Colorado MotoMarathon 2010

For those that are not aware of this event, and for those of you that are, I feel like sharing my experience...

MotoMarathon Association runs a series of endurance events throughout this Great Land. This weekend happens to be the Colorado.http://www.motomarathon.com/colorado_motomarathon.html

As fate would have it, I'm signed up! Riders have come from as far as Florida and Minnesota (that I know about that is) to experience a sport touring event across Colorado.

The season is perfect, the weather is perfect this weekend and the Aspen trees are ablaze in gold.

MotoMarathon is a self guided event where the riders travel to "check points", take a photo of their badge in front of each check point then report back at the end of the day. This year routes were designed by Butler Maps, another local idea. http://www.butlermaps.com/

So today was day 1, 353 miles and 5 check points:

I set out alone from my house at 06:30 this morning, choosing to not meet the group in Boulder at 7am. I know today's route well, plenty of time to complete the entire route by 7pm check in so, enjoy a bit...





I believe that gem was designed by perhaps Denver's greatest architectural icon, Jules Jacques Benedict.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Benedict

Our routes are given to us the night before or at 07:00 am the day of the ride. Today we rode the Peak to Peak highway from Ward to Estes Park, then through Rocky Mountain National Park on Trail Ridge Road, where a group of MotoMarathoners caught up to me.



Once through the sloppy, slugging road construction and lethargically moving heavy equipment on Trail Ridge, over Willow Creek Pass (125) to Walden. I left the group of hungry riders in Walden. They needed fuel as much as their bikes, I wanted to keep going.

Highway 14 was nearly empty today, best time I've ever had on that road.



I arrived in Estes Park again for my last required check point at 2 pm. We're not supposed to meet up until later in the evening so I stopped for some lunch in Nederland.



Some darn good Q with the "Atomic" sauce:



Nice patio, decent service, great chow. I'd recommend a stop if you happen to be around Nederland Colorado.
:dg

Devastating is all that I can say about the fires between Nederland and Boulder. I had some time to kill so I checked out the scene.

Riding into the smell of fire, haze lingering in the air, the photos don't do justice to the scene.









Amazing how the fire jumped around, burning nearly everything in its path




Coming down Sunshine Canyon I spotted this house surrounded by ashes. The owners are doing something right. Karma? Certainly praise for the fire fighters




Thank you Fire Fighters.


Today's mileage total was 450. More tomorrow (Butler has mapped out 450 miles for us).

Cheers

This looks like a lot of fun and I only wish I had signed up for such an event. Anyway keep us posted of your ride and the great pics.

Today was a big day. No, it was an epic day! There were 5 check points to be had today, I bagged all of them and was the first to check in and record them. The first time that someone other than Paul finished first according to the MotoMarathon staffer. Woot!











Our route was US 40 over Berthoud Pass to just north of the town of Kremmling. Highway 134 west over Gore Pass to 131 to Wolcott. I managed to follow a couple of real fast guys on this section (134). They left me in the dust at the Gore Pass check point, never to be seen again, by me anyway.
You can just barely make out the K1300



From Wolcott I took US 6 to I-70 to Glenwood Springs. Then C O82 to Aspen and over Independance Pass.



The colors were kickin!







Lots of enthusiasts on Independence Pass today



After Independence, US 24 to Leadville, then CO 91 over Freemont Pass to I-70 again. Then over Loveland Pass for the final check point of the day.

After my check in in Boulder and return ride to Littleton I logged 525 miles of sport touring nirvana today.

You should have been there!

Good job Deano !

excellent report.
glad you enjoyed the route!

i'm giving your old dr the workout next weekend.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=605706

Sweet!

Today was another excellent day. I could get used to this sport touring all day stuff! Our "Front Range" route today was mapped out at approximately 290 miles, the shortest day of the event. With my riding up to Boulder and back I logged 376 miles.

This was the "shortest" day but also the day with the most "check points", 7 total. The first point was the flag pole at the amphitheater on Flagstaff mountain. Riding up Flagstaff I was greeted with a group of 6 or so riders, bastards got ahead of me! I've not been to this amphitheater before and I rode right past it. A mile or so later I knew i went too far so I turned around and eventually found it.



I was really struck by the temperatures this morning. Coming over the hill and descending into Boulder it was down right nippy. Fog blanketed the city, a very rare thing to see in Colorado. By the time I reached the summit of Flagstaff I was sweating. The sun was baking the rocks, amazing how different the temps. Back down in Boulder it was nippy again.



Boulder to Lyons then up South St. Vrain Canyon to the Peak to Peak Highway again. Awesome! Very light traffic, and the high speed twisties on Hwy 7 are among the best.



I made up lost time on St. Vrains, managed to catch up with part of the group on a section of the Peak to Peak that some friends like to call "Suzy"





2 riders from Illinois, one from here in Colorado. I followed them for a bit, then twisted the wrist.

Check point 2 checked off, on thru Nederland again to Coal Creek Canyon, another of my local favorites. Again, light traffic and pristine corner carving on this Sunday morning. I caught up to another 2 riders from the MotoMarathon near the bottom of Coal Creek Canyon, Hwy. 72.

Check point 3, the intersection of Highways 72 and 93.



From this intersecton the route headed south on 93 to Golden Gate Canyon. Up GGC to 119 then back thru Blackhawk.

