Solo Riding Colorado and Utah

On Wednesday August 15th we dropped Klair off at Adams State College in Alamosa Colorado.
 
After we lugged all her stuff up to her 3rd floor dorm room and paid her tuition, Nannette got in the van to drive back home, and I hopped on my Honda VTX 1300R motorcycle for another ride around Colorado and Utah.
 
Since I was already half way down the state, it only made sense to head for Blanding to visit my Grandmother and Aunts.  The ride was beautiful with nice temperatures, clouds and storms all around me, but only a couple of short sprinkles right on me.
 
I took my Aunt's advice and turned off the main road at Mancos and rode up through Dolores to cut off about 20 miles of road.  The shortcut was a very nice road and almost no traffic.
 
We had a nice evening chatting at Grandma's house, and a great night's sleep in the basement.  I did have to rig up a fan because the windows don't open, but I felt great and refreshed when I got up.
 
Thursday August 16th
 
The ride North to Moab went by quick and I got lucky again and caught the tail end of traffic through a 10 mile section of 1 lane road.  The road between Monticello and Moab will be much nicer once they finish all of the construction.
 
My first stop was Dead Horse Point State Park.  This is a point off of a plateau that is connected to the main plateau by a very narrow strip of land.  It overlooks a large loop of the Colorado River.
 
The Island in the Sky portion of Canyonlands is right next to Dead Horse, but by the time I got there, temperatures were well up into the 90s so I was sweating pretty bad.  I looked through the visitor center then rode about 5 miles in.  Then I turned around and headed out again.
 
I stopped in Greenriver for lunch and gas, and made it to Price by 3:30.  I went to my Aunt's home by sheer luck.  I took the way that I remember going as a young man with my brothers.  You go out the backside of the Smith's grocery store parking lot, then drive until you have to turn, then go till you recognize their house.  I couldn't believe I made it.
 
At 5:00 people started showing up and the grill got turned on.  Lisa, Jae and all their kids, and LaNelle and her kids, and a couple of Holly's kids were there.  We had burgers, corn and watermelon.
 
Friday August 17th
 
At 8:00am my friend Mike called.  He was checking into a local hotel, so LaNelle and I rode my motorcycle over to show him how to get back to my Aunt's house.  We sat talking till 11:30.  The mine disaster in Huntington was a large part of the conversation.
 
Mike and I had breakfast the next morning, but first we had to drive all over town to find something that was open at 7:30am.  Price doesn't seem to have anything resembling a rush hour, and the only place we found was JBs.
 
At 8:00 Mike headed back up to Provo for work, and I headed back South.  There had been a big accident on I-70 a few days earlier and the freeway had been closed at the Colorado border, but the road was open so I gassed up in Greenriver and headed East towards Grand Junction.  I got off in Fruita to get a burger then continued up the road to the Colorado National Monument.  There is a $7.00 fee to enter the park but I have a year national park pass.  The climb to the top of the mesa was really fun and beautiful.
 
I rode to the visitor center and ate at the picnic tables.  The view was great, the weather was cool, and the burger was cold but it was a great meal.  After lunch I continued riding through the monument.  The road was windey and filled with stops and great views out across Grand Junction to the far mountains.  It's nice being on a motorcycle because I could just pull real close to the view and just sit on the bike.
 
The drop back out the other side of the monument was also great.  Lots of twists and turns.  It puts you out on the back side of Grand Junction so I didn't have to drive back up the way I'd come.
 
From Grand Junction I rode up I-70 to Glenwood Springs.  I stopped at Wendy's for a frosty (I'm a real he-man biker) and called my wife.  Then I rode up highway 82 to Aspen.  I stopped and found a restauraunt by the fountain to sit and watch the people walk by.  I had a plate of garlic steamed mussles and a diet coke.  It was interesting watching all the beautiful people walking past.  I'm not sure what's in the water up there, but every third woman was pregnant.
 
