CO riders! doing a ride today

[kwells]

ok so Im heading out in a few mins!  going go from denver to 40 and heading through winter park then off to granby and Rocky Mtn National park...through estes park and back on to denver from there....will probably leave in about 40 mins....about 1pm  Give me a call or post back

720-936-2416

[h2olawyer]

Wish I could - trying to shake a migrane today.  No shape to ride at all.  Bummer, too - it's real warm here.

You need to rethink your route.  Trail Ridge Road is not open yet.  Not likely to open until about Memorial Day weekend.  Possibly a week earlier but doubtful this year.  Still snowdrifts up there are still over 20 feet deep.  Takes them a long time to plow through all that stuff.  Don't know if they've even started plowing yet this Spring.

Ride safe - you might go see if inanecathode is getting things figured out.  I wanted to head up there this afternoon, but I'm pretty much recliner bound until my head stops pounding.

H₂O

[kwells]

sorry to hear bout the headache....which way do you think I should go to get about the same ride?

[kwells]

ok checked out the 411 ...Yeah Trail Ridge is closed until at least May.   I'll just head through winter park and granby and go as far as I can and turn around.  Will still be a good ride.

[h2olawyer]

I'd suggest going either on up to Walden, then taking CO 14 over Cameron Pass, down to Ft. Collins & back home or you could stay on US 40, go to Kremmling and head back towards Summit County on CO 9.  When you reach Silverthorne, you can then go over Loveland Pass instead of taking I-70 through the tunnel.

Another option would be to go from Winter Park to Walden, then head towards Steamboat on CO 14.  (Intersection is actually a couple miles before you reach Walden but you may want to head into town to fuel up.)  When you reach US 40 near Rabbit Ears Pass, turn left onto US 40 and go on to Kremmling.  From Kremmling, you can either head back to Winter Park or take CO 9 to Silverthorne.

Willow Creek Pass - between Granby & Walden has some fun twisties but the rest of the ride into Walden is some fast sweepers & some long straights.  CO 14 toward Cameron Pass is fast sweepers until the pass & it's all canyon until you get about 20 miles from Ft. Collins.  CO 14 toward Steamboat is also some long straights to start, then becomes fast sweepers all the way to US 40.

Can't really go wrong on any of these routes.  Have fun!

H₂O

[h2olawyer]

How was the ride?  Which route?

H₂O

[kwells]

I went up to Rocky Mtn national Park by way of I-70 to Rt. 40 North, over Berthoud Pass, Winter Park, Granby....

I really dug the ride over the pass but if I was forced into the outside lane on the hairpins i was a bit nervous on the sand.  But if I was able to get into the inside lane I was able to lean it.  Had a close call with an F350 Diesel that decided HE was FAST but other than that it was smooth sailing and high revving.  I snapped a few pics but not as many as I thought I would.  The road is close in the park after about 10 miles but was still cool to be able to see.  Will post the pics I took later tonight when I get back home though.

[kwells]

here's some pics of sunday's ride

[h2olawyer]

Good pix!  We'll be seeing all that stuff in June!

H₂O

[kwells]

I'll be seeing that stuff in MAY! :P

[inanecathode]

Good pix!  We'll be seeing all that stuff in June!

H₂O

I hope you're not referring to the white stuff...

[h2olawyer]

There will be white stuff around as well - just none likely on the roads.  However, I have seen snow in every month of the year at elevations over 7,000 feet.  In Steamboat, we got 18 inches in late June in the 1970s.  It can happen, but is rare.

H₂O

[kwells]

When I went up this weekend there was snow all around me but it wasnt that cool really.  Just have to watch out for sand but it will all be cleared by then.