Jim's home | Motorcycle home | Van Trip home
I wanted to ride up Mount Evans on the highest paved road in the US. Unfortunately, like certain other roads in Colorado, you have to make a reservation to do this during a certain time slot. You can only do it online too. I learned this the evening before I planned to do it, and the earliest slot was for early afternoon the next day. I've been thwaRted before by this same thing a few years ago, wanting to drive through Rocky Mountain National Park on Rte 34. "A reservation? Whaaat?". I digress here, but how the $*&@ do you know what roads require a reservation in advance? Why should I have to enter my personal and payment information on a website to ride on a road??? Shame on you Colorado. What's the future like if this proliferates? Will I need to make a reservation to drive up Hurricane Ridge in the Olympics in my own home state? To drive across the North Cascades Highway?
So I bailed on Mount Evans and drove on to the reputedly beautiful Guanella Pass. Indeed, Rte 381 wound up the mountain from cute little Georgetown through a series of sharp, steep switch backs. Up into the aspen groves to Clear Lake Campground. Pretty high up there, so temps were in the low 40s when I woke up the next day. Guanella Pass didn't disappoint though. Challenging twisty, up and down road over an 11,669 foot pass. Seriously beautiful and great sportbike riding. I saw numerous other riders in full sportbike leathers riding in a spirited manner. Went on down the other, south side, then rode east on Rte 285 to a road that went to the town of Deckers. I'd read on some forum that "Deckers" was a good sportbike road. Yes it is. It's Pine Valley Rd. at the north end, and Deckers Rd. at the south end. Very curvy, moderate traffic when I was there. Beautiful of course. Do it if you're in the area.
Scenes at my Clear Lake Campground amongst the aspens:
Views on the Guanella Pass road:
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