After the mussles I continued up highway 82 towards Independence Pass.  I got sprinkled on a couple of times but they were quick.  The road narrows to 1 lane a couple of times.  It climbs up to 12,000 feet at the top.  It was really threatening to rain so I took a quick picture and started down the other side.  Just after I got down the rain really hit.  I didn't see anywhere to get shelter and I was drinched from head to toe in seconds so I didn't bother stopping and putting on rain gear.
 
I rode for 15 miles until the rain stopped, then another 15 miles into Leadville.  I planned to get a hotel room in Leadville but all 3 hotels I saw had "No Vacancy" signs out.  So I continued North back up to I-70 and East to Breckenridge.  I dried out quite a bit, but I was chilled to the bone by the time I got to Frisco.  The first place I saw was the Frisco Lodge and I could see a hot tub in the back, so I stopped there.
 
My room was small and there was only common bathrooms, but it was only $49.  I changed into my swim suit and went to the hot tub.  It took me 5 minutes to get in because the water felt like it was boiling hot to my freezing cold hands.  I sat in it for 30 minutes till I was totally thawed out.
 
Saturday August 18th
 
The breakfast in the hotel had eggs, waffles, fresh fruit, and home made muffins.  The muffins were really great.
 
I headed over to Silverthorne then North up highway 9 to Kremmling.  I turned East toward Granby then on toward the Rocky Mountain National Park.  I got about 15 miles into the park and was just starting the climb when the rain began.  I got cold going over Independence Pass with only rain on the back side.  This pass was much higher, longer, and rain starting at the beginning so I decided that discretion was the better part of valor and turned around.
 
I went back to Granby and turned South.  As I got near Winter Park the traffic came to a stand still.  It turned out that there was a HUGE motorcycle ralley for Veterans in Winter Park.  I didn't stop because I don't really enjoy big crowds like that.  As I left Winter Park I started passing motorcycle groups heading to the ralley.  There was a probably a thousand or more motorcycles already in Winter Park, and I passed at least another 500 on the way out.
 
I enjoyed the climb up Berthound pass, but the parking lot at the top of the pass was crowded with bikes so I didn't stop for a picture.
 
I stopped in Empire just before I-70 to get some lunch.  There were several bikers in the restauraunt and we chatted about what all was going on in town, and as I suspected, their main theme was all the beer.
 
I finished lunch and headed East on I-70.  As I left Idaho Springs I saw the exit for Central City.  It's a big 4 lane road heading up the hill and I've never been on it, so I decided on the spur of the moment to ride that way.  The road is very nice and stays 4 lanes all the way up to Central City which I'd never heard of.  There were some big casinos and hotels.  I rode highway 119 and 6 into Golden, then stuck to the freeway the rest of the way home.
 
The road up past wolf creek

 
Looking at storm clouds as I come to the top of Wolf Creek Pass

 
Wolf Creek Pass

 
Entering Utah

 
Looking over Recapture Reservoir toward Blue Mountain (Abajo Peak)

 
Blue Mountain

 
Looking at the Colorado River off of Dead Horse Point


 
Looking straight down over 1,500 feet off of Dead Horse Point

 
Entering Canyonlands National Park

 
Leaving Canyonlands (it was too hot to stay long)


 
Eating Lunch at Colorado National Monument

 
Views from the Colorado National Monument road

 

 

 

 
Main street in Aspen

 
Watching the beautiful people of Aspen while I eat a bowl of steamed mussles

 

 
Highway 82 on the way to Independence pass

 

 
The final climb up to Independence Pass

 

 
Independence Pass

 
My room in the Frisco Lodge.  Yup that's all of it.

 

 
Lots of dead pine trees in Rocky Mountain National Park

Klair goes to College

Yesterday, Nannette, Klair, and I drove down from Colorado Springs to Alamosa to boot Kla.... I mean, to deliver our darling daughter Klair to Adams State College.
 
Klair attended a 3 week summer session at Adams State in July, but that time it only required the trunk of my car to carry all of her stuff. This time we had to take the seats out of our van and practically strap Klair to the luggage rack in order to carry everything she felt she'd need to survive for a year.   We bought a small refrigerator from another college student we know, and claimed a microwave oven from my oldest daughter Koren when they moved out of our house into their own house a few weeks ago.  (I'm sure enough of our stuff migrated to her new house to more than pay for the microwave).
 
