried to use the turn signals. Anyway I had a lot of fun riding that little thing with its left hand shifter (on the left handle bar, it rotates as it shifts). Andy says it gets 100mpg where abouts on a full tank of about a gallon and a half. It was rather large for a scooter and it had a spare tire bolted to the back, Andy says he sunk about 3k into it all together with a chrome frame protector and rack. I usually don't like motorcycling in a large city but dadgum it if that wasn't a hoot riding that scooter. Andy was riding 2up with his Girl Friend Joann on the back. She was visiting from L.A. out for a ski trip to Vail, Steamboat and Winter Park. Andy had her whole 2 week vacation all planned out for her in advance, she said she was so busy doing stuff she hadn't had a chance to sleep! He also had our day planned out as well.
    So the three of us headed downtown and met Jim Dillard and looked over his collection of vintage euro bikes and scooters.
    Vintage Motos
    2762 Walnut St
    Denver CO 80205
    (303) 993-7693
    jeducati@vintagemotos.com
    http://www.vintagemotos.com

    Parts shelves Carbs, magetos, suspension components

    Jims Cleaning area

    Ducati Scooter Hybrid

    Looking east

    Jim Dillard's Vintage Motos Vintage Motorcycle Museum and Restoration

    Bennelli Being restored

    1955 BSA Bantum

    Morini 500 SEI-V

    Mondial 175

    Bianchi Aquilleto Motorized bicycle again notice the dual lever front suspension - BMW did not invent this technology with the k1200

    Bennelli

    Bianchi notice the Springer dual lever front end - Hossack like

    Moto Guzzi Scooter Jim called it a toaster motor

    1938 AJ's Identical to the Matchless

    Little Ant 1956 Moto Rumi Formichino

    Parrila Scooter circa 1950

    Ace Marchi Scooter

    1972 Moto Guzzi Facon Sport

    Ducati Desmo

    Cagiva 750 by Ferrachi circa 90's Center Research Ducati (crd)

    1984 Bennelli 900 SCI

    Honda Dream 50 I beleive these were sold as collectors items as late as 2006 by Honda

    1950 IMME R100 100cc

    1974 Ducati sport Bevel Drive

    1938 Binelli 250cc sport Race bike

    1933 Puch 250L featuring direct oil injection

    KTM 80 Pro Lever

    1974 Laverda 750 SFC Twin Jim's most expensive bike
    I was talking to Jim about a number of motorcycle news items, the way AMA has squadered the American series - how the 600 class has changed into the premier class and the relative ease these bikes are to ride compared to the bigger more powerful bikes. He gave me a bit of a tour of the bikes talked about how he started collecting, side stepped a question about the value of his collection (understandable) and then he had to work on a photo backdrop for his website, photographing his collection. The museum is relatively new having opened this last September. It is not hard to find, if your in Denver, its about 1 block south of Erico Motorsports where he has even more bikes on display. Take Park Avenue to Walnut and head north about 5 blocks and turn east on 28th is on the side street, with a ducati sign in the door window, go down the stairs.
  7. HispanicSlammer

    Busted!

    By HispanicSlammer,

    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/1236587658_busted.wmv.flv


    Come take a ride with me up the Central City Parkway and watch me get rewarded for doing it. This last summer I rode to Rist Canyon and well rode all over tarnation and back not really knowing where I was gonna end up, just that I was gonna ride and I was gonna ride all day long! Seems that all summer long when I took the vfr out for a day ride I ended up getting busted by the cops! My luck seemed to have run out in that regard and this day was no exception. This was just before high noon and I had just turned off Interstate 70 to head to Central City on the "Central City Parkway" its a 4 lane freeway for about 6 miles where it ends up at the top of the mountain in - you guessed it. This video actually continues on the Peak To Peak highway where I met a wonderful LEO who wasnt pulling punches on that day!


    Full Size


    A = Central City Parkway
    B = Busted Flat - feeling nearly faded as my stich!
  8. HispanicSlammer
    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/1236161198_stove08.wmv.flv


    One of the great things about having a video camera is reliving the rides you did over the summer, and watching them again when winter time rolls around. This video I took after riding some 4000 miles up to Canada to attend the Kootenay Hootenanny. I had just rolled through Laramie Wyoming and stopped for lunch at some small chinese joint - sat down and looked at the map for somthing that could perk me up after having ridden much too much slab in Wyoming. I headed to Ted's Place, turned right and made my way up the Cache La Poudre till I found the turn off for Stove Prairie Road. I have only been on this road 3 times since its some 200 miles to the north of where I live and getting to it involves crossing the Denver Metro area or going WAY around on the Peak to Peak Highway, suffice it to say its not easy to get there from home.

    I gotta say I was not too thrilled about the dark clouds gathered in front of me as I set up my video camera but as usual Colorado weather is rather fickle in the summer and it only lasted a few miles before clear skies opened up again. I really enjoyed the road this time around, with all my touring gear strapped on for a long ride, and already spending 14 days in the saddle it was a welcome sight to see a nice clean twisty road after so much slab during the rest of the day. I did get a good scare, a long strait on the top of the Prairie invited me to open up the motor a bit only to find a whole heard of Cattle in the middle of the road not 200 feet from a blind rise. I crested it at some 70mph and hauled it down to 15mph just in time to weave my way past the Black Angus that where grazing on the weeds along the side of the road. You would think that Cows dont make good road signs , and that perhaps in order to save your investment it might be prudent to let them graze somewhere out of sight of the road? Thats the realitity of riding in the west, you have to watch for animals in the road!




    Full Size
  9. HispanicSlammer
    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.

    Tarryall

    Tarryall

    Tarryall
    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

    Boreas Mountain

    Wild Flower

    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

    Breckenridge

    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 Colorado‎. 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

    Full Size
    A - home
    B - backroads
    C - Tarryall
    D - Packer Road
    E - Boreas Pass
    F - Loveland Pass
    G - Georgetown
    H - Guenella Pass
    I - Wellington Lake Road
  10. HispanicSlammer
    The full moon sets over Canon City 7am
    CAGERS SLAM ON THE BRAKES?
    Went on a 500 mile ride yesterday with my buddy. A couple of times we were passing a string of cars, on dotted yellow sections. In keeping with my "dont force it ride rules". I am making an effort to ride more legit. Anway the lead car, is already going just around the speed limit so I tried to slot behind the guy after passing a few cars behind him/her. Anyway the guy slams on his brakes and so I am forced to pass him too - otherwise if I did slot in behind him I would have had to grab a whole handful of brakes?
    He wasnt going fast enough to be an issue in passing, its just that I was running out of dotted yellow line. I did not want to pass on a double yellow if I did not have too - there was more than enough room left to pass safely even on the double yellow. I intended to slot in behind the guy to make it a legal pass but when he slammed on the brakes that made it impossible.
    Then a Few hours later passing just one guy this one does it too? I am ok with them just driving at the speed they are driving - no speeding up, no slamming on the brakes? Idiots these people? I know I can slow down faster but I dont want to have to slow down unaturally fast just to get behind some idoit slamming on his brakes? What is he doing? I was just about to swing in behind the first guy and I had to swerve back out and pass him too? I am glad they are aware of folks behind them, you would think that if you are watching the 5 cars behind you, holding them up obviously, that you would use one of the many pull off? No I will just slam on the brakes when they finally get sick of riding behind me below the speed limit?
    MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO CRUISERS
    That wasnt the only strange thing, every where we went yesterday. Lunch or gas or what ever a group of cruisers would turn around and stop where we did? I met Mark for breakfast at the Diner at Texas Creek. He must have passed them a while back, cause he was telling me he had to pass a big group of cruisers when all of a sudden they roll by the cafe and down the road. Then they all turned around and came back to the cafe we were at. Mark had already had a cup of coffie by the time they came along. We where the only ones there when we got there and by the time we left the place was packed.
    Then we stopped for gas in Gunnison - no bikes just us, when we left there were cruisers all over the joint. Same thing at lunch, we passed a group of cruisers, 5 or 6 of em. Same thing they rolled by went a couple of blocks past another resturant and then turned around and stopped at the boardwalk cafe where we where? By the time we left that cafe it too was packed? I guess its good to own a buisness where we stop at??
    RALLYS EVERYWHERE
    I dont know about you but I usually wave when a two wheeled vehicle rolls by, but there must have been a Scooter rally going on this last weekend near Salida cause about 100 scooters went rolling by, Vespas, Silverwings, Yammys, old, ugly, small cc, large cc all small wheel scooters? After while I got sick of waving at every damn scooter that went by, after about 25 I had had enough.
    Then near Panoia there were some sport cars rolling by, expensive ones too, all makes, Ferraris, Porches, Corvettes, we must have seen about 20 millions dollars worth go by. It looked like rally weekend in Colorado thats for sure.
    Oh and we got popped for 60mph in a 40. Unforutnatly it was a 10 mile long construction zone, brand new asphault already layed, already painted and no road construction workers for miles. We get stopped and hit with a damn 6 point $320 ticket. Double fines in the zone! Officer says"this construction is almost done all they got to do is remove the cones" cones which were 2 lanes off the side of the road way off in the dirt?? Well officer if you acknowledge that why give us this rediculous ticket? Of course when we finnally found the workers some 6 miles up the road we slowed down even slower than the 40 mph posted speed. I ride safe - for the conditions. Brand new pavement, strait as an arrow, cones 20 feet away what's the hazard? I Guess Leadville is hurting for funds?
    [map=AARTsJo-FESTsw8pHmT8WdKuNjmBwdjeOA]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Coventry+Dr&daddr=US-50+to:CO-92+to:CO-82%2FGrand+Ave+to:Main+St%2FUS-24+to:US-24%2FUS-285+to:38.765863,-104.770432&hl=en&geocode=FWiMTwId0EzB-Q%3BFcwUSgId3O20-Q%3BFe6OTgIdDAqW-Q%3BFVZHWwIdfFma-Q%3BFboKXAId5AGo-Q%3BFRwyUAIdBNOs-Q%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=5&mrsp=6&sz=11&sll=38.770681,-105.03067&sspn=0.308361,0.725098&ie=UTF8&ll=38.814031,-106.523437&spn=2.465321,5.800781&z=8[/map]
    I wasnt really planning on taking a bunch of pictures since I have subjected you all to this loop a number of times. I ride the Black Canyon Loop all the time.

    Somewhere on hwy 92

    Mr Dude otherwise known as Mark

    Myers Gulch

    The San Juans in the Distance

    San Juans in the Distance

    Hwy 50 as seen from Hwy 92 south west
    Mr Dude has gotten a lot faster since we started riding together, mostly in the sweepers where he keeps up just fine. In fact he surprised me by staying with me up to McClure Pass, and he actually passed me there, of course I passed him going down. I could not get the Viffer to get around him going up, too much torque on that Bandit 1250. Then in Glenwood Canyon on I-70 we played with some guy on a boxer, he took off hard but we caught him and passed him, actually Mr Dude did, then I passed him and proceded down the canyon at speed till the good stuff stopped and it turned into regular interstate. BMW guy then passed us and rolled on doing 90 plus in the ski valleys, me I know the state patrols that area so I cut it down to the posted 75mph. We added Battle mountain to the loop which lead us to our doom in Leadville - Battle mountain pass and Tennesse pass are too tempting, those long sustained turns just call to your motorcycle "RAIL ME MIGUEL" it was torture to slow down in that 10 mile construction zone? I wish I had seen the 40 sign, I just assumed 50 and of course 67 seems like 50. Officer backwater at least cut off those extra 7mph so he did not have to issue a full summons. I hope Leadville has a good Dental plan for its Deputies cause that guy needs some work! It was all I could do not to stare at his snaggle toothed face when he smiled.. YEA we got friendly...... but 24 hours later its setting in! The sting that is!
  11. HispanicSlammer
    The Crags on Pikes Peak
    Whenever I need a ride and just dont want to be out all day I usually take a ride down to Lake Isabel on the Green Horn Highway. I make a big loop out of if. Head south on hwy 115 over to Florence - past the supermax prison up to McKenzi Junction and down the Greenhorn Highway to Lake Isabel. I usually dont stop at Bishops Castle anymore seen that enough times, but its a great stop if you have never been, you can get your fear of hieghts all boiled up if you dont mind climbing on rickety rocky wrought iron structures.

