Durango and Silverton Riding Advice

I've been to northern co and like it, and now decided to hit southern co this time. jim and i are planniing to do a week-long riding the area around durango, cortez, and silverton starting this coming weekend. i could have planned it at least last september but didn't have the opportunity. i'll take whatever i find this coming week.

our plan is to truck our bikes (both 525 exc) from los angeles via hw40- hw89- hw160 and staged from durango. i did my research using mapsource street navigator, topo, bemchmark map, and google earth. looks good, but nothing compared to feedbacks from locals which are more up to date and personal.

i presume there won't be snow on the road by this saturday, but there will be snow up on higher elevations. i don't mind snow, as long not vry deep and icy.

really appreciate any input from anyone. not limited to riding areas but places to see and eat within 100 mile radius from durango.

and if you're coming to los angeles and do some riding, check out my sig line. likewise, i can provide the most recent riding conditions; and point you to riding areas suitable to your riding skill and interest.

Here is a little link to the weather up on Wolf Creek pass.

http://www.wolfcreekski.com/wolf-creek-snow-report.php

And some shots from the high country around Durango.
http://www.dickgilbert.com/durangomtncams.htm

I did a google search on Colorado Web Cams
And Colorado Dept or Transportation.

Honestly you will need to be aware of snow in the high country. Some of which isn't something that you mess with. Not on a bike anyway. And there is always the possability of black ice on the roads in the mornings.

The low country around Durango should be fine. Same is true for south into New Mexico. Moab should be great riding this time of the year.

I would think that any riding plans should be flexable. This time of the year.

After mountain snows the last two days (Wolf Creek got about 2 feet), the paved mountain highways will probably be clear this weekend (though may well be icy in the northern exposures), but most of the high passes will not be clear or open...

This is a really nice time to go to Moab.

There's some singletrack north and west of Durango but I doubt that's going to be ridable this time of year. I think you missed it by about 4 weeks.

I also highly recommend Moab since you're coming this far. I was there 2 weeks ago and it was really nice, 40s at night and 60~70s during the day and not much in the way of crowds.

+1 on Moab and other southern Utah areas. This is almost surely not a good time of year for riding in the high Rockies.

I'd be thinking Moab and Fruita/Rabbit Valley this time of year. As a matter of fact, I'm loading up my gear as we speak to head there!

^^Ding ding^^ Headed to Rabbit Valley this weekend too....

high country is out. Make a loop of the lowlands, around Durango, then to Montrose/Peach Valley for a solid day of riding in amazing terrain, then rabbit valley, then Moab. You can have an epic trip, just not up high!

all good comments and thanks., we should just stay around durango for a few days then head out to the lowlands or desert. still want to see silverton, ophir, cortez, etc, we can truck, don'tt have to be on bikes. love to take pics, relax and enjoy the beauty.

we'll be checking this thread and see if there is some progress...LOL. will have the SPOT just in case.

San Rafeal!!! Depends on your tastes but Moab is more crowded, I supppose some would say civilized:huh I was North of Hanksville and South of Moab last week, super!

Thanks again to all.

I'm grounded, twisted my right knee while loading up the truck. It's going to be a long wait until the snow is almost gone.

heal!

That's fucked. Hope you heal quickly.

thanks bark and eddy.

will have to wait for 2012.....shhheeezzz, that's a long wait.

here are couple of rallies

RMAR @ Aug 1-5

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=736276

WESTFEST sometime in July

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=737558

Moab's good, getting cold. Snowing right now, actually. Not sticking, though. This weekend is supposed to be cold (20's) and wet. Some of the roads around here have long clay sections and if they're wet, stay off. Overall, riding should be pretty good for the next few days.

Cold and snow now, have to wait until June to ride around here...

It even snowed a bit here in Farmington yesterday but it didnt stick ,current temp is 33 degrees