Snow

October 9, 2009
Fort Collins, Co

We have snow, so no riding... which is OK once in a while. We like snow. We only have one thing about snow that we insist upon... and this is since we got the Harley. If it is too cold to ride, we want lots of snow - or as Bill Watterson said, Getting an inch of snow is like winning 10 cents in the lottery.

WOW! A Veteran's Trike

October 8, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

We have snow today in northern Colorado and I have yet to get the pictures edited for last Sunday's Toy Run so how about I share with you the awesome photos of a Veteran's Bike (make that Trike) that just came to me in a forwarded email from the folks.

The photos are branded with fastcoolcars.com but the web site yielded nada on preliminary searches. If you are the owner of the motorcycle or know the owner of this motorcycle - I'd sure like to know the story behind this incredible paint job.

Toy Run - Fun but sorta Ho-Ho-Ho-Hum

October 4, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Life isn't about how to survive the storm
but how to ride in the rain...

Mother Nature was not on her best behavior again... We knew the weather was due to turn cold and wet today, but when we rode out this morning it was dry. Cloudy and cold, but not unbearably so. The temperature was in the low 40s.

We didn't have that far to go. Thunder Mountain is about ten miles from the house or perhaps a bit further if you take the scenic route. Registration for the Toy Run began at 9 am. We arrived about 9:45 am along with a good many other riders. I think most of us waited to see how the weather would play out this morning. We had about 75 to 100 bikes for the 22nd Annual Toy Run for Santa Cops. We registered and warmed ourselves with a cup of coffee and roamed in and out of the 2010 bikes, admiring in particular a 2010 Electra Glide. I was hoping to see the new Street Glide Trike but they didn't have one on the floor.

When Santa called for us to gather and announced the route, we learned we would be riding back to Fort Collins passing through only a few blocks from our neighborhood. This seemed rather odd since Loveland has many good rides and roads. I made a face when Santa said we would ride through downtown Fort Collins instead of downtown Loveland. Neither downtown is good for riding... cramped streets with back-out parking... too much traffic... too many lights. No scheduled stops were planned. We would ride a circuitous route back to Thunder Mountain to deliver the toys (which had us scratching our heads - uh - that didn't make a whole lot of sense - did it?).

We had a fire truck escort to Loveland's city limits, but no police escort which meant we had to stop at all red lights and stop signs and deal with regular traffic cutting in and blocking the procession. Weird. At one point, starting out, the fire truck led us into a Safeway/Strip Mall parking lot where we waited (most of us puzzled at the unexpected detour) for about a half dozen bikers to catch up. I guess. I'm guessing again that the leaders were trying to get us all lined out in a pack before heading to Fort Collins or maybe they didn't know about the road construction on this part of the route until they ran up on the signs. The traffic did not cooperate. We rode with campers and horse trailers and impatient people on their way to church or breakfast and other Sunday morning destinations.

The ride was painfully slow with lots of stops and starts. It was getting colder. We rode through Fort Collins, to the town of LaPorte (both of us thinking wistfully of hot coffee and warm cinnamon rolls at Vern's which was not far away) and on to the northern edge of downtown Fort Collins where we cut off to go to the house, take bathroom breaks, and warm up. We weren't the only ones peeling off here and there throughout the run. One of the HOG guys riding sweep said they lost about 50 bikes along the way. I couldn't help but notice at the onset that many of the bikers were not dressed warmly enough. We actually caught up with the remaining riders on the southern edge of Fort Collins and rode back to Loveland with them.

Like I said, it was getting colder and we rode several miles in a fine, mist-like rain. We had our toys protected. Many riders did not. Arriving at Thunder Mountain, we handed over our toys to the girls at the front desk. There were lots of toys and that's a good thing. I estimate the donations would fit in the back of a regular-size pickup with only a little room to spare. I finally got the grumpy Santa to smile for a photo. Then, we stood in line with the rest of the cold, damp group (most of whom seemed to be local HOG members) for what turned out to be a cold hot dog for me, cold chili dog for Tim, chips, cookies and a warm Pepsi. Naw - we're not complaining - we didn't ride for the food - although I did wonder about what was apparent lack of timely preparation.

