Colorado route suggestions

[JRTEN]

I am trying to plan a trip from Austin Texas through Colorado and then into Wyoming and Montana- will probably then find a place to ship the bikes back to Austin as I only have two weeks.

Would love to hear some suggestions of places I should go- I have never been in CO. Better yet, if you could send me gps routes/waypoints that would be great!

I am headed out the friday after the 4th of July. Will probably do a couple long boring days to quickly get to CO. Then will do some loops so I don't have to change hotels every night. One place we will likely stay is Telluride as we have friends that live there. Other than that- no real plans yet- that's why I need your help!

 

[colorider]

Virtually ALL roads/routes on the WEST side of I-25 in Colorado are great.
Virtually ALL roads/routes on the EAST side of I-25 in Colorado are boring.

That sums it up.




::26::

Rod

PS:
When you get to Wyoming, make sure you ride the Bighorns and Chief Joseph Highway.

Montana - Beartooth Pass and lots more!!!

 

[ST-venture]

Check out http://byways.org/explore/states/CO

Since you will be staying in Telluride, the San Juan Skyway would be a good loop day ride. Be sure to check out Ouray (my favorite Colorado town).
And of course, your should make every attempt to do Trail Ridge Road.

 

[stevepsd]

Virtually ALL roads/routes on the WEST side of I-25 in Colorado are great.
Virtually ALL roads/routes on the EAST side of I-25 in Colorado are boring.

That sums it up.




::26::

::026::

 

[RED CAT]

Be sure and ride up Engineer's Pass if you are a decent dirt rider. Well worth it. I made it up on a GS1200 so shouldn't be that tough on the Tenere. Next time I go I'll stay in Lake City and do all the good stuff from there. Lovely place. Hwy 149 south from Gunnison was one of my favourites. Silverton has really gone downhill. Ouray and Teluride are nice. Bear Tooth Pass in Montana is nice but skip Yellowstone Nat Parking lot. Northern California was wonderful. Moki Dugway in southern Utah was really cool, as was all those National Parks there. ::001::

 

[Thunderpig]

A friend and I did five days in western Colorado last fall. We had the Butler map and it was great. We just rode from one gold route to another and had a blast.


http://www.butlermaps.com/

 

[STenere Fan]

Sticking to the western side of Montana is also a pretty good general rule. Going over Beartooth Pass is a plus, but if you can go north to Glacier National Park, go both directions over the Going to the Sun Highway. That's awesome too!

 

[MurphCO]

Are you looking more for dirt or pavement or both?



Staying in Colorado a couple of nights is a solid plan....how many miles a day are you comfortable with? E.g. Do you take a lot of pictures, or are you riding steadily with only gas stops?

There is some decent riding in NM on the way up too around Taos that can be integrated into the route to Colorado easily.


Gimme an idea on how many miles a day and I will throw together some google maps on great pavement and then you can pick and choose whatever you like.

 

[roy]

I am headed there august 5th through 18th. I want to hear more about what passes the Tenere is capable of doing. I have an extensive off road background so in short I'm not scared to take the thing anywhere. I was taking my DR650 along to but looks like someone now wants to buy it. We are hauling our bikes in our toy hauler and staying at a little campground just outside Durango. My plan is to day ride out from there for 7 days then we move to the tourist trap at the south rim on the grand canyon (wifes idea). So any advice for what or what not to attempt on the Tenere up on the various passes please advise me. I'm pretty sure from what I've seen on film and heard I can't take the big pig over black bear pass but you never know ::001::

 

[bvail]

Lived in Colorado since 1982. What Rod said, anywhere west of I-25.

Coming up from Texas, you might consider a pass through Ruidoso, Cloudcroft, etc. and up through Santa Fe and on to Chama NM.

Wyoming is one of my favorite rides, again, anywhere west of I-25. Thermomolis has to neat mineral springs, Cody is on the east side of Yellowstone. I've never been on Chief Joseph highway, but it is a bucket list road for sure, as is Bear Tooth pass.

In Montana, even the interstate is nice, but GNP is great riding.

Too bad you only have a couple of weeks. There is so much to see out there. Enjoy your trip.

 

[MurphCO]

It would be prudent to get him on MDH and Independence Pass while he is out here

Gateway is required as well IMO, but he can take that on the way out towards Wyoming




He can get Black Canyon and Independence on a day ride after he gets here, MDH on the way up from NM






I was gonna suggest he stay in Ouray, but I'm not familiar with dirt routes out there.....paved I'm all over it, and he needs to let us know how much dirt he wants.

 

[pnwrider]

I did a solo trip through western CO last summer and one of my favorite passes was Mosquito Pass. It tops out at 13,185ft making it the highest pass in the US. It is a bit rocky and steep but I did it on my KLR and would do it again on the S10. If you are by yourself or you do not want to drop your bike you might not want to attempt this. The pass is heavily traveled in the summer by jeeps and mountain bikes. I did not see any other motorcycles when I went over.

The pass connects Leadville and Fairplay. Leadville contains many museums that are definitely worth a look if you are into that sort of thing.

