dsfox 0 Posted August 1, 2012 Spent the last 2 weeks RIDING....GOOD TIMES, and in some cases, the most challenging riding of my life First Flying Monkey Advneture in Utah...Wed. July 18 til Sunday July 22......see other write up for that one... Then Headed to Taylor Park Colorado....to ride another week.....when all the dust settled of many, many possible participants who came and went on the ride list... it ended up being capncham, STEVE..(and his wife, daughter, mother in law and dog).....my good friend maniac, IAN and myself.......You guys are the BEST.....THANKS for a great trip..... I have to answer the question I get tired of getting all the time ....."NO"......I don't date Ian!!!....Never have, never will...we are, and always have been and always will be great, totally plutonic friends....the dude is TOTALLY like my little brother....and a great little brother he is......just cuz you ride with someone alot, doesn't mean you date them...if so strega and crawdaddy would be engaged by now.........you would all be so lucky to have such a great friend, (as many of you know, and DO share a friendship with him...) and Steve and the family were alot of fun to hang out with..... TAYLOR PARK COLORADO...is where they welcome dirt bikes, 4x4's, quads, whatever.....no bad feeelings......the place is made for us!!!! it's incredible.....even the forest rangers,....the forest is LOADED with hundreds of miles of riding.....ranging from roads, easy, medium, hard, rocky......track and a half, the same....and single track that can only be termed EXTREME......which I don't generally choose to ride, but ended up doing some of.....never so scared riding in all my life...but man.....we all had a GREAT week......had the usual thunderstorms daily, cool temps, but overall had better than expected weather the whole week......the scenery and riding can't be beat there.....at least no where I've been yet... Huge thanks to my buddies steve and Ian.....it was a vacation to remember.......the pics will say it all.....heres a few, more to come..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rexr 0 Posted August 1, 2012 Your living the dream girl!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RogerTOWM 0 Posted August 1, 2012 So did C-diddy and Roger set a date yet? I'll try and make the wedding. Beautiful country side there. I'm green with envy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hobiee 28 Posted August 1, 2012 So did C-diddy and Roger set a date yet? I'll try and make the wedding. Beautiful country side there. I'm green with envy. C-daddy and Roger broke up didn't you hear ???? Rumor has it Roger likes someone who rides a big mans bike and he says C-daddy is getting to old. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hobiee 28 Posted August 1, 2012 Great pics so far Deb. Colo certainly is a beautiful place............... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dsfox 0 Posted August 1, 2012 I will finalize my tracks and post them on Dual sport maps....and ADV.....along with route descriptions, etc......A riding trip here will not disappoint any dual sport rider......it is a long drive, nearing 2 10 hour days or more, but Colorado is like mammoth on steroids.... and I love mammoth riding..(.sad to miss that this year, but the trips were just too close together).....We camped at Lakeview campground near taylor reservoir...huge sites, spread out, quiet, forest with deer passing by ......not a bad spot in the whole campground....only complaint is on the upper loop where we spent the first 3 nights they REEEAAAALLLY NEED TO EMPTY THOSE VAULT BATHROOMS.... the lower loop was much nicer in that regard....... MONDAY: towns and passes little old mining towns, waaaay out in the mountains. (weird to find towns out there).......High passes.....almost 13,000 feet.....first taste of why hey call these the ROCKY mountains....some of these passes are challenging to get to...... Tincup townsite, Tincup pass, down to St. Elmo.....up to Hancock pass.....saw my first Marmot......over to the alpine tunnel....caught in a hail storm, hiding INSIDE a pine tree for an hour.....down to Pitkin, where the only cafe has only 1 item that is NOT frozen....and thats canned beans for burritos.......but heck, we were hungry......then up and over cumberland pass and back to camp....a Great Intro!! st. elmo approaching hancock pass alpine tunnel road and hiding from hail and lightning in the trees, apparently this is what you DO in Colorado!!! PITKIN CAFE...AHHHHH back in the sunshine.... CUMBERLAND PASS IS BEAUTIFUL...WE TOOK SOME FUN RIDGE ROADS off the main road... TAYLOR RES FROM THE CAMPGROUND.....AMAZING BACKDROP..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Uncle Champ 116 Posted August 1, 2012 Nice pic's, spot mishap was a bit scary. To bad about those guy's breaking up, I hear Chick-fil-a is available for for certain alternative events. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
