I got back home this past Monday from a quick 4 day jaunt into New Mexico and Colorado. I had initially planned on going with a couple of other local riders but they flaked out at the last minute. Since I already had my time off scheduled and motel reservations I decided to go anyway. Other than a track day at SMRI, I hadn't had a chance to ride any real curves since Memorial Day weekend. Besides, I needed a break from the heat. Just glad I don't live in Dallas anymore.
Left Amarillo after work Thursday and pulled into Taos around 2130. Friday's route would take me from Taos to Lake City via Chama, Pagosa Springs & Creede. 149 from Creede to Blue Mesa Reservoir is one of my all time favorite roads. Very little traffic, beautiful scenery and when the pavement is good you can get some serious lean on. Here's North Spring Creek Falls, a favorite stopping point.
Nirvana or what
A little further up the road after crossing Slumgullion Pass just before getting into Lake City is the Slumgullion earthflow. About 800 years ago roughly a third of the mountain came sliding down.
Looking north towards Lake City
After spending the night in Lake City, Saturday would be my longest day. Continue up 149 to Blue Mesa Reservoir, cross the dam and take 92 up to Hotchkiss.
Then 133 to Carbondale across McClure Pass.
McClure Pass is unspectacular but 133 from Somerset to Redstone is a blast. Stopped in Glenwood Springs for gas and headed west on I70. Got lucky and picked up a tow from a guy with a radar detector in a Nissan Armada. Doing a ton+ to Hwy 65 helped pass the distance quickly. Hwy 65 from I70 to Cedaredge is a GREAT road and the curves start immediately after exiting the interstate. With very little traffic and good pavement you can really rip on this road. It crosses over the top of Grand Mesa and gives you an excellent view of the Colorado River valley.
Stopped in Orchard City and ate a couple of peaches. I think their peaches are way better than any Texas peaches I've eaten. From there it's pretty much a straight shot down to Ouray via Delta and Montrose. Spent Saturday night in Ouray. I've been visiting Ouray regularly since 1970 when I was 12 years old. It's changed a lot in the past 40 years.
Sunday morning and time to head back to Taos. If you get up early enough you can beat the campers and have 550 to yourself.
Breakfast........yummmmmm
A quick ride around Silverton brings me to the same old trucks I've been photographing for 30 years.
Continue down to Molass Pass and stop at the overlook. When I pulled into the overlook parking lot there were 4 guys riding Harleys standing around and talking. After I pulled up beside them and took my helmet off I asked them if they were from Beaumont Texas. One of them asked me how I knew they were from Beaumont. I said "your license plate frame says Harley Davison of Beaumont". I was born and raised in Beaumont but moved away after high school. Turns out 3 of them graduated from the same high school I did. One three years ahead of me and two one year behind me. We didn't know each other but knew a lot of the same people. We shot the shit for a while then they finally left. Talk about a small world.
Continue down thru Durango then over to Pagosa Springs and stop for gas in Chama. The clouds were beginning to roll in and it looked like rain. Sure enough, crossing the mountains between Tierra Amarilla and Tres Piedras on 64, it starts.
Fortunately it isn't heavy. I love the smell of mountain rain. By the time I got to Tres Piedras it had stopped so I stopped at an old abandoned gas station at the corner of 64 & 285 and take my rain pants off. While I was stopped a guy on a Concours came in from the Taos direction. He stopped to put on his rain gear and we chatted for a while. He was from Vancouver and was on his way back. He'd been to New Brunswick and was taking his time getting back to Vancouver.
Got into Taos safe and sound. Checked in then went down to Eske's Brewpub. They make some mighty fine beer there. Unfortunately they were out of their porter so I had to choose between their hefeweizen and green chili ale. I chose the green chili.
When I'd pulled into the parking lot at the motel there was a bike a couple of doors down that had a cover on it but a very distinctive shape. I thought it might be a KTM but wasn't really sure. The next morning as I was packing up a guy comes out of his room and I asked him if that was his bike. When he replied I knew he wasn't from the states. I asked him what kind of bike it was and he said "a Yamaha XT660Z Tenere". After I picked my jaw up off the ground I said "but they don't sell that bike here in the states". "Can I see it?". I've only seen pictures of them so I was drooling with excitement. He pulled the cover off.
Turns out he and his wife are from Great Britain and are on an 18 month around the world tour. They shipped it over to New York and are 1 month into their planned 2 months of touring the U.S.. Then they're headed to Australia to ride the circumference then Indo-China. They're having trouble getting visas to cross China so they may have to skip that and go straight to Russia and cross it west to east. Now THAT'S a ride!
So anyway, leave Taos to head back home. Cross over to Mora, Las Vegas, Tucumcari and Amarillo.
So all in all it was a good ride. Not nearly long enough but I'll take what I can get.
