Thursday, September 26, 2013
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Trip End
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Day 9 09/14 Abquiu to Santa Fe by car, ride abandoned
We finally get back on the grid and the weather forecasts are horrible. We collectively decide to abandon the ride and head to Santa Fe by car for some R&R and football. Now at the San Francisco Bar and Grill watching the Noles woop up on Nevada.
Day 8 09/13 Lake Huron SP to Abiquiu NM
The rain is becoming an issue and what forecasts we can get are mostly flash flood warnings. We start out in a constant rainfall for an intended 55 miles to Abiquiu. It turns into the coldest, wettest ride and the 4 riders are just miserable. It helps to have a flat or two on the crappy NM roads.
We all decide to SAG and Brian and Johnny go first while Mac and Bill continue riding. We find this great little place called Abiquiu Inn where we get a great rate cause we're "Great Divide" riders. As you can see, the boys enjoy a great dinner with Alan springing for hordurves and a round and Jorge adds a 2nd round and the boys are warm, dry and happy.
Day 7 09/12 Spectacle Lake to Lake Huron State Park
The rain continues steadily through the night but again lets up enough for us to break camp in the morning. We head out to the microscopic town of Horca, where we actually manage to find an official ACA information guy who tells us all the Forest Service campgrounds are closed and the roads impassable by cars. The alternate route is by road up Mangas Pass and a screaming downhill (40+ mph) to Charma NM and the High Country Inn for lunch. We head south on Hwy 84 and then 8 miles off course to Lake Huron State Park (attached). And, yes, the rain continues.
Day 6 09/11 Stunner to Spectacle Lake Campground
The rain has begun, as we set up the EasyUp for the 1st time last night. It lets up enough so we don't have to break camp in the rain and we head downhill (love these morning downhills) towards Platoro and stop at the Skyline Lodge for 2nd breakfast, the Mark's Muffins seems to be the favorite. We find that our intended destination campground, Elk Creek, is closed, so we camp about 5 miles short at Spectacle Lake, where the mountain backdrop (attached) is way more a spectacle then the lake. The rain continues sporadically.
Day 5 09/10 Del Norte to Stunner Campground
Lawrence agrees to open his restaurant an hour early so we can get an early start to Indiana Pass, the highest point on the Continental Divide at 11,910. He cooks up a great breakfast and we head out over nice rollers for 12 miles to the start of the climb. I make less than 3 miles before realizing I'll never make 12. Mac, Alan and Bill make the summit (attached), where they are greeted by a herd of wild horses being rounded up by a rather animated Gaucho. A couple of horses break loose and buzz the bikes and cars as he yells in Spanish at the horses or the boys or both. A large herd of sheep are being driven across the road as well. We head on past the hideous Summitville Mine EPA Superfund Site to the ghost town of Summitville, where Hunter finally bonks and Brian has returned with Subway sandwiches for the boys. We finally reach Stunner with Mac and Alan being the only ones to make the whole distance. A nice campground by a rushing stream that Brian and Jorge have to clean up after the pigs that were there before us.
Day 4 09/09 Storm King to Del Norte
The boys start out yet again on nice gravel downhill through beautiful Coolstone Canyon (attached) then get into some gnarly double track (and a little single track) that Bubba describes as "Munson Hills on steroids". Brian and I take the truck the easy way to Del Norte and then head back to SAG the riders and find there's no way to get through the gnarly stuff so contact Jorge to turn around. We find a 2 star motel and restaurant run bt a guy named Lawrence who really takes care of us. We go to one of the few restaurants open at night and they close at 8 local which is before the NFL game is even over.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Wet, cold and off course
In Abiquiu, NM, after finding Forest Service campgrounds were all closed and roads impassable by vehicles. No cell service still, but wi-fi at the Abiquiu Inn where we are ensconced after the most miserable, wet road ride in anyone's memory. Looking like Plan B may be SAG to Santa Fe then Albuquerque as the forcast is for continuous rain. More later...
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Leaving Del Norte
Quick post from the motel where we stayed last night as we will be off - grid for next few days. Today is the big climb, 4000 ft in 24 miles to Indian Pass at 11,910 ft, highest point on the Continental Divide.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Day 3 09/08 Cochetopa Pass to Storm King
Another beautiful day in Southern Colorado, as the boys start of with some more gravel downhill and then some more flat road riding. The scenery is becoming more southwestern everyday but conditions are excellent. We gradually continue uphill until an absolutely brutal climb of only a mile but is excruciating. Brian has bonked today, and walks some but manages to make the entire distance under his own power. Mac and Brian make community spaghetti and meat sauce wirh french bread and salad. Brian puts on some rythym and blues which puts Mac in a dancing mood.