The rain looked like it was setting in and it was coming down a little harder. It didn't take long for most of us on bikes (some had ditched bikes and returned in cars) to clear out. We rode home in cold rain that turned to tiny sleet that turned to snow flurries in the few miles back to Fort Collins where the weather improved somewhat. At least, the streets were dry. It took a good while and another pot of coffee for us to thaw out properly.

We're glad to help the kids and would do it again in a minute. In retrospect, I can't help thinking that after 22 years - this Toy Run could have been better organized and also it had a rather poor turnout for such a huge bike population as there is in this area. Perhaps the weather was a factor, I don't know. And, other than a soggy slip of paper with the map of the route (which, in the end, was not adhered to) we have nothing to show we attended the event. We haven't ridden in many organized rides so we don't have a large frame of reference. We have heard Dad and his buddies talk about some of the runs they participate in so, we had a few expectations.

The Toy Run in Texas we attended the last couple of years at Thanksgiving was much more fun, better organized, a pin came with the registration and t-shirts were for sale. Better yet, the Texas Santa was approachable... jolly and friendly, posing for photos with everyone. The ride was escorted by hard-working motorcycle cops and the food (BBQ not hot dogs) at the end of the route was actually cooked and hot when it hit our plates. More people than just bikers turned out at the destination. And the donations filled large delivery trucks. Yes, plural. There was even a 50/50 pot. Needless to say, I have made a few mental notes about how to screen future benefit runs.

Being mostly gray and damp, the day didn't lend itself well to photography but I did shoot a few stills and video clips. Enjoy!

Slide Show movies and videos take a few seconds to load so -- patience please.
FYI: Sometimes after blogger maintenance, the code for the movies embedded in the posts gets scrambled... but a duplicate is always posted in the Movie section at the bottom of the page... enjoy.

Toy Run – October 4, 2009

Dad's Saturday

October 3, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Wichita Falls, TX - Dad has been busy lately. He's ridden on several Patriot Guard Missions and in the Nuts and Bolts Run during FallsFest this year.

This Saturday had him on the road meeting buddies for breakfast and later in the day hanging out at Red River Harley Davidson where Mom reports he had his picture taken with a "bunch of women". Ha!

It's true, friend John snapped a few pics of Dad with a couple of women (including friend Janice) and a guy or two. All... harmless - right Dad? We all know Dad has only one lady in his life... well, maybe two if you count Molly of the four-legged variety... or maybe three, if you count the two-wheeled variety... ha!

This is a pic of Dad with his ride. Lookin' good...

In search of gold in them thar hills... (part 2)

September 27, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Sunday - The morning found us celebrating blue skies and warm temperatures again. Of course we were going to ride - what else? The question was - where to and for how long. The answer? Who cares?

The first part of our ride took us over the dam. We thought we might ride Rist Canyon, but as we neared the entrance to the canyon we agreed the day was too nice to waste on a short ride. Why not opt for a longer ride? Why not indeed! How about Poudre Canyon to Walden and beyond? OK!

I know. We have no discipline whatsoever, once we hop on The Ride. The wind on our faces erases all thoughts for anything other than where the road will take us next.

We followed the scenic, climbing, winding road that follows the river up to the country known as North Park. The weather was perfect. The Fall foliage was spectacular. Once again we found of wealth of Mother Nature's annual gift of gold.

Stopping for 50 cent coffee at Sportsman's Lodge is an old habit. The folks at the lodge are always friendly. Better yet, the coffee is always on and always fresh.

We stopped before reaching the pass to pull on our leather jackets. There was snow at the top of Cameron Pass and the wind we encountered up there was chilly. The summit is 10,276 feet in elevation. We stopped once again at the Moose Center for a brownie snack and thermos coffee.