christi20 0 Posted August 1, 2012 All that looks so incredible. I wish I could take the time off to do that!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KLXBEN 0 Posted August 1, 2012 Nice pics and write up Deb. You get to have all the fun. -And you should not have to explain yourself It is NOBODYS business what you do in your private life. Get out and ride. This is not a dating site. My 2 cents Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paulmbowers 236 Posted August 1, 2012 It is NOBODYS business what you do in your private life. Oh, let's not get carried away. Deb- (if it's not too personal) what happened to your 525? Was it ever diagnosed? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dsfox 0 Posted August 2, 2012 It is NOBODYS business what you do in your private life. Oh, let's not get carried away. Deb- (if it's not too personal) what happened to your 525? Was it ever diagnosed? Well, seeing my #1 450 IS my first love.....guess that COULD be personal.. ...it's at All American...seeing I called in a rush favor to get #2 fixed up for Utah/Colorado...I told them to take their time......probably no riding for me til coon cabin on labor day......I'll let you know......HOPEFULLY ....not TOOOO EXPENSIVE....fingers crossed.... I looked at some bikes for my brother in tuscon- he's interested in buying a dual sport, maybe soon.....so I looked while I was up there....the 350 xcw is sweet, as is the 250.......he would love that one.....electric start, lights,fuel injection etc.....AND weighs in under 230 lbs......how great that bike would be for my brother......I'm looking out for him... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dsfox 0 Posted August 2, 2012 TUESDAY we wanted to head toward crested butte.....we decided on the northern route over the 739.....I probably should have looked at the ratings....as some sections were labeled "extreme"......it had some challenges.....very rocky, chunky, steep climbs at times, but then some awesome smooth sections over the ridges.....all the scenery goes from good to great to amazing.....the guys took a spur UP the American Flag Mountain...I took a rest and chose not to do that one....another steep rocky climb.......although I run and hike several times every week....the high altitudes REALLY got to me when the trails were tough...i was short of breath, bordering scary.........we camped at 9600 and rode UP from there....nearing 13000 often....a different world up there... Tuesday was the day of the infamous SPOT fiasco...... I think it was all those rocks we climbed... More pics.. if you look close you can see the guys blazing up American Flag Mountain.... IAN GOT A FLAT...BUT picked a great shady spot by a stream, so it wasn't so bad Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DustyRock 0 Posted August 2, 2012 That is a great idea to hold your bike up to fix a flat, never thought about that. Cool. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crawdaddy 96 Posted August 2, 2012 Lot's of familiar terrain in the photos.....love that area! Thanks for posting! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KTMrad 516 Posted August 2, 2012 Very Very Nice ! Great riding, great pix. We did some of that on the Trans America Trail Ride....Hancock Pass was a slight challenge on the 950 & 1200GS, but fun ! Great to see you getting out there and riding this stuff. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maniac 0 Posted August 2, 2012 This was an awesome trip. Thanks Deb and Steve for making Colorado so much fun. And to everyone who attended the Utah ride for the fun there. I have always ridden big bikes in Colorado so this my my first time being able to take hard routes and single track. Amazing stuff! I have over 300 pictures I need to download and edit. Stupid thing called work amd life getting in the way. I will have some pics up soon I hope. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wallycycle 5 Posted August 3, 2012 Would like to know what you used for map resources to plan this ride? Great pics. Thx! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dsfox 0 Posted August 4, 2012 Would like to know what you used for map resources to plan this ride? Great pics. Thx! so far pics from 2 of the 5 days....hope to finish others this weekend. On the planning.........I love maps and make maps for a living as a land surveyor...for upcoming trips, learning about an area and planning weeks or months ahead is part of the fun of a trip.....I usually: 1 GET MAPS obtain all the maps I can, showing the best detail possible of existing dirt roads and trails for an area I'm visiting: (order them online, from national forests online or obtain from local outdoor stores, Nat. Geographic has some good ones, this time I ordered the taylor park ATV guide with good trail detail and difficulty ratings....it was useful) 2. TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN print and study the Travel Management maps for each national forest that are all available on line...these show the legally opened roads......and where NOT to plan a ride from the start, because the roads are closed...a word of caution though...sometimes even when the roads show as open, there are gates with locks, etc....no guarantees, uturns are part of adventure riding.. 3. ADVICE seek advice from those who have visited/riden areas for "don't miss" trails...., or local riders, via ADV etc.....best resource of all....also use websites, posts, forums, email , personal conversations, etc....I try to ask the conditions and difficulty of trails too, so there's less surprises.. 4. GPS get tracks from others, and/or make gps tracks of major routes in an area I'm interested in riding....to have at least a starting network with gps..... I always carry a paper map and have gps tracks.....never rely solely on the gps.....knowing where you are and where you are going is important.., Thats what I do...it seems to work pretty well, always going to have some dead ends, and adventures finding your way... and there always are some SURPRISES....sometimes you end up on some scary single track you have NOOOO interest in riding .....then again, most of you would LOVE those......it's all good and part of the adventure... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
