Four Corners ride report

[asp_125]

I did a 4 day weekend last week out to the southwest corner of Colorado. This is a ride that I do each year with members of another forum. We get everything from dual sports to cruisers to superbikes, and riders from as far as Indiana & SoCal.

On Friday several of us get out of Denver (2 locals, one from Indiana, and one from Iowa) and away from the road construction on 285. A spirited run up Poncha Pass brings us into Saguache for lunch.
http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0497.jpg

We run into some construction on the east side of Wolf Creek Pass,
http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0508.jpg
Luckily, that is short lived, with the dual passing lanes we quickly get around all this traffic.

On the other side an amazing view..
http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0516.jpg

The Gixxer in sport touring mode:
http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0517.jpg

Our hosts live on a ranch near Durango, and an impromptu tent city springs up on their lawn.
http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0532.jpg

As the riders from various states filter in, the parking pad starts to look like a bike night. There is a KLR from Idaho, couple of cruisers from the LA area, folks from New Mexico, and Utah...
http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/photo0025.jpg

.....more ...

[asp_125]

The next morning, we ride the Million Dollar Highway loop. From Durango over Red Mountain Pass to Ouray, looping back around to Telluride and back to Durango.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Durango,+Colorado&daddr=Ridgeway,+co+to:CO-62+to:CO-145+to:Dolores,+co+to:Durango,+co&geocode=%3B%3BFWr0RAIdhMCP-Q%3BFSBcQAIdGleQ-Q%3B%3B&hl=en&mra=ls&via=2,3&sll=37.709899,-108.078003&sspn=1.062512,2.150574&ie=UTF8&ll=37.712072,-108.086243&spn=1.062481,2.150574&z=9

Within the last year, CDOT has repaved major portions of the loop, so the sportbike guys zoom ahead of the others. But I never get tired of the scenery and have to slow down for pictures.
http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0554.jpg
http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0558.jpg

Up at Molas Pass
http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0574.jpg

Red Mtn Pass summit
http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0594.jpg

Going down the switchbacks to Ouray
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNN2sVmBJ0k

... more..

[GixxerCarrie]

Looks great Jeff!

[salsashark]

nice pics...

I got stuck in the same construction traffic coming back from Pagosa Springs... Like you said, a couple of minutes and I was off again.

[asp_125]

http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0616.jpg
Ouray sits in the end of a box canyon, at the bottom of a narrow winding two lane with few guardrails. One of the west coast riders commented that the turns were so tight he could read his own license plate.

After a lunch at the Timberline Cafe along the main drag, we were off again.
Somewhere between Ridgeway and Dolores, we ride through red rock canyons and up to a viewpoint .. somewhere on the other side is where we started that morning.
http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0621.jpg

Telluride, a pretty sleepy town during the non-ski season.
http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0632.jpg

Angel falls and Black Bear Pass
http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0635.jpg

Lizard Head Pass. It was getting late in the afternoon and got downright chilly with the wind. We hightailed it back down valley to Mancos and home to the ranch.
http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0644.jpg

...

[Zach929rr]

I see Mr. Potatohead makes it to Red Mountain Pass quite often :D.

Nice pics Jeff.

[asp_125]

On the Sunday the sport riders head south into the desert. First stop, Shiprock NM.

http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0661.jpg
This was as close as we got. We found a dirt/sand road which turned out not to be the way in. Apparently Shiprock is a Navajo sacred site and there is limited access if at all.
Thank goodness for zoom lenses.
http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0655.jpg

Some distance at ..uhh.."plaid" speeds later... Four Corners (which as you know is not really Four Corners nowadays).
http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0671.jpg

....

[asp_125]

I see Mr. Potatohead makes it to Red Mountain Pass quite often :D.

Nice pics Jeff.

:pointlaugh: that's our ride mascot..

[co_gixxerguy]

Hmmm....looks AWFUL familiar....wish i coulda hooked up with you guys...ill try to keep the loop warm for ya till ya get back :)

[asp_125]

...
The Monday trip home.. just west of the bottom of Wolf Creek Pass
http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0692.jpg
I forget the name of this ranch, some guy owns this whole valley. It's huuuuuge!!

The one mishap of the weekend. The rider from Iowa got bit by the 35mph snowshed on the east side of Wolf Creek. We had been riding pretty fast up the other side, and he was too far back from me to see my brake lights flash. He ended up lowsiding the right hander inside the tunnel. Fortunately there was no traffic or it could've ended badly. The Katana cracked the side crankcase cover along with some broken plastic. But after running down to South Fork for some JBWeld, we patched it up enough to limp it to Alamosa. Thank goodness he was in full gear. We had it checked out by a local dealer cause the oil light wouldn't go out. Turned out to be minor; the side cover was pushed in just enough to ground out the sensor. Kudos to the rider, after some rest and 5hr energy shots, he gutted it out the 200+ miles back to Denver (including some rain and lightning in the dark over Monument). But to be safe we got him home to Des Moines with a UHaul.

http://2kcrew.lunarpages.com/BBO%202009/images/dsc_0694.jpg