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HispanicSlammer

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Blog Entries posted by HispanicSlammer

  1. HispanicSlammer
    Every Fathers day my friend Reddog (Bill) gets a kitchen pass from his wife to take off on a ride, and each year I usually go along. This year I completely forgot about it, until he mentioned it the night before in PM to me. I was at work so I did the mental checklist, bike works - check, oil changed - check, tires - uh oh! I had spanked pilot powers on and needed to change them first. I had a good set (made in Spain - read the home page is your pilot powers are made in France)!!! So I got off work at 7am, got home - put on my tire changer and slapped on some new tires, called Bill and said I was going to be late perhaps we could meet at Texas Creek instead of where he lives? He agrees but I misjudged how long it would take me to clean up and get ready and showed up in Texas Creek a good 45 minutes later than I told him! Hes a forgiving guy and let me slide - actually he figured I wouldn't be there at that time anyway knowing I screwed up. He took his time pulled into the cafe and ordered breakfast waiting for me to show up - he had gotten there only about 10 minutes earlier than I.

    Texas Creek Café A lovely home style joint right along side the Arkansas River hwy 50

    VFRS rendezvous with Reddog at Texas Creek
    Texas Creek is a mecca for outdoor activities, the BLM runs a huge trail system just north of the park where you can Jeep, ATV, hike or motorcycle up to about 11,000 to the top of Table Mountain. Then the Arkansas river runs along hwy 50 where you can river raft on the rapids, or fish. Hwy 50 at Texas Creek is full of fun sweepers - we call it Texas Creek International Raceway. If your outdoorsy Texas Creek is a great weekend getaway.
    here is a link to the BLM pamphlet on Texas Creek
    http://www.co.blm.gov/recweb/documents/TexasCrkBroch.pdf

    Texas Creek BLM Area Directly to the north of the café the BLM manages an off-road park with several trails winding up and down the mountains in the area, there is rafting in the Arkansas River as well. Its an outdoor playground for sure.
    I ordered breakfast and we watched all the Harley's pass by, Bill was itching for some homemade Coconut Cream pie, I having sampled the Dutch Apple pie before on another trip and wasn't interested in the pies. So I stepped out to take the pictures above - don't get me wrong the food at the café is wonderful, breakfast is awesome, the bacon is like some farmer just cut a fresh hunk off a pig! However the pies are a bit disappointing. He come out smirking being a bit disspapointed in the pie. We rolled out around 11am and headed up Monarch pass. Ever since last year the pass has been repaved smooth on the sunny side and its just awesome to ride, I got in a good clean pass on some cages and just took off down the mountain. Bill was not so lucky when I passed a pickup pulled out to follow me and then thought better of it and so he got stuck behind a few cages till the next strait, by then I was gone! I waited for him at the bottom, having almost caught up to me - hes fast.
    We decided just to gas up in Gunnison and go do a "There and back again" ride up to the Black Canyon hwy 92. It is a lot of slab to get there but the wait is worth it, I consider it to be the best road in Colorado but each year they seem to muck up the road with tar snakes, last year they chip sealed it, this year it was stable and quite grippy but they allow Cows to Graze along the side of the road on the South End, they were eating the grass along standing right on the road and of course we had to slow way down - not knowing what they might do as we pass. The cows were here and there, laying on the road, pissed me off, first time I ever saw livestock on the road before, being as busy as it was this weekend they could have moved them to other grazing spots?? Oh well it was only one mile of 25 that they were in the road.

    This is where you end up if you happen to blow a turn
    Bill lead the first run and I followed close by, having gotten a bit faster over the last two years I was glad to be able to keep up with him for once! He usually smokes my ass after the first good turn. He always wants to do the Black Canyon on Fathers day but he says he can never get into a good rhythm on the on the canyon road. Unless its raining - 2003 he just blasted it in the rain and left me way behind. I have come to love the dipping hairpins and the sweeping hidden turns, I know it quite well and know where to slow down cause of the ever present gravel. One particular turn the road rises sharply and dives off to the right where there is a hidden drive to a camping site. There is always gravel in the middle of the road right at the top and I know exactly where it is. Bill knows it is there somewhere but always forgets where and blows right into that turn, which of course destroys his confidence in the road for a mile or so. Heh I know its coming so I always slow down - not Bill - full steam ahead and OH S**%T!

    The route
    We thought we would ride to the end of the canyon and play it by ear. There we would figure out if we should make a loop out of the ride or just go back once we reached the end. I was getting sick of being pelted by wasps, damn they hit hard at 70mph so I wanted to carry on with the loop - must have been a thousand of them along the way. Bill wasn't happy with that run he did and wanted to do it again he decided to let me lead the way back, he SAID he was going to take it easy and just sight see it this time and let me go. I took off and sure enough he was right behind me - so much for sight seeing!! This pass we both felt much more at ease and just cranked it over turn after turn. Stopping once for a few pictures of the San Juan mountains in the distance.

    Blue Mesa Reservoir

    Blue Mesa Damn Gunnison River Below

    Bluff at Blue Mesa

    San Juan Mountain Range off in the distance

    San Juan's zoomed out
    Like I said before Bill always rides on Fathers day since 2003 we have hooked up for a ride, the first year we did Rocky Mountain National Park but later that year we discovered the Black Canyon and have come back ever since.
    Fathers day rides from the past

    Fathers day 2003 Rocky Mountain National Park

    Fathers day 2004 Black Canyon

    Fathers day 2005 Black Canyon
    2006 I did not go cause I went to Miller Motor sports Park instead to go to the AMA races there, but this year we had another great ride. On the way back we stopped in Salida and enjoyed the local scenery -[perverts] heh however we are invisible since we are over 40. Then back on the bikes, where Bill was supposed to peel off and home via High Park Road, with me going back hwy 50. Right about 10 miles past Salida we encountered a fairly fast Harley rider cruising about 80mph and doing the turns around 65mph, the easy sweepers there - he was going fast enough for us at the time, passing cars along the way.
    He was going fast enough for a while until Bill got sick of how slow he was going in the turns and passed him, so did I. He though he could keep up with us as we cruised the slabby parts around 80mph. We would pass the cages in formation and this guy would wrap it up and get awful close to me after passing the cars, like he couldn't slow down or something - he was making me nervous. We went like that for a good 20 miles then we both dropped him in some tighter turns around Cotopaxi leaving him a good mile off - basically not slowing down for the turns. But of course there is more slab to Texas Creek and he caught up to us again and he was soon getting too close to me again. We started to pass a line of cars and the dude went before me and luckily I saw him and pulled back into line - I let him get between us, had I gone he would have plowed right into me he was so close - having had enough of that shit I just passed him and Bill at the same time and took off.
    Bill saw what I was doing and followed but I had the hammer down now and was pretty much wanting to drop this clown all together. Which we did - gone we were just gone. No more HD jerk to make things difficult I really sort of enjoyed that part, it was the good part of Texas Creek International Raceway anyways and we always wick it up there. I decided I needed some more turns cause that was exiting so I followed Bill up High Park Road too and we tore up the tight ones there too. But here I noticed my voltage light was blinking red - OH NO my RR must be going out! Sure enough - I had noticed it on the last ride when my engine was running hot. I just put it on last year??? OH YEA I PUT 30k miles on last year - DUH!! I unplugged a head light and the volt meter showed green again, but it would drop to red when idling at stop lights. I anticipated this and ordered a new RR which is sitting in my garage, time to install it now!
    A FEW old VIDEOS of our Fathersday rides
    :media: Black Canyon Loop
    :media: Fathersday 2005 Black Canyon
    :media: Fathersday 2004 Cotchetopa Canyon
    Streets and Trips file
  2. HispanicSlammer
    Gardner Road 52 mile dirt road 10,500 feet up here at the top 3,500 feet down to the bottom of the road
    My Mission
    I wanted to ride all the way to Santa Fe from Colorado Springs on as many dirt roads as I could find. How did I make out? Not too bad actually, as far as solo adventure touring goes. I started out on the first dirt road south to Pueblo its called Meridian road here and when it gets to Pueblo it changes to Overton Road, same damn road two names. Its a 30 mile jaunt strait down to Pueblo from Fountain Colorado. I made short work of it cause it was hot. There is a 40 mph speed limit but I was the only one on it. In Pueblo I gassed up and headed into the Wet mountains over to Buela Colorado where the road goes up and over 19 miles to Lake Isabel, I turned right and headed over to Gardner road (above) this is a 52 mile dirt road that takes you up to the base of Green Horn mountain the highest mountain in the Wet Mountain range and down the other side, its a 3,500 foot decent and its fast and fun if you avoid the deep ditches on the sides and the ruts.

    Pass Creek Pass off in the distance my next assignment
    Once in Gardner Colorado I quickly made my way over to Pass Creek Pass, I had to turn around once cause I made a wrong turn but soon I was at the top, its a nice wide dirt road and easy to go fast on, at the top it connects to La Veta Pass hwy 160, I decided to take the Old La Veta Pass down to La Veta and have lunch there. I stopped and gassed up but my regular lunch stop was closed for a month? So I headed up Cucharas Pass and saw that there was a place in Cuchara that looked like a grill.

    Dog Bar and Grille Wonderful food! Cuchara CO
    Wow the Owner Kenny and his wife run the place, well OK he just serves and she cooks and actually manages the place. I came in and Kenny says "what can I get ya" I said "whats the special"? Another patron shows me his plate and its some kind of turkey meat on a bun with Guacamole and bacon, and homemade wild rice pea soup with carrots and barley. I say " OK I will try that" - OMG was it good!! If your ever in Southern Colorado near Cuchara stop here and eat its worth the trip! I am glad I found it, it is sort of tucked away in the village way back in the back.
    I took off again and found a nice dirt road over to Stone Wall where I crossed the "Highway of Legend's" and headed south again on another dirt road, my GPS said it would take me all the way to Red River?

    Stonewall Colorado

    Torres Ditch Colorado L-R Purgatoire Peak, Vermajo Peak, Red Mountain, Culbrea Peak (14,047')
    The Wall of Death
    Once I got 20 miles south of Stonewall near Torres Ditch the road stops and its gated off with chains? Private Property it says, so I reroute the gps a bit east of there on another dirt road and take off on road 13 east, soon there is a sign that says "something and something ranch - stay out!" Crap not again! There were some folks fixing a fence there so I stopped and ask them what happened to the roads? The maps, they say they go through? On the map anyways. A woman says "oh about 8 years ago you could go through but its all private now you have to go around to Trinidad" Shit!!! 70 miles out of my way for this?? I kept seeing Halliburton trucks pull out onto the highway in front of me - there must be mining or drilling going on back there - thats why the state line is closed off for 40 miles? Well at least its putting some rural folks to work I hope?
    I headed east to Trinidad and over to I-25 but decided to stop at the lake there and eat my orange and have a drink of water. I pulled up on an island peninsula and sit down to enjoy my orange but there is a couple of folks RV'ing on the road next to me, the woman sitting there looking like a typical idiot camper just stares out me the whole time. So I get up and move - mind you I am no where near them at least a good 300 yards away with the lake between us. She is still staring at me. So a shrug my shoulders and yell "WTF are you looking at"? She moves her chair around for a minute but as soon as I got up she was staring at me again? I could hear them talking too "whats he doing now" jebus nosy idiot campers. Mind your own bizatch! I got on the bike and did some slab over I-25 to Raton where I topped up again and filled up my water jugs. It was getting late in the afternoon and I thought about just getting a motel room but decided naw keep pushing on, that private property detour cost me 2 hours.
    I headed up hwy 64 in New Mexico up Cimmaron Canyon and was having a bit of fun on the twisties there, the XR doesn't handle so great with toasted knobbies especially with they way I had it set so soft. There was smoke everywhere from a forest fire in Tres Piedres, seems this place is on fire every time I ride by it, Toas which is near by must be smothered in smoke right about now. Once I crested the mountain and saw the valley at Eagles nest the whole sky was a peach color it was incredible, I wish I had stopped for a pic?

    Cimmaron Canyon NM at Palisades Sil
    The Three hour short cut
    I crossed the valley and headed up to Angel fire where the ski area was - I looked on the map and it showed a dirt road going over to Penasco - a place called Luna Canyon. I had been on the road before camping with my sister I remember it being wide and smooth. Its only an hour if I head strait down to Mora on the paved road. Nope I take the short cut, right off its starts to get narrow, then it climbs the hill, Baby heads everywhere (round rocks shaped like baby heads) they are bumping the hell out of me, then there are jagged rocks and wash outs everywhere its starting to get rather technical. I sit forward on the seat and just ride it out for 12 miles, rocks all the way, I caught and passed two ATV's on the road, I know it must be more of a trail than a road now. And its getting dark, there is livestock on the road too. A big bull and and about 20 cows and calves all standing in the road. I am not so keen on rolling up next to a bull so I rev the bike up and make some noise - nothing maybe a few of them look over at me! So I hit my wimpy horn and its scares them to moving?? What that POS little horn? So I start moving forward honking that wimpy horn till they all run up the hillside and let me by. Now its really dark Ya know twighlight where the headlights dont work but its not quite dark yet, shadows in the trees are impossible to see - so I flip up my visor only to get knats right in my eyes - and I cant see a thing. I decide to pull off and just camp overnight here, just lay in the grass with my stich and my space blanket and sleep here its about 8pm. Which I do for an hour or two but the moon is so bright and its shining right in my eyes. I can see lightning in the distance and thought "oh hell no I am not getting rained on!!"
    I get up off the grass look at the time 10pm and decide to try the decent know, I got a good Baja designs lighting system on the XR we will see. I kicked the bike over and turn on the headlight and low and behold its rather bright, its got a high and low that I can see far and close with. I started heading down the mountain, all baby heads and its dark so I am going like 9 mph all the way down - right about now I am cussing at myself, Mora was only 15 miles more you idiot!! but soon I start seeing a familiar sight, that wide and smooth road I remembered from camping with my sister 5 years ago, so know I am doing 30mph and every so often I can see a camp fire near the creek. That is what I remembered not that nasty ass rock strewn crap 15 miles back? Wow what a nightmare, oh and I fell off too I think I cracked a rib cause it hurts when I lay on my side.
    I guess I should go to the doc and get it checked out, but you know these injuries they have to heal on there own right? $2000 for that? nothing aspirin wont fix! I can move I can breath, I am not bleeding? It just bruised!
    I take paved roads all the way to my sisters place where she is waiting for me at midnight, she smacks me upside the head - "you had me so worried she says" I spent a couple of days hanging out with them and my niece and nephew to play with. We went out to dinner a couple of times and went to Albuquerque too for a day - good times!
    The ride back
    I woke up before everybody showered up and knocked on my sisters door - said "see ya in Colorado Springs", (they were comming up to Colorado now to spend time with us now and visit my other sister) "See ya tonight"! I pretty much retraced my route till Penasco where I headed north to Toas this time, its a twisty road that I was having trouble going fast on, paved by my XR was set way too soft so it was wallowing in the tight turns. Which is fine for the dirt roads I wanted to be on. I got to Taos and decided to gas up there, I pushed on my tires and decided they need some air, but the compressor was out of order (insert dark omen here) so I pressed on, totally bypassing the main town and going around it on a back roads. I thought I would go see what Arroyo Hondo was all about and headed strait north to that place, wow its a huge canyon, I was on a road called Rim drive but it too stopped "private property" I had to go back and head a bit south and around it. I should have taken pictures here too darn!!