captcham 8 Posted August 4, 2012 Had a great time as always, looking forward to next year. Maybe I will have to get a 2 smoker for the single track though it was a little tight on the 530. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wonderwoman 0 Posted August 5, 2012 Oh the memories! Wish we weren't working so we could have joined you. Nice to see some different areas of Taylor Park. We rode through from Leadville to Crested Butte with not really any time to explore. It was 136 miles. I am sooo glad you got to experience Colorado, it is so worth the drive. My other favorite place is Beaver< Utah. Yes, I know everyone likes Beaver. Anyway, I loved your pictures. We'll have to join you on the next trip up there. Sometimes spending a few days at the mid-elevations helps with the elevation change. So a good trip is Beaver UT for a few days, then head to CO for the higher elevations. And why can't men believe that women can just be friends? Of course you two are friends! Silly, silly rabbits! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Riggerdan 147 Posted August 6, 2012 Beautiful pictures......... would love to put a trip like that on the radar Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beezzz 6 Posted August 7, 2012 Would like to know what you used for map resources to plan this ride? Great pics. Thx! Wallycycle, Contact a National Forest office in the area before or when you arrive. Buy all the maps. RIDE ALL OF THEM. Translate the "4 x 4 road" as rough, rocky roads that a beginner can't do. A beginner really can't ride them. It will rain every afternoon in summer. Perfect for soil traction all summer long. Enjoy. Deb, Beautiful photos! My wife and I rode the #759 on a northern route through Tayor Park to Crested Butte. Similiar photo terrain. Loved it. I tried to find the 739 to follow your route, but couldn't find it. We are following your route as best we can on the maps we have. Such a beautiful place. Stop by "Crystal and Marble" sometime for a very small town experience. You can access these small "towns" via the northwest route from Crested Butte through Lost Lake route 12, Kebler Pass, Paonia Reservoir, route 133 over McClure Pass to Marble and Crystal. Another route direction from Taylor Park is to go north over Taylor Park north ridge and you will be in Aspen. There are large distances between gas stops in much of the areas discussed. Plan for that. 75 to 130 mile routes are nice for relaxed days with photos and gas stops on dirt bikes. !!! Every direction you go will be spectacular, so "no worries" it will all be filled with breath taking beauty !!! Just point the bike and go. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dsfox 0 Posted August 7, 2012 DAY 3: Guys went to tear up some black diamond single track....or red diamond as they label it at taylor....I chose to pass on that....so I did some solo riding on some well used roads....don't ride alone often, but didn't do anything crazy, so it was all good..hung out with the girls at the reservoir for a little while, then headed out.. Had a "table" with a view for lunch...oh, never mind - it was a rock!...but what a view....water everywhere in colorado.. Did find a nice little single track down in the valley, that was fun... A Great Day....then we enjoyed our new camp spot, down on the north loop with a view of the lake...not bad!!!! DAY 4: Cruise to cottonwood pass, took the "back" way...more fun..... then up the valley to texas lakes....beautiful...well, it's ALLL pretty beautiful... TEXAS LAKES nice sunset at camp: (these are NOT enhanced at all....natural colors and effects) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dsfox 0 Posted August 7, 2012 Last Day......of course it ended up being the Hardest Riding of the trip, well for me , probably the hardest riding ever!!!.....but it was great....COLORADO rocks.....and is rocky!!! They don't call them the Rocky Mountains for NOTHING!!! Highly recommend Taylor Park area...you won't be disappointed... As usual, The pics REAAALLLY don't show how steep and long these seemingly endless climbs were, mixed between chunky rocks...and just when you think you can take a breather, the trail gets narrower and steeper....Oh, never mind....you really can't breath at ALL in colorado..at least I couldn't... ....and yes, they plant cinder blocks, just so you could HOPEFULLY make the climbs.....I think they just don't want to have to come rescue you up there... THE NARROWEST TRAIL YOU WILL EVER WANT TO STICK TO.....!!! then after all that, we fought several miles of very rocky, bumpy descents.....it was a workout.... THANKS AGAIN TO MY GREAT RIDING AND CAMPING FRIENDS....IT was an amazing trip.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
