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After a wipe down in the morning to remove bugs and moisture from the bike, we ate breakfast and prepared for departure. Nothing of major interest occurred at breakfast, though the hotel had a large number of bikes. Just the usual bravado, biker complaints about cagers etc. We did assist some German riders on Adventure bikes with a flat tire before departing. So off we went, heading east from Gunnison toward Monarch Pass. We did not set a record for early departure... I like vacations with no plans!
Our ride was uneventful, just the usual slow truck traffic coming up the pass, and some road construction with a guide for lane closures at the top of Monarch, and on the eastern side. We had to wait for the construction flagger to give us permission to go...so a brief picture of our view at the top of the pass! Our next stop was Poncha Springs for fuel. My trip-odometer said 186 miles, and I was just below a half a tank. The Interstate loves the mountains. Down home in Texas, I can burn a half a tank at 100 miles. I have done it at 80 miles before!! And the second half doesn't last near as long as the first half!
We started north toward Buena Vista, and though it was morning, the clouds were already hanging heavy off the mountains. We suited up by 11:30 and dodged a few sprinkles as we headed into Leadville.
Leadville was pretty much what I expected. An old mining town, and still near active mines. There is a lot of history here, but I didn't see much attraction. In all fairness, I didn't explore the town, so I may not be a fair judge. We ate lunch at a Subway, and I suggested we start on to avoid the rain coming in behind us. Things were not looking great. A quick glance at radar didn't offer any suggestions for dodging moisture. It was all around us.
We had in our minds that we were heading up towards Estes Park. So as the road forked outside of Leadville, we headed northeast on CO 91. This is a beautiful hiway, and the clouds hung like fog in the draws as we road down towards Frisco. It was at this point that I said something I had not thought I would say as we left Texas. “I am cold!” My Brother-n-law heard me say it, and I slapped my face thru the helmet. I should mention that the cause of this utterance was the bottom pretty much fell out of the sky. The ice pellets hitting me in the face before I closed the shield might have contributed to the statement.
We intersected I-70 and the rain was still falling heavily. Traffic of course moved aside to let the two motorcycles in...NOT! I am a rider, perhaps even a road warrior. Rain doesn't bother me, I adapt and move on. My riding partner, not so much so. I became real concerned that his slow speed was going to get him killed, and possibly me, because I would not leave him behind. We made it, fortunately, the path we picked was only a few miles up the road on CO 9 North at Silverthorne. Our headsets were worth the money I spent on them as we got separated as I took the off ramp. With rain still coming down, we headed north through town. I heard him ask if we were going on, and I knew it was time to quit. There is not a large number of accommodations on that side of town, and we ended up backtracking to a non chain hotel next to a very modern Target. Time was about 2:00 in the afternoon.
By myself, I would have kept riding, and by myself, I would have been turning around or wading thru mud several miles up the road. The owner, a wonderful lady of European origin, told us that the road was under construction and the pavement was peeled off several miles up the road. She also told us the locals went around it on another road that was dirt to avoid the problems. Sometimes stopping is a good thing! read more ....
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