Day Trippin Colorado

Decided to finally do my first ride report. I would like to warn you in advance my grammar and picture taking abilities are severely limited, and since this is my first report, I am not sure that I understand how to upload pics on here. If you are expecting my ride reports to be as good as other inmates, like the Wans for instance, you will be let down. Will try not to bore you to tears too bad though.
Just a little about me. I have been riding for about 31 years, mostly in a legal manner. First rode on a friends motorcycle on a farm where I grew up. I was 12, and I was hooked. Although I am not a new rider, I believe you never stop learning, and would never hesitate to say older and younger folks alike probably ride better and worse than me. Just out exploring and having fun, that is what it is all about, so constructive criticism is appreciated, but being nice about it would be cool.

So lets hope all goes well with this RR......

I left my domicile in Superior, CO, about two seconds after this photo was taken. The weather was clear and chilly (41F). Hey, its January in norther Colorado, what do you expect. The whole trip is done on slab because the side roads are full of ice and snow, but the slab is dry and ice free for the most part. The plan was to ride into the Rockies up to Estes Park via hwy 93, hwy 72, hwy 7 and take hwy 34 out of Estes Park in a round about way back to my dwelling.

Anyway, this is a picture of Mulina. She still has Florida tags because I just moved back to Colorado. She also still has the red clay from riding in the National Forest roads in the panhandle. Although I liked Florida and lived there off and on for ten years of my life, I really missed the Mountains and headed on back to Colorado.
Notice I don't even have crash bars or adv stickers yet. Those will be coming soon, hopefully. I definitely need crash bars as you will see later in this report. I do however have a Cee Bailey windscreen and a Zumo 550, both of which I am very happy with.
<a href="https://alcanrider.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Colorado-Day-Trippin/27470204_LpLKQ2#!i=2311010140&k=pHs8Bdf&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img src="https://alcanrider.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Colorado-Day-Trippin/i-pHs8Bdf/0/L/IMG_1632-L.jpg" title="" alt=""></a>

These were taken a few minutes from the domicile, and you can see the flatirons, the Eastern Rockies, and the pics do not do justice to how big of a drop off it is.




Turning onto Hwy 72.......



Going up......



My beautiful wife and I want to try out this restaurant, notice how high up it is....





more from hwy 72.....







Boulder Creek frozen solid at Pinecliffe.....





more of 72...



The end of hwy72, and turning onto 119/hwy7





Looking back down 72, the driver of this vehicle had no idea they would be made famous via this RR! Hope they don't sue me.



Heading into Nederland via HWY 7









Awesome pizza here in Nederland.



This German restaurant is incredibly awesome, the owners and employees are very friendly. This is a pretty classy place, so expect to pay a little bit. Of course, you can always go across the street for pizza. I didn't have time today to do either

On the way to Ward, CO. Notice we are getting up to the tree line. The tree lines in this part of the World start at about 10,000ft (correct me if I am wrong) that is the height that the grass starts and the trees end. Up in Alaska and parts of Canada, the tree line starts at around 4,000 ft. Just some info for you, hey you might be on a trivia show someday and then it won't be just some useless information.



More on the way to Ward....





Notice the fruited plains 4,000ft lower.



More on the way to Ward...



many curves on this road....



















Shortly after taking this photo, I decided to ride up a road to Brainard Lakes, and see if anybody was ice fishing. Note Fishing is my other past time, hey at least it isn't as expensive as golf! That is what I always tell the wife anyway.
Well, starting up I started to see some ice in the road, and decided to turn back around to the highway. So coming back down the mountain my bike decided to take a slab nap. I don't have a picture of the bike actually napping, because I was in a curve, and didn't want to get runned over by other traffic. So I turned off the gas which was leaking like crazy, and lifted the KLR back up and pushed it to the side of the road. The following is a picture of the road where I went down(with a couple pieces of KLR), and a pic of the left side of Mulina, she is so pissed at me. The wife wasn't too happy either, because she took me to the ER after she got off work. Not a lot of injuries, severely bruised right arm, bruised right knee, cracked right ribs near the top of the ribcage, and of course my pride. I just had to go up to those dang lakes! Why could't I just leave well enough alone and stay on the main road. I guess that is why it is called adventure riding, and I don't care to go on that type of adventure again, but I know I will, it is just a matter of time It could have been much worse!





