| Member |
 Discussion Topic  |
|
|
twc
 Advanced Member
659 Posts
[Mentor]
Fort Collins, CO
USA
Harley-Davidson
Electra Glide Ultra
|
 Posted - 05/27/2007 : 8:17 PM
|
May 27, 2007
This one's for you, Dan! 
I found the route map for today's Joker's Wild Poker Run and went the other direction. No point in volunteering to be part of a traffic jam. It seemed logical that most people would have gone up to the mountains on Saturday and wouldn't return until Monday, meaning the mountain roads might be relatively uncongested on Sunday. It was worth a try.
I left Fort Collins and headed west on Colorado Highway 14 toward Cameron Pass. Even though I've been trying to get some break-in miles on the Kawasaki, I took the Harley because it has plenty of room for extra warm clothing. It's still freezing at night up in the mountains and they've been getting snow on a regular basis. The underseat storage on the Kawasaki is -- Well, it's cute. It contains a little roll of essential tools and nothing else. There's probably enough extra room for a band-aid.
Under the circumstances -- Memorial Day weekend -- there really wasn't much traffic on the road. On the way up, I pulled over a few times for pictures and occasionally to let some faster traffic by. At about 8000 ft. elevation it started to get a little cool, but never enough to make me stop and put on my rain jacket.
I reached Joe Wright reservoir, a couple of miles below the summit on the east side of the pass. There was a little open water near the dam, but most of the lake was still ice covered. The road is surprisingly steep in this area, you really notice it if you're pulling a heavy travel trailer. But all that torque in Harley's big V-twin made it seem flat.
I made it to the top, took the mandatory summit picture and continued west to the scenic overlook that's a mile or so below the summit on the west side. You can see the Nokhu Crags and the Neversummer Mountains from the overlook. The Neversummers --birthplace of the Colorado River -- were still snow covered. No surprise there.
This area is all part of the Colorado State Forest -- definitely worth visiting.
I turned around at the overlook and headed east again. I stopped again at the summit for a photograph looking the other direction then headed down the pass.
Highway 14 goes through the Cache la Poudre canyon. It's a road that has taken quite a few lives. My fellow Coloradoans will remember a July 2004 incident in the narrows in which a woman motorcyclist lost her life. She was part of a Durango Harley-Davidson "Capture the Pass" event and was heading east to Fort Collins for a lunch stop when the accident occurred. She hit some sand on a sharp left turn in the narrows, lost control and hit a guard rail. She went over the side into the swollen river and was lost, literally. Two other riders saw her go into the water and followed her for about a mile before losing sight of her. They stopped releasing water from the upstream reservoirs for three days to reduce the flow for the search, but it was in vain. Her remains were not found until eight months later when the river flows were at a minimum. Her body was caught in a deep pocket not quite two miles below the point where she went into the river.
I went through that corner twice today and it's not remarkable, save that there's an arresting view of the guard rail, a steep rocky canyon below it and boiling white water that only the bravest kayakers would dare challenge. But you do have to make it a point to look away from the river and through the curve. Coincidentally, another rider went off the road at exactly the same point two days later. Had the river flow not been reduced, he would have gone into the river, too. He survived and reported that he also slipped on some sand, prompting several people to ask whether anything was going to be done about the sand on the road in that corner. It turns out there was no sand and literally dozens of riders had negotiated the turn successfully. According to the Larimer County Search and Rescue report, "I slipped on sand," is instantly translated by the Highway Patrol to, "I entered the corner too fast and lost control of my motorcycle." Neither rider was wearing a helmet.
A little ways below the narrows I headed south on Stove Prairie Road. This is a fantastic paved road that's not very well known. It may not be the Tail of the Dragon, but it has enough curves and switchbacks in it to satisfy almost anyone and there's very little traffic on it. At the Stove Prairie summit you can head east to Rist Canyon (the direction I took) or continue south to Buckhorn Canyon, Masonville and Horsetooth Revervoir. You really can't go wrong with either direction.
|
Edited by - twc on 03/02/2009 3:02 PM |
|
|
nomad dan
Advanced Member
1276 Posts
Denver, Colorado
USA
Kawasaki
06 Vulcan Nomad 1600
|
Posted - 05/27/2007 : 9:28 PM
|
Great photos!
I think I might have gone past that frozen lake today on my ride. I'll have to go to mapquest and see.
If we did go on the same ride, it was a super ride. |
 |
|
|
Dawg Rider
Senior Member
306 Posts
Sasser, GA
USA
Harley-Davidson
FXD Super Glide
|
Posted - 05/30/2007 : 6:00 AM
|
| Amazing scenery. The Rockies in Colorado are breathtaking. |
|
|
|
Indiana Randy
Moderator
1951 Posts
[Mentor]
Fort Wayne, Indiana
USA
Honda
2000 Magna V4 750
|
Posted - 05/30/2007 : 10:09 AM
|
| Great report, Tom. I sure miss those Rocky mountains. Brings back memories. Thanks. |
|
|
|
warhog78
Junior Member
78 Posts
Kenosha, Wisconsin
USA
Harley-Davidson
2006 XL1200C
|
Posted - 05/30/2007 : 10:28 AM
|
| Excellent photos, that looks like an amazing ride! |
|
|
|
Night Train
Moderator
1332 Posts
[Mentor]
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Canada
Harley-Davidson
03 Electra Glide Std
|
Posted - 03/02/2009 : 2:09 PM
|
Excellent pics and great ride report. Looks like it was a banner day! After seeing the first pic, I was surprised to see pavement in the others |
|
|
|
twc
Advanced Member
659 Posts
[Mentor]
Fort Collins, CO
USA
Harley-Davidson
Electra Glide Ultra
|
Posted - 03/02/2009 : 7:03 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Night Train
Looks like it was a banner day!
That was a great trip, but the best one so far has to be our Snowy Range Ride. We also have some great ideas for trips this year -- and now it's with the comfy saddle.
quote:
After seeing the first pic, I was surprised to see pavement in the others
Confession time: I just pulled off there because it was a perfect place from which to take a picture. I generally consider riding on gravel roads to be more something to be endured than enjoyed. |
|
|
| |
Discussion Topic |
|
|
|
|
Most Recent Posts
|
Activity History
|
Safety Tips
Memorial Weekend - Cameron Pass