I went to work on Tuesday, and the plan was for me to go home around 3:00, pack up, and start the drive down at about 5:00.  But at 1:00 my cell phone rang.  Klair was calling to ask if I couldn't please hurry and come home so she could get going to college.  Not since she was 5 years old have I heard Klair whine to go to school.
 
I did get home before 2:00.   Klair and Nannette had already packed most of the van, so I just needed to put together my motorcycle trailer, load the bike, and pack my bag.  I'm taking the motorcycle because I'm going to take a 4 day motorcycle ride after we drop Klair off, but REALLY, I'm there for Klair, not the ride.
 
We listened to Klair's Hairspray album part of the way down and she sang loud and happy with the music.  She had to tell us half the story of each song and just how good a femal actor John Travolta was.  Then we listened to a dramatized version of Tom Sawyer while Nannette tried to get some sleep.
 
The next morning we got to the college at 8:00 and started all the paperwork to get Klair checked in.  Carrying all that stuff up to her room on the 3rd floor wasn't fun.  Especially the fridge.  In Colorado Springs, we live around 6,700 feet altitude, but Alamosa is over 7,500 and we could feel the difference.  At least that's what Nan and I kept telling ourselves as we huffed and puffed up 2 flights of stairs.  Finally her stuff was in the room and I started setting up the computer and stuff while Nan unpacked clothes.  I'm not sure what Klair was doing besides dancing in the middle of the room and giggling.
 
Her room mate arrived at 9:00 and Klair left to help her bring her stuff in.  After a quick trip to Walmart for extension cords and storage boxes, we had her room ready.  Now it was time to go see about paying for all of this luxury.  If you're interested, her semester with books, tuition, dorm, and food was just about $5,500.  I'm told that's very cheap compared to allot of the bigger Universities.
 
We said our goodbyes out by the van.  Klair was still grinning and excited and hugging everyone she saw and thought she knew.  We will miss that sweet spirit of love in our home for the next few months.  Parent's weekend is over Labor day and we plan to come visit and embarass Klair just as much as we can.
 
This was a few days before we left, but it was fun taking Klair's niece Sydnee & nephew Beckham to lunch

 
Klair and Nannette sitting patiently while I strap down the bike

 
Me and Klair

 
Loading Klair where she'd have to ride (not really)

 
Waiting in line to check-in

 
All of Klair's stuff ready to be carried up to the 3rd floor.

 
Putting her stuff away

 
Mother and Daughter

 
Me setting up her computer

 
Klair, her room mate (in pink) and a girl from the adjoining room (2 rooms share a bathroom)

 
Clay (me), Klair, and Nannette

Astronomy Camping

In August I went with the local astronomy club up in the the mountains for a night of stargazing. I own a little Meade ETX 300PE telescope that I like to look through. It's small, light and has great optics.

I left work just after 5:00 and arrived in the meadow where we were meeting by 6:30. There was another guy from work that also recently started amateur astronomy and met me there. He bought a nice big 12" dobsonian telescope. His gets more light (and thus sharper pictures) than mine, but mine is electronic and points itself.

Just as I arrived, a thunderstorm started down on us. We sat in cars a bit and sat under the awning of another guy's trailer for a bit. I grabbed one photo during a lull in the rain, then tried to take a nap.

The storm lasted about 90 minutes, then it cleared up. But even though the sky was clear, there was allot of humidity in the air and dew gathered on things very easily. It also makes the air a bit thicker and less stable (wavy images).

About 15 people showed up in all. As the rain cleared and the dark descended we frantically set up tents and telescopes. There was a group of ATV riders about 1/4 mile away from us so we set up our telescopes on the far side of the big trailer to block any campfires they might have started.

