Monday, we head back to Colorado
Springs. Guy at the hotel with a Sturgis t-shirt stops and talks to us while
we’re loading the bike. He wished he rode to his cousin’s instead of the truck.
He knows all of the rides – and would love to flat map a route for us. Tells us
not to do 50 because of construction to Gunnison. Wants us to do one of the
ride Blue Mesa ride and the Cottonwood Pass ride we had planned (he says two of
the best rides in his opinion – he even showed us how to not do the scary ride
by heading north and then east).
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| Fueling up at the gas station next to the Hampton Inn |
Per Butler Maps (Butler Maps): Blue Mesa – This
section of the West Elk Loop Scenic Byway twists and flows through 25 miles of
G1 and is flanked by spectacular G2 and G3 riding. The narrow, two lane road
darts in and out of magnificent aspen groves as it cuts through the Gunnison
National Forest. Take time to stop at the frequent overlooks that offer
memorable views of the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado’s largest body of water.
The reservoir hosts the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States.”
Per Butler Maps (Butler Maps): “Cottonwood Pass –
This narrow two-lane road soars above the highest Colorado passes offering a
great day ride from Buena Vista. Up until 2018, the western segment past the
summit was a gravel road all the way to Taylor Park Reservoir. This fifteen-mile
stretch is now paved and ready to be explored on street bikes.”
But, because of potential storms,
we just want to get to Colorado Springs the fastest way. So, 50 it is. It’s a
pretty road, until we get to the construction areas – the pavement is gone and
it’s bumpy and gravel for a while. Yuk. But, at the end, we hit this lake
(actually a reservoir, the Blue Mesa Reservoir) that we pretty much ride
around. Then to 285 then 285/24 and we’re back at the big empty plains part of
the ride that we did on Saturday. Back to Colorado Springs. No rain on this
day. But plenty of wind.
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| Road construction on 50 -- gravel -- yuk |
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| Quite a long way to ride on road construction. |
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| Reservoir |
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| Drive through Gunnison |
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| Pretty straight road at times. |
And, we actually ride through the
Garden of the Gods (it’s a traffic jam), but only about a mile from Harper’s
apartment! https://gardenofgods.com/
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| Garden of the Gods |
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| Garden of the Gods |
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| Garden of the Gods |
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| Garden of the Gods |
We don’t really want to go to
dinner, but we find Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar 0.6 miles from the hotel. Order
burgers and I walk over and pick them up. Really good burgers -- but they don't have one in Dallas.
Bad Daddy's Burger Bar
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