Here is a link with some info:
http://www.colomar.com/ColoradoPlaces/mosquito_pass.html

 

[Tippo]

Here is a link to a good site with lots of info on dirt passes. www.verlenelson.com

Jeff

 

[3putt]

I am headed there august 5th through 18th. I want to hear more about what passes the Tenere is capable of doing. I have an extensive off road background so in short I'm not scared to take the thing anywhere. I was taking my DR650 along to but looks like someone now wants to buy it. We are hauling our bikes in our toy hauler and staying at a little campground just outside Durango. My plan is to day ride out from there for 7 days then we move to the tourist trap at the south rim on the grand canyon (wifes idea). So any advice for what or what not to attempt on the Tenere up on the various passes please advise me. I'm pretty sure from what I've seen on film and heard I can't take the big pig over black bear pass but you never know ::001::

I really liked Imogene pass coming from Telluride, but there are some pretty tall stairsteps about midway, steep and blockie. I would recommend the K60s mounted and no panniers (rough). I was on WR250R and had a blast, all would be doable on the S10 except for the stairsteps, but I do remember a slightly smoother area just to the right (next to the clift). If you had to turn around, would still be a good ride. Some ledges to watch for also. The tour jeeps go in there also.

Black Bear pass was a bucket list thing, HUGE stairsteps that break universal joints out of jeeps with big tires, no need to go there, but those same stairsteps only slightly easier are on Imogene. I did ride down Black Bear pass on the WR250R without having to walk the bike, but it was very steep and I ran the front brake all the way down that section (huge stairsteps), S10 would most likely hit bottom (bash plate) and if you dropped it, probably tear up a lot of stuff not to mention how hard it would be to pick it up if it stayed on the mountain.

 

[roy]

Here is a link to a good site with lots of info on dirt passes. www.verlenelson.com

Jeff

Nice ::008::

 

[roy]

I really liked Imogene pass coming from Telluride, but there are some pretty tall stairsteps about midway, steep and blockie. I would recommend the K60s mounted and no panniers (rough). I was on WR250R and had a blast, all would be doable on the S10 except for the stairsteps, but I do remember a slightly smoother area just to the right (next to the clift). If you had to turn around, would still be a good ride. Some ledges to watch for also. The tour jeeps go in there also.

Black Bear pass was a bucket list thing, HUGE stairsteps that break universal joints out of jeeps with big tires, no need to go there, but those same stairsteps only slightly easier are on Imogene. I did ride down Black Bear pass on the WR250R without having to walk the bike, but it was very steep and I ran the front brake all the way down that section (huge stairsteps), S10 would most likely hit bottom (bash plate) and if you dropped it, probably tear up a lot of stuff not to mention how hard it would be to pick it up if it stayed on the mountain.

Exactly what I was looking for Thanks a bunch David ::008::

I am waffling over selling my DR650. I had it for sale for the last few months then when I decided no I'm not selling it I may take it out West then someone pops up and wants it. Would a DR650 with Michelin T-63's be capable of doing just about everything out there? If so I am keeping the thing. I just mounted anakee 2's on the S10 and really do not want to mount any more tires right now. My tire bill for three motorcycles is through the roof as it is.

 

[Climb14er]

If I were going to do the trip you mentioned this is what I'd do. I've been climbing here in Colorado (and the West) for almost forty years and have traversed on many of the roads here.

Take the road from Santa Fe up through Taos into Colorado. At Ft. Garland head west and take Hwy 17 north to the intersection of 285 and then head west/south and before Saguache, take the FINEST motorcycle road in ALL of Colorado, Hwy 114 over Cochetopa Pass to Gunnison. Let me repeat, 114 is the finest sixty miles of winding pavement, open road, huge sweepers, canyons and great road surface you'll find here! 114 is THE destination ride for many motorcyclists who don't know it even exists!

At Gunnison, head west and then take the cut-off, Hwy 149 to Lake City then Creede. When you meet Hwy 160, head west to Durango. You have your choice here or you could do both. Take 550 up to Ridgway and then head north from there.

Or you could head to Mancos/Dolores and then take Hwy145 to Telluride, and then head around to Ridgway. Or you could do the entire Alpine Loop.

These are some of my favorite roads in all of Colorado. Yes, you're going around the center of the San Juan Range but you're seeing roads and scenery that will blow you away!

Personally, unless you have A LOT of back country/dirt experience, I'd stay off of Black Bear Pass. YMMV but that's my .02

There's a book that I would whole-hardheartedly recommend: 'The Complete Guide to Motorcycling Colorado'. This is an exceptional book!

Heading north out of Montrose, you have a lot of options. Some of them take you to very remote roads. If you get the book, they're in it.

Ride safely and enjoy!

 

[MurphCO]

on the way up in NM, the Enchanted Circle
http://g.co/maps/f8hvv

The route up through Chama
http://g.co/maps/9nk3k


Significant Roads in Colorado:

CO 141 locally known as Gateway
http://g.co/maps/8ee2w

US 550 locally known as the Million Dollar Highway
http://g.co/maps/hq8jm

Co 149, Lake City
http://g.co/maps/zjmj5

Black Canyon
http://g.co/maps/759xa

Independence Pass
http://g.co/maps/ee76m

Wolf Creek Pass
http://g.co/maps/9pf8s


a few of these can easily be looped together for a nice long day ride, or used on your way to dirt....


if you need anymore advice or whatever, start posting routes and let people chime in with suggestions

 

[roy]

Some really good information guys, thanks a bunch you just made my day trip planning all the more easy. ::008::

 

[Merfman]

... head west/south and before Saguache, take the FINEST motorcycle road in ALL of Colorado, Hwy 114 over Cochetopa Pass to Gunnison. Let me repeat, 114 is the finest sixty miles of winding pavement, open road, huge sweepers, canyons and great road surface you'll find here! 114 is THE destination ride for many motorcyclists who don't know it even exists!

I just wanna say thank you! As luck would have it, I was headed that way this coming Friday with some friends on a 3 day outing.
Slight adjustments to an already thin plan has us riding this on Friday afternoon! Thanks again!