VFR Discussion Group -> Bishops Castle High Park Road

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Video

This yet another ST.N/VFRd production with an added twist, Jason from Colorado Springs Sport-rides mailing list joined us today as well. �I have ridden with the ST.N group 3 times now and so far the company has been great, the rides spirited, and roads awesome!

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Full Sized Map Here �Streets & Trips File

The route took us on 50 miles of slab to Florence, the 15 miles of fast slab into the San Isabel national Forest, McKenzie Junction, shoot to Bishops Castle, back to McKenzie, then over to Westcliff for lunch, down Texas Creek, along the Arkansas hwy 50 turn on 9 north, High Park Road, Florissant turn off, Woodland Park and back to Colorado Springs �a 215 mile loop.

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Willy G from the sport-rides mail group came by the Western Omelet for Breakfast with us riding a 73 Ducati 750

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Everybody all lined up at the Western Omelet Willy G - left Chad-right

HispanicSlammer (miguel) vfr800 Red
archangel (Chad) CBR XX Black w/Blue Flame pipes
Sfarson (Steve) CBR XX Black w/Corbin smuggler
Tabasco (Terry) BMW RT1200 Light Blue
Jason (sport-rides) FZ1 Silver
Chorning (Chris) CBR XX Silver

Jason and Willy G came early and had breakfast with me, Willy did not have time for the ride but came to the breakfast for an excuse to ride his Duc. �Its been in a million pieces and now its finally back together. �Jason was hoping we could skip hwy 115 and do without the slab but Steve had to be home by 6pm. �So we slab rode to Florence, gassed up and hit the road to Wetmore, at 90+ no cops there!! �The gap opens up from the plains into the San Isabel Forest and goes up a pass to McKenzie Junction, I was leading rather quickly through the 3 tight switchbacks, the road is not always so great but this morning it was good.

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San Isabel Forest from Wetmore Gap

The ride to Bishops was great as always, Jason took the lead this time and I had a bit of trouble keeping up with him in the straits, that FZ1 has a bit more power than my Viffer. �The other guys were loafing behind, its a difficult first ride through there but exhilarating to say the least. �The road is wide, clean, hardly any traffic and there are 180 degree turns, one large S curve that will grind your pegs off it you let it.

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Jason pointed at the metal model of the castle sitting out front and said there it is - a joke he pulls on new folks since you can see the castle unless you look up.

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Bishops Cathedral

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Jason and Chad popping out of the Dungeon

We jumped back on the bikes and headed down the road back to McKenzie Junction, this time Steve and Terry close behind even at the tight ones over Bigelow Divide, they knew what to expect this time.

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Terry Suiting up in Westcliff

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Jason in his stitch and checkerboard helmet

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Chris, Steve and Chad across the street you can see the Sangre De Christo mountains behind them

We had lunch in Westcliff at Karen's Gourmet coffee, good food but the service is spastic, 6 of us walk in it was like the owner was going to have a meltdown right in front of us, good thing my Chicago dog was good!! �

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Jason leading, Terry, and Steve out front. �Myself, Chris and Chad in tow


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It looked like it was going to rain

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Cow Pastures along the highway

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Getting ready to descend into Texas Creek about 1000 feet drop

Jason was calling the road to Texas Creek TCIR or Texas Creek International Raceway cause the local sport-bike set likes to ride pretty fast though it. �I started up a conversation with Terry about where he lives, he said he lived near Pine Junction. �A year before my friend Craig and I were riding down the pass from Pine Junction to Pine, its about 5 miles of fairly tight downhill riding 50 mph posted 35 in the corners, �we take it at 60 -70 anyway this guy on a Beemer goes sailing by me with no helmet and a tee shirt, I was surprised, at about 80 mph - It was Terry!! I had to laugh at that, he lives at the bottom and remembered us and passing me with no helmet on.

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Turn right on hwy 50

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Steve leaning that XX over a bit

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This road is fast if the traffic is lite, the rocky canyon goes for about 30 miles along the Arkansas River

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I got a lucky shot of a rafting group in the Arkansas

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We turned off on hwy 9 towards Hartsel on the way to High park road, its also fast and rather strait

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Keeping pace with the group up hwy 9

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Turned off at High Park Road

Hyde Park is cool road with up and down roller coaster like hills, lots of crazy blind turns at the tops of these hills and round blind turns around hillsides, there are about 10 cattle guards to watch for. �Its a fun ride and you can see the backside of Pikes Peak.

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Heading down a hill on Hyde Park with Pikes Peak in the background

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Chris and Chad got stuck behind a few cars so we were separated for most of the ride on High Park

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We waited for the group at the High Park turnoff, then headed up to Florrisant Fossil Beds turnoff to go to Woodland park


Video: 5 minutes run time 23mb windows streaming media
:media:
Bishops Castle & Hyde Park Road

finished it - I kept hitting the enter key and it posted half done??  :shake:

Great pics and video! It has been a crazy summer for me with plenty of visitors and work trips. Both of which have been killing my opportunities for day rides.

Anyway..I enjoyed the write-up.

maybe next time Bill, we are getting quite a little group goin here.  You, Mitch - if he ever gets better, Dan, Craig, Matt, Jason, Steve, Chad, Chris, Larry, Brandon, now Terry.  So far the rides have been great, I might post somthing next week maybe not.

Senor Slam, these CO ride reports with the pics and videos are just superb.  I love them.  I don't know where or when we're going to retire, and I just love So CO and the Four Corners country, and these ride reports make me yearn for that area so strongly.

HS: How do you like Pueblo, CO?  Seems like it might be a good town to live in for retirement.

I worked in Pueblo for a year, I found the people to be genuinly friendly, with a great work ethic. Better than here anyway. Pueblo has a reputation from its steel town days people called it "Pew Town" from the smoke stacks. Its got high unemployment though and it seems like there is either a bar a liquer store on every block mostly the south side.  There are some very pretty houses in the older part of town.   It has a large hispanic population too, I like Buela which is only about 15 miles west of Pueblo so you are close to Pueblo without Pueblo itself.  Beula is pretty.

Plus there is a race track right there on Pueblo Blvd for all the track days you want $45 a half day 2.5 mile road track.

Great work Miguel!  By the way, what was the temp. there?  Lately we've been bumping up against 90 here in southern MO.

70 while it was raining and around 80 in the sunshine.  Nice day, it hardly ever gets over 100 around here, when it does though time to head for the high country.

Quote (USMCDad @ June 13 2004)

Senor Slam, these CO ride reports with the pics and videos are just superb.

Man, you got that right. The thing that I miss most (next to riding) in the winter is Miguel's ride reports and pictures.

Miguel, I'm free this Saturday (as long as I'm home by 5 pm) if you want to hook up for a ride.  With the R1200GS, I can ride looong distances in comfort.  Larry