VFR Discussion Group -> Six pass loop colorado

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New Video Added

Solo riding up 6 mountain passes over 9000 feet.

Panorama

I was supposed to take a ride with Craig today, I called him but no answer, left a message and waited a half hour. �So it was just me today. �Its been a long time since I have gone any significant distance alone, usually I get bored and just do an old familiar ride, but not today.

When I woke up I had a brand spanking new shed to paint, the job only took me an hour and well thats a lot less time than I had expected, and just in time too. �The sun was shining but not for long, low hanging clouds rolled in and smothered the sun in no time, I was was worried my fresh paint was going to get washed off in a downpour.

Strange weather indeed, The clouds were hanging in three separate levels, low hanging clouds hugged the foothills while higher clouds blocked out the sun, the temperature was ranging from 50-70 degrees all day long.

I started up UTE pass near Manitou springs about noon, they where doing some paving and shoring up some rock outcroppings to make the road safer, so they closed one side and moved all the traffic to the other side one lane each. Woodland Park was coved in a fog and was a bit cold, I almost turned around but I could see it breaking northward, thats where I was headed. Hwy 67 is a pretty brisk road, I know it well, it takes you past Deckers, into the Platte river valley then up the second pass Stony Pass - well all call it Horsepower Hill, cause its a 5 mile pass with 2 lanes going up one coming down - you can really test out your top speed there. �Its a strange road 3 lanes in the middle of nowhere with only 2 lanes on either end? �I guess they thought the steep long pass needed a five mile passing lane?

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My map full size   Streets & Trips File

Hwy 67 actually turns north at Deckers and you really follow a few different roads, its a series of fast sweepers, then tight mountain shoulders, Horspower Hill, more fast sweepers, a long strait, then a decent into Pine valley, Pine is a beautiful place with horses ranging right next to Buffalo Creek, you can really get swept up with its pristine pastures and lose track of the road. �Most sport bikers consider it a race track though and so now its become a target for the Sheriff and State Patrol its got some great twisties~ after your out of the village of Pine you head up yet another pass to Pine Creek Junction, this section is a mix of sweepers and blind tight stuff, its great to lean it over on this section, I was feeling pretty good leaning it over there.

I took a short detour on hwy 285 to Conniffer, then from there its five minutes to Evergreen. �I like to skip Evergreen and head up a road called Upper Bear Creek Road, you turn west at the lake in Evergreen, its a pretty road with lots of big houses and pretty plots, I guess thats where the money is in Evergreen cause its full of expensive homes. Seems every house is 6 or 7 acres and is bounded by fence posts.

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Upper Bear Creek Road

I took some video of this road unfortunately I was being followed by John Law so the speed was WAY too slow, It 25mph posted but I was going about 35 mph and the cop wasn't making anything of it, so I just kept it there

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The endless fences of Upper Bear Creek

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There is something interesting in seeing mowed grass in a mountain landscape

I turned off at Witter Gulch road and rode up to Squaw Pass from the short cut, its a nice road but at the top its unpaved for about 2 miles. �I like to take this short cut cause I don't have to ride through the urban sprawl of north Evergreen and I don't have to ride the bumpy pot holed part of Squaw Pass maintained by the county. Squaw pass takes you to Mt Evans so the road gets better where the Park service maintains it, �Mt Evans is the highest paved road in the US. �I didn't go to the top its not open yet one more week or so.

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Sqaw Pass short cut


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Taken at a turnoff

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The Sawtooth in the distance

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Looking west you can see the Guenalla Pass range

I took some video of this turnoff, you could see the low hanging clouds I was talking about, it was moving fast and it was chilly �about 50 degrees up here 9,000 feet elevation. �The pass was actually pretty clean at the top.

I took some more video here.

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Heading down Squaw Pass the best twisties yet to come

There are some really great turns on the west section of Squaw Pass, you can scrape pegs but it was cold and I wasn't too confident in cold tires. You end up in Idaho springs at the bottom, �then a short hop up I-70 to Loveland Pass.

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Loveland pass about 11,000 feet up.