    Santa Cruz Recreation Area NM hwy 4 near Cundiyo
    The $300 flat tire
    I got on NM 522 headed for Costilla right on the Colorado Boarder where I planned to peel off and head east on a dirt road and go around to San Luis. But my bike was starting to sqirm under me. I knew I had a flat tire, but I was out in the middle of the desert now, 7 miles to Costilla. I just rode it out till I got to the gas station convience store there. The air pump did not have a hose, they keep it in the store for some reason, I guess sombody stole it once before. I put in my quarters and tried to fill it up but it just went flat instantly - CRAP!! There is nothing there in Costilla just some old houses and a gas station with no services. I got on the phone and called a tow truck to come get me and take me back to Toas - 48 miles back! I should have packed a tube patch kit and a few tires irons but ya know - limited space in the bag and I just hustled off too quickly and did not think about it till it was too late.
    Anthony Navarro
    The tow truck guy shows up an hour later with his toyota and a trailer to come get me, hes a heavy set hispanic dude like me, only a bit rounder. He shakes my hand and says "where is it" I point to it, my bike that is, but he cant see it behind the car and freaks out? "OH NO VATO" - he says "I cant do a car with this"? I walk him over and show him the bike behind the car and he starts laughing big belly laughs! Right off I like the guy. Hes a single father whos been working tow trucks for 10 years, always on call, he wants out. Tony is his name and we start talking for the 48 miles to Taos, he gives me his Philosophy on how to avoid speeding tickets"
    Intruduce yourself in a freindly manner
    Shut up and let the cop do all the talking
    Dont admit anything
    Smile and be freindly
    Dont challenge the cop
    Tony says he gets pulled over all the time but always gets away with a warning. Then he started to sell me on his home buisness which pretty much ended the conversation! Sorry Tony not interested! He pulles to the back of the motorcycle dealership and rings me up $200 for 48 miles - JEBUS this is getting costly! I pay it and thank him for comming so quickly! Then at Taos Cycle works I get an earful from some tech who says we are not supposed to be in the back move the tow truck, already I am worried , with service like this? Jebus what am I in for? So I says " I got a flat dude! Shut up and help me unload this bike" which he does - "crotchety" cancels out "cranky" I was having a bad day and taking no shit!
    I walk into the show room and up to the service counter and right away there is a guy there with another flat he brought in complaining about the price, he brought in just why was it so much when the other dealer was only $8?? OH no I am getting screwed looks like right about know. I see on the wall $69 an hour for labor, time and half for emegency repairs no appointment? AW jeeZ!! This shits gonna cost me $150!?! I waited in the lobby looking at ATVS reading magazines for another hour. And I get the call, its done! $89 bucks - well its better than $150 but jeez thats a screw job!! I pay it and get back on the road! Then I hear them talking about changing prices on tires to a flat rate of $15 if you bring it in yourself? I started cussing myself for not finding another air compessor earlier in the day! Oh well what can I do?
    I go back up the road AGAIN for the 3rd time and turn off at Costilla and find a dirt road into Colorado I like, its wide and very fast, 70mph time!

    Ventero Creek near San Luis Colorado

    Sangre De Christo Mountain Range Same mountains as Stonewall - on the other side

    Looking back towards Toas
    I get back on the paved road at San Luis and head for Fort Garland to gas up and put oil on the bike, she burns a bit of oil so I have to keep tabs on it at all times. I guess its common with the XR650r? I was soon heading up La Veta pass with a very dark onimous cloud ahead I was watching it the whole way from San Luis it looked nasty. Yep it started raining huge drops that hurt like hell when they hit, then it started just pouring and it was beating the living crap out of me. I was screaming "come on stop this shit" I was really having a bad day now, I was going to go back over Pass Creek pass again but F'that I just wanted out of this rain from hell!

    Welts all over my arms and chest I dont know maybe it was hail too?
    I have been caught in rain and hail before on the vfr but this just beat the crap out of me! I was wishing I was in a car at this point! Or just home by now! I decided to do some more dirt roads once I got clear of the storm and headed north on hwy 520 from Lavita to Badito CO. I have been on this road before its about 20 miles long.

    Storm over La Veta Pass taken from co-520

    Chavez Arroyo Co Road 520

    Spanish Peaks south on co-520
    I had to get on I-25 for a bit till I got to Apache City where I found another dirt road which took me a back way into Colorado City. Gas station and a drink there! I routed the Gps to a place called Burnt mill hoping for a good back road to Pueblo and sure enough it payed off, nice long 30 mile dirt road all the way to Pueblo, It was all back country canyons and farm land out there, very nice, almost worth the beating I took on La Veta Pass vs going back over Gardner road again. The front range has some good roads too! Once in Pueblo I just snaked through town back to Overton road right as the sun started to go down over Pikes Peak! What a nightmare - I mean adventure flat tires, $$$$, a beating, welts and a bruised rib to take home for war stories!!

    Sunset in Pueblo CO taken on Overton Road

    Colorado Map

    New Mexico Map
    GPS Tally
    Miles 812.3
    moving avg 44.8
    max speed 82.8
    overall avg 34.1
    stopped time 5:41
    Map Files
    Mapsource tracks
    Streets and trips file
  3. HispanicSlammer
    Jack on his 98 Connie
    So last Monday I was out riding my Cannondale road bike with the intent of getting in a few miles to improve my fitness, and well it being May in Colorado there was was a May shower however it was was white and it was COLD! I had already done 20 miles and needed to get out of the snow, so I petaled the mile or so up Tejon and opened the door to Bristol Brewery the local Colorado springs brew pub - I love craft brewers and love Bristol cause its my home town brewery.

    Bristol Brewery
    So I went in and found the place empty nobody there, not even the bar keep who was helping with some bottling, so I just sit at the counter and try to catch my breath take off my backpack and gear and in walks this older fella with a southern accent and he sits right next to me and starts talking. We get to sipping on a nice pils they just released and out comes the word motorcycle and it was over! I liked this guy - his name was Jack and what was supposed to be a short get out of the snow shower detour turned into a 2 hour discussion on motorcycles and what not, then we started seeing the place fill up and soon it was packed, US army personnel picking up kegs, and they were selling growers strait out of the box! We got to looking and decided that these Bristol growlers just did not look too distinctive at all, not after seeing a fella come in with this fancy nice grower from the Tommy Knockers complete with pewter handle and ceramic lid! We asked the guy where he got it and soon Jack hatched a plan to combine our love of motorcycles with our desire to get one of those fancy Growers. A few phone calls later and I had my old buddy Reddog and his wife in on the idea too! Well at least the ride part!

    Yup my growler situation needed an upgrade

    Tommy Knockers Growler imported from Germany

    Bill and Analise 2 up Reddog on the forum - stopped on Squaw Pass

    Mr Jack McDaniels on his new to him 98 Connie

    Tommy Knockers a big dining room not sure why I took this pic

    Bill and Analise on Squaw Pass

    Growler Run My veefalo on the Squaw Pass
    Jack was telling me about this hwy he wanted to ride 105 near Idaho Springs and I of course can not remember a number to save my life so I start checking my Droid for this hidden hwy 105 and it turns out to be Squaw pass, I know it very well and some of you members who came to the Summer summit two years ago do too! So we rode up that puppy, and took a few pictures at the top of Juniper pass where the mountains are in clear view. It was such a nice day, lots of Bicyclist out riding the pass too, I don't think I am in quite good enough shape to do that - or at least survive it intact! A few more months riding around without snow on my two Cannondales will cure that . But for today it was a motorcycle ride. We sat in Tommy Knockers some 2 hours after leaving Woodland Park sipping on a low alcohol Porter for me which tasted very good, I am so proud to live in a state with such a fine tradition for brewing, its a real treat.
    Lunch was scrumptious I had a hot pastrami sandwich on Rye and a half pint of Porter it was nice, and a couple of sodas. The place was packed too since it was Saturday. Reddog and Annalise decided they were gonna head over to Central City and gamble a bit after lunch so we split off and Jack and I headed back since I was on hour 17 of wide awake, I got off work 7am took a vitamin and headed up Ute pass to meet everybody so at this point I was starting to feel sleepy. I thought well the only cure is to find the twisties and have at it! Which always works for me so I took Jack on every twisty road I could find between Idaho Springs and Connifer! I was enjoying it right up to the point to where we were on the good part of High Point Drive (Pleasant Park Road) - its a twisty switchback pass with a 300 yard climb up the mountain, it was full of gravel in all the corners and it became clear why when the Honda Passport in front of me was trying to gap me by crossing all the way over the double yellow on every left turn and then riding two wheels into the dirt shoulder on all the right hand turns! No wonder there was so much crap in the road these people cant stay in the lane, the sad part is that this clown in the Honda lived at the top of the pass and I am sure he thinks hes a great driver cause he was able to hold us sad motorcyclist off with that spectacle of crappy driving! It was sad! I am just glad nobody was riding the other way when he was all the way into the oncoming lane. I wasn't even really trying to push the guy I actually rolled off several time just to leave a big gap between us just in case he busted over the guard rail I could stop and help! What an Idiot. I hope they get a sweeper up there this summer cause it is a mess, might was well be a dirt road!
    Any way at Connifer I asked Jack to take over lead and he rode a good pace on down the hill, but we got stuck behind a row of Harley's near Woodland park and pace slowed down dramatically it lulled me to sleep the slow pace and the undulating road, I needed some more challenging twisties to keep me awake so I told Jack that I wasn't going to stop just bomb home before I fell asleep. I was pretty tired by the time we made it to Woodland park and the ride down Ute pass to home was just awful so many cars that I was just a passenger it seemed.

    Full Size
  4. HispanicSlammer
    NEW VIDEO riding the sweepers with Motoman
    It is snowing here in Colorado and when the bike is stowed away for the winter months I turn to my dv tapes and start reliving the rides from the season past. This ride was part of my long trip to go see the US MotoGP with my friend Dan (Motoman) we where two days away from home, already we had 350 miles on the day and we had come to the turn off to the Flaming Gorge Uintas Scenic Byway. It had started to rain when we stopped in Manila UT, but we pressed on. Rain in the West is usually a sprinkle here a shower there. Not very often do we just get all day drenching, but it usually rains every day in summer somewhere.

    video preview
    :media: The Flaming Gorge Video High Resolution
    10 minutes wmv - Dan and I started up the pass up and over the plateau and back down to the bridge.
    The Map of the route
    [map=AARTsJraQnUrbLnpvhEPWjcvt66k6FYXfg]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=6571286530006078049,40.949402,-109.711592&time=&date=&ttype=&saddr=UT-44+%4040.949402,+-109.711592&daddr=40.908583,-109.435501&mra=mi&mrsp=1,0&sz=12&sll=40.927003,-109.436531&sspn=0.11595,0.31929&ie=UTF8&ll=41.197257,-109.497986&spn=0.923778,2.554321&z=9&om=1[/map]
    Low Res YOUTUBE

    Some more pictures from the area


    Flaming Gorge area

    Steinaker State Park 5 miles west of Vernal UT

    vfr bathed in sunset

    Green River Reservoir Flaming Gorge

    Bridge at the Flaming Gorge
  5. 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
  6. HispanicSlammer
    I just finished viewing the pictures from the Pacific Northwest Meet put on by Kiethbob and wow what a great time yall had up there - I really looked hard at attending that event, but alas the ride to made it prohibitive (2 weeks vacation instead of just needing one). I really love attending motorcycle meets as opposed to huge rallys for the comeradrie and the sheer fun of riding with kindred spirits. Sometimes it ends a bit of tradegdy, I have attended 2 sport-tourung.net meets and there were crashes in both, one was rather serious, and I happened to have been leading the ride at the time. I blamed myself for pacing a bit too fast but really we all are on our own bikes, and we have individual control over our own rides. It is important to have fun AND be safe! Sure riding is risky and riding in groups is too but without risk what would be the thrill of riding a motorcycle in the first place?
    I see riding in groups as more of a plus than a minus, first off your with people who enjoy the same thing you do! Riding that is, having something in common like that is great! Then you have support from other riders, God forbid somebody should go down there is someone there to help you and seek assistance if need be. Riding with others makes you ride better, time and time again I have improved my riding skills by riding with those of more experience or with better technique than I and so I have learned how to ride better.
    This year I was lucky enough to attend the TexasMac ride and so enjoyed one of the best rides of my life last may, both with the group and the adventure of getting there as well, I saw the south for what it really is a place of great diversity and hospitality - just as the saying goes. Now I have the opportunity to again head south at the pleasure of the VFRD Fall Dragon ride comming up soon next month and I cant wait! It is an opportunity I cant waste nor would I want to, and it is all made possible by the folks here at VFRD! I am greateful for this and would like to attend as many of these wonderful events as possible, thats what I really love doing, meeting the folks I read about on this very site everyday and making new riding buddies!
    Be safe out there and enjoy yourself on your bike!