Check point 4:


I think that I would feel OK if I don't ride through Blackhawk again this season. The car traffic just sucks... Traffic was pretty heavy for the next segment; 119 to US6 to I-70 to Idaho Springs. Then up CO103 to Mt. Evans Rd. Lots of folks out on a Sunday drive gawking at the aspen trees.

Check point 4 was to be the summit of Mt. Evans by way of the highest paved road in North America.



Unfortunately the road was closed. Fortunately, I caught up with the leaders that left me on Flagstaff. Besides, I've been up there twice this season already. It's purdy!





There are definitely some sections of road that will freak those afraid of heights.



Check points 6 and 7 are on my turf (south of the canyons around Boulder) and I know the roads like the back of my hand. Both points bagged very quickly...





Too quickly I guess because I finished first again, arrived at the check in before any staffers were there. Within about 20 minutes another 2 riders came in. Turns out one of them is a fellow DEMC http://www.denvereurotrash.com/DEMC/Welcome_to_the_DEMC.html (Denver Eurotrash Motorcycle Club) member; Mike



I thought I was the only member on the ride. Glad that someone else signed up for this event too. We both found out about MotoMarathon from DEMC organizer Titty. Thanks Titty, it's a great time, you need to do this next year!

More tomorrow...

That looks like a fun one! You Butler guys have done a nice job with the routes this year.

Exhausted, I regret to say it's over. Back to "Normal" tomorrow, back to dueling computer monitors, emails and phone calls. Back to traveling in conditioned space, living in conditioned space.

Today was a real fine day. A big day once again. 492 miles across the great state of Colorado through countless turns, miles of straights, and over a road that was nearly as rough as a 4 wheel drive pass.

There were 6 check points today.

Nederland



Nighthawk, on Highway 67, which I have rode by dozens of times but never stopped to look. Interesting.



Then south to Cripple Creek



Hartsel, at Highway 9 and US 24, sits in the high desert. Not a curve in sight for miles.



Tarryall



And Kermits bar and grill. It may be famous but that don't make it good!



For most of the Colorado MotoMarathon I have ridden alone. Today I picked up a wingman after check point 2, Nighthawk. Nice change of events.



I was heading south to Cripple Creek, about 5 miles south of the Nighthawk check point when Mike passed by going north. Damn, I thought I was way ahead of the rest of the pack! I decided to pull over in Deckers and wait for him.

Our first stop, other than for gas in Woodland Park, was at the top of Gold Camp Rd. just outside the town of Victor.



Heading south on 67 toward Cripple Creek, stay left and take Lazy S Road around to Gold Camp then on to Victor. Definitely the way to go on a moto...



We followed the signs reading "Gold Belt Tour" toward Cripple Creek then took Hwy 1 to 11 Rd. (High Park) south to 9. There was some construction "work" going on- 4 guys standing around a tripod.



If you're ever in the area, ride through Guffey. Historic setting, lots of curiosities.



These roads are nice for a change. Lots of sweeping curves through the forests until you get close to Hartsel. Then it's





Road 77 that runs north/ south from Hwy 24 to Hwy 285 is in horrible shape. Too bad to because it is absolutely gorgeous around Tarryall Resevoir. As luck would have it, Mike and I rode all the way from 24 to 285 looking for our "Tarryall City Limits" check point. There isn't one. When we finally got across the sand wash outs, pot holes big enough to break Excels, and the small heard of cattle on the road to the town of Jefferson I knew we had missed the check point. We turned around and rode that shit again, can't miss a check point, especially after enduring that! We passed several others on the way back to Tarryall and I knew that I would not be getting another first to finish today.

I did get to go through Blackhawk again today! Yep, still sucks, but Hwy. 119 is the better way to get back to Boulder. We rode that to Nederland then back down Boulder Canyon for the last stretch of the 2010 Colorado MotoMarathon. Boulder Canyon is a hoot of a road for motorcycling. It was a hoot for us up until about a mile east of Boulder Reservoir.

What is that car in the distance?



That's our police escort all the way down the canyon. :huh

Our sleepy ride behind Johnny Law was not what we were hoping to finish the event with. Like I said in the beginning, back to "Normal"

I'm glad to have had this experience. In 4 perfect days I've clocked 1743 miles! Most of which were incredibly scenic, exhilarating, and epic in every way.

I recommend you try the MotoMarathon yourself. You'll not be disappointed.

http://www.motomarathon.com/

Cheers!

Can I just say one more thing? My 2007 Triumph Tiger 1050 kicks ass! Bought it new in '07, well over 14000 miles now and never a problem!

Flogged that girl hard this weekend and she kept coming back for more.

Brit Bikes Rule!


edit: well it does seem to go through tires pretty quickly......

Great stuff Deano

Do they always hold it out of Boulder? I've ridden every one of those roads 2402808 times... It'd be cool if they moved the start around so you could get to ride some new areas. Someone needs to do one of these out of Salt Lake City or something

Is this where I mention I've put more miles than that on my 950 this summer?

You ride more than I do, I've only ridden those roads 836,272.5 times. This event was supposed to run out of Gunnison but was changed to Boulder. The decision to move was based on the current economic climate. I can't say that I enjoyed going to and from Boulder every day....