Well, after that I was in pretty bad pain as the swelling started. Like I told the Doc at the ER that wasn't my first rodeo, and I knew my ribs were cracked before he took the XRAYS, I just wanted some pain meds. He wondered how I rode down out of the mountains with busted ribs....It wasn't fun.

So needless to say, I didn't take a bunch more pics. but here are a couple.

Here are a couple of a little church in Meeker, CO. This place is beautiful. Also, a picture of a statue of JC, who was riding with me, I think he told me not to go until Spring, but I didn't listen, as usual......









Estes Park down below....



HERES JOHNNY! One of the most famouns lines from a movie ever. I can just see him poking his head through the door. Anyway, this is the Stanley hotel where "The Shining" was shot/made.





That does it for the first Colorado Day trippin addition, I hope I didn't bore you too much. Will be adding more later after I am healed up. Need to take some more Percocet.

Always enjoy pictures of Colorado! Thanks for sharing them. Hope you heal up quick!

Thank you! I am not all that bad, and hopefully my picture taking and posting will get a little bit better.

Good first report. Love the pics. I had to ride out of the woods with 3 broken ribs and a bad concussion , so I know you were hurting. Another thing you'll need out there is a good bash plate if you'll be doing the passes.

Thx for the report.....nice to see that someone has been out riding......crash and all.....heal quick for the next ride!

Great report! I lived in Nederland and Rollinsville back in the 1970's so I always enjoy a good R R from that area.

im a klr guy here in colorado springs just moved here from alaska .. love riding through that area ..

Thanks, yeah definitely need to pick up the bash plate. I am not new to riding in these mountains. Never with the KLR though, had a couple dr650s that seemed so much better for the dirt and sand than this pig I ride now. I still love Mulina though in spite of her short comings.....

I lived off and on in Anchorage, and have family up in Fairbanks. Just moved back to Colorado in August 2011, then bolted to Florida for a year, and now I am back. Let me know if you want to ride sometime. Guessing you are military or former like myself?
Doug

Thanks Carl! I love going up there riding. Rollinsville is great, and the 4wd trail over to St Mary's Glacier/Fall River Rd area was incredible on the DR's. I want to get a WR250 or the new Honda 250 CFR250L I believe. It is way cheaper than the Yamaha, but has pretty close to the same specs. Thanks for reading.

Thank you, can't wait to get out again. Right now every time I sneeze, cough, laugh, or hiccup, the pain is pretty extraordinary. Doesn't help that I have a nasty cold also

Thanks for the RR...good luck with the ribs

would love too .. yeah dual military family im a has been and wife is about to retire .. but we are Alaskans from Wasilla just waiting to stop playing Army ..

We just left FT WW after 2 tours there and one in Anchorage .

I lived in monument /Palmer lake as a kid in the 70;s and early 80"S ..changed alot since then .

Nice effort on the ride report. Get well soon!

Thanks for the ride report. You did a great job! Keep 'em coming.

Sometimes I wish I were back in Alaska, somewhere other than Anchorage though. I originally moved here to be stationed at Buckley AFB. Retired in 07. All the crowds of people took a lot to get used to, and I still hate cities, but going to the mountains makes it worth while. The wife misses Alaska also, but wants to live in the Springs.

Like how you have your ride set up, hopefully I will have Mulina set up like that by Spring. Look forward to riding with you someday and welcome to CO!
Doug

Thanks Mr_Gone! You have an awesome State to ride in over there.

Hey redrockrider, I love your RRs, you are responsible for me getting the small bike bug. So now when I end up buying a wr250r, and get in trouble with the wife, you are in a World of trouble!

Thanks, and I can't wait to get back on the road again.