  7. HispanicSlammer

    Oh Man Not Again

    By HispanicSlammer,

    Well from my previous blog entry you can see I took the XR650r out for a long jaunt in southern Colorado, long enough to screw up the bike again! I can't say the bike has been unreliable, cause it always starts and keeps running taking me from here to there and back home again - in that respect its always gotten me home! However she is a fragile beast in the cam shaft deptment and has a few quirks the vfr just doesent have!~
    Last spring I rode her out 300 miles and came back home with a burned up valve and tore up cam shaft/rockers. I spend a good deal on rebuilding it,replacing the parts, new rings, valves, oil locks, gaskets, cam chain, cam shaft, new rockers, and all the time I spent doing that myself. I got home last Tuesday with a familiar tapping but not as pronounced as the first time, I had hopped that the bike was just out of spec and needed a valve ajustment. So I did that yesterday, easy enough but when I got her all back together it was still tapping hard?? I guess I fubared another rocker/cam shaft set AGAIN!! Damn this sucker is either running dry on oil or getting too hot. I remember stopping for gas and checking the oil each time, on the last stop it needed oil so I topped it up. What was more significant was the oil was smoking when I opened it up! So I checked the radiator, the thing was dry! Darned it I overheated her again!
    Once I got home I took a look at the thermostat, it was stuck open and the pin had jackeknifed inside the housing! Replaced that! Then I bought a higher pressure radiator cap 1.6 bar Kawi lid so it wont spew so easily, more pressure but if a KLR can take it so can an XR! At the altitudes I ride at it tends to boil off way to easy. I have an oil temp gauge I monitor as I ride and rarely does it go over 200F but I should have stopped when I saw it go down to 150f, that indicates a problem, not enough oil on the dipstick to register the temp!
    OK so I replaced the main components that control the heat and filled it up with new radiator fluid, now I have a new camshaft and rockers on order - waiting to get that, so I can go adventure riding again, perhaps with more confidence it wont spew antifreeze all over the dirt so easy!
    I know hot means lean condition but it boggs down otherwise up in the high country, my problem is I ride up and down mountains too much the jetting issues are difficult to get right!
  8. HispanicSlammer
    This is my first real ride on the XR650r this season, having only ridden it to and from work a few times and once to the movies it has been languishing in the bike shed all winter. I had recently outfitted it with a Turbo City Sequoia Rack and some Tourmaster bags it was ready for some touring. I saw an opportunity to also attach a plate for my mini givi top bag and so I installed a plate last October. I had been having fits with it for the 3 years I have had her, always out of tune, broken subframe, melted plastics, and sub standard tires IMHO. The bike would just start racing at stop lights or when ever I stopped cause I could never get the darned OEM carb dialed in correctly. I switched out needles and slow jets and main jets till I turned blue from playing with the carb so much I finally broke down and bought a Pumper carb from Endelbrock. Good old American made carb made all the difference. It was a snap dialing it in, no jets to replace just a main needle what actually has a real dial you turn to tune it - you just dial it in. It was easy as pie, just a few runs to check for smoothness - a few times pulling the spark plug to look at it for fuel condition and I was set - it runs perfect now! I don't count my self as an expert carb tuner but I dont think a pro could have done better on this one.
    So once more this summer I planned to spend my forced vacation days on a bike, 3 days to the western slope of Colorado down to Silverton and back via mostly dirt roads. I would say I spent probably 65% of the time on backroads and the rest on pavement. I have documented the paved parts many times over so the pictures are of the back roads in this report. I took off late in the day and headed strait into the mountains on Old Stage road a 30 mile dirt road that climbs its way west from Colorado Springs to Cripple Creek. I don't think I saw more than 3 cars on that road - but I did see an unlicensed motorbike - he passed me in a turn when I wasnt expecting it and startled me. He had is green forest service tags but no licence plate - surely a no no that could get him in trouble. I did not even know he was there but being an experienced rider startled did not equal out of control. I just kept my line, slow as it was and watched him power up the hill on past me on his 400. I found him stopped at the top and I just kept going. There are a few trails up there that allow unlicenced motorbikes and atv's but this road is not one of them. This is the sort of thing that puts our rights in jepordy and citizens action commities rail against us then government has to clamp down. Come on people ride where you are supposed to or get your bike set up street legal like I did. Getting passed on that wide open easy paved road proved to be a bad omen for the rest of the trip there was more to come. I know I am not the fastest dirt rider, nor do I care but jeeze would it kill you to try the strait? I dont go that fast in the straits either?

    Ute Trail Part of the Trans American Trail on the way to Salida

    Colligiate Peaks at a place called School Section Spring on the Ute trail - land for sale

    Mt Ouray from across the valley Poncha Springs/Salida

    Mt Ouray and Chipeta Mountain Named after the great Ute indian cheif and his wife

    Sangre DeCristo Range starts here South ute trail winds down the mountain
    It did not take long to get out of the cripple creek area and onto the Ute trail to Salida, it was near 2pm and it was the hottest part of the day, however being at 8k feet it wasn't all that hot up there. I was pretty much alone the whole 40 miles or so of the Ute Trail only seeing one pickup on the way up the pass from Salida - it was expected being so close to town.
    I found a restaurant at the base of Ute Trail and had a good burger there, cant remember the name of the place it was attached to a motel. It was rather sparse for decorations, but the food was good. I had wondered if the girl who served me, if she was the only one there cause I saw nobody else, she must have cooked the meal too? She was nice and so I tipped her good. I could afford to spend money on food since I was camping for free. It was getting to be around 4pm by the time I was finished eating and I was soon on my way to Marshall Pass after gassing up in Poncha Springs. I bought a few powerbars (nasty things they taste awful no more ever again) for breakfast in the morning.

    Sheep Mt and Antora Peak as seen from Marshall Pass

    Windy Peak from Marshall Pass

    Camp site just off Marshall Pass

    I went exploring a deer trail

    Aspen Groves 10k feet elevation
    I found a little road that turned off Marshall Pass and ended about a quarter of a mile into a campsite just off the main road, it looked good to me so I unpacked the camping gear and set up my Kermit camp chair and relaxed in the evening reading and walking around a bit on some narrow deer trail to see the sites. I couldn't see much because the Aspen trees were so thick - I read a little bit then passed out in my sleeping bag. The mosquitoes were not an issue since I brought some OFF but the Bee's mane the Bee's all these damn Bee's buzzing around the tent all night long. I finally put in my earplugs and went back to sleep. They did clue me in on seeing the milky way in all its glory. Nothing like seeing the stars in the high mountains, they are incredible how many and how much brighter they are up there in the night.

    Mt Ouray from the other side the sign says Ouray Creek

    County Rd-14PP Looking North

    County Rd-14PP Approaching Cotchetopa Canyon

    County Rd-KK14 heading into Cathedral
    After Waking up I headed down Marshall Pass into Sargents a strange little village with a gas station at the base of Monarch Pass on Hwy 50 its built right ontop of a flood plane full of marshes - mostly log homes with that old rustic look to it like cabins but not quite all strewn together with dirt streets. I gassed up after 80 miles and only used maybe 2 gallons probably less much less. I was impressed my gas mileage increased with the new carb too. I have a Clark 4.3 gallon tank on it, and usually I only get 150 miles tops per tank I could tell I could top that easy. I worked out the milage on the old carb to 38-42 mpg on a good day, I was getting around 51 mpg on this trip and no issues, starts on the first kick too.
    I spend some time riding the high plains along Cotchetopa Canyon, or rather above it and along side. I like the canyon but it scares me a bit on the vfr since it was the site of an awful crash on a ride I was leading. It is not a road you can take it easy on it demands all your attention and respect. I was soon heading toward Slumgullion pass on some more back roads and into Lake City

    This was a surprize A Harley on a bumpy dirt road
    Harley guy stopped to ask me where he was, I couldn't hear him over his bike cause he was very soft spoken and so I just warned him the road was about to get a bit more technical - and he took off down the road. I had stopped for pictures already and left my keys on the dirt and had to turn back around and go find them, only to run into this guy. Sure enough at the first sign of difficulty the Harley rider had stopped and I rolled on by. I took another hour to get to Lake City for lunch at a place called Southern Vittles - a Texan replant owned the place and he served up Dr Pepper from the fountain from Dublin TX - a real treat cause I am a Dr Pepper drinker since I was a Kid. Pure cane sugar and the original recipe - too bad his fried chicken did not live up to its southern fried claim. I have been to the south and this wasnt nearly as good as what I had in Tennessee. A bit under seasoned and lacking in salt the breading was hard too. Oh well it was decent though and it cured my hunger I left the greasy french fries on the plate. I put on the Stich and headed up Engineer pass for the difficult part of my trip.

    Start of Engineer Pass the easy part

    Historic landmark at Henson CO

    The cabin had a bit of a draft

    my steed

    This is how rivers are made in Colorado

    The pass begins to narrow a bit still easy at this point

    A look back
    I missed a turn and headed into the wrong direction and the road just ended there, so I had to double back and turn up a steep rocky section and found myself teeth chattering along on a jeep only road, it had a sign that said 4 x 4 recommended past this point and with good reason. This is what my guide book called "moderate" I was behind a few jeeps now and motored on past at twice their speed since the XR was digging in nicely if not teeth chattering its way up the steep embankment. I just kept up the momentum and she powered up just fine. The only serious difficultly was stopping for Jeeps on the way down, they were numerous and it seemed always ended up in the way at the Switchbacks. I had to find a place to get off so they could pass cause the road was steep and narrow at this point. It was more challenging but nothing I could not handle.

    Engineer Pass as soon as I reached the tree line the road got steeper bumpy rocky and much more challenging

    Snapped a picture while waiting for a caravan of jeeps to come down the pass - too narrow to pass safely I had to pull aside

    typical switch back this one was easy - no rocks but steep

    The top of Engineer Pass this was the easy part

    OHH Boy its raining over on this side actually I had a small rain at the bottom of the pass - this is looking north west

    This is directly west of Engineer Pass Telluride is one the other side of that range

    A information marker at the top Engineer Pass

    I made my way across the tops of the mountains
    California Pass turned out to be more of a challenge, the rocks were more numerous there where hoards of ATV's now, each of them with a child on the back it seemed and moving faster then the jeeps but slower then me. It seems I was the fastest guy on the mountain at the moment which I found hard to believe after all I am used to getting passed on the XR. California pass seemed easy compared to Hurricane Pass because this mountain was covered in snow and it was all melting on the road which looked more like a raging creek bed than a road. It unnerved me to be on the rocks as a steady stream of water spewed out of the melting snow at 12,000 feet up. One jeep caught me off gaurd on a paticularly tough switch back, it was all wet with runoff and it was steeper than the others with an 8 inch step - he was in the way so I had to back into the snow drift and darned if my motor stalled. He rolled on by and waved thankfully but I was a bit miffed about the stall and may have been a bit short with the guy. Kickstarting a bike in a tight switchback at a 25% incline at 12.5 k up is not easy. I managed but I was completely out of breath when I made it the half mile to the top.

    California Pass this was tougher than Engineer - melting snow made the road a creek bed in places

    California Pass a bit steeper more rocks and lots of snow melt

    Oh ok down there then there were trails going all over the place

    From where I just came going down Engineer and up California pass proved to be much more challenging

    Xr650 weighed down with camping gear and tools

    California Pass even more challenging now more rocks

    California Pass

    California Pass

    Poughkeepsie Gulch the trail was blocked by a huge snow drift at the top - a completely smashed up car sat there as a warning to all who enter

    Finally at the top this road winded around quite a bit and lots of jeeps made for some interesting encounters
    I looked down to see there was yet another pass and by now I was getting winded because of the lack of air and the increasing difficulty of the road, Hurricane pass turned out to be the most difficult for me, since I was a bit sore in the shoulder from sleeping on the hard ground the night before in an odd way. I was crawling up it now and going down was worse, California Gulch looked easy from above but it was rocky and wet too. I just plowed through it from the top. Going down was hard for me being loaded down there were places where the snow jutted out and cut the trail in half and the edge had a drop off that spelled disaster. I just kept my eyes on the road and tried not to look over, it was a bit scary in places. OK allot scary in places.

    Hurricane Pass much more difficult either that or I was getting tired

    Even the sign was in bad shape

    The view however was worth the trouble

    looking back up at Hurricane pass I had to stop cause my rear brake overheated too much load

    The start of Corkscrew Pass I decided to head to Silverton instead - 3 more mountains to pass - I could see it comming down Hurricane and it looked challenging
    Hurricane Pass was the worse off all but it was short, the ride down was really bumpy and I overheated my rear brake - nothing on the petal I just slammed to the bottom with no stopping power I had to pull off and let it cool off till I got rear brake again. Some guy on a CRX stopped and asked me if I was ok I just waved and he rolled on by me at 3 times my speed - I was back to being a slow ass again. I was not going to try Corkscrew at this point I was pooped after being on the bike for 9 hours. My butt was starting to really hurt too, the widening of the seat and the Sheepskin cover helps but not after 9 hours! I just rolled into Gladstone on the big wide dirt road that seemed like a super highway at this point and soon I was getting blasted by all sorts of pickup trucks and jeeps now. I am no dirt track racer so I don't care if you pass me, I even pull off to make it easy. It was raining hard now and Silverton had nothing I wanted in it, so I headed up the Million dollar highway into Ouray where it was still raining - beautiful as ever Ouray has got to be the most scenic place in Colorado. Now I was getting tired so I decided to find a camping stop somewhere up on Owl Creek Pass cause the rain was every where around me except east of Ridgway where the pass is. I stopped and gassed up - got a sandwitch and some drinks and headed for the mountains again.

    Heading up Owl Creek Pass East of Ridgeway

    Chimney Rock this was my choice for a good place to camp

    Alpine meadow after the rain

    The blooming bush

    This was the view from my camp chair

    Weeping flowers

    more wild flowers
    Camping up there was wonderful not as many bee's or mosquito's as Marshall and it was very scenic, the stars were even brighter up there. I was surprised to see a whole slew of bikes roll on by at twilight, a few GS beemers, a KTM, and a V-stom leading the way in the dark. They stopped and talked to me a little while - but did not want to crowd the camp site, it was wide open as far as I was concerned but I think one of the beemer guys was more interested in a motel. So they left and gave me a beer as a parting gift for pointing them in the right direction. Its great to make friends on the road - even on the back roads.

    I woke up and saw an Elk across the meadow

    Leaving camp Chimney rock in the morning

    This rock is just like the rock in Alberta The rockies are the rockies after all

    The summit of Owl Creek Pass 7am

    Views from the road

    Turret ridge

    Views from the road

    Turret Ridge

    Rock formation at High Mesa

    Looking back to Owl Creek pass at the cross roads

    One last look at Turret ridge

    Cimmaron Ridge at Silver Jack

    Silver Jack Reservoir

    Wild blooms on the side of the road
    It was here off Cimmaron Road I had an encounter with a Ford pickup 4 x 4 - a big one. I was on the road where they had sprayed down Magnesium Chloride and it was still wet and slippery, this asshole passed me in a turn and brushed me in the elbow then gassed it and sprayed me all over with that stuff. This sent me into a rage and for a short moment I was a dirttrack racer - overtaking him and I made sure to spray the hell out of that nice white paint with that Magnesium Crap they had on the road, and I rolled on the power into the rest of the turns and left him in the mud. I had a few moments where I was out of control and a bit scared he might run me down. I did it anyway and well it was childish and stupid but I was pumped after that and could have ridden another 600 miles that day. I turned off on hwy 50 and ran smack into a bicycle tour with what seemed like a 1000 riders. They stretched all the way from Cimmarron Road - to Gunnison and even turned with me up to Almont 45 miles long a least. Big bike tour I guess. I got gas in Gunnison even though I did not need it and headed for Cottonwood pass. Oh boy the tourists were all over the area here, Lake Taylor was full of tourist and fishermen in the creek by the damn.