As usual, we encountered a stiff westerly wind after we topped off the tank with gas in Walden. After a few miles riding north, the road east through King's Canyon to Laramie, WY was more pleasant.

A traffic jam had traffic stopped on I-80 in Laramie. We learned from another biker that there was a wreck on the bridge and all traffic was being diverted, a good bit of it to Hwy 287 which was the route we would travel back to Fort Collins. The road was much more crowded than usual, including trucks, but we made the ride in without incident.

Today we arrived home in time to cook chicken fajitas on the grill before dark. Add a couple of beers to that and well, the verdict on the day was damn fine.

Total mileage = 236 miles

And here's the mini-movie:

Search for Colorado Gold Ride – September 2009

In search of gold in them thar hills... (part 1)

September 26, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

We spent the whole weekend traveling the high country north, south and west of here, enjoying blue skies, warm weather, Fall color and snow. Yes snow, the first of the season.

Saturday - Finally! Blue skies! After a rainy, cold, dreary first week of Fall we were ready for a warm weekend. We rode out about mid-morning in hoodies that were too warm here in the city but we knew as soon as we ventured away from the city onto more open roads, the sweaters would feel great.


As usual, we didn't have a plan set in stone although we had discussed the road up to the small town of Ward as one we had not traveled since we acquired The Ride. So as we wound our way on country lanes in the loose direction of Lyons we had that ride in mind.

We stopped for gas in Lyons after sitting in music festival traffic for a spell. We hadn't known about the festival or we would have considered another route. Lyons music festivals draw huge crowds partly because of its close proximity to Boulder and Denver. Add to that people passing through on the way to Estes Park or the high country and now you have a mountain traffic jam. We got out of there as fast as we could.

The road to Jamestown and Ward runs west of Hwy 93 about halfway between Lyons and Boulder. We had forgotten how much fun and how scenic the steep, winding road is. Jamestown sits off the Ward road on about a three mile dog-leg. The paved road ends just outside the town limits. We rode on up anyway to have a look around before riding back down and up to Ward which sits near Hwy 7 (also known as the peak-to-peak highway). Both Jamestown and Ward are tiny, secluded, close-knit mountain communities. Ward, in particular is very interesting in that most of the architecture is old, some of it dating back to the mining era I'm sure. Some of the housing is typical of what one would believe hippie-style commune living was/is like. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if some do without the luxury of indoor plumbing. I'm fairly certain at least some of the residents of Ward have been up there since the hippy-sixties. Old vehicles line the roadside. Whether most of the vehicles run or not is debatable. Judging from the overall state of neglect - it's doubtful. They live a different life-style up there where the harsh conditions of winter in the high country makes traveling very far extremely difficult if not downright impossible. This is a good road with lots of twists and turns and steep grades. The view from every vantage point is spectacular.

We had ridden the peak-to-peak highway just last weekend, but today we had sunshine so the aspen gold shining on the mountainsides was more spectacular. And now, thanks to last week's cold front, we had snow glistening on the highest peaks of the Rockies.

The day was gorgeous and warm. Soon we reached the junction of the Ward Road and Hwy 7. Reluctant to head in the direction of home, we rode in the opposite direction to Nederland, justifying the choice with the idea that we needed coffee and Jackpot cookies from the New Moon Bakery and Cafe. We visited at length with a couple from Black Hawk who were on a Spyder parked just outside the bakery. A Spyder is a vehicle with two wheels in front and one in back - a reverse trike of sorts. The woman explained her husband is crippled and has no feeling in one of his legs. He rode motorcycles in the past, but with his disability had not been able to ride for nearly six years until this vehicle came along a couple of years ago. I don't know if all of them are this way, but this particular Spyder is semi-automatic with a reverse - all hand controls. It is the first time, we've seen one up close - and we think it is a pretty clever design.