    Lake Isabel

    village at Lake Isabel
    I know the road well enough to ride it at a brisk pace 80-to ungodly stupid fast, at least when I am the only one on the road. Its usually has its share of tourist so you have to slow down. I stopped and got some drink and food in Florence and was enjoying a nice stop at Lake Isabel when a group of Pueblo tourist where out and about in an SUV, they stopped and one of the old folks got out and greeted me with a folksy hello. He told me he was with his wife and his cousin and her Husband - He is a Honda owner too of the Goldwing sort - motorcylists are motorcyclist and usually we all have somthing in common to talk about - even if hes 40 years my Senior and a good deal slower. I told him to take the dirt road to Beula and enjoy the Wet Mountains from there, somewhere he had never been. Visiting cousins in Pueblo they come from Grand Junction. He then used the public mens room and took off in thier SUV waving goodby as they went. I took off about 5 minutes later and passed them going my normal pace before they made the turn, pointing to the road they should take.
    Then at McKenzi Junction I decided to make a loop out of the ride and head over to Westcliff and down into Texas Creek, I stopped for a picture of the Sangre De Christos, there is a meadow at the top of the wet mountains that exposes the Sandgres from across the wet valley, its an amazing view that always takes my breath away.

    Sangre De Christo Mountains Co Hwy 96
    at the top the road gets slightly twisty before you get into the wet valley and I was railing it of course, passed a few cars on the way down then turned the corner into the vally I was trying to remember which mountains where which slowing down to take a good look - and I saw in my mirrors a sherrif deputy following me, where he came from I have no Idea but I stayed at my current pace (speed limit) until I stopped at the gas station in Westcliff. I know the cops patrol hwy 96 cause I have been stopped there before, I still dont know where he was when I passed him? He did not light me up with his radar either cause I got no signal, paceing me no doubt by his speedo! I get sick of traffic cops always on my case! You know what I was going slow cause I was approching the town some 5 miles away going the speed limit, leave me alone!
    I did not stay in Westcliff since I dont like being hassled by local cops, hassle me and I wont stop and spend money in your town for lunch! boycott HS style Forget that my lunch money is going to Texas Creek instead.

    Twisty Road Near Texas Creek
    There was a big group of riders - some wearing Apex Sports shirts, so I know they came from Colorado Springs, they where on the other end of the resturant and did not acknowledge me, cruisers on metrics and one beemer. Oh well, one of them finally said hello when I was already to go on my bike after eating my lunch. Well Hello dingleberry! I tried to introduce myself earlier! Oh well no point in being rude so I said hello. Then I dissapered around the first turn and was gone.
    I headed over to hwy 9 and started toward high park road to Cripple Creek. I passed a few cars going up High Park Road, then turned off to get up the mountain to Cripple Creek, saw a sign that said "Loose Gravel" turned the corner and my radar detector started blaring in my ear, another sherrif following a car closely down hill with his radar on. The cop was less than 2 car lengths behind the car? Harrasing cops all day long! I was glad I slowed down for that sign! Never did see any loose gravel? I waited to speed up again thinking the sherrif might turn around and come after me? - you never know about these small town cops! They enjoy it a bit too much. I just decided to look at the pretty aspens in thier fall colors and not rail the turns - the road from Cripple Creek to High Park road is a bit too well traveled these days, very busy with all that gambling traffic from Cripple Creek, people working the casinos, people from Pueblo going to the Casinos its a mess now.
    I dont much care to stop in Cripple Creek so I always turn south there and to rail the 5 miles of turns to Victor. That short road is a hoot! and its a bit scary since you can fall a good 1000 feet down if you miss a turn. past a huge gold mine to Victor you can view some very nice vistas and the fall colors where spectacular.I can usually speed up after I get out of Cripple Creek to Victor, there is a great 5 mile road on the way that is one turn after another. I stopped to take some pictures

    Shelf Road

    Victor Cememtary Road

    Cematary Road Sangre De Christo mountains in the background

    Crestone Peak, Crestone Needle zoom on my camera is good

    Moon rises over Victor
    Victor is not so lucky as Cripple Creek - no gambling and its more run down, the historic town is much quieter. I usually loop around the backside to go see Pikes Peaks southern face

    The Crags on Pikes Peak

    Pikes Peak

    the summit

    Pikes Peak

    CR 81 in Fall The Crags
    The Map

    Full Size
    Attached is the gpx tracks and a google earth path
  12. HispanicSlammer
    The Apishapa Arch
    I spent Monday setting up my XR650 from long distance dual sporting, tearing off the vinyl seat and cutting the foam to make the seat top a bit wider, to better support my wieght. I cut up a sheepskin seat cover and used it for the seat cover. It came out ok, and very comfortable! I put a layer of soft foam around the seat that had a plastic laminate so it wouldnt absorb water.
    I have been wanting to head down to the Spanish Peaks to do the dirt roads down there, paticularly Codova Pass. It comes out in Aguilar Coloardo where my Mother Was Born and where my Grand Father was Buried. A Coal miner who suffered the fate most coal miners did of that era, black lung. I am 3 generation Coloradoan and I think my Great Great Grandmother was born in Aguilar too which would make me 4th generation but that is unconfimed. I passed through Ludlow where the infamous Ludlow Masscure happened, 1913. I did not stop but it peaked my interest and I did some research.
    My Grandfather emmigrated from Mexico during the Mexian Revolution to avoid being killed by Pancho Villa who was killing seminary students who where loyal to the government, so he crossed the Rio Grand and became a Coal Miner in Colorado. I dont know if he was involved with any of those where were killed at Ludlow but I know it was around the same time he met my Grandmother. I went and visited his grave outside town, he died when my Mother was 3 both my grandparents died before I was born. Last time I was in Aguilar it was rather run down. I was pleased to see that it had gone through some renovation and it seemed the town has grown some these last few years. There is a lot of oil and gas industry activity down south and people are moving there to retire - no small wonder its beautiful there!

    12-mile hwy 78 Greenhorn Mountain Near Buela Colorado
    I have been wanting to explore this dirt road from Wetmore to Buela for quite some time, I started to turn off on it and some dude in a pickup truck turned right infront of me. I followed for a mile and got tired of the slow pace and passed him on a clear section. It was bumpy as it winded its way up a mountain then surprise it was paved for 20 miles into Buela. I love that place, its so nice there. So peaceful and pristine and only 17 miles southeast of Pueblo.

    Greenhorn Mountain Aspens Changing

    Aspen Grove open view of the high plains

    12-mile hwy 78

    Ophir Creek Road
    I ran into an old couple who where changing a flat, I stopped to see if they needed assistance. the long haired old hippy man said he was fine but he warned me of a fire on the other side of the mountain said it was a controlled burn and not to worry. Nice guy and boy did he have a long beard!

    Gardener Road cr-634 a contoled burn by the forest service

    Presribed Burn

    Mount Blanca from Gardener Road

    Gardener Road From where I had just came it had been graded since my last visit

    Colors where incredible

    Gardener Road 10% grade in places

    Sangre De Christo Mountains across the wet mountain valley

    Lets See here names - left to right - Marble Mountain, Broken Hand, Crestone Needle, Crestone Peak, Humbolt, Kit Carson

    Tiseras Peak, Tejeras Peak, Music Mountain

    Sangre De Christo Mountains across the wet moutain valley

    Williams Creek

    Gardener Road

    Blueberry Mountain

    Sheep Mountain and Little Sheep
    now for another dirt road to get to Lavita Pass head west to Malicite and over Pass Creek Pass

    Mount Blanca

    Hogbacks Co-572 going up Pass Creek Pass

    Pass Creek Pass

    Pass Creek Pass

    Spanish Peaks from Old Laveta Pas

    Spanish Peaks same spot zoomed

    Old Laveta Pass

    Highway Of Ledgends
    The pavement up to Cucharas was brand new and the colors where fantastic, I sometimes wish I have both bikes at the same time cause I could have railed those turns on that wonderful pavement on my vfr at 30 mph faster!

    Cuchras Lunch at the Dog Bar

    Cucharas Pass seen from the top of Cordova Pass

    Trinchera Peak

    Cordova Pass

    Adolesent Mule Deer they just stood and watched me

    his partner in crime

    Spanish Peaks from Cordova Pass

    Looking East from Cordova Pass

    More Hogbacks

    Trinidad Lies below from Cordova pass

    West Spanish Peak

    The Apishapa Arch west side

    The Apishapa Arch east side

    East Spanish Peak near Ludlow

    Purple Mountains Majesty

    Pikes Peak

    The Dark Road Home
    All in all it was 320 on a dirtbike! wow I was so tired when I got home I fell asleep as soon as I got out of my gear

    Full Size
    This map will probably be blank click on it and then refresh. I attached my gps tracks and the path in google earth
  13. HispanicSlammer
    Skyline Drive
    I once took a dirt road from hwy 9 last summer just to see where it went, along the way I passed a road that headed west and there was a sign that said "Salida 40 miles" I did not have time to explore it, instead I was looking for back way into Cotopaxi, which I never found. I was on some forgotten dirt road some developer had cut for houses that never got built. It ended and I had to turn back. I never forgot that sign though and though well "some day"! Last tuesday was the day, and after looking at the map I found it was named "ute trail" so I packed my tail bag, aired up the tires on the Big Piggy, topped up the motor oil and headed up Old Stage road to Salida.

    Cripple Creek

    Sangre De Christo Mountains in the Distance

    Aspens Changing above Cripple Creek
    I was getting my fillings knocked out of my mouth from the bone jarring waves of bumps that happen on the downhill sections where the grader had once smoothed out the road but the rain had made a nice row of shallow bumps. It makes my teeth nash together so I jumpped off and softened up the rebound a bit on my shock. It worked but then my bike was a bit bouncy on the pavement. I would say all in all I did 40 % dirt 60 % pavement on this ride.
    riding from Cripple Creek to Guffy was all pavement and surprisingly I was going faster than most the cars even with my back end bouncing around when I turned hard, I passed a mess of cagers going down hill to the High Park road turnoff, and then I was soon on the roller coaster we call High Park Road. Its fun but dangerous cause its open range and cows like to stand in the middle of the road. You have to slow down on the crest of the hills or you could plow into one on the blind downside! A woman riding with our local sport bike group lost her life there 3 years ago doing just that!
    Anyway I tunrned toward Guffy and headed west all alone at this point, seems nobody goes to Guffy anymore, all the resturants were closed and up for sale, seems the place is abandoned all except for the antique stores. We used to stop there for a drink on the way home from Hwy 9, then short cut over to Woodland park. Not anymore the resturant is closed now.
    I headed north west on hwy 9 till I found the turn off a couple of miles down the road to get to Ute Trail, a dried up mudd road called co-88 it was full of mud ruts and somewhat tricky to handle, I turned west on what I thought was the trail but ended on some private road. I turned around and headed south again to Stirrup Ranch where Ute Trail picks up. I thought I was alone so I was riding somwhat slow. I saw the horses at Stirrup ranch and took a picture turned around to see a huge ford Bronco right behind me, oops didnt hear them or seem them way out here. They stopped and asked me what I was doing, I guess they saw me turn off on that private road and were watching me - I did not think I was tresspassing but those cowboys were a bit cautious about me. I just said I missed the turn and then saw the sign and turned back onto the road. "I just got lost for a mile or so thats all". They offered me a cup of coffie which I declined and they pointed me to the correct road to Salida. Thanks apparantly some folks have been trespassing on thier land and dumping trash. I guess I can understand where they where comming from, I saw the sign and went no further, turned back and got back on CO-88 - so they followed me to make sure I got out. Co-88 goes into private land but the road is a public road.

    Horses at Stirrup Ranch

    Aspens Changing at Mud Creek

    Whitehorn CO

    All the Essentials Satalite T,V Shower, Hole in the ground - an outdoor paradise!
    Once on the Ute Trail they followed me some more but I was aware of them now and just twisted the trottle and left those cowboys in the dust, I was all the way at the bottom of the next valley before I saw them top the hill I had just come, by the time I was past the next valley I was long gone. I found a strange shack out in the boonies near Whitehorn, it was just particle board painted red and slapped up like an old box car, there was a tower with a 50 gallon water tank on top for showering I guess and a hole in the ground for when nature calls. It was definitly crude, but they had a satalite dish!! HEH
    I was soon into the mountains around Salida and heading down the Pass on Ute Trail where I was witness to a breathtakeing view of the Collegiate Peaks across the valley.