    Cimmaron State Wildlife Area Cimmaron Road

    Taylor Reservoir

    Taylor Reservoir

    The 3 apostles and Ice Mountain

    Cottonwood Pass looking on the east side of the continental divide

    Cottonwood pass the east side is paved - the west side is hardpacked dirt

    Some fun for a vfr here

    One last look at the western slope

    Across the valley American Flag Mountain stands out in the center

    Cottonwood Pass west side
    I pulled into a gas station in Buena Vista that had a diner in it and had some lunch the waitress was right at eye level when I sat down and I did not take notice till I went to pay that she stood barely 4 feet tall. She was very pretty but boy was she short. She was making fun of me cause I kept asking for odd stuff, I made her work for her tip - and I did tip her well. I think she was surprised how well cause after all it was a truck stop but I was a bit demanding service was good and the food was good.
    Then I found a back way on the map to get to the ute trail again and so I took that way, it was only a mile up the road from the gas station and oops I had forgot to fill up, 80 miles already on the odo, I thought about it and figured out I had plenty to make it to Cannon city anyway.

    Badger Creek off the Ute Trail wildflowers grown on the high plains Agate Mountain to the left
    It started to rain on me at the end of ute trail and I had though of tracing my path back to Cripple creek but the rain looked worse there so I headed down the mountain to Cannon City and boy it was hot there, 95 degrees out hot, I was melting in my stich so I found the nearest Baskin Robbins and had an ice cream in the air condtioning. Then the rain rolled into that place and cooled it off too. Wow the last part home was pavement and uneventful but I could barely sit up cause my butt hurt so much, 500 miles on a dirt bike can be painful
    Day one

    Full Size
    Day two

    ">Full Size
    Day three

    Full Size
    I am also attaching my gps tracks and a google earth path file so you can view it in 3d if you like.
    d Lakecity_tracks.gpx
    Lakecity_path.kmz
  9. HispanicSlammer
    OMG I am in deep now everytime I take somthing off I find somthing else wrong
    I keep delving into this bike deeper and deeper and finding all sorts of problems, I know my rear brake has been dragging so I decided to get some new parts and rebuild it. It was a mess, the rubber seals were hard as rocks, and the bellows covering the slider pins were torn and the pins were covered in caked on brake dust not sliding at all.

    rear brake rebuild replaced the seals, pads, bleeders, cleaned up and polished the pistons

    One rebuilt rear brake caliper high temp grease on the sliders, new bolts, new pads, new bleeders, new seals.
    I just about got that done and decided to check the swing arm and it was slightly loose when moving side to side and indication that the bearing are shot. So I took it off too, found about 4 inches of caked on oily dirt on the top and side of the swing arm it was just a mess. When I took the axle out I noticed it was in awful shape partially rusted and I think it was the issue since it looked worn where the spacers fit. I run my fingers across the needle bearings and if felt like it was full of grime, the other bearing on the other side seemed fit though. I ordered new bearings, new axle and new spacers cause I am not sure where that play was comming from, along with new dust seals. I have no idea how I am going to get the needle bearings out? Or press in new ones? I dont have the right tools for that.

    Swing arm removed she had a little play in the pivot axle!
    Some good news I got my wheels and hub back from the powder coater and they look great!

    Powdercoated hub it was looking rather dull so I had it done too

    Wheels just back from the powder coater Spectrum Powder Works here in Colorado Springs - loving how they look
    I got bored with getting greasy so I cleaned up and took a nap, I dont have the parts in yet to start putting it back together and I still have to get that darned broken header stud out! I ordered new studs and a carbide drill bit since my bits dont seem to be able to get the job done, I really dont want to take the head off and take it to a machine shop to get that stud out - hopefully that drill bit will do the job! I had to keep my parts orgainized so I put the little washers, seals, bolts, nuts, connectors and what nots into little baggies seperated by what they came off of. I did manage to get the stator back in and put the new stator cover on with a gasket - should not leak I treated it with a thin coat of yamabond 5 and let it dry like it says to do on the tube. Lots of work left to do its takeing nearly all my free time off work, but I enjoy it!

    filling in sratches and holes with poly flex slowly getting the PITA job done of repairing plastics
    RECAP OF WORK DONE AND WORK LEFT TO DO
    fork rebuild - new seals new oil done inspect head bearings - done bought new wheels - stripped and powdercoated - installed new bearings and dust seals done replaced stator cover - reinstalled inspected and tested stator new gaskets repaired oil leak done removed old accessory wires - rework heated seat with a new heat troller, reroute wires in a common conduit. find a better spot for the pc-usb rework the autovox unit installed two powerlets center post for the garmin zumo, and rear kit for my heated vest - wired up a side plug adaptor Yet to do
    repair broken header studs install new header gaskets replace bearings in the ecentric and swing arm pivot axles degrease that unit replace the crappy plastic chain gaurd and hugger reupolster my seat with new leather or leather like matierial replace worn foam in the seat finish repairs to the plastics complete paint stripping on the tank sand and prime the plastics and paint replace the fuel filter since I have the pump removed PAINT THE BIKE GET IT BACK TOGETHER CORRECTLY
  10. HispanicSlammer
    Monarch Pass In The Rain
    I found some more footage from our annual Colorado trip to Creede, this short video is of the ride home over Monarch pass topping out at near 10,000 feet at the Continental divide. There were 5 of us riding up the pass but I was in the lead for most of the video. It was cold at the top!

    The Terrain

    video preview
    :media:
    Monarch Pass In The Rain Video
    runs about 4 min, 1mb/sec wmv music by New Order.
  11. HispanicSlammer
    Well I dont know if they are Dutch or not but they are from Pennsylvania for sure, I was minding my own business (making the forum not work as I tried to install my gallery post tool) when I get a pm from CCVFR. From what I have learned most of the orginal settlers of Pennsylvania were actually of German Decent than Dutch and that the phrase "Pennsylvania Dutch" is a misnomer of Duetch meaning German not Dutch.
    Anybody who knows me knows I can not refuse an offer like that to be Colorado's motorcycle ambassador and so I gave him my cell number and invited them to come ride with me
    Google maps
    we met at Denny's near my house if only because it is easy to get to - however I forgot its actually located on an access road called Harrison road and not on Circle drive like I told Curt he figured it out and they were there waiting for me

    The Pennsylvania Crew Tammy Curt Kevin rode in from Pennsylvania for a vacation not expecting me to usurp their riding time

    Still in City Limits - Helen Hunt Falls up a narrow steep twisty road for 5 miles

    Breakfast at the Pantry Restaurant in Green Mountain Falls - sorry Tammy I could have warned you

    Kevin and Bacon - not the movie star Actually I think he was wondering if the 6 foot tall 300lb Mastiff or Saint Bernard sitting at the table just down the way - well if he was going to eat us

    Goldfield CO great view of the south face of Pikes Peak

    My Piggy and a nice RWB Thats Kevin's RWB 25th Anniversary edition VTEC

    Curt and Tammy rode on this horse ST1300 with peg lowering blocks from BLS - I did not know he made lowing blocks for such heavy bikes?

    OK now thats a proper picture Shes a trooper and hes got a VTEC back home

    I would never do this! Bungee swing out over the Royal Gorge

    Royal Gorge Bridge as seen from the east trail overlook

    Taking a nice break at the Royal Gorge
    I rode them all over tarnation finding every bumpy road I could find and twisty within a 100 miles of Pikes Peak which is basically the route I took them - in a big circle around Pikes Peak. I can only ride about 100 miles on my piggy before it becomes a torture device anyway so it was a good ride 9am to about 4pm with lots of stops and breaks along the way. We saw the biggest moth I have ever seen in the general store at the turn off to High Park Road, did the "don't hit the cows roller coaster road ride" on High Park Road, then over to the tourist trap known as the Royal Gorge but I know all the free places to look at it!
    Then I took them up Ridge Road in Canyon City and showed them the Dinosaur foot prints in the shale and of course stopped at the overlook - but I neglected to take pictures! Good day and good riding - great company.
  12. HispanicSlammer
    Pacific North West Meet 2010 Columbia River Gorge on the historic scenic Hwy 30
    I spent the night before the meet in Boise at my Uncles place - he fed me steaks and diet Dr Pepper. It was nice to catch up with him again since I maybe see him once a year during the holidays. It was a cook it yourself deal which is perfect since I like to cook my own steaks - that way nobody can take the blame for it being over cooked or raw but me. It was a smidgen too raw on one side too. Oh well, my old man called him and told him I was supposed to be there Sunday instead of Monday so him and his girlfriend went all out - and then I called him from Jackson to tell him I was gonna be there on Monday, JUST LIKE I SAID I WOULD in the message I left him the week before. Dad got it all wrong. Oh well the steak was in the fridge and booze in the pantry - which I stayed well away from. I am a shitty drunk, especially on the hard stuff.
    It was alright we watched the Jets and Giants on Monday night football playing in the new shared stadium in New Jersey - how does that figure? Is a rename in order the New Jersey Jets vs the New Jersey Giants? Heh we had a good laugh at that one - since both of us are really Broncos fans anyway and half assed fans at that.
    So he wakes up at 5am with his casual western work wear for his job as a computer programmer for the State of Idaho - he wont own a computer at home since he has to type on one all day long he hates them! I can see why he likes it there in Boise its a nice place, lots to do, good roads, small town but not too small, outdoorsy and very friendly people. I have yet to meet an unfriendly Idahoan yet! I am sure there are some and they are probably originally not from there.
    I call up Maddog who PMed me about riding out to Troutdale together earlier in the week, I called the guy since he left me a few messages wondering what was going on, and we decide to meet in the morning at the rest stop along the interstate at the state border in Ontario OR. So I pulled out of Boise around 7am and headed west on the long strait road to the interstate - on State Street it was a 15 mile long road to the interstate and it was busy the whole 15 miles. I should have gone south and got on the interstate soon but I did not have on my magic traffic goggles - so how was I supposed to know? Then of course as always when your on a schedule the interstate absolutely must have a 15 mile long road construction project going on that shuffles traffic all to one side of the highway. Nothing like seeing the country side behind an 18 wheeler smoking diesel fuel. I get there at 8am on the frickin dot and no Maddog? Ok so I wait he said 8-8:30? Then 8:45 rolls along and I say well 5 more minutes then I am leaving - and here comes a yellow 5th gen with a guy on it in the most faded stich I have ever seen! He could win that aerostich contest they have at the ugly boring rally they have. Hes got on some soft bags and top bag - and hes all of 130lbs if that. I am thinking hes got at least 150lbs less haulin than I - I hope I can keep up. Then he says "I am slow" Yea I have heard that before and ....NOT!
    Off we go into Oregon and as soon as we hit Vale we had to roll our clocks back 20 years to a time when gas was pumped by an attendant at the gas stations. Where the insides where lined with wood paneling and nothing was labeld - no rows of fancy drink coolers - no fancy neon signs - or multi flavor soda dispensers - I really felt like I had stepped into a time machine in some of those places he took me. On some of the stops we had to get off the highway and drive into the town behind some back alley and find the only gas station for 30 miles. If he hadn't of known it was there I would have never found it. Maddog, he says we will fill up at every stop cause you never know when these back country places will be open. Eastern Oregon is about as rural as it gets. I can only think its a product of the state law that requires a gas station attendant to be present to pump your gas. It negates the all night - pay at the pump - do it yourself thing thats for sure and if Bubba is sick today well I guess you just close down for the day leaving a community undeserved for its gas needs! Oh well the Gov-a-mint knows best eh? Shoot, I had to get used to waiting in line for gas in Oregon - all I can say is IT SUCKS! Half the time they just said "go ahead man"! After waiting for 5 minutes to get his attention. Nope I did not see any female attendants - not sure if that is a law too. I did meet allot of anti gov-a-mint folks in Oregon though and well no wonder! Like I said IT SUCKS! Let freedom ring and let us pump the darned gas please!

    Maddog suffering from the Oregon Heat shedding a layer

    Service Creek Café

    Dilapidated Barn viewed from t he Service Creek Café
    So we headed out from Vale and made our way to Unity and I tested this "I am slow" declaration he made, in some tasty sweepers and NOPE - DOES NOT HOLD WATER! I calculated it in my head and found that 1) those chicken strips he had on in Ontario have somehow mysteriously disappeared in the last 100 miles and 2) he seems to be able to accelerate at a very steep rate compared to me? I had to conclude at this point that Maddog was full of shit! He ain't slow! It was like Shamu trying to catch up to Dani Padrosa! I mean look at the guy he cant be much bigger than Dani Pedrosa!
    So I figured I was feeling good about the bike the day before when I was railing it solo, but when your riding with other riders all that changes and the doubt creeps in along with some anticipation of whats to come especially if your riding with somebody you don't know. Its only natural to want to keep up - but having put on more then my share of miles on a vfr I think I can honestly say "F that" to myself and go at my own pace. If its fast enough then good, if not well I am sure they will wait for me at the next turn. There were a couple of times Maddog stepped away and I let him go cause I was liking the roads. Sometimes you get caught up and don't look around to see all the good stuff your missing - wow this was some pretty country in Eastern Oregon. I like how they make roads that follow rivers and creeks, its a natural rhythm to the road it just flows like the water does. Maddog pulled off at Unity and told about this great country road 20 we were going to take at Bates and take it all the way up to Long Creek. He said watch out for the cattle grates, but he mentioned nothing about the clods of dirt all over the road, we soon were on it and I found I could just keep it in 4th gear most the time and modulate the throttle well enough to power out of the sweepers, deep ones that make you lean more at the end and they just kept a coming! I was having a blast on that road, keeping him close this time I was in my element. I put my foot down on the chip seal and sure enough it was solid and no loose stuff, it was time to rip it. Pretty soon though the road stopped the chip seal and it looked a bit glassy in the shade, I know its just an optical illusion but for me it was enough to slow it down a bit. It also had some tar snakes on the north side so I let Maddog go again. I can't count the number of times I just had an odd feeling about a road and slowed down only to find my ridding buddy on the side of the road! Too many times I don't know this road but I know whats good and whats not, tar snakes are not good! So yea I slowed down.
    We rode for a few hundred more miles and then the heat started in on us, Maddog had to peal off some layers and then I saw I was dealing with a very lite rider in front of me. I thought this darned 1200 cant keep up? Whats going on..oh hes not very big thats why! And he doesn't have much packed with him either. Ok 400 cc's is not that much of an advantage in this situation especially when the bike sort of limits the power in the lower gears too.
    Toward mid day I felt I could keep up - and he wanted me to lead but my gps was all goofy - telling me to turn on dirt roads and pointing me in the wrong direction, I ended up just shutting off the route cause it had recalculated it all, then reloading it to fix the errors. Not happy with this replacement zumo garmin sent me, its a lemon. It takes 15 minutes to draw the maps - always shuts off for no reason and wont power back up. Darned thing, I got tired of fiddling with it. So I just let him lead. I usually lead all the time at home, mostly actually with my buds. Some of my buds prefer to lead its all good I don't care. I don't mind leading if I know where to go. I tend to use the rear brake allot so it bugs some people before entering turns, a habit of dirt biking It involuntary mostly I don't even think about it, and I don't jam the brakes just lightly put my foot on it and thats it. I usually just unplug my rear brake light sensor so it don't bother people, they say to me "your brake lights on but your speeding up"? Yea I know! I wouldn't do it if I could train myself out of it. Thats just the way I ride, 300,000 plus miles and I am habituated.

