To: [email protected]
Subject: #fridayrides
From: Alan Fleming
Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2012 10:37:12 -0600 (MDT)

I've finally landed a new job, so since I no longer have to focus on the job search I decided to shake some dust off the bike last weekend. Thursday at lunch, I jumped on the bike and bee-lined it down to southern Colorado with the goal of doing some great riding on Friday.

Friday morning, I was up early (yeah, I know...I was surprised too) and headed out of Del Norte by 7:15am. Due west to South Fork to the headwaters of the Rio Grande River, north to Creede (where they are finishing up filming of Disney's Lone Ranger).

Then the fun began...over Silver Creek and Slumgullion passes, with a side trip down a dirt road to see North Clear Creek Falls. Through Lake City and north up CO-149 along sweeping curves of the Gunnison River (Whoo hoo!).

I got to Gunnison to early for lunch, so I headed south east up North Pass...probably the best riding I've done in years. 30 miles of incredible curves with very little traffic. Luckily, then I had to turn around at the top and do it all over again on the return to Gunnison. By the time I re-reached US-50, I was mentally fried and ready to stop for lunch. Mexican at the Blue Iguana in Gunnison.

Back on the bike and west sweeping along Blue Mesa Reservoir. Another of Colorado's best roads, CO-92, north along the north rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Perfect riding with almost no traffic, great scenery and sweet roads!

Coming down out of the mountains meant riding into the afternoon heat. The turn north onto CO-133, through Paonia and steadily gaining altitude until topping out on stunning McClure Pass. Down to Carbondale and back into the heat.

East droning past Snowmass and through jam-packed Aspen. Heavy traffic climbing the west side of Independence Pass made for frustrating riding but finally broke free of the slow pokes at the top and had a fantastic ride down the east side to Twin Lakes.

North on US-24 to Leadville and then northwest over Tennessee Pass to Minturn. Hooked a left onto I-70, through Glenwood Canyon and ended the day at a hotel in Glenwood Springs.

Total: 581 miles and 11 hours of riding straight through the heart of Colorado's mountains, including climbing 6 passes.

Why I am mentioning this on Wetleather? Just because I wanted to gloat and figured at least a few of my friends here would be properly envious. (Don't worry, I'll soon be spending my week days chained to a keyboard again, so my carefree, unemployeed fun run was short lived.)

-- 
Think Peace.
- Alan ([email protected])                     http://www.dorje.com/~alanf
KotBBBB (1988 GSXR1100J)         DOD# 4210             PGP key available