Cheese Weasels Get Rocky Mountain High

[Stichill_imp]

Friday - Day 1 of the Ride

So after enjoying a hearty breakfast at Snooze, we gathered our stuff at the hipster pad and boarded the train out of Union Station, back to Foothills BMW Triumph / Eagle Rider. Official check-out was noon but we arrived at 10:00 to "expedite" the checkout process.

After much asking and searching, some beat-up factory bags were located for the MT-09 Tracer. No bags were available for the Tenere 1200 nor the MT-07. We anticipated the bag situation with the MT-07 and were prepared, and thankfully the guy on the Tenere was also prepared for no bag joy on his ride. One guy was supposed to be on a Tiger 800, which was nowhere to be found, so they put him on a 1200 GS with cast wheels.

Here is Keyshawn (left) of Eagle Rider checking in the bikes that we were scheduled to immediately check back out. Working alone, he did the best he could to perform safety and functional checks, and he also lubed the chains.



The checkout process was tediously, agonizingly slow. Supposedly we had all "Checked in" online but we were still forced to scroll through rental agreements, signing in three or four places, showing driver's licenses (even though we'd submitted pics online), and affirming / denying insurance and roadside assistance. We made our escape around 11:15, 45 minutes ahead of schedule!



Our leader, a savant when it comes to finding shade, the natural habitat of the North American Cheese Weasel.



It was really hot, in the 90s F, and we were anxious to Get Out of Denver.




Our destination for lunch was Fairplay, the real-life setting of the fictional cartoon series South Park.



The ride up US 285 was not awesome. Being a Friday, everybody was trying to get out of Denver. The road was filled with pickups and Jeeps pulling pop-up and teardrop campers / caravans, as well as Subaru and Audi wagons with bicycles up on their roofs. The only saving grace was that it was a divided highway and we had opportunity to pass, although many of the campers also enjoyed camping in the left line for miles on end.

We stopped at a gas station once the road straightened out a bit to top of tanks and check straps. There was a group of Chevy Nomads already there, and we ended up following them all the way into Fairplay.



We rolled into Fairplay where it was...hot.







Get out of the gear.



A sandwich and ice cream shop was blissfully air-conditioned. We went in with masks and came out with food. Friendliest employees!



The sandwich shop owner came out and converted a bench into a table in the shade for us.



Cool and delicious!