Durango 2014 - June 21 and 22

[Clovis]

Summer is upon us! That means it's time for another CSC Durango trip!

My goal this season is 1 over night trip per month. So far it's Devil Spine in May, Durango in June and Looks like Yellow Stone on the July 4th weekend.

When: *updated date!* June 21/22 - depending on weather. Other options are the weekend before or the weekend after.
(Due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict I need move the date one week back)

Where to meet: Jan's Restaurant in Buena Vista.

Jan's is a nice local restaurant with the world's best (and huge) breakfast burritos!

For your total mileage, check the route from your starting location to Buena Vista and add that to the maps.

Jan's Restaurant
304 U.S. 24, Buena Vista, CO 81211
719-395-6940

Meet up at 8AM if you want Breakfast. On the road by 9AM



Route:

The complete route, Buena Vista to Buena Vista can be found here: http://goo.gl/maps/NfxzW
Hard core version (includes Indie Pass, Aspen, McClure, Black Canyon - aka some of the most fun motorcycle roads in Colorado on BOTH days!) - 796 miles plus the ride to and from Buena Vista - figure right around 1000 miles total for the weekend: http://goo.gl/maps/4OxM6.

Day 1 (400 mile version) to Durango: http://goo.gl/maps/HJijN (311 miles from Buena Vista)
Day 1 (550 mile hardcore version) to Durango: http://goo.gl/maps/ZmBfI (444 miles from Buena Vista)

I would only do the "hardcore" version with a small group of 4 riders. This route is 444 miles from Buena Vista which should be 9 hours and 10 hours with lunch. This means getting into Durango around 7PM that evening unless we want to aim to be done with breakfast and on the road by 8am.

Day 2: (352 miles from Durango to Buena Vista. : http://goo.gl/maps/cKQjw
352 miles from Durango to Buena Vista)

Total mileage is roughly 860 to 1000 miles depending on which route we take day 1 and where "home" is for you.

Difficulty level: Intermediate. This ride is fun, fast paced and features more speedy sweepers than hair pin curves. I did this ride for the first time way back in 2007 when I had been riding for a whole (almost) 2 months. I was the slowest of the group. With that said, you need to be able to keep up and able to cover 400-550 miles in a single day with a set amount of day light. My rules for riding are "out of the mountains by dark" and idealy at home or the hotel by dark. Remember, around 6pm is when the wild life starts coming out onto the roads and you don't want to hit a deer.

The ride features some of the best riding SW Colorado has to offer and the following note worthy roads and passes:

Million Dollar Highway
Independence Pass
Black Canyon
Monarch Pass
Slumgullion Pass
Spring Creek Pass
Wolfe Creek Pass
McClure Pass
Engineers Pass / Engineer Mountain
Highway 133 (From Paonia to Carbondale) Quite possibly SW Colorado's best motorcycle road and my personal favorite.
Rio Grande National Forest
San Juan National Forest
San Juan Mountains

Estimated Cost: $200 -- as a general rule of thumb, an overnight will cost $100 per day between gas, food and lodging.

Where will we stay in Durango? Why, the venerable IRON HORSE INN of course! I love this family owned hotel and they just completed their renovations. Party at the Iron Horse!

http://www.ironhorseinndurango.com/

Maximum group size: 10 bikes -- 4 is perfect, will accept up to 10.

Want to go? Interested? You won't be disappointed! Reply to this thread or PM me.

Clovis

[Clovis]

Some pictures from Durango trips past:

Jan's Resturant in Buena Vista:



2011 - JKOL - starting location in Colorado Springs


2011 Bornwildnfree - little did she know we would be getting rained on for 7 hours / 300 miles shortly or she probably wouldn't have looked so happy!


2011 - Black Canyon:


Indepdence Pass - Notice everyone's smiling face!

[Clovis]

View from Ouray overlook (North end of Million Dollar Highway / Highway 550)


McClure Pass:


Entry to Black Canyon at Highway 50 (West of Gunnison)



Durango to Silverton train:

[Clovis]

Million Dollar Highway: Action shots!