    Ute Trail - Salida Colorado

    Ute Trail - Salida Colorado Mt Antero and Mt Princton

    Ute Trail - Salida Colorado Collegiate Peaks
    It was 112 miles on the trip meter at this point and my 4 gallon tank was getting low, I am sure I can go alot further but the plastic tank is sort of divided by the frame, and so I would have to syphen the gas from one side to the other once it gets too low. I stopped at a gas station and filled up. Some construction workers where sitting on the bench and waved hello, I went inside and got a cold drink, came out and they where having a full blown shouting match about which was more powerful, a 450 4 stroke or a 250 2 stroke? Heh it was funny I just kicked the bike started and headed into town to the 1st Street Cafe. A Black Labrador Retriever greeted me at the door and I sat down at a table where I could observe my bike, I had forgotten to bring a lock! The house specialty was jerk chicken with sweet potato fries and cole slaw on the side. The chicken was tender and the jerk sauce dip was spicy enough to make me cough! The sweet pototao fries where a bit too much for me though - the flavors in combination was a bit overpowering and it left me a little unsatisfied with the meal, and I hate cole slaw, expecially since they seemed to have added horse radish to the slaw! I ate it all up though cause I was really hungery! I had not ate all day!
    I headed east on hwy 50 to Cotopaxi behind a guy on an old yamaha crusier, inline twin - no gear at all and he was going around 70mph in the sweepers, my boucy shock was leaving me feeling a bit too unstable and he got away from me - if I was on the VFR however he wouldnt have seen my taillights for more than a few seconds before then cause I routinely ride that section at 90+ one handed and ready for sleep! Oh well Cotopaxi came up soon enough and I stopped at the general store and got some beef Jerky cause I was still hungary. I though ok now I am going to find that elusive back way to Ute Trail from here! rode strait north and the pavement went on for at least 15 miles, which surprised me! I thought as soon as I got past the town it would turn to dirt! then I found a fork in the road, one said Salida 25 miles and the other said Mt Wudiga so I took the Mountain road! past about 12 deer feeding on the weeds and headed up the hill. then the road got worse for wear and it was definitly dirt, and I saw a No Tresspassing sign! Shoot I guess I could head back to that fork in the road and head for Saliada, cause I saw where it came out by that strange shack a few hours back but that puts me too far west on Ute Trail I would have to back track some 60 miles? It was getting late and I did not want to be one some strane road so I went all they way back to Cotopaxi and took hwy 50 to Cannon City!
    Canon City well I might as well go up Skyline Drive and watch the sun go down!

    Skyline Drive

    Skyline Drive Canon City Colorado

    Skyline Drive
    THE MAP
    [map=AARTsJoQUUI5Xu3Ku4P49UUR_K0MmYCHSA]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=CO-115&daddr=Gold+Camp+Rd+to:Park+County+Rd+102+to:Unknown+road+to:Highway+2+to:W+1st+St%2FCO-291+to:38.368041,-105.696716+to:Waugh+Mountain+Rd+to:Skyline+Dr+to:Highway+123+to:CO-67%2FPhantom+Canyon+Rd+to:CO-115&hl=en&geocode=FWKITwIdpLDA-Q%3BFcgiTwIdZH---Q%3BFShKTwId1t61-Q%3BFWbvTQIdSl6z-Q%3BFfq-TQId1yCz-Q%3BFXULTAIdtKiu-Q%3B%3BFV90TAIdEniz-Q%3BFaS0SgIdpAW6-Q%3BFWXfSgIdi8G7-Q%3BFdTeSgIdVBm8-Q%3BFQ-DTwId6rDA-Q&mra=dpe&mrcr=4&mrsp=6&sz=11&via=4,6,9&sll=38.46488,-105.682983&sspn=0.310754,0.725098&ie=UTF8&ll=38.636182,-105.380859&spn=1.240048,2.900391&t=p&z=9[/map]
    Attached is the gps tracks and a google earth file of the path
  14. HispanicSlammer
    August 14-21 marks an epic vfr trip, some 4000 miles from Colorado to Nelson BC and back again. Craig and I started out around noon on Sunday and headed for Grand Junction to get a head start on the trip, after taking a 4 hour nap after working all night. we took hwy 24 all the way to Leadville and it was Rather uneventful except that there were so many rv's on the road we thought wtf its not even close to Labor day yet what is going on, then Craig figured it out. It was the last weekend of the summer break before school started again. Every year schools seems to start earlier and earlier.

    Leadville Colorado

    Snow on Mt Massive
    When we stopped in Grand Junction we had to pass through Rifle Colorado where there is this massive Mesa top that towers over the area, a storm was brewing over it and the wind was spilling off the mesa down into the valley at 50mph! There were some places where I was almost blown off the road, Craig and I got separated and I had pulled off under an over pass to get out of the wind while he went over it. Oh well we got past the Mesa and the wind died down significantly after that, it was crazy. Not many twisties except a short section over Battle Mountain pass in Minturn from Leadville. There was some guy on an R6 with full leathers hanging off but not leaning over, Craig said the dude drifted over into his lane in the hairpin and gave him a yelp. He looked ridiculous hanging off like that and not keeping the bike steady in the turn, looking too short no doubt and chopping the throttle mid turn. We stopped in Minturn at some bar and had some tacos since thats all they had, nothing but weak Mexican food.
    The Next Day we got up early and headed up Douglas Pass, a bumpy frost heaved road with gravel in all the corners and Cows chewing on the weeds right on the side of the road. It was pretty up there but the riding was a pensive. I was on edge no doubt, going the speed limit cause of all the hazards.

    Douglas Pass

    Douglas Pass

    Douglas Pass

    Craig on his VTEC
    It wasn't long before we where in Vernal UT at Betty's diner, seemed it was the only restaurant open downtown, so we stopped for lunch. the joint was packed and I had a Betty's Burger but after looking around it seemed the Locals where still eating breakfast. Breakfast? Shoot we had already ridden half a day already Breakfast?? From Vernal we shot strait up to the Flaming Gorge.

    Stieneker State Park UT

    Flaming Gorge UT

    Met a couple of guys on the road
    These two guys we met at Mountain Home Wyoming - coming from the big Harley Fest in Sturgis, we where admiring the Ulysis in touring trim. Onto Utah again cutting into the sw corner of Wyoming cuts off some time on I-80. We turned off at Evanston to ride the Wasatch Cache area

    Twisty Sign

    Wasatch Cache National Forest UT hwy 39

    vfrs in Utah
    Craig and I overnighted at the Motel 6 in Ogden, it was the nicest Motel 6 I had ever seen, more like a mid priced hotel than a sixer! We loved the mountains there, but of course they are opposite of us and on the east side unlike Colorado. Ogden has an airstrip where the National Guard flys f-16's wow they where impressive but I am sure the residents get a bit tired of f-16's flying over their homes on full afterburner! We rode a mile north of the hotel for a nice steak at some local steakhouse. The waitress seemed like she was bothered a bit, slamming plates down cause well she just had to be there. Craig was joking "there goes 1%, and another, and another" heh we liked the food anyway!
    Tuesday we where slabbing it to Boise where my Uncle lives, for a visit, Craig has a couple of friends in Boise he used to work with so we got on the interstate and headed North to Idaho. It wasn't long before I had enough of that crap - too slow for the fast lane, too fast for the slow lane and I was going EXACTLY the speed limit! That gets old fast, you just cant cruise at all! So I turned off on hwy 83 and we went off into the marsh land north of the Great Salt Lake. There was a huge rocket factory there that took up nearly 20 miles called ATK formerly Morton Thyocol Infamous for the Columbia disaster. They obviously did the same work

    ATK Rocket North of Ogden
    Then we were back onto the interstate for a little longer and I turned off again and headed up hwy 81 for some lonely desert miles, no semis no more, no nothing till we got to Conner and turned off. Mindful of our gas tanks we where wondering if we hadn't made a mistake turning off. But my zumo said there was gas within 20 miles, turning off on another county road 77 at Malta Idaho we headed up an interesting pass and the road got interesting. Rolling into a nice little town we gassed up and looked for a place to eat in Albion Idaho. Boy did we find it!!!

    Sage Mountain Grill Albion Idaho - incredible great food
    The special was Chicken Cordon Blue and a Prime Rib Sandwich. Expecting sliced prime rib I went ahead an ordered that it turned out to be a prime rib steak with garlic cloves on a slice of bread for $7!! wow it was better than the steak in Ogden! and the Waitress was this very nice lady who was 6 months pregnant. I have yet to meet an Idahoan who wasn't nice! we loved it, and she mentioned desert and that was great too, and Apple tart for me and some ice cream on top. I was almost too stuffed to ride. Albion Idaho some times it pays to get off the Interstate!! We wanted to make some time so back on the interstate again, following some guy from Washington pulling a rock crawler 4x4 and a camper. We met him and his wife at a rest stop - he was coming back from Moab (it sucked he said) well ya, its summer man Moab must be 200 degrees hot in August! Never again he said but I suppose he missed all the great stuff cause Moab has some great stuff if you know where to go. It sucked, that sucked, this sucks, heh OK buddy have a good one!
    My Uncle let us do some laundry and fed us a home made potato taco salad he put together - it was good, and we watched the Olympics and talked all night, drinking of course and having a good time. We had a good night and I saw them off at 5am to go to work. Never been to Boise before we where soon riding the Payette River on the way to Lolo Pass the next day. We found some good twisties before that off hwy 55 going north

    Payette River ID

    Riggins ID

    River Rock Café Riggins ID
    There was a great pass near Payette Lake from Macall to New Meadows that was railed, Craig took the lead and we got in some tight ones there, very exciting for about 10 minutes. Then we rode along the Salmon River a bit all the way to Kooskia at the bottom of hwy 12 to Lolo Pass

    Salmon River Idaho

    Nez Pierce War Monument Pass hwy 95

    Nez Pierce War Monument

    The Road to the Monument
    LOLO PASS was anti climatic especially since there were better twisties on hwy 13 just south of Kooskia that were far better than hwy 12!

    Kooskia

    Beginning hwy 12 to Lolopass along the Clearwater river

    Clearwater River

    Clearwater River

    hwy 12 ID follows this river for 80 miles

    Lolo Pass

    Lolo Pass

    Lolo Pass

    Welcome to Montana

    Lolo Hot Springs
    I enjoyed the road - it basically follows Clear water river for 80 miles then heads over Lolo Pass for about 12 miles and into Montana, all sweepers and no tight stuff at all, very clean and you can rail it if you want to go 100 mph for 2 hours, we did it at 80mph instead and just cruised. A logging truck overturned on one of the tighter sweepers and we had to stop - other than that there wasn't a police presence at all all day long! The Whole trip for that matter so far! They had us stop as they loaded the logs onto another truck with a Caterpillar.
    Missoula is a beautiful town and we stayed over night there, but we where just too tired to go explore it, opting instead for some pizza delivery and beer from the gas station down the street, I passed out. The next day we had Glacier National Park to explore
    GLACIER NATIONAL PARK - the crown jewel of the National Parks system does not dissapoint, we still had a 100 miles of slab to do before we made it there, I decided to bypass Kalispel and go around Flathead Lake on the south side. but just getting to the lake was a bore, they where laying down new asphalt for 20 miles then on top of that they where chip sealing the road? Never seen anybody chip seal new asphalt before? OK whatever - 35mph was getting to be too much so I hit the Detour button on my zumo and it had us turn off on some side road, very scenic for sure

    Montana Mountains from Near Lake Kalispel

    Yack Yack Yack

    The Zumo Detour button is cool until it puts you on a full on Jeep road going down hill at a 15% decline
    This detour almost turned into a nightmare - starting out paved but worn, then some flat hard gravel road, no problem but then the road went up a hill into some trees and all of a sudden we where on a damn Jeep road that was so bumpy I thought I might get tossed off the bike, lucky it was only a half mile long but the hill was so steep brakes were useless so I just rode it out in gear using the motor to slow me down and doing my damnest to keep it up, but at the bottom we ran right into Flat head lake an cut off 10 miles of construction.