Day 2 09/07 Marshall Pass to Cochetopa Pass
The boys start out with several miles of sweet downhill on a perfect day to Sargents where Brian loads up with a great breakfast sandwich since he's learned he hates oatmeal. 12 miles of paceline road riding, we head south on gravel. It is 80 degrees and very desert - like riding, climbing gradually but continuously until about mile 56, when the grade gets ridiculous. We finally make Cochetopa Pass (Ute for Buffalo, 2 of them attached) and are supposed to head 2 miles further to Luder Creek Campground, but it's full so we find one of the best campgrounds ever right there at the pass and retire early after an exhausting day. Brian was an animal, doing remarkably well on very little training.
Day 1 09/06: Salida to Marshall Pass
The boys head out to breakfast at the pancake place again and on the road at 8:30. Long, gradual uphill from Poncha Pass after 5 miles of flats out of Salida. We turn on to gravel and continue a gradual climb past O'Haver Lake Campground (picture attached). Nine or so miles of climbing, we reach Marshall Pass at just over 10,000 feet. Six miles downhill and we reach a campsite mostly occupied by the construction workers grading the roads. We meet the workers who mostly just want to lock up their port-o-let and a newly wed couple, Mark and Elaine, doing the GD on motorcycles. Bubba and Johnny make awesome community chili, which our motorcycle friends join us for and offer some Salida wine in exchange. Post dinner, Mark and Alan get into a long discussion about space launch technology as the rest of us nod off.
Salida Staging
Boys went to great little breakfast place called Patio Pancake Place and then split up for sightseeing, running or biking. Real nice little town and very bike/sports friendly. Photo is of the restaurant on the river where we ate dinner and watched the locals go crazy for the Broncos. Spent the rest of the night going over the next day's route and logistics of 3 cars and 2 cars and Dick and Jorge graciously agreed to drive 2 cars up to camp and then come back to get the last one so everyone could ride.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Looooong day to Salida
We head out early Wednesday, due to the 14 hour drive to Salida. Brian and Jorge head for Albuquerque to pick up Alan and the rest of us head to Salida. West Texas is only marginally less boring than Kansas. We manage to hit a buzzard in BFE Texas but no damage to the car (major damage to the buzzard). We stop in a place called Post, TX (really) at Holly's Drive In for lunch (attached). On I-27 we have a blow out in the Hemi, fortunately about 1/2 mile from a Walmart. 2 hours and $200 later, we are back on the road and hope to make Salida before midnight.
NOLA to Austin
Monday morning we leave for Austin. Another uneventful 7 or 8 hours later, we arrive at Radisson. We find a sports bar to watch what turns out to be the Famous Jameis show. Wow! We find a nondescript bar across the street for some more libations and live music. The next day we take a walk along the river for a short pilgrimage to the Stevie Ray Vaughn statue (attached). As our Austin tour guide, Brian has us lined up for a great little tacaqueria for lunch and Texas barbecue for dinner. The 1st BBQ place has about 3 people in it and the cook says he has brisket and "4 ribs". Turns out it was not 4 plates, just 4 individual ribs, so not enough food for the boys. Bubba asks the women at one of the tables where they would eat other than here and they all say Iron Works. Turns out to be an excellent choice with plenty of meat 7 hungry Sloths. After dinner, we walk across the Congress Street bridge to see the bats. Wow, more bats than Carlsbad. http://austin.about.com/od/austinattractions/p/Bats_in_Austin.htm Afterwards, some go to the Continental Club for a Freddy King tribute (Bubba is now a blues affectionado) and some head back to the motel to rest up for the long drive on Wednesday
Sunday, September 1, 2013
In New Orleans
Made it to New Orleans in time for late lunch/early dinner at Coop's Place. A few hours and beers later, we end up at Cafe Negril for some live music. This morning we do the obligatory Cafe Du Monde for beignets and coffee and a regular breakfast later at Johnny's Po Boys to get ready for the SD parade at 2. Hunter kind of dressed last night like he wanted to be in it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)