70 degree Sunday - Fairplay Loop Ride

April 11, 2010
Fort Collins, CO

We have been waiting all Spring for a day that even hinted it might hit seventy degrees. We had that today. Admittedly, the day got off to a slow start toward 70 degrees. At 9:30 am it was still 34 degrees with cloud cover. About noon, we headed south, hoping the sun would chase the remaining clouds from the sky. We rode under clear skies for a little while today and it was almost warm in some places. Of course, how warm it was had a good bit to do with the route we chose.

We have a hard time not heading west and up. The pull of mountains and canyons is hard to resist. Today we thought - how about we ride Hwy 285 to Fairplay and get a good glimpse of snow-covered mountains? Then we'll ride into Colorado Springs and eventually home.

On the way, we rode through Golden where we saw several wind surfers near Lookout Mountain, through Morrison where the streets were literally lined with motorcycles, over Crow Hill and through Bailey where the Coney Island hot dog stand was doing a booming business. We saw several herd of elk feeding in the valleys which are beginning to green up. And deer. And antelope. No buffalo. Although it was getting late in the day, we made a decision to continue on to Fairplay. We were having a great ride.

It shouldn't go without mention that we suffered from chronic CRS aka sudden memory loss and had forgotten the elevation of Kenosha Pass is 10,001, the elevation of Red Hill Pass is 9986, the elevation of the town of Fairplay is 9958 and the elevation of Wilkerson Pass (Hwy 24) is a wimpy 9502. Ha! We usually ride Hwy 285 in Summer. This is the first time we've ridden it in Winter on the motorcycle although we've traveled it many times in a vehicle. Note to self - Hwy 285 is for the most part above 9000 feet elevation.

Needless to say - it was a chilly ride from Bailey, Colorado into Woodland Park which is just a few miles from Colorado Springs. We had sun and clouds and were not disappointed in the view along Hwy 285. Both Mount Elbert (the highest peak in Colorado at 14,443) and Mount Harvard (third highest peak in Colorado at 14,434) loom over Hwy 285 in snow-covered glory most of the year. We stopped in Fairplay (a historic gold mining town), adjusted our clothing and rode on.

It also shouldn't go without mention that we underestimated the time it took to ride the Fairplay Loop as well. Riding along Hwy 9 and then Hwy 24 east toward the Springs, the shadows grew longer and longer. Pikes Peak dominated the view as we rode east. It was about 5:30 pm when we rolled into the Springs which is really no big deal other than we knew when that sun dropped behind Pikes Peak, it was going to get cold really quick. So, we skedaddled along I-25 north to Denver where we veered away from the metropolitan area, traveling C470 along the foothills and finally north on Hwy 287 through the western suburbs of Denver. We arrived home about 9:30 pm tired but exhilarated. The trip home was cold in spots but not unbearably so.

Our Sunday afternoon ride came in at 383 miles. Motorcycles were a presence on the highways of Colorado today. Woo-Hoo! Let the riding season begin!