    E shore Road Hwy 35 on Flathead Lake

    Flathead Lake Montana
    the Road along Flat head lake is very pretty and there are cherry orchards all along the hillsides on the east side - we should have stopped cause I love cherries but we wanted to get to the park, stopping only for a hot dog at the gas station -casino-deli at the crossroads a few miles down the road

    Welcome to Montana gas station/casino/sandwich shop at the crossroads of hwy 35 and hwy 206

    I got one of these in my bedroom the German Judge gave this one a 7.8

    Lake McDonald Glacier National Park

    Mt Brown

    People Jumping off the cliffs at Sacred Dancing Cascade

    Going to the Sun Road West side of the park

    Glacier National Park

    Glacier NP

    Craig soaks it in

    My Turn

    Only one place in the world to see these busses

    Heavens Peak

    Beatles are ruining the trees in the PNW

    construction zone 1/2 hour to 4 hour delays

    four of these busses went by most of them waved

    Construction stop its nice to see stuff like this if you have to stop, see the road on the left side

    Mt Oberlin

    water falls everywhere

    closer

    The Valley below from where we came

    The Weeping wall

    Logan Pass the overlook Mt Oberlin

    Clements Mountain

    Bishops Cap

    Looking back (north) Going to the Sun road

    Cresting Logan Pass

    Dusty Star Mountain

    Piegan Mountain

    WOW

    Glacier National Park

    Reynolds Mountain

    St Mary Lake

    Glacier National Park

    St Mary Lake
    We overnighted in Kalispel and I thought I recognized the place we stayed, it was the same place I stayed the first time, did not like it then, still don't. Kalispel is a pit really, don't do the scenery justice, such an ugly town for such a beautiful place. The next morning we where on our way to Canada and the Hootenany. Not much to see really but a few lakes

    Loon Lake it was so still hwy 2 Montana
    THE MAP
    right click and refresh if the map is blank

    Full Size
    THE VIDEO
    [vid]44[/vid]
  15. HispanicSlammer
    I ride this 500 mile loop at least once a year, it usually takes about 12 hours to complete lunch included with some of the most spectacular scenery that Colorado has to offer. Not to mention some great twisties along the way. I ride the first half of it so often I did not bother to stop for pictures and that included Monarch Pass which is for the most part a great mountain pass on a motorcycle. I usually take hwy 50 west all the way to Gunnison and then turn off at Hwy 92 for the best road in Colorado IMHO the Black Canyon Of The Gunnison. Yea I have posted it many times before and taken video lots of times, yesterday included but only for a short section since my video with Dan Last year has become the definitive hwy 92 video, I put the camera on the helmet for that part to try to get some shots of the canyon below but I move my neck around like a bird so I cut most of it out of the final video and for some reason my second camera was cutting out a bit on that section.

    Dillon Pinnacles Blue Mesa Reservoir highway 50

    Highway 92 At Blue Mesa Damn

    Highway 92 Black Canyon

    Highway 92 from where I just came

    my vfr800 The San Juan's in the background

    Black Canyon hwy 92 hangs off like a shelf

    Long Way Down 2000 feet below is the Gunnison River
    I usually stop in Crawford for lunch, where the Maddog café used to be - since closed but there was a sign on the place I usually go the boardwalk café that said it was closed on Tuesdays (shoot I was hungry) but fortunately the Branding Iron was open for lunch and I was in for a surprise, to date the best Bacon Cheeseburger I have had in the USA was at the Eagle Café in Mount Judea Arkansas but I now think the Branding Iron has taken that Title - however twice I have tried the Eagle Café and twice its been awesome so perhaps I need a second trip to make sure - all I know is the Branding Iron uses 100% Colorado Beef, sign says so right on the door! Crawford is a sleepy little place nestled in the foothills of the mountains - lots of farms in the area where you can get all sorts of goods, beef or course, pistachios, apples, wheat, Barely (Coors uses allot of grain from here), and the like. There were other motorcyclist out on this loop today as I pulled in 4 other bikes pulled out and there where a couple of FJR's from Idaho out front too, a husband and wife out touring Colorado - I will be up there next month on my way to Canada!!

    I think I found my new Favorite Burger 100 percent Colorado Beef - Crawford Colorado

    Crawford Colorado I pulled in just as 4 bikes pulled out
    I took a short cut through some farm country to Panioa, another nice little town north of Crawford, the place was bustling with activity, its off the main road so I was sure they where mostly locals - lots of kids out in the sun on summer break, seems like a great place to grow up! I was soon on Hwy 133 heading for Sommerset an old coal mining town, shooting the easy sweepers around 70 or so, just cruising. I pass through town then resumed my speed when all of a sudden I can feel a wasp stinging me in my stomach, damn thing got me 3 times before I could open my stich to let it out. Lucky for me cause I slowed down quite a bit while this was going on a state trooper passed me on the next turn, me rubbing my tummy where the wasp got me going EXACTLY the speed limit. That wasp saved me a ticket!! I decided to pull off and put some creme on it. Seems I always get nailed by a wasp or a bee in this area and so I carry some medicated creme now cause it seems inevitable that I am going to get stung or bit by something.

    North Fork Gunnison River Keebler Pass - dirt road to Crested Butte

    Marcellina Mountain at Keebler Pass

    North Fork Gunnison River looking back at Somerset
    I then put the cameras back up and turned them on for the twisties along the Panoia State Park, they are nice and tight along here and for some reason there where a row of cars going up the road to McClure pass I just passed them one by one, and using my new found philosophy of "don't force it" opportunities to pass legally just seemed to crop up, a dotted line just long enough for me to get around and stuff a tight right hander and still give the car a wide berth! No finger wagging cagers passing me today! Wasps and Cagers be damned this was a ride for the books and it was going great, no rain, no cops save the wasp guy and no idiots in the way.

    Chair Mountain From McClure Pass

    Chair Mountain zoomed in

    McClure Pass Hwy 133 at Marble

    McClure Pass Hwy 133

    Elk Mountain

    McClure Pass Hwy 133

    Redstone You can go horseback riding here

    Redstone Coke Ovens Chair Mountain in the background

    Zoomed out

    Redstone
    NO IDIOTS SO FAR - That was until I was up until I got to Aspen, the leg home. The traffic in Aspen was awful as usual and it stayed that way almost all the way to Independence pass, where I ran into the back of a long line of cars stopped for an accident, it was a pretty bad one the whole front end of a Jeep Liberty was smashed up, this is the third time I had seen a bad accident on this pass so I don't rail it anymore too many idiots cant stay in their own lane on the tight bumpy twisties here, two weeks ago I had to adjust my line three times cause cagers had crossed the line into my lane! so I took it easy when all of a sudden gravel everywhere! - some time since two weeks ago they had chip sealed the western part of the pass and had yet to sweep it off - this went on for miles with 10 or so cars in front of me all going about 25mph my bike was running at 245 degrees! I was just about to pull off and let the bike cool off when the chip seal stopped and there was some open road, I passed a whole bunch at a time - again legally and easily and got the bike moving enough to cool her off! going down the other side it was one lane again, this time asphalt paving on the other side! Now it had cooled down to 180 since I was going down and just coasting down!

    Independence Pass two weeks from my last ride down it

    Lackawanna Gulch at Independence Pass
    I was in cruise mode from here on out, it was already 6pm and the critters where out and about coming out from the bush after hiding from the hot sun all day I had spotted a few deer on the side of the road so I slowed things down some. Stopping in Buena Vista I decided to check out Quincy's for a Fillet Mignon, but the place was packed to the gills and there were people standing outside, I guess I will have to wait till next time. Thats all they serve there so it must be good, my friend Craig says its wonderful.
    The MAP
    [map=AARTsJq2pIfAsk3yqFX8Kb32ic8k0bxQfQ]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=9625108885702190974,38.800480,-104.822280%3B5066384881114405528,38.703640,-107.608740%3B9244847327359666910,38.964239,-107.338613%3B13689259641919423694,39.129160,-107.283820%3B10826179235940960323,39.178990,-107.241930%3B18393276206533680966,39.095500,-106.545367%3B4205475245268540213,38.859180,-104.867940&saddr=CO-115+S+%4038.800480,+-104.822280&daddr=Dogwood+Ave+%4038.703640,+-107.608740+to:CO-133+%4038.964239,+-107.338613+to:CO-133+%4039.129160,+-107.283820+to:CO-133+%4039.178990,+-107.241930+to:Unknown+road+%4039.095500,+-106.545367+to:38.826871,-104.837036&mra=dme&mrcr=5&mrsp=6&sz=8&doflg=ptm&sll=38.861098,-106.54541&sspn=2.386705,5.668945&ie=UTF8&z=8[/map]
    THE VIDEO

    :media: The Big Colorado Loop Video - 8 minutes wmv format high resolution - music by New Order
    attached are the gps tracks from my zumo
  16. HispanicSlammer
    Independence Pass New Video
    Mr Dude calls me last Monday and says "hey Dude lets go riding" - I say "meet me in Penrose around 10:30 - how long can you ride for?" Dude says " one O'Clock" ???? I was thinking well that should get us about 50 miles? Maybe he was mistaken? So I take off for Penrose around 9:30 and meet Mark in Penrose at 10:50 - he says he underestimated the ride time from Pueblo West to Penrose. Ok off we went - strait into Cannon City on Hwy 50 - its packed, Dude decides lets short cut into the side streets - just as the traffic jam recedes and we end up behind all the same cars again out of town. Heh - well here comes my lecture on "DON'T FORCE IT" but maybe another time! I take the lead and turn off on Hwy 9 toward Hartsel. Mr Dude says "hey Dude I had to stop gotta take a Leak" so he heads up the hill behind the buildings, but the shop keeper comes out and he has to detour behind another building, she follows him and so he goes around another building - suffice it to say he walks for a while to find a place to go! HEH I am laughing about his marathon trip to the bushes when he comes back. I say "now I gotta go" and walk into the store and use their restroom, buy a drink so as not to freeload on services and come out washed and everything - again "DON'T FORCE IT"!
    Now we have some open road between us and hwy 24 so we make a couple of top speed runs, his Bandit has me on top speed, its a 1250 after all but surprisingly the vfr hangs in there, Mr Dude is still somewhat of a new rider so his forays into speed consist of top speed runs on strait roads yet. Add a tight turn and some rain and I am stopping to see where he is in my mirrors. Mark is a good guy, kind hearted and fun to ride with. Everything is still new and he never seen most of the places I take him so its pretty cool - I like showing people around Colorado.
    Anyways I decided we should top up in Buena Vista where gas is $4 a gallon instead of $5 in Aspen and we head for Twin Lakes, where it rain has started to spit a bit on Hwy 24 up to the turn off, so far the roads have been easy sweepers you can take at 80mph - but Independence pass is bumpy and tight in places it is so narrow its only one lane wide. So I decide to put the bike in scenic mode and enjoy the scenery I hope you do to!!

    Twin Lakes

    Mt Elbert 14433 from Twin Lakes

    Wildflowers

    Wildflowers
    THE MAP
    [map=AARTsJr_FQGEaAHg5iMqdC3aVLhveokyog]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=1830566667506800369,38.441420,-105.023940%3B1759674402003979697,38.744770,-105.528220%3B3654820069581009807,39.023420,-105.813960%3B9580343057048383265,38.838380,-106.130810%3B6404037643053820741,39.081850,-106.383440%3B1787465083701773634,39.187330,-106.815330&saddr=CO-115+%4038.441420,+-105.023940&daddr=CR-102%2FCR-59%2FMain+St+%4038.744770,+-105.528220+to:US-24+%4039.023420,+-105.813960+to:US-24+%4038.838380,+-106.130810+to:CO-82+%4039.081850,+-106.383440+to:CO-82%2FE+Cooper+Ave+%4039.187330,+-106.815330&mra=cc&dirflg=h&sll=39.18224,-106.750031&sspn=0.593986,1.417236&ie=UTF8&ll=38.882481,-105.875244&spn=2.385988,5.668945&t=p&z=8[/map]
    Once we start up the Pass the scenery does not disappoint, there is still snow on the peaks and along the road in places, I made a snowball and pelted Mark as he was looking over the side.