Still far from being ready to call it a day, we rode once again to Black Hawk and Central City where after exploring a couple of dead ends, we travelled the newly discovered Central City Parkway to Idaho Springs just opposite of what we did last weekend. In Idaho Springs which sits just off I-70, we stopped for coffee and a stretch. The town was busy as usual. We managed to ride out of town before succumbing to the lure of Beau-Jo's Pizza.

It was a bit late in the day to begin another mountain ride, but nearby Mount Evans beckoned and we dutifully answered the call. Mount Evans was a favorite picnic drive when we lived in the western suburbs of Denver a few years back and we enjoyed every minute of it on the motorcycle. It was cold near the highest point of the road, but not cold for long enough to make us put on our leather jackets. The road to the top of Mount Evans is closed after Labor Day because of snow, but the road around Mount Evans passes by scenic Echo Lake where we stopped for a photo op, including a couple of shots with a curious duck. The road continues over Squaw Pass where we stopped by our favorite picnic spot and scenic overlook. We picked up snow in this area right up to the road edge. We knew we would. We followed the scenic road, now veiled in shadow all the winding way to Evergreen and eventually down into Morrison. Both Evergreen and Morrison were bustling with people gathering for the robust night life both cities offer.

We wound our way down side roads (some familiar, some not) of the western suburban area of Denver for most of the ride back to Fort Collins. It was well after dark by the time we reached the city limits. We rounded out a great day with pasta and bread sticks at the Pizza Hut.

Today's total mileage = 274 miles. I shot some video. A mini-movie can be found on the post for part 2 of this ride (the next post).
Here's a slide show...

Peak to Peak Fall Color Ride

September 20, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Motorcycles ruled the high country roads today... all of us eager to get a good ride in before a cold front brings who knows how much snow to the Rockies. It's time. In northern Colorado, we normally get a couple of inches of the white stuff in the month of September. The mountains usually see enough snow around Labor Day to close the highest roads and temps drop low enough for the ski resorts to start making snow.

We rolled out of the drive about mid morning. It was warm enough to start out in hoodies. There wasn't much discussion about where we were headed... west and up being the general idea. Tim pointed the ride south to Loveland and west toward Estes Park. At Drake, we veered off the busier, more direct route and travelled the roundabout way up via Devil's Gulch.

As we rode along, we could see the clouds building. By the time we reached the Visitor Center on the east side of Estes Park and swallowed a cup of coffee, clouds had darkened considerably and began to roll over the Rockies. I can't remember how many times we've been chased out of Estes Park this year by clouds. We ran in and out of cloud cover for the rest of the day.

Motorcycles, bicycles and four wheel vehicles lined the shoulder of Hwy 7 where the pine trees open up to what is an astounding view of gold winding up and around the sides of mountains like yellow gold garland on a Christmas tree. People were armed with cameras in all shapes and sizes, trying to capture Mother Nature's short-lived gift. The gold, of course is aspen and once the weather cools, aspen turns quickly at high altitudes. We call ourselves lucky on this Fall color ride, because the aspen were just beginning to turn.

As usual on this trip, we stopped in Nederland for a rest and the nourishment a cup of thermos coffee and a brownie-snack can provide. Tim disappeared for a few minutes when he went to dispose of our wrappers. He came back with this odd grin on his face. When I asked him what was up, he said some Eurasian tourists had stopped him to take a photo. He thought they wanted him to take a picture of them. Actually, they wanted him to pose for a picture. They wanted a photo of a real American biker for their scrapbook. We got a good laugh out of that...