    Shaniko Oregon Maddog and I were standing in the lawn sprinkler cooling off

    Mt Hood snapped a quick pic from the road
    One more gas stop in Spray then we hit some of the best turns of the whole day, just west of spray there was a good pass and then at Antelope a very tight twisty section that I was able to record with my contour hd camera.

    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/antelope_shaniko.mp4
    There were great roads all in that section of road, up until mount hood then we slabbed it into Troutdale, I took the lead for the last 100 or so miles into town since I had a radar detector. I saw a few cops and they lit me up, I slowed down in time and kept on going. It was a good day or riding.

    Full Size
  13. HispanicSlammer

    Pushy Pushy

    By HispanicSlammer,

    So I needed spark plugs for my two bikes, I don't know how long its been since I replaced the plugs on my vfr? 35K? So I decided it's time, off I went to the dealership. Once in the parking lot I notice the place is packed, its Tuesday 2:30 in afternoon and the place is packed! Don't these folks have jobs? I know its close to downtown Colorado Springs so I guess its rather easy to get to. Me I am driving the lot looking for a spot to park and boom one opens up. I was wishing I had the VFR and not the Civic today, but the VFR is torn down for maintanience - Laguna Seca Trip next week.
    I spy a VTEC parked in the bike only parking and go over and look at it, nice candy red a new one! It has some well worn in Pilot Powers, just a smidge of unused rubber on the sides, the guy rides it well enough to lean it over anyway. Newish tires too. So I go in and there are people EVERYWHERE, I go up to grab a ticket - but there is a line for that too. A line to get a ticket to get in line for parts! Oh well I wait patiently for my turn when this corperate looking sales type guy walks up pushes his way in front of me and an another guy and snatches a ticket from the machine! This instantly makes me angry, and I start to say somthing to the guy but he walks off with his cell phone glued to his ear speaking loudly into the damn thing. I just grab a ticket and stew for a bit, then see a nice street legal KTM 450 on the showroom floor - the one everybody is raving about. Trail worthy and you can ride it on the street to get to the trail!
    Then I hear them call my number, and phone jerk is next to me hassling the parts lady too - shes politely trying to get him to tell her wtf he wants but hes on the phone of course can can't be bothered, and actually had the nerve to get snooty about it?? Nevermind the 6 people waiting to get parts behind him - ASSH**&L. I get my spark plugs and head for the car - and who do I see getting on the nice VTEC sitting in the lot? You guessed it! It makes me ashamed to think that this jaggoff could own a VFR! Its seems counter to the guys personality, he would be more at home on a Duc! I know one thing if hes a member here - it is not for long!!
  14. HispanicSlammer

    The Gila Monster

    By HispanicSlammer,

    The Gila Monster
    NEW VIDEO
    Let me explain, this whole trip had one mission, one thing in mind, one specific road to ride, one reason to go "The Gila Monster". It was two days ride to get there, two days back. Why would anybody want to slab a day to go ride a road in the remote Gila National Forest in New Mexico? Well cause its a great fricken road thats why! Helo... heh I think so much about it I gave it a name "The Gila Monster" so lets cut to the chase ... see for yourself.

    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/1236161313_gilamonster.wmv.flv
    This video is 5 minutes of unadulterated road riding, no cars, continuous and un edited. I did add music since the wind noise was annoying but its basically me chasing Motoman for 5 minutes till we got stuck behind a line of cars where it ends. The road by no means ends here rather it continues on for another 20 miles but it is safe to say it is the best part.

    Full Size
    The Ride Report
    DAY ONE
    Colorado Springs to Santa Fe New Mexico

    Lunch in Cuchara
    We mostly slabbed it on I25 south but I just cant take that much slab so I asked Craig to turn off at Walsenburg so we could go ride Cucharas pass. There was a great litle bar there that serves lunch I thought of stopping at. Craig loved it, and the road too. He had not been on the vfr in two months since it was broken down - see my laguna seca writeup. Anyhow he was rusty and not so comfortable with the bike at all but if there are fast sweepers hes on it! Once I got up the pass and onto the high speed sweepers he was passing me to take them in stride. Its funny hes always been like that, if he knows the road that is. I stayed with him and we were taching the bikes out at 20k just like Joey D in the Isle Of Man (well maybe not). I was amped up on a Dickens Cider energy drink ( ya get it ;) ) so I was keen on keeping up. I seem to have the advantage on the tight stuff since well he was still rusty.

    Trucas New Mexico
    Once in New Mexico we headed into the mountains and up Cimmaron Canyon, It was full of tar snakes and lots of campers out for the weekend so it was 6/10ths at best, but fun none the less. It was overcast and I knew it was going to rain on us. I headed down to Mora on the wierd and unique road hwy 38 - it is like a driveway that goes on for 30 miles. Two pickup trucks with some rough looking Mexicans were trying to hold us off, I was worried about passing - but I did anyway and after I did Craig got by too. They certainly were not about to pull off and let us by - and they were going faster then they would have been had they not seen us behind them. Idiots! I think passing them even after they tried thier darnedest to outrun us was funny, at least they were not blocking the other lane too - what little of it there was.
    Then came Mora where I saw a goddes driving her Pontic Sunbird (who would have thunk it) - her lip gloss was glistening in the sun and I was instantly in love. I decided not to pass her for 5 miles even though she was going 15 mph. What can I say I couldnt help myself. Then once I saw some twisty road heading up the pass I snapped out of it and started riding harder up the wet roads into the high country. It was here that we though we saw snow - nope it was acumulated hail. We got lucky and missed that - it was all in the road but we managed to ride through some dry tire tracks.
    Penasco we encountered yet another crazy Mexican guy in a Ford F150 going way faster than he probably should be trying to hold me off. I followed safely right behind 2 car lengths or so and waited to pounce - I guess I was semi mature about it, not gonna squid pass the guy but Yea I am gonna pass him no doubt. Its like he asked for it or somthing. It came to a long hill climb out of some other small town and I twisted the throttle and showed him why a bike can out accelrate a stock F150 - It wasnt long before he was completely out of sight - but Craig was right behind me. I guess I should explain that Dan was also comming but he was driving his truck down with the Gixxer in the back since he had to work one more day than us. It would be another days ride before we hooked up with him.
    Trucas NM was where the skies really opend up on us, all the way down into the valley below. I was gambling a bit on fuel, well not really I know my bike and I know the road I was safely in range but Craig was freaking out. Pointing madly at his gas tank I guess he wasnt too happy with the fuel situation. I motioned to keep going. Sure enough once we got to Gas Station in Pojoque he only needed 4.4 gallons - whats the big deal he had another gallon left? Opps I on the other hand needed 4.8g.
    I spent the night at my sisters place in Santa Fe and Craig moteled it for the night, but not before we took him out on the town to La Choisa Resturant for some Santa Fe style cuisine. He enjoyed it - I certainly did, my niece and newphew provided the entertainment.
    DAY TWO
    Santa Fe to Soccoro
    I thought it would be nice to take the back way to Alb and ride up Sandia Peak. It was nice in the morning and sunny. The road up to the peak is nice and twisty and lots of fun, but it can catch ya out with the tight switch backs at the top. I wasn't "railing it" per sea but I was riding it well enough to finish off the chicken strips on my newly shod Pilot Powers - well up to the edge ok. Craig wasnt so bold he stayed in his comfort zone, saying he wasnt sure how far he could go - still a bit rusty. Then we got hit with a 3$ ENTRANCE FEE?? Ok I forgot about that. Why dont they make you pay at the bottom? Seems like its a bit of a trap waiting to make you pay at the top? Maybe it is just to stop at the top and use the facilities - I mean you can certainly turn around before the top? There were green trucks all along the way too so who knows - they were probabaly out because it was labor day weekend.

    Sandia Peak
    After that we headed into the Indian country for some semi slab and had to stop for gas in some speck of a village, the attendant was really attractive for such a nowhere ville little dump? On we went and then the rains came again, not only did they come they beat the crap out of us with some hail too. I was here we decided to cut off half the ride and head strait for Soccoro ( instead of doing cloudcroft) the place we were headed was nothing but an inpenitrable wall of water - forget that!!

    Chupadera Mountains

    Craig adjusts his rain gear
    DAY THREE
    What we come for.

    White Coyote Cafe - T or C NM
    The slab from Soccoro to Truth or Consequences was almost torture. Knowing was was up ahead is what kept us going, so insted we stopped in town for breakfast. We planned on meeting there at some cafe called the Coyote Cafe. I just looked up a cafe having no idea what it was like. It was artsy fartsty and a bit too foo foo for me but we ate there anyway. I saw a great post card - an arial photo of the Monster and looked up the website on the back.
    http://www.landerland.com/Kingston/Ashot.html

    The Gila Monster at Kingston New Mexico
    We headed out of T or C and slabbed it some more, getting passed by three other guys on sport touring bikes a mile or so from the turn off. I though hey maybe we will have some company? Nope they kept on going down the interstate, not knowing what they missed!
    The turn off at hwy 152 in Cabelo was sort of uneventfull or so I thought as I started on down the long strait to the mountians. I passed a few cars and then a few more and a couple more?? WTF was up with all these cars? I kept going then all of a sudden I hear a siren - I was being pulled over? CRAP!! It was an unmarked sherrif, no radar? He said we all did not make a complete stop, and we were speeding in a 55 zone at 70 or so? I just kept quite and polite, yazza nozza!
    He pointed to the other two to pull over too, crap all three of us! Then he asks for my stuff. The usual - I am thinking I am toast. He doenst go back to his car??!! OK!
    "here is the deal"
    whew I think!
    "instead of a $200 dollar ticket for not stopping at a stop sign, and anoter $200 for speeding...each of ya" - "your just gonna keep on going 55, and slow down"
    He said "I am too lazy to write ya all a ticket" and with that I shook the mans hand and we all sighed a sigh of releif! OMG close one!
    I asked him where all these cars came from? Since the interstate was not so busy, where did these cars come from? He told us he was patrolling for the big apple festival in Hillsburo up the road. Yea it was big, it took us 30 minutes to go a mile through town! Must have been 10,000 people there at that festival, all of them walking right out in front of us. I guess it is our reponsibility to not hit sombody who walks out into the steet without looking? Oh well, I was hoping and praying that the road was clear up ahead.

    Vertical Profile from my GPS
    Well yes and no, not 10,000 but maybe a 100! It was a bit congested on the Monster but not so bad, we got in 5 minutes without any cars to pass so I was happy. Craig got some left over apple pie in Kingston and we all had a good time on the Monster. Dan was squid passing a bit more aggressive than I cared for so we let him go on the second pass. He went all the way back to Kingston and ran it again alone. It was hard enough catching up after passing just one car but 2, 3 was too much of a task.

    Kingston NM

    This is the Monster Tail

    Scenic Overlook

    The Gila Monster

    Late Lunch in Silver City
    We had to cut off the upper part up into the Gila Clif Dwellings it was getting too late and we were hungry. Dan says we really got to hit it to get back to Soccoro before night fall. I dont know? Silver City to Reserve in an hour and ten ok - you do the math. Then it was strait to the hwy 60 turn off at Datil? My GPS started recording top speed numbers here.

    The Very Large Array

    Closer
    Our plans changed yet again and so we had to stay in Soccoro one more night instead of pushing on to Alb. Dans truck was at the Walmart in Soccoro so he took off ahead of us and loaded up the gixxer. we stayed in Soccoro and ate pizza and drank beer instead of what we planned. OH WELL
    DAY FOUR
    The slab home
    Those two stayed up too late so yea well ...they got up late too. It was almost 11am before we all left Soccoro. My plans to ride the Jimez loop and Cumbres pass had to be scrapped if I was going to get home by midnight. I saved just two treats for the day, well maybe three. One was the painted rocks on hwy 84 and the other was the great sweepers from Tierra Amarilla to Tres Piedres hwy 64. 64 is Craigs kind of road and I knew he would be happy to ride it. It was great.
    Pictures of the painted rocks

    Vetrans Memorial Hwy 84

    Ghost Ranch

    Ojitos de Los Gato

    Hoodos

    El Monte Rojo

    El Monte Rojo
    The road to Tres Piedres

    Brazos Cliffs

    Brazos Cliffs
    We crossed up into Colorado and had dinner in Antonito, having not eaten all day it was a welcome site to see a sit down resturant. The Korean lady serving was a hoot, she was getting all mixed up but she was on the ball, if not a bit upside down. Dinner was satisfiying and so I decided to ride the "road of the anchients" other wise knows as "Los Caminos Antiquos" its a strait line on the map but its a beatiful streatch of road when the sun is going down. My favorite time of day. What ride!! Some times I get complacent about where I live, I dont stop to appreicate it as much as I should, being a native born Colordoan I some times get desinitized to the beauty around me. I takes a trip out of state to make me see just how great Colorado is. I did not take pictures of the Camino but I have it in my mind. Somthings are too good to share.
  15. HispanicSlammer
    Veefalo and Pikes Peak South face of Pikes Peak
    Facebook can be a pain sometimes but for the most part it seems to bring people together, a guy I knew from work Dave C I friended on FB and I have been keeping tabs on whats going on with him in the last few months. He is working at a new job now and life for him has been a bit rough as of late, lots of drama, he just wants to start over somewhere else but he is stuck for the moment due to circumstances and sometimes the only respite is a motorcycle ride! Motorcycles can do that ya know, make everything better. I am talking about a 6 hour escape from your troubles and a fresh breath of Colorado Mountain air, and a few fun curves to boot. Anyway I asked Dave last week if he wanted to join in on a failed ride I was planning that never came to life. So yesterday he writes me back finally and says what are you doing today? Next thing I know I am meeting him at a gas station along the way to our destination. Its no big trek today just a popular loop among Colorado Springs and Pueblo riders the Bishops Castle run, we added in a second destination Victor-Cripple Creek too and made a big 230 mile loop out of it. Lots of stops and lunch at Texas Creek Diner.
    Dave meets me at the gas station and hes got on a mesh jacket and helmet but then hes got on shorts and tennis shoes? I am a bit uncomfortable with this and tell him that, knowing that if he tries to follow me at my speed in that getup he could end up rashed up pretty bad, but he assures me hes going his pace and well hes a full grown man and its his life not mine! So we ride!

