Colorado High

Colorado High

October 1 - 4, 2020

The annual fall ride! For the last 5 years, we have headed to Colorado to see the fall colors on the first weekend of October. The first time we went the colors were unbelievable in their vibrance. It was also a little rainy which brought out the colors even more. Since then, we have headed back to relive that ride…still chasing that first-time high!

We also do an annual trip each summer and this year, of course, that was derailed because of the Rona. So, this trip is the replacement and a chance to travel with our close friends and family. Three couples will join us on this trip.

I have been working on my National Parks Tour with the Iron Butt Association (IBA) and Harley’s HOG’s Ride 365. So, I have a few stops planned to stop and get some selected photos.

The first leg is from St. George, Utah, to Durango, Colorado. The only scheduled stop is Mesa Verde National Park. When we arrive at the park, we find that the visitor center is only open from 9 am to 3 pm, so I have to settle for a picture of a closed sign at the center versus a passport stamp, bummer.

The next leg is from Durango to Pueblo, Colorado. We ride the famous Million Dollar Highway with a stop in Silverton at the world's highest Harley-Davidson store (I think that now may be in question with a new store somewhere). The colors, mountains, and roads have been awesome. However, we are still chasing the vibrant colors of the first trip. The next planned stop is at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. It is an amazingly steep and deep gorge that looks like it is impossible to access the river below. Truly a natural wonder.

The next stop is the Royal Gorge Bridge, State Park. This is a bridge spanning another deep gorge that is no longer used for vehicle travel and now is a tourist attraction. But, sometimes, traveling with a group makes it hard timewise to get to places before they close. The value of spending time with this group is well worth missing out on a stop or two.

As we travel through the state, there seem to be select areas where the falls' colors are awesome and other areas where the leaves are gone or still green. There was a cold fall storm a month ago that dumped a foot or so of snow through this area and may have caused this issue.

From Pueblo to Glenwood, Colorado is the next leg. We stop at a bunch of Harley-Davidson dealerships for a picture and other items to document the trip. The top stop planned is Independence Pass. A couple of years ago, Laurie and I did the IBA Heaven to Hell ride, or in our case, Hell to Heaven. The ride was from Badwater in Death Valley National Park in California to the top of Mount Evans in Colorado, going over Independence Pass. When we rode over Independence Pass it was in the middle of the night and did not get to see the beauty of the country. Boy, did we miss some beautiful country? The ride is amazingly beautiful, with mountains cresting above the tree line and amazing canyons. On that previous ride, we damn near froze to death having not planned for 30-degree temps. This time it was cool and needed a coat, but it was near perfect riding temperature.

The ride down from the pass to Aspen is an amazing narrow road and this was in an area where the colors were near perfect, mixed in with the pines, it a gorgeous.

The last leg from Glenwood to home would be around a 500-mile day. Most of it would be on the freeway, which sucks, but it’s time to get home. The highlight, however, was the Colorado National Monument. This small Monument is spectacular. It has an amazing twisty road mixed in the giant red sandstone cliffs. Looking at the surrounding country, you would never know this place was here. Every time we ride through this area we try and go through here, the time it takes is short and well worth it. It’s one of the highlights of the trip.

Well, till next year, Colorado High is in the books. Like I said earlier, the company was outstanding, the country amazing, the roads fantastic, and the highlights of the beautiful mountains with the fall colors made for a memorable trip.