Occasional snow on Monarch Pass (This was late April 2012... actually the Devil's spine trip but this is a pass we'll cover)

[One-ops]

Would love to go but it's the same weekend as American Supercamp that I got a seat to for my b-day!
Sad day. Ill make to one of rides someday lol!

[JimDog]

I don't think I'm ready for this, but I do have a dumb question. I noticed from the pictures that not everyone has a luggage / saddle bag (which makes sense, cause you don't really see lots of sport bikes with them).....so for those that don't have one, do they just share with someone that does? Or just cram clothes etc really tight in to a backpack? I know it's only two days, but some of the backpacks in the pictures look really small haa haa.

[Drama2]

Jimdog....you can do this ride. I did it last year and I had saddle bags on my bike. I did it with my other half...it was beautiful, only rain about 60 miles of the whole trip, which was not pleasant.

[JimDog]

I'll see as it gets closer but it might also fall on a weekend I'm busy anyway. But thx for the vote of confidence

[Clovis]

All you really need is a tail bag. I also like having a small tank bag. I use a Joe Rocket Manta. It's perfect for keeping the stuff I want quick access to on the bike.

In my tank bag I keep a spray bottle with windex, small towel to clean my visor from the bugs. Sunglasses, clear sunglasses, sunscreen/chapstick, wallet, insurance/registration papers (under the bag in a flat pouch), charging cables and before I just got mounts, I also kept my cell phone in there.

If you want a top of the line, look at the Givi top cases. I have a 52L and 32L.

Ideally your bag should be small and water proof. A good option is getting one of those stretchy cargo nets with the hooks (they run $7 or so at motorcycle stores) and strapping your bag with that.

[Dasaxman6]

We'll I've asked the wife and she is thinking it over...so I am a maybe I will post up with our decision.

[Dasaxman6]

Got the green light from the wife I am in!

[Clovis]

Updated the first post with new dates. Due to a scheduling conflict, I've had to change the dates to June 21/22.

My wife, Mrs. Clovis (a veteran motorcycle passenger) may be joining us which means taking the FJR instead of the FZ1.

My thought is we can discuss which route (normal or "hardcore")to take to Durango at Jan's. The "hardcore" version adds up to 3 hours of riding over the normal version. The extra 3 hours are all on fun roads.

[One-ops]

Cool! Ill take a look at $ to do inc and plates renewed or maybe borrowing Pops Fj.

[Dasaxman6]

That weekend still works for me. I was checking cotrip.org last night and million dollar highway is under construction, will that mess up our route? I will be meeting up at Jans from Arvada if anyone else is heading from that direction.

[Clovis]

That weekend still works for me. I was checking cotrip.org last night and million dollar highway is under construction, will that mess up our route? I will be meeting up at Jans from Arvada if anyone else is heading from that direction.

Million Dollar is having rock mitigation being done. This should be finished by the end of May however and shouldn't effect the route. If it did, the alternate route would be through Telluride.

[ezrider]

Would you consider doing this on Sunday and Monday?

[One-ops]

Im out, I leave for Ok on the 20th

[Clovis]

Would you consider doing this on Sunday and Monday?

For you, yes I would

[arrrghhh]

Oooo this sounds fun. I'd like to join.

[theMayor]

I read this thread and got super excited... but then I remembered that USA plays Portugal on the 22nd. And I wouldn't miss that game for anything. I may steal this route for another weekend though.

[Cars-R-Coffins]

Make sure to stop and see the attraction! http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/23839

[Clovis]

Ezrider is unfortunately out for this trip.

Looking for a Saturday/Sunday trip June 21/22. I was thinking a better route would be going through New Mexico for one day. Either day 1 or two.

http://goo.gl/maps/jCLtq

It's a big loop as you can see. Route can be done clockwise or counter clockwise.

[powers]

Be careful between Paonia State Park and the summit of McClure Pass. We got snagged by a state trooper and I have no idea where he was hiding. He was really pissed off about the "inordinate amount of time he spends in the area dealing with motorcycles!" We got super lucky with a minor ticket but we definitely made him MAD!

I am tempted to go, but my tires are probably shot and the ticket wasn't cheap.

[Dasaxman6]

There is way more slabbing on the new route...but still hits a few of the passes I really want to hit so I am still in let me know if there are any other updates!