    Bishops Castle Dave next to his bike
    Some road work has us riding up and over some weird bumps at weird angles on hwy 50 its a bit unnerving with the diamond cut grooves too but we make it to Florence and turn off along the route to Hard Scrabble. The weather is sunny and freaking hot! My Transit suit is a bit stuffy but a pull on the main zipper vents it enough to get comfy again. Familiar roads sometimes are a welcome site and I often forget how good the roads are just a few hours from my home. Dave and I talked about that at lunch. What would I give the roads in Colorado on a scale of one to ten? I came up with an 8 out of 10, cause well it is a bit of slab to get to the good stuff, and its a bit short good the good stuff, lots of traffic sometimes and the road conditions seem to be in a constant state of disrepair, bumpy front heaved passes mostly. Beauty is...well its Colorado its unprecedented how pretty it is in the mountains, but 8 out 10 is awesome. I have yet to find a 10 but 9.5 I have (tmac roads) some Oregon roads were great, some California roads, Ozarks all 8 or above. Idaho cant forget Idaho! Oh well I digress here.
    The ride to Bishops Castle is clear NO traffic at all! I was awesome and Dave rode his own pace so I wicked it up on the good stuff and waited for him on the straits. He rides a 650 vtwin Hysong. A budget bike for sure but not bad at all and hes got a two brothers pipe on it that sounds incredible. The bike is based on the sv650 by Suzuki and in fact Hysong contracted with Suzuki to make SV motors so the bike is an awful lot like the SV, not at lite as the sv but there are so many similarities its almost a carbon copy. The brakes are not as good the suspension is not as good but adequate. Upside down forks and the they are massive, heavy wheels though but Dave says that those who opted for lighter wheels found the suspension just could not compensate, in need of re-valving and springs I am sure if you go with lighter wheels.
    Hes taken good care of that bike and it looks just like it did when he first got it, with some new parts on it, color matched rk chain is a nice touch. Its sounds awesome too but the Veefalo just leaves it in the dust! Passing cars is a bit of a problem for Dave, so I just wait at turn offs or on the straits. He just doesn't have the get up and go I do! I pulled off after gassing up along hwy 69 cause there is a bend in the road there that is a great picture stop, matter of fact its been noticed by allot of motorcycle magazines too.

    Gibbs Peak Colorado 69 - this stretch of road has been featured in a more then a few motorcycle magazines

    CO 69
    We rolled on out of the Castle and headed for westcliff and then got some gas and then rolled down to Texas Creek for lunch, the place was packed with tourist. Dave was telling me a story about hwy 50 and tourist. Apparently a couple of tourist were playing you cant pass me on the opposite lane, and one tried to pass while the lead car sped up - just as he was coming the opposite way. He had to stop, literally stop his bike and jam it against the guard rail cause the passing car was head on both stopped in the highway 5 feet away - middle fingers flying he said! HEH wow! Too close for me!
    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/bishop2011.mp4
    7 min video from the Castle to the McKenzie Junction
    Lunch was very good a smothered green burrito I utterly gobbled it up in a few minutes, nothing to eat all day long I was seriously hungry by the time we got to the Café. I love that little joint, they put out bird feeders and humming birds feed just a few feet from you behind the big glass window.
    I lead most of the way and took Dave the back way to see the south side of Pikes Peak, up over High Park road into Cripple Creek it was fun riding up the pass into Cripple Creek but he got stuck a few times behind cars, they move just fast enough to make it difficult to pass but not fast enough to care about staying put. Open road I always want open road! I waited at the overlook and watched him make his way past them finally and up the pass, Into Cripple Creek and over to Victor the road was full of traffic and a few Deer on the side of the road really slowed me down from there on.

    Pikes Peak Hwy 81 near Goldfield CO
    After this pic stop it gets back onto the main hwy to Divide from Cripple Creek, and as usual since Cripple creek is a gambling town there is allot of traffic, I was picking them off 2-3 at a time but Dave was content to stay where he was, I rather enjoyed a bit of open road on the twisty parts and got in some good turns before we had hit the slab on hwy 24. Its a slab fest all they way down to Colorado springs from there Ute pass was a bust too semi tractors and slow cars we just crawled down it - not to mention its patrolled by the state allot too. I waved to Dave goodbye and well a good 6 hours on the bike spent for my last day off of the week. It felt good to ride. Thank goodness for Facebook cause I would have just sat at home if I had not got that message. I don't much like riding alone anymore, well at least in Colorado.
    THE MAP

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  16. HispanicSlammer
    Texas Creek
    Last Tuesday was the first ride of the year for me, the vfr shod with a new set of sprockets and chain, was rarin to go. I waited for my buddy Craig to show up patiently - my brand new visor, and freshly washed stich, I was ready to go as well. The sun was shining and blue - there was still snow in the hill sides and ice on the yellow strip in the shady parts of the canyon but it was warm enough to enjoy a ride. Our destination was a short trip over to Texas Creek Junction, where Texas Creek meets the Arkansas River and winds its way east.
    Highway 50 intersects Colorado in half and although it is considered southern Colorado it is most definitly the middle. The highway begins in Kansas but it doesnt get interesting until you get to Canon City where you find the Royal Gorge. Then it drops down into the Arkansas River Valley and it gets rather interesting for a good 40 miles to Salida, Texas Creek is roughly half way from Canon City to Salida and the last few miles before you get to Texas Creek is the absolute best part. The Canyon walls are high and the sweepers are fast and furious. Craig and I saw triple digit speed in some of the faster turns, its double lane in some parts so you can get around slow traffic rather easy. It was nice to heat up the tires once again on those great sweepers, I have balled up lots of tires on those turns in the past - usually in the hot summer sun its always hot there in summer.

    Texas Creek a Centry ago
    We had some lunch at this great cafe at the junction, we love to stop there for lunch and home made pie. I had a nice bbq sandwitch and I was admiring the historic pictures on the wall.

    The Destination Lunch at the Texas Creek Cafe

    Warning If your gonna be a turd go lay in the pasture

    The View From the window

    What it looked like a centry ago Trains were the rule of the day back then hauling silver ore from the mountains
    I found my groove much sooner this year than before, after my winter layoff (more winter on the way <_< ) a break from the winter doldrums was a welcome thing! I was expecting to be a bit rusty and slow but - nope not this year, it was like I never got off the bike at all. Perhaps it was because November wasnt that far away, but it sure seemed like an eternity. Man I love my bike
    Here is a satalite map of the best part - triple digit sweepers
    [map=AARTsJorJEljnPDCNQVk7LLwbqt8cMUbMg]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=7552852696277805325,38.445091,-105.525327&saddr=US-50+%4038.445091,+-105.525327&daddr=38.409213,-105.582905&mra=mi&mrsp=1,0&sz=13&sll=38.431404,-105.544109&sspn=0.075707,0.187111&ie=UTF8&ll=38.426429,-105.551319&spn=0.075713,0.187111&t=k&z=13[/map]
  17. HispanicSlammer
    Colorado Hwy 69 To Westcliff
    Colorado has been a bear this winter, snowing one day and sunny the next. Yesterday it was sunny - however not exactly warm in places. I decided to go for a ride to sort out my gear before I head out for the TexasMac ride in 3 weeks. Sort out my new video camera set up, and my new autocom sound system. Both were in need of refining and testing. I took of for Texas Creek up hwy 50 and had some lunch at the café (see my blog last month) good lunch. I was alone today and so I like I always am when I am alone I ride aimlessly, just going where ever on a whim. Today I decided to head to Westcliff and stop at a rather well photographed spot on hwy 69 - as seen from the photo above. This little section of road has appeared on the cover of many a motorcycle magazine. I just happen to know where it is so I took my own shot.
    Right off the bat my autocom is set up wrong, its always mic on, so I stop and fiddle with the vox control till it only comes on when I talk loudly. I can tell I wont be singing along to the latest songs cause - well I can here myself know and boy it wont go over the radio too well!~ HEH I tried the radar detector with it and it was just too noisy, I ordered a ground loop filter and a power smother from the Electrical Connection to hopefully get radar warnings without a whole lot of noisy interference. I turned it on in the areas I know are patrolled and turned it off the rest of the time. I got home and dug out a bit more Styrofoam from the ear wells cause the speakers just irritated my ears to no end, now the are snug but comfortable. I KNOW don't do that, but it wasn't much it was just a bit to make the speakers not stick out so far.
    Now on to the new video cameras setup, I added some more ram mount balls for more camera positions and tried out one from off my Givi rack its stable and it gives a right hand forward or backward shot from the rear of the bike. The new Sony hc-30 (new to me) camera with its lanc worked great, turning on the camera when I wanted it to be on and pausing it when it did not, and I rewired my camera switch (dual setup) to work with the new camera. I took some video of me riding sort of quick, well allot quicker than the cages on that road (perhaps I wont say how much)
    I stopped at the intersection at Mckenzi Junction to take a swig of water and noticed I have a blown fork seal, oil all over the fork tube. OH well it lasted 3 years and I really need to freshen up the fork oil anyway - so I stopped at the dealership on the way home and stocked up on fork oil and new seals. I guess I have some extra work to do.
    NEW VIDEO
    :media: The Road To Westcliff Video - this High Resolution video runs about 5 minutes and has a song from the movie soundtrack "Once" hope you like Irish folk! ( I am half Irish / Hispanic)
    youtube

    The Route
    [map=AARTsJqFvJdFZ77MhM8oiJNQs7U6Q7itbQ]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=2190822805370928413,38.405437,-105.584706&saddr=CO-69+%4038.405437,+-105.584706&daddr=38.144008,-105.324898&mra=mi&mrsp=1,0&sz=12&sll=38.163716,-105.301895&sspn=0.156293,0.374908&ie=UTF8&ll=38.256515,-105.534668&spn=0.624372,1.499634&t=p&z=10[/map]
  18. HispanicSlammer
    Its been a long while since I rode with bill (Reddog) here in Colorado, usually its an email with two words lets ride and then we are off on some 3 day adventure across New Mexico and Arizona. Ok maybe not that casual but it did happen like that once! We have been riding together for going on 12 years now and wow I can believe all those small kids of his have already graduated high school and moved away? WTF happened to the time? Things move fast if your not paying attention, but one thing has been constant - riding season - we dont always ride together a lot but we always ride right around the beginning of the season and then one big ride for fathersday, I usually drag him on some 12 hour monstrosity to the Black Canyon and its an all day thing. This year we opened up with a ride to the top of Mount Evans a 14,000 foot peak with a paved road to the top of it and matter of fact its the highest paved road in the USA, at least it is billed that way - however Pikes Peak just finished paving that road to the top and it may now be the holder of that title so I dont know it depends. The Mt Evans road stops a bit short to the very top with a walking trail going all the way up another 200 feet up. At that elevation its a lung burner!

    Anyway Reddog says he might meet me on the "blue one" huh? Blue one he says? What happened to the 02 vtec - so I show up and hes got a liter bike fz1 with brand new pilot road 3 tires mounted on it and a paper plate indicating its just been bought recently. I am wondering where is the vfr? Dont worry he says he still has it and is not going to get rid of it either! GOOD NEWS hes got multi bike syndrome now! Just like me, except his dirt bikes and now two street bikes out number mine quite a bit!

    So off we go and up the road on hwy 67 we take it easy as long as we are in Teller county since he says he was busted a week before by a cop hiding by the painted rocks area and so we take it easy. I am not very fast on this road since its usually full of tar snakes and loose chip seal and the new pavement always has gravel in the corners cause pickup trucks with dually wheels cant seem to keep off the shoulder and always kick up gravel just as you are about to accellerate out of the apex of a good turn! Bam your sliding all over an riding off into a ditch (yup it happened to me 7 year ago on the old girl) SO now I wait till I can see out of the turn first before hitting it too hard up there, ALWAYS ALWAYS has gravel after the apex?
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     

    We roll past the stuff I hate and up Horsepower hill and he nails it, and so do and that little thing just walks away from me for a bit till I reel it in, wow it accelerates hard! Turns pretty good, so at the top we trade bikes and I take it down the bowl and down the strait into the town of Pine then up the mountain to Pine Junction into those great tight turns there, and 3 turns in it was like I had been riding it all summer and was hitting the turns hard as I do my own bike! Even faster since this thing is 150lbs lighter then the veefalo! Bill is disappearing in the mirrors like I did when I was behind him? Very easy bike to ride, somewhat small faring but adequate strait up and down seating position like a dirt bike, matter of fact I felt like I was on a short dirt bike! I kept looking to shift after already being in 6th gear though and it was a bit buzzy up top in the 10k rpm range but that is where most of the power was, not much torque down low, well relative to the vfr1200 anyway? So it must be the weight of the bike that lets it just accelerate so good on power roll ons? Or he was just kicking the gears down and then slamming the throttle open, while I was rolling on in 4th? I dont know? I like it, fun bike! Here are some pictures and a couple of videos from the ride
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
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  19. 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

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    This map will probably be blank click on it and then refresh. I attached my gps tracks and the path in google earth
  20. HispanicSlammer
    Labor Day Plans Out The Window
    I have had a fubared Labor Day Weekend, I was supposed to ride down to New Mexico and go camping with my sister, but she called and said that my Niece has come down with the flu or something and my Nephew looks like he has it too! Kids are in Bed and mom needs to take care so camping was out!
    That is what friends are for!
    My buddy Dan says he got a few guys lined up to go riding half day down to Bishops Castle, since I am out of plans why not go along. I ask him is it a spirited ride? He tells me nay just a couple of squids who have never been on a mountain road before on a bike. So I get there and none but one of his buddies show up, and hes a complete noob but the three of us regulars are there and thats all we need! Dan, Craig, Dans Noob Friend (sorry can remember his name) on his R6, and myself go hunting for a Dragon!
    A click here a click there
    You have read the Robert Frost Poem "The Road Not Taken" a poem I seem to be living as of late. Deep into the twisty part of Greenhorn Highway 165 I found myself being pursued by Craig rather closely, and that has been rare of late as I have not been hunted so closely by him or Dan in the past year or so while on the vfr (dirt-bikes are another pokey story), but sure enough there he was, and soon he was going ahead on past me as I struggled with the bike, bouncy as all get out! I felt like I had lost my nerve on those long extended twists around Bigelow Divide and well getting passed while your going as fast as you feel you can go is always a bit of a let down! OH well I cant ride fast all the time.
    It was later at a gas stop I decided to soften up the suspension on the Ohlins a bit and see what that would do!! OMG I was back to my old self again in no time, the ride back up the mountain had me going much faster in and in far greater comfort than I was feeling before! A click off - and that has made all the difference! I was in third and found it no problem to keep up this time, and after passing some Labor day cage traffic it was a snap to speed up and charge a turn or two and be right back up there with the two of them! It was amazing the transformation!

