Now the fun starts. Let's get high, altitude speaking.
I've laid out a route that starts in Pueblo, Colorado and ends in Estes Park, CO.
At the motel in Colorado Springs the manager mentions that everyone's
business is seriously down and they are very concerned. I got this motel at 4pm
the previous day and got the type of room I wanted at a price lower than on the
web. What are the odds of getting a motel this late in the day in Colorado, in
the summer, near an Air Force base without a reservation? People must be worried
about the economy and gas prices. Figure that a big SUV might cost $0.25 a mile
to drive for gas alone and the distances you can drive are shortened. I'll take
my 40+ mpg.
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On the road it's 51 degrees, but surprisingly not cold
for a Florida boy. I-25 runs me down to
Pueblo. The town is very quiet for 7am. On Hwy 96 in town they are revitalizing
a historic neighborhood and appear to be almost finished. The neighborhood
consists of beautiful little bungalows that are neat as a pin and cute as a
button. There, I said it.
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Outside of town, Hwy 96 passes small mesas and runs by a Colorado State Park.
The road is pleasant with just enough twisties, but is not too technical. I'm on
the plains just east of the mountains. They will be with me for at least another
week.
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I'm drawn to Royal Gorge and the Royal Gorge Bridge just west on US 50 in Canon
City. This feeling is strictly based on what I've been reading in several
ads. It's close, what the heck.
Why is is that every natural wonder in the USA is surrounded by incredibly tacky
business selling trinkets, t-shirts (800 for a dollar), bobbles and BS? There is
a little Las Vegas everywhere. They are going to get your last cent anyway they
can and send you home wondering what just happened. The Royal Gorge is ok and
the bridge is somewhat disappointing. The literature proclaims this the highest
suspension bridge in the world, an engineering feet rivaling the Eiffel Tower.
It's cool, but over hyped. I question the claims, but at least I've seen it and
now know.
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West of Canon City I pick a small road that looks
like it heads over the mountains, Phantom Road. My first clue that this
wasn't a good choice should have been the "This road is dangerous" sign.
The second clue should have been the sign that stated no vehicles over
25ft. The third and final clue was the two miles of washboard heading up
the mountain. I'm usually into this kind of road and would have
continued if I wasn't alone, fully loaded and didn't have another
option. Today I elect to arrive unhurt and take some back roads to Hwy
115 north to Colorado Springs. |
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As I'm filling up I notice that several of the stores have the word Columbine in
their title. I would have sworn this happened in Littleton, but can't recall.
Being a teacher, this kind of tragedy comes too close to home. The word
"Columbine" would continue to reappear. When I got home I discovered it was a
native wildflower in the state. Duh!
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Outside of Colorado Springs is Pike's Peak and a climb to 14,110 ft. This road
made the people of Denver so jealous that they had to build a similar road up
Mt. Evans, which is slightly higher. At the entrance, $10 buys you a pass for
the 19 mile ride up the mountain. Apparently this will take at least two hours
for the round trip and should be great fun if the altitude doesn't affect me
like it did on Monarch Pass several years ago. The climb begins on a nicely
paved, heavily trafficked road. At the 8,500 ft mark a sign proclaims Pike's
Peak summit is still over one mile higher. The road turns to dirt and gravel and
traffic starts to bunch up. My usual complaint about the GS comes up again in
that its first gear is too tall. The road grading is fine, but the steepness and
slow speeds are causing the bike to get hot. I can smell the overworked engines
in the cars ahead of me. There aren't a lot of good places to stop on the way
up. I'd rather not take the chance and plod along with the group. The road takes
a lot of my attention. I'll ride to the top and sightsee on the way down. It's
windy enough make me slightly nervous. How do the car racers do it on the Pike's
Peak Hill Climb? There aren't any guardrails and a drop would be seriously
painful, at least for a little while.
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At the summit, the view and altitude are both
breathtaking. The curvature of the earth is plain to see. I can see my house
in Florida! The altitude is not doing good things to me and I move around slowly
and deliberately. At home the altitude is 174 ft. This is just slightly higher.
At the gift shop there is an O2 bar filled with customers. Almost every other
employee is an EMT.
The cog railway would be a great ride and is a tremendous feat of engineering,
as is the road. This would be fun for another time. If you have a fear of
heights, the railway is not for you.
Several other motorcyclists have made the trip to the top. We talk for awhile
and I head back down. This is much easier than going up and I'm the quickest
vehicle on the mountain. A ranger stops everyone and checks their brakes for
excessive heat. I've barely used mine and they're find. At the bottom it's time
to head to Estes Park. |
| Hwy. 67 north is a great road. Forest fires have been through here.
In other areas the smell of pine is overwhelming. Here, all you can
smell is charcoal. The scenery is first rate and I pass through some
beautiful little valleys. The spectacular ones are horse farms. |
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The road winds through mountains and
valleys until US 28 east. I'm looking for Hwy 73, but can't find it and
head for I-70 west of Denver. This leads to US 6 and Hwy 119 north.
Traffic is unusually heavy and slow. Soon I discover why. The town of
Blackhawk is a casino town with a twist. All the casinos and stores are
modeled after an old west town. It's a very attractive premise and
might be more fun than Vegas.
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and Estes park. Along the way I leave my journal in a restaurant and
have to rewrite the first few days. The town I was in has at least 3
separate names with the residents circulating a petition to change it
back to the original name. I'm not going to ride the 100 miles back,
it's easier just to write the story again. |
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| Estes Park could be a
nice place to live. Some of the mountains still have snow on them, the
people seem friendly and the town is pleasant. Then there's that snow
and cold thing. If I can't wear shorts in February, without incurring
frostbite, I'm not happy. So, as I fall to sleep I dream of the views
I'll see tomorrow in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Pass the O2
bottle please. |
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