    Twin Lakes La Plata Peak

    Mountain boy park My bike in the foreground

    Lackawanna Gulch Mount Champion

    Casco Peak

    La Plata Peak

    Independence Peak

    Aspen Groves all these trees are of the same root system making them one giant organism

    Mr Dude and his Bandit 1250 stopped for a drink

    Independence Ghost Town a historical stop on the way to Aspen

    Independence Pass at the Summit looking east toward Mt Elbert

    Independence Pass at the summit Looking West from the Road

    Independence Pass from the summit looking west

    Ski Gondolas In Aspen

    Lunch Stop Aspen awesome sandwiches

    Pikes Peak as seen from Guffy Heights

    I know not much story this time around but the pictures speak for themselves, I did however make a new video, here is the you tube version and the high resolution wmv below.
    THE VIDEO

    high resolution wmv, music by Pat Metheny Quartet this is not a knee dragger vid its about the scenery.
  17. HispanicSlammer
    The Road Home Woodland Park
    I spent my Birthday riding around the Hayman Burn area near Cheesman Lake - riding the XR650R on some fireroads, literally fireroads. Its been 6 years since the Hayman fire devastated this area burning a total of 138,000 acres in a week. I can still remember the smoke plume seen from the City - I went for a ride that first day and almost got caught in it, they had several roads closed and it stayed that way all summer.

    burn area

    During the Hayman fire

    fire1.jpg
    I have ridden around the area for along time since but never been to the center of it Cheesman Lake, the place has a lot of visual damage and they dont allow you to do much there but fish.

    Cheeseman Lake
    I took some singletrack to get to Goose Creek Road where most of the fire was.

    Single Track Rampart Range

    Goose Creek Road Lost Wilderness

    Lost Wilderness 6 years after the Hayman Fire

    Hayman burn area Pikes Peak in the background
    I decided to ride up to Wellington Lake and into Bailey for some lunch when it started to rain, I was worried about getting my camera wet there so I took no pictures. Stopping at the Cut Throat diner there for a burger I was sitting next to a young couple when the power went out, they had their daughter with them, a cute redheaded girl who yelped when the lights went out. Appearantly a tornado had touched down on Kenosha Pass and it took out some Powerlines - wow a tornado in the mountains?? First time I had heard of that! They had a police scanner on and I guess there was also a motorcycle accident - bad enough that they requested the flight for life? Being the 4th of July Weekend their where bikes out everywhere. Luckly I was riding on some obscure backroads and single track - no traffic there to speak of except the occational campers out in the woods.
    I made my way over to rampart range, and decided to ride the entire length of it to Woodland park, some 50 miles of twisty windy rough in places mountain dirt road. There were a lot of folks fishing along the Platte River on the way to Rampart Range from Buffalo Creek, tons of them and I saw my buddy baldy cop sitting in his police sherrif pickup, along with another cop in another truck - they both had atv's in the back, they where sitting at the crossroads where hwy 67 and Buffalo Creek road meet, east of Foxton. He was the guy who stopped and lectured me about speeding on horsepower hill last May. Still bald as hell!

    Rampart Range

    Primordial soup bowl

    Rampart Range after the rains

    Rampart Range

    Rampart Range

    Rampart Range
    I have this thing for wild flowers I like to photograph them whenever possible

    Wildflowers

    Wildflowers

    more wildflowers

    red ones

    Columbine Colorado State Flower

    Another Columbine
    attached is the gps track from my zumo
  18. HispanicSlammer
    Two New Videos
    I had a Monday free to ride but it was overcast and drizzling rain all over - I spent the day looking into buying a used car. I hate buying cars its stressful and I don't like dealing with salesmen. So when I heard Tuesday was going to be more of the same I vowed to ride no matter what - but where? I thought Rocky Mountain National Park - sure why not, every time I try to go there it rains like hell. Thats what rain gear is for. I woke up at 5am and fooled around a bit on the computer fixing vfrd stuff and then the sun came up with what looked like a slight over cast but the sun was peaking through so I took off for Breckenridge. I intend to ride Hoosier Pass, Loveland Pass, Berthod Pass, and head into Granby to ride RMNP.
    Bright and early I took off up Ute Pass hwy 24 all the way to Wilkerson Pass, by 8:30 I was at the top. The sun was shining and it was cool, even warm in places with no sign of rain.

    Balloons Over Buffalo Peaks

    Collegiate Peaks Of The Continental Divide

    Wilkerson Pass Balloons in the Hartsel Valley

    The Road To Fairplay Mt Democrat looms over all
    I was soon riding through Alma riding behind a number of slow rv's at the posted 25mph speed limit. Alma notoriously has a town marshal that hands out tickets like candy for speeding in thie little town, they come off the pass and he hits them with radar as soon as they hit the city limits. This place likes to call itself the highest town in Colorado, at 10,333' I believe it. Alma is the gateway to Hoosier pass the Continental divide that takes you to Breckenridge from the south side of the divide. Its a nice view at the top and there are some challenging turns on the other side. It is usually raining or cold, or there is gravel in all the turns. The gravel was there but it was nice and warm.

    Alma Below from Hoosier Pass

    Hoosier Pass

    Quandary Peak

    Hoosier Pass

    Red Peak and Red Mountain
    I stopped in Silverthorn and put my camera together to ride up Loveland pass to shoot some video, it was a nice ride to the top but I was alarmed by how many Big rigs were on the pass, it was jammed up with them. They where all over the place going up the pass from the other side of I-70. I can only speculate that they drive up Loveland pass to avoid delays on the Eisenhower Tunnel? I was thinking if I rode a bit too fast and drifted into the other lane I would get plastered!

    Loveland Pass
    A hiker stopped and offered to take my picture. He was pretty cool and I so hung out and talked a bit, there were a lot of people up there hiking the paths. I was thinking you could probably get one good line of skiing at A-Basin if you mapped it out, there was still some snow in the shady side. Then I rode down the nothern side, and headed down I-70 to Empire, where I intended to turn off at Empire, intended to but I missed the turn cause of another big rig obscured my view of the road sign. I thought about turning around but the other side had a long traffic jam bakced up for at least a mile and down to one lane, forget that! So I decided to head over to the Central City Parkway and onto the Peak to Peak Highway. I enjoyed the road to Central City a good deal taking it at a fast pace but then comming into Central City I got caught behind a dump truck, and rode down behind some big RV, the guy pulled off to let us all go by but only after we had already come to the bottom at Blackhawk.
    I headed north on the Peak to Peak and was enjoying the switchbacks near Rollins when I got stopped by the sheriff for speeding - he wasn't letting me off, warning me to stand off the bike keep my hands out of my pockets and not walk around? I guess he was a bit jittery, I can blame him but he could have figured that I did not give him any trouble and I pulled over before he had to go catch me. I did get a ticket 40 in a 35, he cut me a break cause I was going faster than that. I just took it with dignity and did not give him any reason to go hard on me, but I did not give him a strait answer when he asked me why I was going so fast, dodging that one like a politician!! He asked me for my social security number which I thought was uncalled for - what do the police need with that?? Some kind of Homeland Security abuse? Then he asked where I worked, the address and phone number? Why - What for to harrass me at work?? I am going to write a letter to my congressman about this and to the Govenor, I was appalled but I did not make a scene I just complied, you wait this won't go away it only gonna get worse, what do they need with all that information??
    That took 20 minutes out of my day and some woman I passed "legally" on a dotted line stopped honked her horn and wagged her finger at me?? Whatever lady!! Some people think if you pass them your automatically a maniac! I like how Danica Patrick put it - "GET OUT OF THE WAY" now there is one woman I wouldn't mind letting drive she would probably scare the crap out of me! The cop said "what was she honking for - you probably passed her on a double yellow"? What? Now I am guilty by default for passing on a double yellow without so much as a witness? A car honking on the way by doesnt qualify sorry!! I again did not answer that question either, this cop was starting to test my resolve a bit too much, what was next a DNA sample??
    So after that nonsense I was looking for ways to get off the Peak to Peak and its "police" presence, so I decided to head down the Saint Vrain Canyon into Lyons. I wasnt going to let that crap get to me. I think I handled it with poise and did not let him rattle me, I complied with his requests when he asked and asked and asked again for things that where none of his buinsess.
    I was soon riding behind a couple of riders on sport bikes a slow guy and a fast guy. Slow guy waved me by after about 30 seconds and Fast guy took off and I followed, it was getting fun at this point and my jitters after getting my ticket was put away post haste. Fast guy was a pretty good rider, so I followed him, I took a corner hot and scrapped my right boot/foot peg in the turn. This sort of freaked me a bit and I bobbled for a moment but gathered it up and put my feet up higher on the pegs for more clearance and then I put my head down and soon I was right behind Fast guy again. You can see the video shake a bit where I scrapped my boot. The Fast guy - he was hanging off and I could tell he was enjoying it, soon we where stuck behind a Harley Davidson and a Car which slowed things down - so he waved me by to wait for his friend. I waited a bit for a place to go around the Harley and the Car safe, but the Harley passed the car right when I was going to so I had to wait longer. I passed the car and then the Harley waved me by too. I looked in the Mirror and there was fast guy was also around them too. So I resumed the pace but fast guy was not able to hang - or he decided to wait for slow guy I don't know but I was alone after a few more turns. I pulled off in Lyons at some Bar micro brewery Blues club for lunch. I was off the bike and taking off my gear with the two guys rode by waving with thumbs up, I waved back, that was a lot of fun. I decided RMNP was going to be too slow after that rush so I decided to ride up Rist Canyon in Fort Collins, never been there before. It took about an Hour to get there riding along a series of lakes in the foothills.

    Horsetooth Reservoir Above Fort Collins

    vfr on the lake
    Rist Canyon starts at a nice little village called Bellview a nice place - I should have stopped for a picture but I didn't, Rist Canyon was cool, it was getting swept by the DOT. The grass was overgrown and there where a lot of cars in the way. I took my time and passed them one at a time, and headed to the top of the hill, where I saw some bicyclist hoofing it up a steep pass. One guy was stopped at the top waiting for his buddies and I talked with him for a bit, he was too exhausted to say anything more than one word at a time.

    The view from the top of Rist Canyon
    THE VIDEOS
    :media: Saint Vrain Canyon Video - riding down the canyon with a couple of local guys, riding as fast and they wanted to go, music by the Smashing Pumpkins
    :media: Loveland Pass Video - High resolution video more Smashing Pumpkins
    You Tube Versions


    Google Map Link of the route - the map is too large to embed - attached is the gps data
  19. HispanicSlammer
    SRAC Pikes Peak Supercross Penrose Stadium
    This is the third time I have attended this event and each time I have had a lot of fun watching the races with my buddies. Dan, Craig, Mark and a few others from work. We make our way to the Penrose Equestrian Center where they hold the Pikes Peak Or 'Bust' rodeo and watch some close in racing. Literally feet from the stands, you can get roosted if your not careful. Its much closer in than an AMA event - not as talented as say James Stewart or our very own Andrew Short from Colorado - but fun none the less. Craig has been racing a local motocross series of amatures called We-Beracin and he met a young kid out on the trail named Kyle Summers, along with his dad. They talked for a while and promptly left Craig in the dust, it was funny to see this kid racing out there at Penrose, currently 7th in points in the SRAC standings

    Kyle Summers one of the pro racers Craig met him out on the trail

    pitbike racing

    amature getting air

    unknown pro getting air
    We kept running into folks from work, seems it was a good event to get away and enjoy yourself away from work this weekend. Good Stuff. In the final Kyle tried to block pass the number one plate Travis Bannister and lost the front end in the hairpin, he lost 2 postions and had to fight his way back to third. Banister ran away with the race after 3 laps - running the whoops like they where speedbumps, he won easily.