    Bishops Castle Parking four bikes Labor Day ride

    Craig Buttons up his gear

    Bishops Castle In full glory - SEE THE DRAGON!!
    Mr Bishop was out and about, a smallish sort of dude with huge muscular arms and claws for hands, talking about his rights as usual and complaining about the state of Freedom in America - as usual. It seems to be a favorite topic in the San Isabel area since we ate at the restaurant at the lake and found all sorts of signs on the wall with the same sentiment. Mr Bishop has been building that castle alone since he was 18 years old, and now almost in his 70's he still labors every free moment he as building it, now he is building a dungeon walled tunnel all the way around the property which will connect with the buttresses of the castle. I reached out and shook the mans hand as he was explaining his plans for the tunnel - its not a moat he maintains! The dude has huge hands!

    Dan and Craig walk the plank
    Labor Day it was Crazy
    I had never seen so many people on that road, usually we are on it alone virtually with a car here and there along the 30 or so miles of Greenhorn road. Mostly the traffic is along 93 going to Westcliff near Hardscrabble mountain! I love that section of road near the Mountain its so rugged and twisty, but lots of gravel in the turns cause of all the dual wheeled pickup trucks running short and kicking up gravel. Pickups and SUV's are requirements of living in Westcliff I guess?
    Like I mentioned before we where having to make a lot of passes to ride our normal pace, the poor guy Dan brought along was overwhelmed with the road and just decided to poke along way behind the rest of us, we waited for him at key places - a nice kid who for the most part rode a very mature pace for a guy so young, although I attempted to ride sweep at a few points I guess it made him nervous, even though I kept my distance, he ran way wide on a tight section but did not go off road! I decided to go ahead on ahead and let him ride undisturbed. I did not think I was pushing him but sometimes you just have to feel a new guy out before you figure out whats the best way to ride with him. He seemed to be having an OK time, if not then he was going to jittery all night from the adrenalin shock we gave him! We all tried to give him words of encouragement and told him to ride his own pace Don't let get sucked in and ride faster than your ready to ride - which he did not - thank goodness, but the running wide incident got me worried for sure! So I let him go ahead and take up the rear with no pressure of me following him!

    San Isabel Lake Four riders

    Hardscrabble Mountain as seen from McKenzie Junction
    right before we stopped at the Junction and waited for the R6 I passed a Goldwing pretty fast on a downhill section doing about 90 or so, I knew it was either pass or get stuck behind him for all the good turns, so I gave him uber wide berth while passing and jammed it into the turn about 100 yards ahead of him, and low and behold waiting for the r6 we never saw the Goldwing at the bottom of the hill? Did the new guy make a pass on another bike? I guess so! I mean it took him an awful long time to catch up to us at the junction, I actually dug the camera out and took that picture of Hardscrabble Mountain and had it put away for a good 3 minutes before he rolled on down, still no goldwing? When I passed the guy he was doing at least 70 in the sweepers maybe he turned around for another go?
    Dan was riding like a banshee cause he was supposed to be home at 2pm, and the woman was waiting for their thing together! His buddy brought along a cell phone so he called and you could hear her yelling at him over the phone HEH life as a young sudo married couple! Dan decided to top speed the flat section near the Supermax prison. I saw him pass me, he was about 500 yards before he disappeared down the hill, when I got to the crest of the hill he was already a mile away! Damn!
    It was great to get my riding back into the comfort zone! I was hanging out with my pop for a while later and he asked me where we went riding, I told him Bishops Castle, he said "you have already been down there once this week on your dirt-bike" then he said "you do that ride at least 10 times a summer'? - some people will never understand!
  21. HispanicSlammer
    All dressed up and no bike to ride
    Yea you can say I went all crazy, as if Paris Hilton were to suddenly become a serious motorcycle sport tour rider! Scratch that I wont have no usless mexican rat dog yapping away with its head sticking out of the top box, I said serious sport tour rider! Yea I got my overtime sorted and worked some extra hours, and a generous tax refund resulted in some new gear for this year. I retired the old stich, sold it actually to a fellow rider I know from work, he needed gear - I had it - it fit him - cash was exchanged!

    All New Gear Transit suit, Sidi Boots, Held Gloves, Nolan Helmet
    So what does a serious sport touring rider want? I want a fricken leather suit! The textile stuff is nice, but man is it dorky! I want that mad max leather suit that just says "yea I live out here get out of the way"! Ok I have to back up a bit I still opted for a bit of dork - the Aerostich transit suit. It has the dorky visi strip on the back and legs, but its not drap olive and with goofy colors. Its black, traditional leathers black. My old roadcrafter was looking rather orange in the shoulders from taking a pounding from the sun, and a few bumps on the dirt bike, a backwards flip over on the piggy going up a steep ravine I ended up in the scrub weeds on my back and upside down with my leg stuck under the bike. Scared the crap out of my riding buddy cause it looked like the bike fell on me but good boots and the stich well... they are expensive for a reason, they work!
    I wanted the same functionality of the stich, I could live with a little less with regaurds to a two piece instead of a one piece but still I wanted it to be WATERPROOF. If anything experience says "your gonna get stuck in a fricken downpour" I know this! I have ridden in at least 12 of them, 200 miles of a 500 mile ride to the Black Canyon - downpour. Riding BR's brothers bike to Nashville from Robbinsville - downpour. Riding 1-40 in Oklahoma City - downpour. Yea I get rained on alot. This Transit suit is water resistant leather and its got a gore tex liner - its waterproof! All sorts of breaktroughs in leather technology this suit is micro perferated to release water vapor from the body and to cool off, impregnated with a reflective black die that reflects 15% more heat in the hot sun than standard leather (look at the top pic of me in the suit - it is reflecting the light of the flash). Big ass standard rear vent keeps you cool! No underarm zipper though, like the Roadcrafter? Oh well. Its got a front zipper too I suppose !
    Boots I have been using goretex waterproof touring boots for years now, I always wear out the shifter support leather, they pad it with foam and it tears through? Alpinestars waterproof touring boots. After reading about BR and Veefer800canuke breaking legs with boots perhaps I should get some real sport boots! I need waterproof cause - you know. Hey SIDI mades a waterproof sport boot! YEA got those
    Waterproof gloves, got some already - technic gloves but man are they stiff and the liner is too thick I have no feel and no flexlity. The answer Held warm and dry gloves - geez but the price! More overtime!
    top it off with a Nolan flipup (bought last year actually last season) and I am ready for a 2 week adventure out to the south for the Texasmac and beyond, hopfully the ozarks ride too.

    Vertigo Mega (wide sizes) Gore-Tex Boots

    Aerostich Transit suit

    Held Warmn'dry

    Held Warmn'dry

    New Nolan N103
    Oh and a stich silk scarf to keep my neck warm and unharmed by new leather. So how much did Paris spend? $2700 over the last 2 years on gear, recouped $500 for the stich, selling more gear too on ebay. OWCH. Addin a couple of coolmax shirts, patagonia wickable, wickable underwear, wool socks, and a Gerbing heated liner (also last year).
  22. HispanicSlammer
    Veefalo at Grand Tetons
    I have been planning to do this ride for as long as it has been posted in the major events forum. I had to work though till the last minute, a 12 hour shift 7pm to 7am. I got home and put my stuff away, and laid my head down on the bed for an hour and a half and woke up a little refreshed, enough to ride. I put on my leathers and headed toward Denver. Up hwy 105 at Monument and into Golden I rode my way over to Golden Gate Canyon. Dissapointed that the traffic was so thick I could not really get to the point where I could lean the bike over a bit in the twisties. As soon as I passed one car sombody would pull out and take its place. Geez it was like this all day. On the peak to peak highway I was even less successful, the traffic was murder. I pulled out ran down Left Hand Canyon - and ran into about 200 bicylist cranking petals up the 7% grade, steeper in some places. It took me a good 20 minutes to get to the road at the end I am sure its a good 2 hour ride and a great work out if your a cyclist. I had to negotiate around a few going down too in the twisties.
    At this point I was starting to feel tired so I just rode it at a slow easy pace. On the front range roads I made my way to Stove Prarie road and started to hit some of those sweet curves at the base of the road. As soon as I got the good stuff though more slow cars, oh well I waited and passed as soon as it was safe. Then I turned on the Cache La Poudre and made my way up Cameron Pass. At this point I was dead tired and was passing the slow cars one by one. Miles and miles of cars on this road, weekends on the Cache La Poudre - it gets strangled up with cars.
    I remembered a sneeky turn from years ago that caught me out and I went wide on, it has some long straits then easy sweepers at first then whammo a tight right and your all of a sudden going wide. I remembered where it was and took it easy. I am glad I did cause there were pot holes right at the apex that could really mess you up if you are leaned over.
    I was so tired at this point even a Harley Davidson was outrunning me on the way down the pass. I just stopped and pulled over to take pictures

    Cameron Pass on the way to Waldon Colorado

    Cameron Pass
    I could not find a place to stay at first cause the place I stopped in was full of HD riders comming back from Sturgis, so the lady at the motel told me to go down the road to another place and lucky they had a room. It was cheap too $55 at the round up motel. Its a bit of a dump but the price was right. Cheap on the motel so I walked over to the Antlers Inn and splurged on the Prime Rib, man it was good. Nice place too.

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    In the morning I walked over to the Moose Creek Cafe and had breakfast at 6am cause I went to sleep at 6pm the night before, I must have slept 10 hours. Wow one waitress handled 20 people and did it well, I made sure to give her a good tip cause she was excellent. I was surprised to see a bunch of pellets stuck to my bike, then I remembered near Fort Collins I ran through a road that had oiled down the dirt for a few hundred feet, geez a little strech of road and it left pellets all over. SO I tried to wash it off but no quarters for the car wash and no change machine? OK well then on the road then. More to come later
    Ballons in Waldon 7am - 45 degrees out - still cool air perfect balloon weather

    Sheep Mountain Waldon Colorad
  23. HispanicSlammer
    The Old Spiral Highway at Lewiston Idaho on the WA/ID border
    The PNW 2010 was a great event, I really liked the venue, others did not as much. Two days $158 for the historic hotel wasnt so bad, no TV no Airconditioning was the only draw back but to be able to walk downstairs and get a growler of Ruby Ale was really a huge plus. I got very used to the Edgefield Inn Brew in a hurry! Dinners were good, the company was great, and the bed was so comfy I did not toss or turn at all just out like a lightbulb. Maddog and I pulled into the parking lot and there were already vfr's in the parking lot.

    Sparrow The first vfr I saw at the pnw 2010 meet

    McMenamins Edgefield Inn
    We had our fly by hosted by Didit and Choco gave us some route suggestions, I had not planned to ride on Saturday but TimandCass talked me into it and I said give me an hour to shower and get my gear on - (OK DIDIT hour and a half) and we were off. I had no idea I was holding up 10 people? Sorry about that guys I thought it was just gonna be a few of us! So Tim took us into the great Columbia River Gorge and it was awsome, never been there and never seen how spectacular it is before. America just keeps it commin! No shortage of wonderful motorcycling in the place!

    Veefer800Canuke Claims His Piece Of The Veefalo the front valve cap

    Pacific North West Meet 2010 Columbia River Gorge on the historic scenic Hwy 30

    CassandTim takes us down Historic Hwy 30 Scenes from the Vista house of the Columbia River Gorge

    Vista House On Historic Hwy 30

    Multnomah Falls On the East Crown Point Highway

    Rest Stop at Multnomah falls

    The Porsche Museum in Mosier
    It was here we stopped in Mosier to visit the Ice cream shop and Porsche Museum - a cool little roadside joint that is a tourist delight, great way to spend the day, then off to the famous Rowena Curves for some twisties. Tim gives us a few pointer about where its dangerous, and shares a story about a local rider who for some reason got into a scrape with a bycylist who thought that petals own the road and not motorcycles? The way I understood it the bicyclist pushed the motorcyclist off his bike while riding, for me it sounded like the motorcyclist was riding aggresivley and tried to pass the guy in a turn? I dont know about you but in a turn is no place to pass on the street especially a tight gravel strewn one such as the ones in Rowena so who is right who is wrong? Beats me I wasnt there and its all hear say so - anyway I was freaked about gravel in the turns so I just played it safe on the way down and took it slow, then rode it up a bit faster. I took a video of it below if you care to watch in HD or non hd (click the hd button to turn it off)

    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/rowena.mp4

    The Fameous Rowena Curves hwy 30 from Moiser to Rowena

    The vista at Mayer State Park just next to the Rowena Curves

    VFR's we all assaulted the Rowena Curves one by one
    I was definitly feeling the lag of riding 3 x 400 miles days so soon after working a 12 hour night shift. So After riding the Rowena Curves I told everybody I was heading back on the interstate to the hotel - I had noticed that the Gorge had formed a funnel effect on the wind and it was getting very very windy along the highway. One good thing about being socked in with overcast clouds, at least the wind is not so bad then? So I said goodby and headed west on the interstate. Wow pretty scenery along the interstate even but boy interstate riding sucks! I had no idea I was so far out at this point thinking it would be a half an hour or so to get back - wrong I was a good 70 miles in at this point and I had to just sit there and grind out he windy windy miles! Some jackass in a rice burner with a coffie can for an exaust blasted past me and shoved his car past me with maybe a foot of room to spare? Then he sat there in front of me at 55mph? So of course I backed off and got into the slow lane but rv afer rv after semi trailer forced me back behind him till I found some daylight and took off at 70mph - the posted speed limit! Rice burner did not like that and got like 3 feet behind me for about 2 miles till I had enough of that too. Then I thought I would see what a 1200 vfr could do on the interstate when you roll on the trottle. lets just say rice burner became very small in the mirrors till I ran up behind a semi, then I worked in between and around them and the mirror got very small again. Turn off in Troutdale and waited for like 10 mintues for a flunky to come pour my gas? Jebus I hate that stupid Oregon Gas bullshit! What a stupid law!
    I was getting hungry and I needed cash so I pulled into the safeway atm and saw a chinese resturant - its been months since I had chinese so I grabed some take out and put it in the top back and went back to the hotel for some lunch and an afternoon nap. Yes General Tao and Ruby Ale go together very well! Lights out and well I did not wake up till the vfrd get together was over. Darn it! I was really tired!
    I asked my friends Radar and Did it what was on the menu for the way home and it sounded very good so I attached a line to the back of Didit and hauled along with the Canadians into Idaho for two more days of great riding. We rode some interstate again and then turned off on the only bridge for miles across the Columbia, and into Washington. We took some remote back roads into Bickleton where they say is the oldest Saloon in Washington? Is it Washington or Oregon I have no idea I was just following along and enjoying the hell out of myself.