We continued on our ride past Wondervu (yes, it really is a wondrous view) to the gambling towns of Black Hawk/Central City. As we went down the canyon past Black Hawk (after 11 years, we are still saying we'll stop and gamble some day), Tim wondered again where the Central City Parkway tied in. We had heard about the parkway that connects Idaho Springs (on I-70) to Central City, but we had never ridden it. I suggested we ride the few miles to Idaho Springs and ride the parkway back. We did that very thing and have found a new, favorite high road. Great views of the I-70 corridor and old mine architecture dot the way. It didn't take long to make that little side trip, but it was long enough for the clouds to nearly catch up. We decided to skedaddle out of the canyon which is lined with signs that warn - in case of flash flood climb to safety. Ha!

Before long we found ourselves on the outskirts of the Denver metropolitan area and hungry. There wasn't much discussion about where to eat. The Ride knows the way to Jose O'Shea's. All of our vehicles know the way to Jose's. We could find our way to Jose's in a blackout. We enjoyed cream cheese chicken enchiladas and all the trimmin's. No margaritas - even though we were sorely tempted.

The ride home was uneventful although the clouds were making a nuisance of themselves. We remarked on pumpkins and the nodding heads of sunflowers in the fields and the number of geese that have returned. We have geese all year round in Colorado but migrant geese invade the area every fall and winter. The cold front was knockin' on the door and the skies were spittin' as we traveled the last few miles toward home.

This ride was about 210 miles of great scenery and pure fun.

Nine Days. Five States. 2035 Miles.

September 16, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Oh yeah - we had a great time riding over a rather extended Labor Day weekend. We started with a rally, went in search of little green men, encountered the witch of Endor, surprised the folks in TX, got some kicks on a portion of route 66, followed the yellow brick road, got wet a few times and nearly drowned at least once. LOL!

Posts and pics are coming. I'll post links here as soon as I get them edited.

September 5, 2009 - Day 1 - Thunder in the Rockies and the ride south is posted.

September 6, 2009 - Day 2 - Riding through New Mexico in search of little green men is posted.

September 7, 2009 - Day 3 - Riding into Texas to surprise the folks, meeting up with Dad - Hi Mom! is posted.

September 8, 2009 - Day 4 - Visiting with the folks and a trip to Red River Harley-Davidson

September 9, 2009 - Day 5 - Visiting Grandma, lunch with the folks and Tina gets a ride on the Harley

September 10, 2009 - Day 6 - Riding with Dad, Supper with the Folks at McBride's

September 11, 2009 - Day 7 - The road home from Texas, through Oklahoma (Route 66 Museum) to Kansas

September 12, 2009 - Day 8 - The road home from Liberal, Kansas (Dorothy's House) to Colorado Springs, Colorado.

September 13, 2009 - Day 9 - The road home from Colorado Springs with a quick ride through Red Rocks Park

This rundown post is finished. What a great ride!

Labor Day Ride and More - Day 9

September 13, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

A Comfort Inn in Colorado Springs is where we called home for the night after riding into a storm late yesterday afternoon on our way home. The day dawned cold and gray although it was no longer raining. After lingering over a good Continental Breakfast and hopefully allowing the day to warm a little, we loaded the bike and pointed the ride north on I-25 toward Denver. The clouds lifting and rolling across the Rockies looked ominous, but as we cleared the Parker Divide near Monument they began to clear. By the time we reached Denver we were cheering blue skies and sunshine. We celebrated by having a couple of donuts and coffee at Krispy Kreme Donuts just off C-470.

Since the day was looking great, we ventured off the highway toward Red Rocks Park near Morrison. We rode the park and got off for a stretch, admiring the hazy view from a high point. The park staff was busy making preparations for some sort of event at the amphitheater, slated for later in the day. We rode Hwy 93 out of Golden, through Boulder and home. The closer we got to home, the worse the clouds to the west looked. We rolled into our driveway just as the first few drops of rain fell.

After unpacking the bike and calling the folks to let them know we had arrived safely home, we treated ourselves to Serious Texas BBQ for supper.

What a great trip. Nine days, Five states. 2035 miles.

Last day of a long ride...

Happy Birthday John!

September 13, 2009
Fort Collins, CO