  20. HispanicSlammer
    Lake Isabel
    The Greenhorn Highway has always been one of my favorite Rides, also known as Bishops Castle ride, since the road takes you to ....Bishops Castle. Lately its been the site of much sorrow. A few crusier riders have gone off the road these last few months in some rather tricky turns, one fellow losing his life trying to turn a HD around a 30mph turn at 80mph going off into the rocks. At this same turn a coworker of mine from work - her husband lowsided his brand new Yamaha roadstar doing the same damn thing trying to stay in contact with his sport bime buddies and spend a couple of weeks in the ICU. ME? I take that same turn all the time without a worry in the world, but I know I can lean it over at say 90mph and not lose it, cause I know it is has a slight decrease of radius at the bottom and you have to tighten up your line slightly to stay in your lane. That is where the problem is, it suckers you into going off into the other lane and people panic and stand the bike up. Of course these wrecks where all in May before they swept off all the winter gravel and so there was an added danger factor of loose gravel as well - folks just not riding for the conditions is what caused most of these problems, not knowing the roads and going too fast!
    I like to go fast but today the wind was blustering at 30mph gusts in places and it seemed the narrow canyons around McKenzi Junction where funneling the wind rigth into me - so I slowed down, part of my new "dont force it" riding philosophy, ride naturally and my instincts where telling me to drop a few mph in favor of a safer ride. Of course I was still going faster than most cause I know this road like the back of my hand, so I went around a few other bikes - with plenty of room and way over in the passing lane (again not forcing it but passing naturally) and it just seemed to flow nicely. SO I turned on my camera at McKenzi Junction and left it on all they way past Bishops Castle on the way to Lake Isabel. I like to take a sandwitch and Picnic at the Lake.

    10 years 100000 miles!

    The Greenhorn Highway This is at the bottom of the road near wetmore
    The Map
    [map=AARTsJqK5x_99pbKTVWvmaGYpVqFVMAJoA]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=13023472482596864890,38.237460,-105.087020%3B16012930406249089554,38.164734,-105.190090%3B12961183773227682459,38.063890,-105.094550&saddr=CO-96+%4038.237460,+-105.087020&daddr=CO-96+%4038.164734,+-105.190090+to:CO-165+%4038.063890,+-105.094550+to:37.983987,-105.050583&mra=mi&mrcr=2&mrsp=3&sz=12&sll=37.980469,-104.956856&sspn=0.151003,0.354309&ie=UTF8&ll=38.136717,-105.096588&spn=0.602721,1.417236&t=p&z=10[/map]
    If map is blank right click and "refresh"

    Wetmore
    Mckenzi Junction
    Bishop's Castle
    Lake Isabel

    THE VIDEO

    :media: Riding the Greenhorn Highway Video - High Resolution wmv format - music by Urge Overkill
  21. HispanicSlammer
    New Video
    Well this is really two rides, an ill fated ride I put together for Adam30 and the same ride the next weekend (of sorts) - Adam30 put out feelers on the forum to take a ride in Colorado to which I responded to and set up a ride on Memorial Day to show him some good local twisties. I got some vfrs, a Bandit and a K1200 beemer together to go riding. Unfortunatly Adam called me from a 100 miles away and wasnt gonna make it. It was already 8am and the guys where ready to meet with kickstands up by 9:30 I had to go.
    Ride one - brief version
    The weather was not cold but not warm either, we took off for Woodland Park - Deckers where we were supposed to meet more riders but they were not there, finnally after riding most of the Pine Loop hwy 67 we found Sfarson waiting for us at Pine Juction on hwy 285, we hemmed and hawed about the weather a bit and decided to take an abbreivated trip into the foothills around Denver, hopefully to see some views of the city from on high. It did not work out since the fog had gotten so thick any views where obsucured, and surprizingly there were a lot of bicyclists out riding in the thick fog, we had to tip toe around them on the gravely roads near Turkey Creek. Sfarson was leading and he schooled me a bit pulling away from me on Turkey Creek Road on the good part down at the bottom. I was 10 yards behind him at first, then 20, then 50, he was at the next turn, then gone! I looked at my tires (brand new Road 2's) and I wasnt even leaning over. I guess I am a cold blooded rider, not warm blooded I need a little heat to come alive. Mr Dude and LDSRIDER had to get home for domestic duties so they headed into Denver and went home to southern colorado from where this picture was taken below. Reddog, Sfarson and I took a look up on top of Connifer Mountain where the fog was so thick I couldnt see Steve for the Forest or the Trees. A least I had his brake lights to guide me I dont know how he could see where he was going, and at one point he turne off on sombodies driveway thinking it was the road, only to stop and turn around. We said enough of this "lets go get some lunch" and off we went to Pine Junction for 2 hours of stories and a good lunch. Then the fog turned to rain and I followed Reddog Home as he smoothly guided us back down the mountain to Woodland Park and home. Steve I havent ridden with him for over a year, Mr "I have been Everywhere" check out the video section for some of his famous videos Sfarson.com (not much there but his videos - no website I think) I got the good ones in the video section.

    Ill fated Adam 30 ride L to R - LDSRIDER - Mr Dude - SFarson - Reddog
    Ride 2
    Mr Dude - Colosprvfr and I all work together and Mark (Mr Dude) said he wanted to try the ride again - this time when it was clear out and warm. Last ride he had on mesh gear and was visibly shivering, I loaned him a jacket to get him through without going into hypothermia, hes a vetran and wouldnt ask so I just handed it to him - no worries I know where you work!! Anyway this time I got Craig to come along too, or Mark did I think I was the one who was going to dual sport instead but it doesnt take much to get me off of that.

    Craig looks over the Continental Divide

    Top of Squaw Pass overlooking the Continental Divide

    He finally turned around so I could get his picture

    Thumbs up
    This ride we would trace the route we were supposed to take on Memorial day but sort of play it by ear since we did not leave till 11am, mostly the same stuff, but this time staying off Connifer mountain where there was a lot of gravel on the road. We headed up to Woodland Park, into Deckers over Horsepower Hill where Mr Dude was going to smoke us (dude those vfrs just dont have the power my bandit does) OK we pretty much opened it up there and well............not like predicted. So we waited on the long strait and then headed down the Hill into Buffalo Creek and the town of Pine. We wanted to go hit up the Bucksnort Saloon for lunch - did the mile long dirt road into the mountains to get there only to find it is closed on Mondays now. OK what now?? Up to Pine Junction back to the Crossroads Diner where Steve took us last week, I had a meatball sandwitch that was awsome, and we had the same good looking waitress again, good looking Irish girl.
    I then took the guys into the hills around Evergreen - criss crossing over a few times to avoid the actual mess around Evergreen - up and over Brook Forest into Little cub and High Drive, back the other way over Parmalee Gultch Into Kittridge and a mile or so of shitty road on Kerr Gulch and up onto Squaw Pass road to Mount Evans. It was a lot of good twisties and the guys enjoyed it I think. Mr Dude and I switch bikes and I rode his a bit on hwy 285 I found it to be stretched out a bit and the steel frame seemed to flex alot with road shock, it fights you at slow speed like it doesnt want to turn but at speed it was stable, soft brakes I did not like but it had plenty of power. Another hour or so and I think I could get used to it! I had to reaclimate to my bike after that, tottally different. My bike bends you over a bit and puts your hands out wider, knees not so far back and the shifter and brake are different. Wierd having to get used to my own bike again so soon.
    The Route
    [map=AARTsJp-hJ7CpDFIahLLN5V0pZq-BOoyeg]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=12960902794228093676,38.805690,-104.803070%3B9122679265987358436,39.243900,-105.253610%3B16349537758131869779,39.573500,-105.383410%3B5868094169438716382,39.616884,-105.287638%3B8477526918289051932,39.616604,-105.235749%3B11824084871735532496,39.680049,-105.323831%3B18172287422626321777,39.658924,-105.601874%3B9715024367986603673,39.739011,-105.430843%3B9134224254711685995,39.718056,-105.355237%3B10229800758628161607,39.700140,-105.333770%3B6595482955177938619,39.671753,-105.304005%3B15736109217874686941,39.458874,-104.983936%3B9471670675130473078,39.243040,-104.956000%3B17536871409415329671,38.795790,-104.797390&saddr=I-25+N+%4038.805690,+-104.803070&daddr=CO-126%2FDeckers+Rd+%4039.243900,+-105.253610+to:S+Black+Mountain+Dr%2FCR-78+%4039.573500,+-105.383410+to:Stanley+Park+Rd+%4039.616884,+-105.287638+to:S+Parmalee+Gulch+Rd+%4039.616604,+-105.235749+to:Kerr+Gulch+Rd+%4039.680049,+-105.323831+to:CO-103+%4039.658924,+-105.601874+to:US-40+%4039.739011,+-105.430843+to:US-40+%4039.718056,+-105.355237+to:US-40+%4039.700140,+-105.333770+to:Kerr+Gulch+Rd+%4039.671753,+-105.304005+to:US-85+%4039.458874,+-104.983936+to:CR-105%2FS+Perry+Park+Rd+%4039.243040,+-104.956000+to:39.11621,-104.903641+to:I-25+S+%4038.795790,+-104.797390&mra=dpe&mrcr=7&mrsp=13&sz=11&via=1,8,10,11,12,13&sll=39.199802,-104.720993&sspn=0.315542,0.749817&ie=UTF8&ll=39.364032,-105.136414&spn=1.25919,2.999268&t=p&z=9[/map]
    if map is blank right click it and "refresh"

    Mr Dude On his Bandit

    My Baby loves it up here

    Mr Dude whips out his camera Kingston Peak I think in the background

    Mount Evans just behind Craig

    Perry Peak

    The Continental Divide Colorado Style

    Berthod pass just behind those mountains
    Most of these pictures where taken on the western side of the road then these next where looking east or south at Mount Evans

    Haystack Canyon Brookvale - Elephant park - Buffalo Park and Evergreen below

    Craig on his VTEC

    Mr Dude and His Bandit

    looks like somthing out of the Sound of Music

    Mount Evans from Echo Lake 14,264'
    We rode down the mountain into Idaho springs I was flyin and got around a few cars quickly which the other guys could not get around so I just decided to take off and meet them at the bottom soon enough - the road was sort of bumpy but sweet I enjoyed taking the turns quick - much quicker than usual I really trust these new tires (road 2's).

    Small waterfall in Idaho Springs
    At Idaho Springs we stopped for gas and took a long break, and decided on a path home, back down Kerr Gultch and down Bear Creek Canyon and into the Denver foothills Hwy 105 south and home.
    The Video
    :media: Shadow of Mount Evans Video - high resolution wmv - music by cold play.
    You tube low res

    all in all it was a good day of riding 260 miles most of it tight and twisty. Attached is the GPX tracks from my zumo

    Vertical Profile from my Zumo
  22. HispanicSlammer
    Talimena Skyway
    The road to Texasmac 2008 - the first installment
    I took off a couple of weeks from work to do this and it about killed me this winter thinking about it. I was able to ride some here is Colorado but not nearly as carefree as in Appalachia where the roads are cleaner and the weather is not so vicious. I left on a Sunday for my first day, some 550 miles of superslab across south eastern Colorado and into the Oklahoma Panhandle.

    It was cold as usual, with a biting wind that took all the warmth out of my body as soon as it hit me, coming out of a shallow canyon, or passing a truck. I headed east on hwy 50 along the Arkansas river not stopping for gas until the thing was running on fumes.

    The Arkansas River Still in Colorado on hwy 50

    Arkansas River
    I was expecting nothing but flat brown Comanche National Grasslands heading south out of Rocky Ford toward Oklahoma but I was pleasantly surprised to find some nice bluffs near a place called Higbee Colorado and some welcome curves to keep me occupied for a short while. It did not last.

    Higbee Colorado

    I took some lunch at a Dairy Queen in Boise City OK, I was surprised to see entire families sitting down for a meal from the local DQ as if they had just come from Church - probably so. Well dressed for the most part and 4 generations strong to a booth. I did not linger as I could tell I was tolerated but not exactly welcome with my wild motorcycle outfit on. Now I had some dull drone to do to get across the panhandle for some 200 miles. It was all I could do to keep the thing strait since there were cops in odd places with radar blaring, no exactly hidden well since I could hear it for miles before I finally saw the car off in the grass some 5 miles down the road. Jebus who cares out here??? Only to find a town hidden in a sunken area not visible from the highlands, if not for the few trees I would have passed it at 70mph but the radar advertised its existence well enough!
    It was like a 12 hour shift at work really - something to be endured - and that is what I did, not that it was difficult riding, I played my entire audio book of "the hobbit" something I thought I would enjoy instead of music - it passed the time well. Finally I rounded a bend and I was out of the panhandle, there were trees and green grasses and it looked like a place where people would live! No more endless rows of telephone lines. I looked down to see the town of Woodward coming up and I realized my bike was about to click over 100,000 miles on the clock I had to stop and record this great milestone in my riding career!

    100k in Woodward Oklahoma a huge milestone
    A few more hours and I was trying to Call GSwanson on the phone to see where to meet but I could not connect cause of some strange Oklahoma roaming rules on my cell phone, I had his address programmed into my Zumo and so I just clicked go and I was soon riding on one helluva bumpy road out in the sticks to his place. I turned up what looked like a country road to nowhere and there he was outside waving at me, I was sitting on my bike trying to call him when I got a hold of his wife, at the same time I saw him waving at me.
    Gary is a great guy and his family are some wonderful people - they took me out to Cattlemans restaurant where I met their daughter and her husband for dinner. They have a busy little toddler who keeps them rather busy a very pretty young woman who has her mothers face. I don't think there are any ugly women in Oklahoma City?? We talked about Mini Racing and how much Gary's son had grown in less than a year, now a full 6 inches taller than me now! Gary says you can get a cart for 8 grand and be racing - almost like racing dirtbikes, they use carberated R6 motors.
    Gary got me up early and we where off to Seminole OK to meet VFRErnie - who I forgot had provided me with a clutch cover by mail the year before. I sent him the one I ordered a month later when it arrived. OH yea Geeze how could I forget that?? what a dolt! I cant keep my own families names strait either. We met Ernie at the Brahms in Seminole and headed for the Talimena Skyway, some 150 miles away, some more slab, with a few curves thrown in for good measure, but there were some slow poke cages in the way. It did not get interesting till we were on the skyway!


    Gswason and vfrErnie meet at the Brahms parking lot in Seminole OK

    Three 5th generation vfrs on the Talimena Skyway

    Ernie cant believe the good weather

    Talimena Skyway

    Talimena Skyway we met the others shortly after stopping here
    Gary said he saw Rapidsnipe on his vfr riding with another group that day - we passed him on the Talimena, I saw the vfr but did not know it was him. we did however run into Dutch, Tightwad and MTX73 later on the other side. Together we had a big group of 6 riders for a while till we stopped for lunch in Mena, Ernie turned back to go home there, he had lost his glasses on the skyway at the last stop and went back to retrieve them. The rest of us headed for Magazine Mountain with Dutch in the lead, with the smell of chicken shit everywhere - guess its a big chicken raising area, lots of big coops where all over the place, when we finally were on the road to Magazine mountain some redneck pulling a trailer full of metal barrels was crowding the narrow road and going much too fast for the conditions, he held dutch and I off for at least a quarter of the way?? Idiot - I hate it when people do that - go fast cause they see motorcycles in the mirror - just drive like you normally do and don't worry about it!!!!
    The two of us got around him but the others were stuck, we took off for the top and enjoyed some curves!
    ]
    Mount Magazine

    Gswanson Tightwad and Mtx73 stop for a break on top of Mount Magazine

    Top Of Mount Magazine
    Then we headed for Russleville and stayed the night, Mike was not feeling good and decided to end the trip right there, he headed home the next morning, mentioning that he was not used to the kind of miles we where doing and he was making some dangerous mistakes. We did not argue - but we all though all he needed was some sleep, but in the morning he was headed back to Texas?? OK buddy be safe!!
    Gary was still with us, tightwad, dutch and I and we headed up hwy 7 to Jasper where Gary was heading home! Tightwad was heading to Nashville then he also was going home? Lots of partway guys on this trip! It was nice having tightwad along since he could keep up with Dutch and I at a our normal pace for the most part. I have ridden with Dutch a few times and we are on par for good pace. Tightwad took a half day but he was soon right along side!
    We had a scare cause Tightwads voltmeter was showing that he was overcooking the battery, but my voltmeter showed it to be fine, later his voltmeter stopped working all together. Typical long trip stuff! Nothing every works the way you want it to!

    Gswanson Tightwad and Dutchinterceptor we pulled off to let a park ranger get on ahead

    Lunch in Marshall AR

    The Lake at Norfolk Damn the water is high

    Norfork Damn


    Beaverdamn Road TN

    Dutch and Tightwad take pictures

    Gotta Love a sign like that
    We crossed the big Mississippi river at Dyersburg and bedded down at the Days Inn. then we took some crazy back roads I mixed in with some suggested roads Baileyrock gave me, passing by some weird army ordinance base, and some crazy hilly roads and into the Natchez Trace State park for what seemed like roads no wider than a sidewalk, it was challenging but fun, thank goodness no cars where coming the other way since we where using the entire road!

    Centerville hometown of Minne Pearl

    Brees Café in Centerville TN add this one to the greasy spoon archive good stuff

    HEH

    Tottys Bend TN

    Pucketts Leipers Fork TN

    The Lawnchair theater next door to Pucketts

    The Road to Tmac ends the first leg at Baileyrocks Place
    I called Baileyrock from Brees diner in Centerville and told him we where 2 hours away (accurate) but it was less than 60 miles as the crow flies, what a great day of riding!
    The Video

    Map of the Mount Judea road

    Full Size
    :media: Mount Judea Video High Resolution this video is in wmv format and runs for about 5 minutes - hwy 123 in Arkansas with Dutchinterceptor leading me in the middle and Tightwad sweeper - I borrowed some of Tightwads footage to complete the video with 3 cameras. Music by Coldplay
    so ends the first leg on the road to Texasmac at the Home of Baileyrock in Nashville
  23. HispanicSlammer
    The last installment - riding home
    Memories, they are already getting cloudy - especially since this is my 4th attempt at writing this diddy. I first accidently highlighted and erased a couple of paragraphs then had to start over, when I accidentally closed the browser. My third time the browser locked up so I guess I just needed to take a break and do it later.
    First thing we did Sunday was get lost, that is to say my gps routed us to Shoney's by way of an alley way - turning while BR, Ezilla and Dutch went strait. 5 minutes later I was waiting for them at breakfast. I waited after I turned off and saw they stopped, waved them on and waited some more, then I turned around to go get them and they were gone?? At breakfast we discussed science fiction and the furry people, Ezilla explained them to us (extreme nano nano according to BR) Heh and off we went to go riding again.
    We basically rode out the same way we rode in excepts we avoided Whya Bend road and did Hwy 28 instead and ran into Ezilla on her way through Deals Gap, we instead rode over the Cherehola Skyway. Baileyrock, Dutchinterceptor, Steven (don't know his screen name) and myself. Had a good time however we had to pass a good deal of slower riders. Baileyrock passed a particularly slow rider on an Fz1 and so I waited for a clear spot to get around him myself on an uphill section. I went around him and then dived into the left hand turn at the top of the hill - giving him a wide berth. We rode on for a good deal and the others were not in my mirrors, went on further and still not there! So BR and I both turned around to find the FZ1 all cracked up and the guy riding it sitting on the guard rail shook up a bit. I asked the guy if he was ok and he said was OK, and I apologized for passing a bit close. He stood up almost a full foot taller than me and just huge, and shook my hand and said he was ok. He cracked up at the bottom of the hill where some gravel was in the turn. Steven said he just panicked and stood the bike up and went off the road. We stayed to make sure he was going to be OK and see if needed medical attention - his buddy was riding a tricked out Kawasaki had a trailer and went to go get it.

    Chrerehola Skyway On the Way Home

    Flowers On The Cherehola Skyway

    Butterflies on the Cherehola Skyway

    The River

    Cherehola Skyway

    I waited 10 minutes to get this shot and he slowed down as soon as he rounded the corner
    We rode into Dayton and had lunch at some forgettable place, good enough food but they had a curious habit of covering the table with a sheet of paper, the server wrote her name in crayon on the paper with a smiley face and served us some decent food (not great but good enough to hit the spot). BR wrote on the sheet "Refill" and when she returned with drinks he wrote a line through it and gave a funny grin which just cracked us all up. What a character.
    After lunch we got back on the bikes and I turned on the camera for the video below, Tennessee Hwy 30 mostly and some footage from this road named Bone Cave Road.
    The video

    :media: The Road To Nashville Video 10 minutes wmv format and music from BDylan.
    The ride was nice and I enjoyed it, we stayed at Br's place and he took us out to go get a steak at some joint downtown, the food was great but the service was - well comical to say the least. Our waiter had a curious habit of doing just barely enough to server without actually getting the job done. Cant take an order with something in his hands, had to go get rid of his tray, then asking about menu items was taboo, with an overhand flick of his pen pointing to the items on the menu, read for yourself. Then came time for drinks he would hold the glass about 4 inches off the table and just far enough away you had to get up and reach for it, which sort of seemed like self service. He had a curious habit of saying "AW-Right" whenever he took an order. The dude was entertaining if nothing else cause we where just waiting to see what he was going to do next!! "whenever you gentlemen are ready I am your cashier" - gave us some spiel he had probably said more than a few times to elicit a tip and then I said "OK we are ready" - and then he walked away?? BR Dutch and I looked at each other and and Said "Aw-right - got it - NEXT TIME" what a jackass!!
    Kevin was kind enough to let me use his garage to fix my broken brake switch, it was stuck on for half of the Tmac and the Hyper lites where flashing constantly on. I figured out it was a short on the front switch housing, dutch helped me diagnose and fix the thing, which worked for about half a day and then it started all over again, I replaced the switch from Kevin's stash which he so gracefully gave me ( Kevin's a flipping saint guys I mean that you cant find a better friend anywhere I really appreciate him putting together the Tmac, putting us up, taking care of everything and going above and beyond all that anybody could ask ) They don't make em like that anymore!

    Dangerous waters rising

    Factory at Rock Island State Park

    The Falls at Great Falls Road

    Balieyrock and I
    Kevin had to go to work so Dutch and I finished fixing up my bike as best as we could and then locked up the place and took a northern route into Kentucky finding a few good roads on the way to ride "the Trace" in the land between the lakes. hwy 232 on the way there was much better and was full of sweepers, I knew it was going to be good cause there was a house at the bottom - right as we turned on that had an abused CBR sitting on the side of the house that seemed have been put there to ride that road specifically. Good stuff man!!
    We took up residence at Swannee KY and I had some ribs a the only restaurant around, it was GOOD!
    The Great Furnace The Land Between the Lakes

    Land Between The Lakes

    The Bridge over the Lake

    You should have seen how graceful they took off when I started my bike back up
    The next morning we slabbed it via some interstate to get to the Confluence of the two biggest rivers in the USA at Whickliff KY we would cross both rivers and three states in 5 minutes sort of like standing at the 4 corners but with bridges involved

    Crossing the Rivers Ohio first then the Mississippi you can see the other bridge in the distance

    Whickliff Kentucky

    Crossing the Ohio

    Barges on the Ohio

    One bridge down one to go

    Barges on the Mississippi

    Crossing the state line you cross three state lines in 5 minutes Kentucky Illinois and Missouri

    Popular Bluff MO

    Redneck attempt at an amusement park
    It was mid day by the time we made it across the slab in Missouri to the edge of the Ozarks and the skies had clouded over enough to spit on us, we took some lunch at a Chinese buffet and I overate as usual, I don't know what it is with Chinese food I always eat too much. Then Dutch took the lead for the next two days since we were in familiar territory. Up hwy 160 for some good sweepers when it wasn't raining and down to mountain home for the night. Mountain home sounds like a great place to go but its like a suburb to nowhere, nothing interesting about the place at all really just a place to bed down. It does however have Push Mountain just 10 minutes away - my gloves where dry from the rain the day before and fitting a bit tight - so tight my right throttle hand had gone numb, I kept shaking it out but the entire time I was following Dutch into those fast straits and getting on the brakes hard into the turns I couldn't feel anything. He opened up a can of whoop ass on me and started pulling away a bit, I had to really put my head down to stay in contact and not get dropped - he was on fire! I am not so good on the brakes. I can use some practice on my next track day with brakes and turn transitions.
    We had a full day planned for the Ozarks heading into Mount Judea a the Eagles Nest Café for a Bacon Cheese burger, this was my second stop to this place, the 2006 TM ac trip I did I stopped here and had the best Bacon Cheese burger I have ever had my whole life. I was expected to get disappointed cause how can you top the first one? I was very surprised to be served another that was equal to the last and on par for best bacon cheese burger in the USA!!! I mean that! Little joint in the middle of nowhere with nice homey God fearing folks who would expect to get food so tasty so crisp and so darned good?? No credit cards though so bring cash.
    We ran hwy 123 again - same as the video from the first TM ac post and this time Dutch still had some whoop ass left in his can, I had to really get on it up those tight switchbacks to the top but once at the top on the sweepers I am in my element and I had opened up a can of my own! Then the rains came again and we had both come to the same conclusion, that the Ozarks in the rain where just too much. So we turned south on hwy 7 to Russleville where Dutch would head home and I too would begin 2 more days of slab to Colorado.
    Man the rain really started pouring when I crossed into Oklahoma, I-40 is full of trucks so I couldnt see a darned thing, I turned on my weather radio and listened for severe weather reports, a tornado and touched down 30 miles west of me in OKC, so I found a motel and spent the night out of the worst of it. Woke up groggy and grumpy cause I knew I had 645 miles of slab to do, popped in a sd card into my Zumo with an audio book and started in on the drone. It wasn't bad really not even the pan handle, it did not suck until I crossed back into Colorado cause all of a sudden the wind picked up to 40 mph gusts and I was having to duck down to keep from being blown off the road - and not mild wind either a cold 40 degree wind with drops of rain mixed in. I made for the bluffs along hwy 160 to get out of the wind

