So I decided to take a trip to Steamboat today. It wasn't a ride it was an adventure! I Had never been up there on a bike and haven't been up there since I was a kid. All in all it was a great trip. If you want a nice relaxing trip with some nice minimal to no traffic roads, I recommend it!
Started off at 9:00am and headed up I-70 to US40 and up and over Berthoud Pass into Winter Park. Nice switchbacks minimal traffic and beautiful scenery.
Continue on US40 up into Granby. Stop for gas and a quick break and back onto 40 towards Steamboat. More beautiful scenery and some nice sweeps running along the river. Stop to take a pic at Wolford Mountain Reservoir and an older gentleman on Aspencade shoots by. I hop back on the bike and catch up with him. We both started hauling ass and shared some nice twisties up and over Rabbit Ears Pass.
I stopped in Steamboat for lunch at The Egg & I and after my Viva La France, I took off back towards 131. Started heading down 131 and a couple miles out of Steamboat ran into construction. It was 3 miles of dirt, gravel, sections of river rock sized gravel, and some divots. The last half mile was really bad and I'm surprised I kept it up right.
After the construction I pick the pace back up and enjoy the road. Hit some sprinkles but no big deal and continue on down to 134. After getting on to 134 for about 2 miles I take a sparrow to the knee. Actually a big ass magpie head on. He died instantly and was wedged between the forks on the front fender. I stop and pull him out and check for any damage. Everything looked good so I continued. Head on up and over Gore Pass. There were a ton of tar snakes and the bike stepped out on me several times so I just dropped speed and enjoyed the views.
Took 134 back to US40. Headed in to Kremmling and down CO 9. More nice scenery, a couple sprinkles, and Green Mountain Reservoir. At this point I can see the clouds building so I kick it up and get down into Silverthorne. Gas it up and onto I-70 towards home. It's looking pretty bleak towards the tunnel but I press onward and hope it's clear on the other side.
No such luck. Out of the tunnel and instantly soaked head to toe. It's pouring balls out and I'm watching the lightning crash all around me. I could literally see it hit the mountain a couple times. Visibility is bad but I'm still cruising at about 60mph. Tire tracks are now rivers and on comes the hail. Not too bad, it hurts but fuck it I'm pressing on. Shortly the hail gets bigger, is pelting me really bad, and visibility is now zero. I pull under an over pass to wait.
Now I'm standing under an overpass completely soaked and getting more so with every passing semi. It looks like a scene out of a movie with a guy on the side of the road getting drenched by the passing cars. Hail stops, rain lightens, fuck it I'm outta here! The rain finally subsides after a few miles and it's smooth sailing here on out.
Until I hit town and it's 105 and stuck in traffic. 373 miles and about 8 1/2 hrs round trip.
It was a great day and an awesome adventure. The viffer was awesome and I have no complaints with the Dunlop Roadsmarts she is wearing. I'm not a fan of Dunlop but I was really impressed. They really stuck in all that rain.