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Larger shot of the featured picture looking north

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Northwest at the top of Loveland pass

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Here you can see I-70 and the turn off to Loveland pass, just left of this picture is the Eisenhower Tunnel not in view

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This is from Squaw Pass but its the same mountains on Loveland

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The bottom of Loveland takes you into Dillion Lake and the Keystone Ski Area, then turn left into Breckenridge, I just rode through and up Hoosier pass, it was packed full of out of state cages, I was passing them 4 at a time. �Not much fun cause as soon as I passed a group I was behind another. �SLOW SLOW SLOW �I managed to get by them all though but not until I had come to the top, what a waste of good twisty switchbacks. �It was about 300 miles round trip 6 passes actually 8 since I did Ute twice and Hwy 67 is two passes in one.

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Video 9 minutes run time windows streaming media
:media:
SixPass Loop 39 mb Windows Media

The video starts out slow and gets rocking as it moves along. �At the beginning I was riding in front of a Cop and was just crusing along untill I noticed him behind me, I was speeding in a 25mph zone but he never did anything about it so I just stayed at that speed. �Some dude was jogging alongside the road with a scarf on and a funny beret, dont go thinking this is the Bravo channel. �It was strange EVERYBODY was waving at me as I rode throughout the day, Cops, guys in trucks, bicyclist, cars, motorcycles, and even folks walking on the side of the road.

When I gassed up in Breakenridge some guy on a Yammie Road Star walked up to me and said "mmmm goooorgle llosssssssst" � I took out my earplugs and he removed his helmet and told me again. �"I lost my damn heated vest" �I said "oh yea sorry" � he tells me he is from Fort Worth and was out enjoying Colorado, He was headed to Rocky Mountain National Park. �Apperantly his vest came out of his saddle pack in the wind because it wasnt buckled down. �He wanted to know if I was headed the way he came. �I told him I would keep an eye out, he gave me his card if I was to find it. �I did look for it but never came across it.

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I guess they thought the steep long pass needed a five mile passing lane?

Slow trucks maybe? Rolling roadblock RVs? �:D

The one time I visited Colorado was soooo long ago.
I gotta go back one of these times. On the bike for sure.
Those Rockie Mountains have some of the biggest tatas in the country. �:goof: �Awesome. :bow:

Great pics....I wanta ride Colorado! :wheel: May be later this summer! :beer:

Every time I read one of your posts Slammer of your last ride I'm convinced the state of Colorado was made for motorcyclist.  Smooth not heavily traveled roads framed by beautiful scenery...that's stuff that I can only dream of and you ride them every day.  Talk about jealousy!

Ahh, such beautiful pictures.  I am so envious of these long rides you take through Colorado.  We have some equally beautiful country here in Idaho too, but my stock seat makes my arse hurt.  :p   But, Sargent seat should be here in a few more weeks.  :D

There is also a flip side to the equation, the roads are not always so good, frost heaved from the constant heat and cold, and wet from always being rained on.  High mountain passes need to be paved almost every year, and are difficult to maintain.  Most of the roads are either chip sealed with rock and tar or they are sealed with tar snakes, both of these methods make motorcycling a hazard.  The best roads are completly repaved with new asphalt, but that is not the main method of road maintence here but when they do its a real treat.

Then there is the traffic, I-70 always gets jammed from Georgetown to Idaho springs 30 miles of mountain car jam?  Riding through Estes Park in summer is like a parking lot.  The best times to ride are weekdays with good weather, Colorado can snow in July, rain on you with no apperant cloud in site, or be so darn hot your choked with sweat.  Its possible to ride in 100 degree weather and half an hour later be so cold your rummaging for another layerd jacket.  It is freaky.  Riding through Rocky Mountain National Park is always good for a shower, somtimes I get hail. Like the time Kevin joined us from Florida, Hail Hail Hail, and that was the ONLY time it hailed up there.  I usually get rained on when riding up Monarch Pass as well.

I edited the video and posted it on the top message.

Slammer,
Outsanding video. � :beer: I sure wish Oklahoma had roads like that. �I really liked the Loveland Pass segment. �What speeds were you running? �Hard to tell from the vids.

I usually keep it around 80mph,  At the top of Squaw I was doing around 100mph in the straits, coming down the thing was 70mph.   Loveland was about 70mph.

Love the video, but the music is so loud I can barely hear your bike... :laugh:

Looks like a great ride Miguel. I hope I can join you on the next one. I'm riding out to Bishop,CA at the end of June. If anybody wants to join me for a leg or two of the trip please let me know.

