Snowy Range Road

[the Ferret]

Glad you're enjoying your RT!

I'm sure enjoying my K bike....we need to get together next summer.

Here's mine on the Dragon....pure joy!

GREAT PIC offroad!

[LongRanger_imp]

Offroad, I'm unavailable next July 15-27, but by all means, let's make plans for another Rockies ride next summer. We can use my place as a base camp again but this time, I suggest we spend a few days in SW Colorado -- there's some wonderful riding in the San Juan mountains, plus we can easily venture into SE Utah, which is spectacular. If this sounds like it could work, I recommend we consider making hotel reservations soon for Ouray $$ or Telluride $$$. These towns are very popular and tend to fill up early. Once you're there, you'll see why.

[Stichill_imp]

Nice ride report, LR. Looks like a nice jaunt on the RT.

You did what the magazines seem unable to do for some reason, namely, show a clearly marked route map. I've read so many ride reports in magazines with little or no map. I sit there with a map and try to read the route description through the flowery prose. It's amazing how many of them describe non-existent roads or incomplete routes with major gaps between points.

[offroadfx4_imp]

LongRanger I was looking at some of those hotels....they are $$.....would you recommend one over the other?

Looked like there were two different prices.....higher if you wanted to be able to cancel....I would probably want that option because you never know what might pop up.

[LongRanger_imp]

I've stayed at three different places in Ouray: River's Edge Lodge, Ouray Chalet Inn, and Matterhorn Motel. They're all about the same and reasonably priced for the area, but they fill up early. My preference would be the REL because it's a block off the main drag (US550) and more peaceful than the other two. For those who don't mind car-camping, the Ouray KOA is excellent (they have cabins, tent sites, and a large teepee you can rent). The Moto-Guzzi Not-a-Rally was held there a few summers ago and everyone seemed to like the place. They hosted a steak dinner for 25-35 of us and it was really impressive.

I've stayed in two places in Telluride. The first was a ski condo in Mountain Village (located mid-mountain at the terminus of the free gondola). The other place was in town at the Camel's Garden Inn. Telluride is an awesome place to spend 2-3 days but accommodations are expensive. It'd be a nice option if you wanted to splurge a bit. We will certainly ride through there on one of the routes I suggest.

There are many other options in the area, including Ridgway, Montrose, Gunnison, Lake City, South Fork, Pagosa Springs, Durango, and Dolores, but if you're coming all the way to SW Colorado for a motorcycling vacation, I think Ouray or Telluride is the place to be.

[the_undecider_imp]

Y'all are making me jealous! I wish I could take that much time off for some San Juan Mountain fun. Even worse, my friend just got back from Lake City and got to hear all about that. My family used to vacation in Ouray and we'd bring the dual sports and stay at the Ouray KOA Kabins. A few years ago, my wife and I drove up in the car and I went nearly crazy not having my bike. We stayed ay the Ouray Chalet and it was nice. That town rolls up the sidewalks fairly early, so not a lot of noise from the main drag after 9pm.

[Cormanus]

I wish people would wear gloves.

I wrote this after I looked at the picture of offroad on the Dragon. I thought he was not wearing gloves. When I look again he was. Apologies.

Nice ride report, LR. Looks like a nice jaunt on the RT.

You did what the magazines seem unable to do for some reason, namely, show a clearly marked route map. I've read so many ride reports in magazines with little or no map. I sit there with a map and try to read the route description through the flowery prose. It's amazing how many of them describe non-existent roads or incomplete routes with major gaps between points.

With today's technology, it is pretty easy to draw a very precise route map and to make it available on line.