    The Oldest Saloon In Oregon

    Full Size
    Then we had to slow it down cause some of us were running on fumes all they way along the north side of the Columbia into Payson were we found an unattended gas station - no frills to say the least, but it had real gas! No Flunky to pump it either for you leaving you standing there for 5 minutes waiting to get served. It was the complete opposite of Oregon so yea I guess Bikleton is in Washington! I remember seeing Jeff and Axle 7 wizz past the rest of us on the sweepers of hwy 142 up the pass and seeing those two 2 up was like watching art in motion they looked so smooth together. I had witnessed this once before a couple on the Cherehola skyway holding off Baileyrock at the orginal fall meet - that was on a Kawaski with a liter engine so I must say to ride that that together on an 800 with a bad shock well its some darned good riding! HEH I am not that fast - I am not sorry about it either good stuff Derric and Tammy look great on that "Tamgerine" color vfr!

    The only gas for 50 miles an unattended gas stop in Paterson WA
    Lunch in Umatilla at a mexican roadside resturant was awsome, wasnt expecting good mexican food so far north, it was like back home in the southwest - a tex mex type resturant for sure. Lots of food and almost too much, well it was too much actually. They treated us good. Then off into the amber waves of grain of Eastern Oregon again, on some more back roads.

    The Moon over Enterprise Oregon

    Enterprise OR
    It was an awsome day of riding and the next day was even better - we found a great road up to Lewston that opened up into a huge canyon and well it was a little hairy comming into it cause it looked like gravel all over the road in the trees but as soon as we rounded the turns into that canyon it got very very good.

    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/lewiston.mp4
    The day had only been an hour into it and we had already found some good stuff! A bit of slab from here into Lewsiston to ride the Old Spiral Hwy - a motorcycle destination mecca itself. I took more video there

    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/spiralhwy.mp4
    The Old Spiral Highway

    The Canadian Crew and Me at the lookout on the Old Sprial Highway

    Axle7 Solo's the Spiral Highway
    Then we found some more great roads to go up after that, a great sweeper road just would appear out of nowhere and challenge you for a half an hour or so then scenery then into Coeure D'Alene we found a tight tight twisty road hwy 97 that hugged along the lake for 20 miles, it was deals gap tight and it plumb wore me out! I was done and rolled off a bit and let Jeff and Didit go on ahead - And I just slowed down and looked at the pretty houses and boats along the lake. 30 mph turn followed by 20 mph turn followed by 15mph turn all at 60mph just wore me out after 11 miles or so. Big bike I got here takes some muscle to do that stuff for 20 miles on mile 300 for the day. I just needed a rest so I took it. I always ride my own ride anyway so I dont much care if you pass or get on ahead, some days I am the guy who gets away some times I am the slow poke, sometimes in the same day its just sport touring with friends - tis all good!

    Tammy shows of her Muscles hamming it up
    They all had resevations at the motel already and it was all booked up so I had to go get a place a few blocks away and we walked to the resturant - blue moon brewery and it was good, spicy too and I was smitten with the waitress she was captivating to me! Oh well Apricot ale was good and the company was awsome, Tammy was cracking me up the whole night she was really allot of fun! No she is not shy! HEH Good times good riding I was having the best vacation I have had in a long time! The next day half of us would split off for Montana and the other half up North!

    Full Size
  24. HispanicSlammer
    Pikes Peak
    It is not very common in November to find so many warm days to go riding, matter of fact you take what you can get! Usually its sunny but the temperatures range in the 40-50 range with snow and ice on the sides of the roads and gravel in all the corners. Yes it has already snowed in Colorado - once here in Colorado Springs. However we are having an Indian Summer and the temperatures have been an unbelievable 70 degrees out. So what do you do? You go riding of course.
    Sunday I decided to do a tour of Colorados famous Gold Belt tour, a three road loop of all the old Gold camp roads to the Cripple Creek Victor area. I asked my Boss he was free for a ride and he agreed to come along. Me on my XR650 and him on his DR350. The man stands a full foot above me at 6'8" and hes the most jolly happy man I know. Seems nothing fazes the guy, he recently was promoted at work and is moving to the other night shift so I wont be seeing him at work any time soon. So off we went up Gold Camp road to Victor, down Phantom Canyon - he wanted to see where I spent the night looking for Bigfoot, ha ha It wasnt so spooky, matter of fact he looks more like Bigfoot than anything I saw that day. Then we had some Mexican food for lunch in Canon City and then headed up Shelf road - Nate said he had never been on Shelf road so we went up it.

    Me and my XR650 south face of Pikes Peak in the back ground

    Riding with my boss This is Nate
    After we ate lunch we were climbing the 20% grade on Shelf road when my headlights all of a sudden stopped working, I pulled off as the sun was going down to fix it but I couldnt get them to work. So when we got back on pavement Nate lead so I could see what was going on in the dark. We stopped at a gas station and bungied some cheap flashlights to the fenders as makeshift headlights and tailights. Going down UTE pass we passed a couple of cops and I thought for sure I was toast but I made it all the way home with no insidents. Nate is more of a comuter on his bike than a weekend explorer like me, he said he really had a great time and he was glad for the dirt riding practice. He went from really going slow to keeping excellent pace with me - I am no dirt demon at all so it not a stretch to keep pace with me. He followed me home and we laughed about all the cops we passed - I guess they just couldnt see me with no lights on. It was dark and the temperature had dropped to 45 but who cares I was all pumped up on adrenelin from the thrill of the adventure.
    Gold Belt Tour Map
    [map=AARTsJrQVOhsknZuKjJBw8cWX8vrPlSGcg]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=7467263987749735846,38.765810,-104.813840%3B277796909954106813,38.724770,-105.021520%3B5534676680459063252,38.560716,-105.223531%3B6347464844011596467,38.447680,-105.205290%3B14943544766476927283,38.613150,-105.134450&time=&date=&ttype=&saddr=Unknown+road+%4038.765810,+-104.813840&daddr=Gold+Camp+Rd+%4038.724770,+-105.021520+to:CR-9+%4038.560716,+-105.223531+to:Royal+Gorge+Blvd+%4038.447680,+-105.205290+to:CR-67%2FPhantom+Canyon+Rd+%4038.613150,+-105.134450+to:divide+co+to:Colorado+Springs,+El+Paso,+Colorado,+United+States&mra=pi&mrcr=2&via=1,2,4&sll=38.819381,-104.939346&sspn=0.239137,0.63858&ie=UTF8&cd=7&om=1&ll=38.733732,-105.010071&spn=1.206186,2.993774&t=p&z=9[/map]
    TWO DAYS LATER
    I couldnt beleive my luck yet another day of 70 degrees, where to this time - I wanted to ride the VFR this time, I hadent been on the viffer in over a month, lots of riding the XR but not the Viffer. Partly because my rear PPower was spanked all the way past the tread indicators. I had a slightly used rear in the shed, a take off from my trip to California this summer. It was just starting to show wear near the indicators and so I took it off before my trip to New Mexico and the Gila Monster, it was good enough to keep for just this sort of occassion. It was all worked over to the edge but it slipped on the wheel like a well worn glove.
    I pointed it south and twisted the throttle, let the wind take me where ever! I had my New Zumo mounted on it shake down test. I am impressed with this thing. I actually took it on the XR ride too but it shut down when the lights went off, I used battery power when it got really dark to see where the road was going.
    The zumo said I was doing a good 90 somthing somthing on the sweeper of the Green Horn Highway, I had somehow managed to make it to the Wet Mountains after slabbing it down hwy 115 - I decided to do a loop to Bishops Castle, over to Rye, back to Mckenzi Junciton and head over to Westcliff then wind my way to Texas Creek and up into Cripple Creek from High Park Road, then head home the same route I did with Nate. It is amazing how much more ground I cover on the VFR 250 miles compared to 130 with Nate in the same amount of time.

    Bishops Castle my vfr parked on the road

    Bishops Castle

    At the top of the lowest spire

    The Atrium weddings, raves, parties, you name it - its has happend here

    I climbed to that top spire lots of wobbly steps made of wrought iron

    A typical Jim Bishop creation not strong enough - slap another bar of iron on it.

    The Dragon from above

    Everybody says this is a moat but Mr Bishop says its a Dungeon
    I actually passed a Harley Davidson rider near Wetmore and made it to Bishops - climbed all over it and was heading back out when the HD rider pulled into Bishops. Behind him a guy on an Aprillia stopped too, it looked like a Falco at first but when I got closer it was clear to me it was a Mille. I was filthy with no lower fairings and about 6 months of bugs on it. The rider looked like he was just as filthy. Now my bike has been this filthy too, no passing judgement here, so I went up and introduced myself. He said his name was Larry and he was heading the same way to Rye for some lunch. He asked if I was interested in joining him - sure why not?
    He then said somthing I thought was funny "I will meet you at the turn off in Rye.. I know this road really well" - Rye is some 15 miles down the road! OK "why not ride together I thought"? Then I realized this guy meant he was gonna go so fast that I wasnt gonna be able to keep up! I thought OK? He did after all refer to my VFR as a sport tourer! So I got on the trusty viffer and Larry pulled out on the Mille.
    He took off like a bat out of hell doing 120mph! I reved it up and stayed in contact, he did after all have a liter bike. He was hauling, then some easy sweepers came up and I started to reel him in, and a few more staits but I was still in contact. Then the harder sweepers came up and all of a sudden I was right on him. He wasnt shaking me at all! I seemed to have surprised the guy cause he was checking me out in his mirrors. Yep I was right behind him - I KNOW THE ROAD TOO! 15 miles to Rye wasnt too long of a ride. We had some lunch and he told me about his 10 bikes he owns and how he never came across anybody who could keep up with him on the Green Horn Highway Like I did? I thought he must ride alone then? I know plenty of guys who ride that fast.
    He is one of them loners I guess who always pins the damn thing, all the time, pinned. All his bikes are for sale, all ten, he said he even has an 86 viffer for sale - salvage title 2 grand with some mis matched body work? OK lots of old bikes too.
    We headed back to Mckenzi Junction together for the 40 miles of the Green Horn Hwy on past Bishops Castle, a great road full of long sweepers and nice S shaped turns. I started out ahead of him but he passed me on the stait, and got a good 1/4 mile ahead of me. I reved it up to 117 or so to catch him and got a bit closer, but that Mille has more power. I wanted to stay close till I could catch him in the turns, sure enough the turns came up and I was on him like glue. He was unpredictable in the turns so I passed him on an easy turn and got way ahead for the next set of turns. I guess he wasnt used to sombody riding turns like that? He passed me again on the next strait and so I stayed close for the next set of turns and then he started to blowing turns, he blew one really hard - over the double yellow and the next one too going all the way into the oncoming lane - which got me rather alarmed. I realized I was riding too close so I rolled off and let him go on ahead for a good 10 bike lengths - he was a bit shaken I could tell - and I didnt want to see him go down. I was having a blast myself, and feeling really comfy - what a Day. I stopped and said goodby, and we parted ways I had another 100 miles of twistys to do! He was all tuckered out on his Mille - not me the Viffer was just getting warmed up!
    Back to the same spot for a picture - as I took with Nate two days before.

    Same place two days later southern face of Pikes Peak

    Pikes Peak
    Map of the Bishops Castle Loop
    [map=AARTsJpQxq7sU9PIvfNWKP8SNhXT-nhwYQ]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=7092982224853031565,38.789280,-104.822010%3B8627210910271840572,38.613330,-104.893570%3B17582621160096791106,38.164850,-105.189980%3B11175003633667319254,37.923200,-104.927270%3B10271801768667968077,38.135870,-105.459080%3B5119389560107096371,38.673200,-105.344980%3B10469175807363240318,38.764570,-105.203930%3B11197392464292667535,38.711030,-105.137110%3B2551081133983032187,38.725050,-105.122580&saddr=CO-115+N+%4038.789280,+-104.822010&daddr=CO-115+%4038.613330,+-104.893570+to:CO-96+%4038.164850,+-105.189980+to:CO-165+%4037.923200,+-104.927270+to:Main+St+%4038.135870,+-105.459080+to:CR-11+%4038.673200,+-105.344980+to:Cripple+Creek-Florissant+Rd+%4038.764570,+-105.203930+to:CO-67%2FDiamond+Ave+%4038.711030,+-105.137110+to:CR-81+%4038.725050,+-105.122580+to:Woodland+park+to:38.794768,-104.823303&mra=dme&mrcr=2&mrsp=10&sz=10&via=1,2,4,5,6,7,8&sll=38.629745,-104.971619&sspn=0.603987,1.496887&ie=UTF8&ll=38.582526,-105.227051&spn=2.417421,5.987549&t=p&z=8[/map]
    I love Colorado - days like these are what I live for.
  25. 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
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