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Divide 4 Day Adventure Ride

FMB

Exit Tours MC
Joined
Mar 1, 2022
Member Number
825
Posts
78
Location
Divide, CO
Four days, 760 miles, 11 high Mtn. Pass summits, 60,000 feet in elevation gain.
Over 100 miles each day of Adventure bike friendly dirt off-road sections was
the plan for the Divide Adventure Ride in '22 with Exit Tours Motorcycle Club

The '22 version of the Continental Divide adventure ride took place over 4 days in early July.
Some of the roads were moist, though this year we avoided most of the rain showers, and were blessed with an overnight cloudburst or 2.

No crashes, no flats and no real navigation issues with the Ride with GPS phone compatible GPS tracks.

8 like-minded enthusiasts took up the ride on an eclectic collection of Motorcycles:
A T7 Yamaha, a Triumph Cub, 2 BMW GS 1250s, a 501 Husky, 1 KLR and 2 890 KTMs led the way.

divide ride below indy pass.jpg




The four days of loops were a circuitous route from secure truck parking at the Colorado Springs airport.
The ride was an Exit from reality and included more old railroad tunnels than stop lights...no real traffic to speak of for 4 days of Throttle Therapy.

The 8 like-minded enthusiasts and new club members appeared to bond pretty well, and rode in one group of 3 and a 2nd group of 5.

Towns we visited on Day 1 included the start in Colorado Springs, the old mining town of Victor, Canon City and Skyline drive and its Dinosaur tracks, the old railroad stop of Cotopaxi and the old railroad town of Salida on the 175 mile loop that was 60 percent off-road.

Day 1 was basically around the east and south sides of Pikes Peak on 2 twisty old narrow gauge Railroad beds.
Then through canyons and passes to the Continental Divide on the Arkansas River.
The old Colorado Springs & Cripple line that is now Gold Camp Road and the Florence & Cripple Creek Rail line down Phantom Canyon were Friday mornings.playground.

Day 2 was the longest at 230 + miles to Leadville. From the start in Salida the loop went through the largest Aspen Grove in the region over the appropriately named Aspen Ridge, a 2 track jeep road. Then over Trout Creek Pass, on 2 old railroad lines.

From the top of Trout Creek, it was then up and over the old stage line that is Weston Pass at almost 12k feet, down to the old county seat of Granite on the Arkansas River.

From below Mt Elbert lake the loop then passed through Twin Lakes and over the Continental Divide on the 3rd highest paved pass in the country to the ski resort of Aspen.

After lunch in Aspen, it was a ride up the spectacular Roaring Fork Valley river valley, around Rudi reservoir to the old Railroad line over Hagerman Pass.

The old Railroad went under the Mountain, but the current Road uses some of the old rail line and then turns into a jeep road over the mountain.

There is one stubborn Snow drift on Hagerman Pass with 12 foot walls that is plowed thru at the of June every year, and makes for a neat experience riding through a snow field in July.

From the top of 12k foot Hagerman Pass the views of Turquoise Lake are epic, as the guys wound their way down to the highest city in the country, Leadville and the built in 1896 historic Delaware Hotel.

After a prime rib dinner in Leadville and a visit to a local watering hole, it was a casual morning and a great breakfast at the newly remodeled restaurant at the Delaware Hotel.

Day 3 was a 180 mile jaunt again over the Divide into the Colorado River headwaters.
The loop started down an interesting water pipeline right-of-way, to the outstanding old Midland Railroad bed along the Arkansas River and its old Railroad tunnels to Buena Vista.

From BV the loop went up and over paved Cottonwood Pass to an off- road section, with the most creek crossings on the weekend, then through the old mining town of Tincup.

From Tincup it was up to over 12k foot Cumberland Pass, to the railroad right of way of the Denver, Southpark & Pacific that once went under the Divide at the Alpine Tunnel.

Lunch and fuel was at the Silver Plume General Store in the old railroad town of Pitkin.

From Pitkin the guys rode over 2 more passes and met the chase truck in a remote portion of the forest.
Then went up and over the first Railroad bed over the Rocky Mountains, the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad line that is the sinuous Marshall Pass at over 10,000 feet above sea level.

From Marshall Pass it was a short trip back to the Hot Tub at the Browns Canyon Inn in Salida, and dinner and beers at Highway 50 Burger.

Day 4 headed up an old racetrack out of Salida, ala Pikes Peak, with some epic views of the Continental Divide above the Arkansas River.
Then headed across high plains thru multiple Aspen groves towards the South Platte River.

From the old Midland Railroad grade along the South Platte in 11 Mile Canyon, the 2 groups took some locals only twisty dirt roads onto a lunch stop in the city above clouds in Woodland Park.

From Woodland Park it was more dirt down to the spectacular Garden of the Gods rock formations.
From GOG it was into old Colorado City to over the old Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek railroad bed through 2 more old train tunnels, to Cheyenne Canyon and back to the Colorado Springs Airport where the trucks had been securely parked.

Overall a fun 4 days in the mountains, hanging out and riding Motorcycles with like-minded enthusiasts. Very little traffic or hassle on this low-key Club Adventure ride.

Look for this Epic Adventure ride again in July of 2023, and put the Divide Ride on your calendar?


divide ride MAP All.jpg



Google Photo Share Link

https://photos.app.goo.gl/zPNTPBSB9LCrJfpx9
 
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