As it turned out, the ATVers were great neighbors. No massive bon fire, no loud drinking, screaming, and especially no gun fire. But another group of astronomers pulled up along side the road. They didn't stay the night but they did keep turning on lights and blinding everyone. As they left they even turned on full headlights and turned around pointing straight at us from about 50 yards away. HINT If you go to a star party, don't do things that ruin people's night vision light park your car close and turn on the headlights.

By the time we were setup it was dark enough that I didn't dare take any more pictures with my camera and strobe, so I can't show you some of the massive telescopes that were there. One guy (the one in the trailer) had a 20 inch computerized dobsonian. It was incredible to look through.

My co-worker and I took turns finding things. My little ETX has an automatic setting that shows you some of the nicest objects in the sky for the current night. So we would find something in my scope, he would make note of where it was, then point his scope to it for better views. That was fun and challenging and neat to see some of the things that have always been a bit blurry in my scope.

By about 10:30 we noticed our first meteorites. The Perseides meteor shower was at it's hieght (or near it) this night and we must have seen well over 60 through the night. You just had to stop and watch for 3 or 4 minutes to see one or more. We also saw allot of sattelite crossings and one Iridium flair. That's where a sattelite hits just the right position that it's solar panels reflect the suns light and makes a very very bright object. 2 or 3 times brighter than Jupiter and even brighter than the moon.

By 11:30 we were fighting Dew. Everything was getting wet. My scope finally got so wet I couldn't see through it, and the last thing you want to do to these highly polished lenses is wipe them off.

One guy with a 16" dobsonian let us come look through his. (Actually "let" is the wrong word. Astronomers LOVE it when people come and OOO and AAA through their scopes). we did a tour of the various nebulae and galaxies, then some of the stranger objects.

I spent a while looking through the big 20" scope. But by 1:30 I was starting to feel the need for sleep. I had gotten up early and planned to get a nap before the session, but the rain had prevented that. So I finally said my goodnights and went to sleep. About half had gone to bed before me, and most of the rest followed shortly after. The guy with the big scope went to bed as the sun rose.

The next morning I packed up, said my goodbyes (most were staying 2 more nights) and headed North. The quickest way home was South, but I wanted to see what the rest of the road was like and to try a different way home.

I drove up past Tarryall Reservoir and high Highway 285. That's a big highway feeding South West out of Denver. I was suprised how much traffic it had. It was almost bumper to bumper. I headed NW toward Denver, then turned South on Highway 126 towards Pine and Deckers. There were some beautiful canyons and cliffs to look off of. The road is a very steap descent all the way to Deckers and the heat started to pick up. By Deckers I had the windows rolled down and enjoying the fresh air.

I turned West at Deckers on Highway 97. It parallels the South Platte River and I saw allot of fishermen. That's something else I need to learn, but I think I've done enough for this year. I stopped and walked along the river for a while just enjoying the warmth and the smell and sounds of the river.

I continued up 97 to highway 40 and turned East toward Sprucewood. It's a gravel road with a few steep climbs. I've thought of driving this road on my motorcycle, but wanted to know what it was like before I tried it. It didn't look too bad, so next year I'll add that section to my list of nearby places to ride.

I stopped for a burger at the little restauraunt in Sprucewood. The parking lot was filled with ATVs, dirt bikes, those 4 wheel golf cart looking things, 4x4 trucks, jeeps, etc. It looks like this is a very popular place for off roading. There were even a lot of mountain bikes. The burger was OK.

I continued homeward after that. Highway 67 coming out of the mountains is very windey but beautiful and fun. I've ridden it several times on my motorcycle and love this stretch. I then continued South on 105 and I-25 on home.

Looking South during a gap in the rainstorm


After the rain passed and the sun going down


Sunset and clear skies for star watching


Looking over my car at the sunset


Next morning driving North on Tarryall Road


Scenery off of Tarryall Road


Rough road South of the Reservoir


Overflow around Tarryall Reservoir


Tarryall Reservoir


Looking back West on Highway 285


CO 97 past Deckers alongside the South Platte River


Highway 40 headed toward Sprucewood and Sedalia