Randy, Tina, Jenny, Pat, Staci, Ken, Lisa, Linda and myself
It’s finally here!!! Randy Garlington one of our riding friends from Colorado put this ride together for us almost a year ago. At first we had fifteen riders coming from Salt Lake City but as rides go and people get busy we are only going to have four of us coming from Salt Lake. Pat & Staci Dunn and Linda and I.
Pat, Staci and Linda loading up for the ride
Here is the route we are going to take to get to Steamboat springs. We were going over Wolf creek pass but we just did that ride on Sunday so we decided to just go over Hwy 40.
I saw a gas station in Rangely called the “Kum and Go”
Coming from Utah I thought this was so funny that I had to stop and take a picture… What I didn’t think about was how slanted the road was. I got off and bike to take the picture and my biked tipped over. Linda and Staci were about a quarter mile down the road wondering why I had stopped while Pat was about a mile down the road wondering why no one was following him. So I had to get some local help to help me pick up my bike.
When my bike fell my windshield hit the curb and broke the top quarter of it off. (Now that Sucks))
Painful!!!! Lesson one, never get so excited over something stupid that you don’t worry about the angle you have parked your bike on. Lesson two if you need a replacement windshield the chances of a Harley Davidson having one is almost zero. We called ever Harley Davidson in the area and no one stocked it. So we did the next best thing… We called Lisa Smith in Denver because they were not coming up until the next morning . Lisa and Ken called every Harley Davidson in Denver and they found “one”. So Ken put it on hold and he picked it up that night.
While we were on our way to Meeker I had a bird, no a California Condor fly right into my neck.
my neck with a pin feather from the California Condor.
"Yep... That's the bird officer"
Ok it might have been a Dove or a sparrow but it had huge teeth and Talons!!!
Pat was ready for a beer and we were making great time so we stopped in Craig Colorado. Staci needed an Ice cream cone. It was a fun stop, I really like riding with Pat and Staci, they enjoy riding as much as Linda and I do and we always have so fun conversations with Pat around. (he cracks me up)
The beer in Craig tasted so good we had another one in Steamboat Springs. I need to find a way to get Pat to smile more.
We met up with Randy, Tina, and Jenny so we thought we should have another beer. Are you seeing a common theme here. We did drink a lot on this trip but we had a blast. “ride hard play harder” Words to live by. Even better words to live by are “Drink near your hotel so you don’t have to get back on your bike”
One of our stops while heading up to the Rocky Mountain National Forest. This was the first ride I have ever been on where there were more women riding their own bikes than there were men. But these girls can ride, it was so much fun having them with us the only problem was we did not have anyone on the back of a bike to take pictures while we were on the trip.
Elevation 12145 ft. there were Elk every where. But the roads are so steep and the drop off is so far down I didn’t spend a lot of time looking for Elk. I was pretty focused on the road and staying on it.
Estes Park
The girls doing a little shopping.
Dinner in Black hawk.
We celebrated both Ken’s and Staci’s birthday here. The cool thing about birthdays here is the person who is having the birthday gets to pay for their own cake. Go figure…
Parked out front in Central City
This is where we had breakfast. Great food and perfect service.
We are at the continental divide and above the clouds, now this was cool. It was a total white out when we drove up the canyon.
Pat getting ready to take a walk out on the clouds. I’m glad we told him not to do it.
It was about 50 degrees up top. yes it was cold but so cool.
Vail, the girls doing a little shopping (again)
While the guys were trying out some of the local beers. Well some us were, others cannot break old habits. (live a little)
Leadville this is where we met up with Jim & Shauna they could not ride this year because Jim broke his leg while riding his dirt bike the week before. sucks to be Jim.
Jim and Shauna did take some cool pictures for us while they were in the car, one I cannot put on my blog. I thought it best that I erase it before I got tempted to put it on the blog.
the whole gang while we were heading to Aspen
This is what we saw for a thousand miles. I have never seen so many trees and beautiful sceanary in my life. I had no Idea Colorado was this pretty and they had this type of riding so close to Denver. We rode a thousand miles and we didn’t even come close to riding all the roads. This is an amazing State.
The riding was not for the faint of heart, the roads were very steep and very narrow. I was so proud of the girls on this ride. They Rock!!!
Looking out from our hotel at Snowmass
This was a cool Hotel the rooms where great and they let us have the common area for us to party.
some of us outside on the deck having a beer.
The girls making plans to take over as “Road Boss” good thing Randy was strong and didn’t give in.
Ken at the winery thinking about his “little world” he lives in.
Our last night in Grand Junction. Sad to see it all end but excited about the ride next year. what ever Pat Dunn puts together for us.
Lisa showing us her dance moves
Jenny showing Staci how to Text faster if she uses both thumbs.
- Lisa and Linda showing us their new dews.
I could do this ride again, it was so much fun the people we went with were great. I love the routes and every thing about the ride. Randy did a fantastic job as planner and road boss.
We made it home safe and sound with no real issues just a lot of wind. On the other hand, Randy, Tina and Jenny had a car pull out in front of them. It made Randy and Tina lay their bikes down. They both came out of it with only a little road rash but they both walked away from it. They were very lucky!!! Jenny was saved by her anti- lock brakes. I think I’m going to look into some of those myself.
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