    Back In Colorado cold and windy

    South East Colorado

    How is that for a homecoming
    OH and one more memorable thing about the Tmac - this picture dutch took right after we came down blood mountain at a gas stop

    wow she sprinkled on glitter like this for a good 5 minutes which of course set us all back by that much
  24. HispanicSlammer
    The second installment The Rally
    Kevin attached his hard bags the night before in anticipation of an early start out of Nashville, and as usual I was groggy and not ready. We did the usual pin the tail on the donkey route out of Nashville from his house and I was totally turned around and confused as to which way was which. It looked like late afternoon to me and we where heading west, but the clock indicated 8am and so it had to be east - I know one thing it was I-40 cause the sign said so. With us was Dutch and it was a trio of VFRS on the way to Franklin, 3 gps units and none of us was sure about the route. Kevin stopped at the Cracker barrel and we all gassed up at the Shell right next door, I had to replace a blown fuse (the start of my troubles as the Hispanic-Flasher)

    :media: Texasmac 2008 video high resolution wmv format, music by Suzanne Vega

    I was having issues, leaving my keys in hidden places I was holding up the works, searching the ground, my suit and everywhere I finally found them behind a fold up display on the table where we ate breakfast. Kevin had us off the Interstate as soon as he possibly could and onto some rolling Tennessee hills, his route was a pleasant one and of course I had no clue where we where save for the purple line on my Zumo telling me (go here)!!

    Old and New Rock Island State Park

    Dutch snapped this one
    We rode sweepers, hills, tight back roads and stinky slabby roads to nowhere it seemed till at last it was lunch time at the Town Square Café in Tellico Plains - the food was good but boy my drink was nothing but ice! We where soon assaulting the Cherehola Skyway and at Baileyrock pace, or rather Baileyrock 3/4 pace? I don't know all I know is that my tires were sticking and I wasn't being dropped for once!
    I was loving it, as it all ended too soon, for a 60mile road it seems to be over all too soon. I hate the part where it gets tight and gravelly I just cruised through that and let BR take off, as I am some 2000 miles from home and not taking stupid chances on a shitty road. Whya Bend road was more of the same, we ended up catching up with some other guys on their way to Franklin from the entrance to the Natahala State park there. They fell in behind us as we headed up the mountain, more gravel more bumpy tight stuff I wasn't liking it at all, however coming down the mountain was different it was CLEAN and so I upped the pace!


    Aimlessly snapping photos Tinyminds and Dutchinterceptor

    Watch out man with a camera Dbs05 and Sochiro
    The Franklin Motel seemed like a great place to hold a rally, lots of space for trailers and a great open area to mingle with other riders, chairs everywhere, as long as the weather was good it was perfect. Married2apetbuilt was grilling burgers and dogs! Beer too - this is a wet county!
    The Next morning we all met for a drill about safety (hmm some of us listened) and I took my group up hwy 28 for the long route, and boy it was a good day of riding. Just the right length and lots of good roads. Up the Cherehola again I scrapped my boot on the first hard right hander and freaked myself out a bit. I was intermediate to fast group, though some of the guys thought incorrectly it was on the slower spectrum. I took it easy for the most part, and hammered it in the turns somewhat, at least on the Chrerehola (Trace and the guys where playing musical chairs as to who was going to follow me) Every time I looked in the mirror I saw a different bike! It was a bit unnerving but they had to sort out who was faster among them so that the line was evenly distributed, Dutch was my sweeper.
    Trace finally worked out he should follow since he had the pace on his RC51 and he did follow ( a bit close at times and it cost him ) so there were lessens to be learned there. Overall it was a good day to ride, some of the guys got tired and asked to stop, but I tried to keep the stops between the more difficult roads and gas stops, the highlights where the Cherehola, blood mountain and GA 344 wow that was something, After that I slowed it way down for Warwoman road cause that is not a forgiving road and it was late with critters sighted it was best to concentrate on being smooth and not go so fast. Of course this meant some cages would be a hazard, passing a pickup truck near Highlands turned out to be a disaster later cause he took a short cut and ended up in front of us again. Famous last words Trace "oh we will have to just pass him again" 10 minutes later he would suffer a broken clavicle and a busted up bike trying not to rear end me as I thought better about re-passing that same pickup truck on the short strait out of Highlands, he turned on his flashers and then turned into a right hand driveway - I had no idea wtf the guy was doing so I hit the brakes and settled in behind him - thats when I heard a whooshing sound and looked back to see an RC51 on the pavement. I started to panic but then realized Trace was already up and sitting on the side of the road, I got off my bike and Dutch and I picked up the bike and got it off the road. Minimal damage really it was a slow speed crash, Dutch pulled out a vise grip and fastened a make shift footpeg so Trace could ride it back to the hotel! I don't know how he did it but he rode that thing back 10 miles, and took off before we could all get gathered up to follow behind him. Dutch and I had to really push it to catch up to him 5 miles down the road. I don't know where he found the strength to turn the darned thing, good thing it is a lite bike!!
    The next day it rained.....as many of you know so it was sort of every man for himself if you want to ride. I fell in with Earthshake, Steven, and Baileyrock for a ride to Warwoman road and back, we took it fast and then the rain fell, Earthshake took us over to hwy 7 to Cashiers and we rode another loop into the NC mountains. The Pilotroad2 where great in the rain. Then we had that funny lunch at the diner on the hill with the Canadian guys - a group of 20 of us overwhelmed the waitress, she had her pea shooter on overload trying to shoot down our orders, and freaking out cause there was nobody there to man the Shake Machine! OH NO! I forgive her cause my lunch was scrumptious! Good stuff even if it took and hour, I am on vacation here so who cares I have time!

    The rain comes Earthshake and Baileyrock

    Balieyrock pays respect

    Fog in Franklin Sunday moring everybody prepares to head home
    It seemed it was over before it really got started, I took some video of the Friday ride but it was mostly boring stuff, so I mixed it in with some photos everybody shared on the "official" photo thread and made a collection video
  25. HispanicSlammer
    Hwy 50 Ride with video
    A buddy of mine from work bought a brand new Bandit 1250 a couple of months ago, he has been comparing magazine articles and specs for over a year and every time having something disparaging to say about the vfr, displacements too low, no torque, quarter mile times. Anybody can read an article and make comparisons on paper, and as an engineer hes good at it, but how do you quantify reliability, or suspension, handling, all around good marks on a chart? So me and Craig decided to take him into the mountains for a 200 mile ride, just a bit of tight stuff but mostly sweepers where it is said "the Bandit rocks" as put it by "Mr Dude" other wise known as our friend Mark. He can talk, talk is what he is good at - and hear it you must cause it don't stop - Dude. However nothing talks like taking the walk! HEH
    So we met Mr Dude in Penrose and slowly headed up Hwy 50 to the Arkansas River Canyon and let it loose a bit. I had just replaced my fork seal and fork oil and made a few adjustments so I was feeling it out, no out and out full blast. As such Mr Dude still got a lesson on the vfr and its abilities. What can I say after a year of hearing about how inferior my bike is it was time to take a tally - real time! All I can say is Mr Dude was converted from dismissive to respectful of the vfr, calling it "A real sport bike" and in his own words - no coaching. Don't get me wrong we were not out to embarrass Mr Dude, just show him there is more to Motorcycling than what some Magazine has to say!

    Two vfrs waiting on a Bandit Penrose Colorado

    Sangre De Christo Mountains 40 miles away

    Downtown Salida Sunny blue skies and a good lunch and a snowcapped Mount Princeton

    Lunch at the 1st Street Café The owner herself served us then we got an unexpected surprise
    After riding through Salida we stopped for lunch downtown and had a good meal, a bit more expensive than I was expecting (might not visit again) but it was good none the less. The lady serving us was very good - cause as it turned out she owns the place. I could see her pictures on the wall with all sorts of celebrities, and locals. It is a very Homey restaurant I liked it! Just a bit on the pricey side.
    It was after lunch we met a lady who was telling us about her son, he too owns a vfr, and rides it all over the place. We asked her where she was from, somewhere back south, she told us about how her boy had taken a trip to Colorado and was a bit disappointed with the place, the guys he rode with where intimidating or something some such thing - he didn't like em I gathered. Then she started talking more about him and I realized it was us (those evil Colorado bastards) and I started laughing and asked her if her son was named Kevin. Then all of a sudden she realized it was us too - heh that was funny! I know it was our very own KPerham whom was her son. We talked some more and I asked her for her picture, and we parted ways - as friends she was a nice lady.

    Kperhams mom Met her in Salida - she was having lunch at the café in Salida small world

    The Royal Gorge Bridge as seen from Hwy 9

    Mark relaxing at the top of Skyline drive

    Canon City from above Skyline Drive

    Hwy 50 along Skyline Drive

    Stultz Tanner Trail a great dirt bike trail just across the valley from Canon City climbs 7k feet for what seems like forever
    We took off up to Johnson's Village along hwy 285, I told the guys to slow down cause for 5 years I drove that way to get home and I know its Cop city for those 12 miles, but no Mr Dude took off (he was on Craig's bike and Craig on his) and of course I caught site of Brake lights cause sure enough the place was crawling with cops - Like I said it would be! He must have slowed down enough cause we were not stopped, after passing 2 Sheriff and 2 State Troopers. It was nice to turn off on hwy 24 and get away from the fuzz as it where. There the road is pretty much strait and we all opened it up a bit, and to my surprise the Bandit wasn't pulling away!! Wow its got 400 more cc's why wha whe why?? I guess its because the vfr is a good bike, like I know it is! It was fun going fast for a while, then we turned at Hartsel and I just decided to whip it up some more on the tighter turns and I was gone. Whew that was fun but I did not have enough rebound damping cause I was getting all kinds of chatter in the forks, I had to stop and crank it a few clicks to get it to settle down. It wasn't long before we where in Canon City again and I took the guys up Skyline Drive for some fun and a rest Mr Dude had to go home and be a domestic Dad so we said goodbye and Craig and I turned back up Hwy 9 and went over to Guffy for a drink and some snack. Adding another 100 miles to the day on High Park Road into Woodland Park and on home down Ute Pass.


    :media: VFRD Rides Hwy 50 video - high resolution wmv 5 minutes runtime and music by Peter Gabriel
    The Map
    [map=AARTsJqtdztj9i2J3kMs3giW4b4utQT-hw]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=18086752673308926071,38.435390,-105.023940%3B2304405068511368783,38.456538,-105.250283%3B1004940598312102110,38.535369,-105.990338%3B11052650537941785435,39.021161,-105.799748&saddr=CO-115+%4038.435390,+-105.023940&daddr=Skyline+Dr+%4038.456538,+-105.250283+to:E+1st+St+%4038.535369,+-105.990338+to:US-24+%4039.021161,+-105.799748+to:38.456277,-105.251083&mra=mi&mrcr=3&mrsp=4&sz=11&sll=38.459503,-105.182419&sspn=0.311313,0.749817&ie=UTF8&ll=38.668356,-105.751648&spn=1.241617,2.999268&t=p&z=9[/map]
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