Bishop I rode through there once, after going thru Yosemite. �It was my first trip to Laguna Seca. �Interesting Pass from Nevada on 168 I think. �It is like a roller coaster.

Next ride here to Maroon Bells

Can I re-edit using some Linkin Park, Metallica or Limp Biskit instead ? Too much 'Mister Rogers Neighborhood' for me.... :beer:

Ahh the inevitable "needs harder music" comment, ya I seen plenty of those vids, usually involves a stoppie some throbbing electric razor like sounds and some guy getting tossed or crashing.  Not for me I am 39, I listen to Miles, PMG, and some other stuff you probably dont like.  Limp Biskit werent those the guys who started a bon fire riot at Woodstock revisited, yup I'm all about that?  Whats so funny about peace love and understanding?  Here is my suggestion to the rest of the group who dont like the music - if dont like it, dont watch it nobody would mind.  

I do like me some White Stripes though and the late great SRV!  I almost put it too "Ball and Biscuit" but the track wasnt long enough - notice the correct spelling, this group speaks *English*.  Linkin Park - nope they can't spell. Do you think they can carry a 9 minute track, before it just got too tiresome?  Maybe Rage Against The Machine but they sold out when they started pimping the "Matrix" Ya cant be an anti establishment band and then turn around and make hollywood soundtracks.  Hell how about some old school LL Cool J I love that guy, what dont like rap?  Mr Rogers RIP!

Quote (HispanicSlammer @ May 19 2004)

1. Ahh, the inevitable "needs harder music" comment, ya I seen plenty of those vids, usually involves a stoppie some throbbing electric razor like sounds and some guy getting tossed or crashing. �Not for me I am 39, I listen to Miles, PMG, and some other stuff you probably dont like. � 2. Limp Biskit - weren't those the guys who started a bon fire riot at Woodstock revisited ? 3. Notice the correct spelling, this group speaks *English*. �Linkin Park - nope they can't spell. Do you think they can carry a 9 minute track, before it just got too tiresome? � 4. Ya can't be an anti-establishment band and then turn around and make hollywood soundtracks. � 5. Mr Rogers RIP!

1. Well, I also like Chick Corea and Dizzy Gillespie. Oscar Peterson and George Winston ( I think he's hiding out in Colorado somewhere...) are also cool. But I'm 38 and also think bands like the Foo Fighters kick butt. 'What a Wonderful World' by Louis Armstrong - wouldn't that make a cool soundtrack ?

2. Actually, the 'fans' started it...

3. 'Linkin Park' is a word play on Lincoln Park in San Fran, where the band comes from. 9 minutes of rap/metal fusion might get a little much. Then again....if you're in the mood.

4. Do rebels need to be poor to be credible ?

5. Freddy was a good man. Personally, I was an Ernie Coombs fan.

It's a cool video no matter what the tunes are - I just wanted to hear that V4 music, too.

Very cool video Miguel. �:beer:

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Can I re-edit using some Linkin Park, Metallica or Limp Biskit instead ? Too much 'Mister Rogers Neighborhood' for me....

I thought the Metheny jazz suited the video well.
A reasonably mellow ride, not a hyper Metallica ride. �:bow:

That said I like Metallica, and tunes that get up and kick ass. More to the "Classic Rock" range though. Zep, Who, Zappa, BOC, and so on. The stuff I grew up with. �:bow:

And Safe-T, can you say "Don't rag on Mr Rogers?"
Sure, I knew you could. �:goof:

Great video, great music, great scenery, great roads.

Wish I could join you but alas tooooooooo far away.

Wayne

Quote (VFR_NZ @ May 20 2004)

Great video, great music, great scenery, great roads. Wish I could join you but alas tooooooooo far away. Wayne

Shoot you live under the pyre of Gondor, or Peter Jackson's version of it anyway!  Must be some great riding there!

Miguel

You are right about the roads down here, you don't have to go far to find the twisties :D
The major highways are being streightened out but the secondary roads are still good. But there you have to worry about cars etc on your side of the road (roads being relatively narrow), wandering stock and poor surface.

But it is still fund and can be very spectular, especially in the South Island. I'm in the North Island.

Safe riding

Wayne

hey slammer!
great video, great music - MR metheny is always a good viffer rifding companion :beer: