Where I Rode Last Week
BikerGirlElaine
Posts: 1,631 Member
Walsenburg, Colorado to Santa Fe, New Mexico:
Head out West on CO 160. You're driving towards the Sangre De Cristo mountains, La Veta is a bit to your left up ahead and still snow covered. Lots of places to pass any slow vehicles. You climb to the top of LaVeta Pass at about 9,000 feet and begin to drop, via big rolling turns with long sight distances, into the San Luis Valley. The valley is at about 7,500 feet, bordered by mountains on all sides, but it's flat as a fritter and something of an anomaly. On your right are the tallest peaks of the Sangre De Cristos, and if you go a little bit further west and then turn north you can visit the Great Sand Dunes National Park.
But today you turn south at Fort Garland and run through the flats down to San Luis, the oldest town in Colorado -- established in 1851. You turn west again and twist the throttle wide open because it's flat and the pavement is in good shape.
You cross the Rio Grande, whose headwaters are here in the San Luis Valley, and you pass through Manassa, the boyhood home of Jack Dempsey. Soon you catch CO 285 and you turn south.
Past the oldest church in Colorado, past Antonito, the road starts to follow the Conejos river on your left. There's finally some twisties, although it's still flat here.
Then you begin the ascent to La Manga Pass, climbing twisties and switchbacks that open onto vast panoramas of the Conejos River Valley. You top out at about 10,200 feet and wander across the mountain tops to Cumbres Pass. There are loads of high valleys and open spaces here. In the winter it's a snowmobiler's paradise. In the summer it is everyone's paradise. The day is warm enough that you don't have your leathers on. Most of the snow is melting fast and there is water and deer and elk everywhere and not a soul on the road but you.
After Cumbres Pass there are more twisties to get you down to Chama, New Mexico, where you stop for gas. This town is fed by the Cumbres & Toltec scenic railway -- the train tracks crossed the road several times while you were coming down from the mountains. You head out south again.
At first the land is farmland, but soon enough you are climbing again. And suddenly, you crest the mountain and the most incredible scene is laid out in front of you: a gorgeous semi-arid valley, and beyond is row after row of flattish mountain ridges, blue-black in the afternoon sun. The mountains are getting flatter now -- not the jagged Colorado peaks, and not the mesas of New Mexico, but something in between. As you descend and go further and further south, the earth turns red, and the land begins to look more and more arid. Soon there are flattops and hoodoos. You pass Abiquiu Reservoir, gleaming in the sun, and the home or Georgia O'Keefe.
At that point the road becomes congested -- the fun part is over. It's another hour or so to Santa Fe from here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
And I wore my smaller size jacket on this trip -- it's still a bit tight but it's do-able now!
Head out West on CO 160. You're driving towards the Sangre De Cristo mountains, La Veta is a bit to your left up ahead and still snow covered. Lots of places to pass any slow vehicles. You climb to the top of LaVeta Pass at about 9,000 feet and begin to drop, via big rolling turns with long sight distances, into the San Luis Valley. The valley is at about 7,500 feet, bordered by mountains on all sides, but it's flat as a fritter and something of an anomaly. On your right are the tallest peaks of the Sangre De Cristos, and if you go a little bit further west and then turn north you can visit the Great Sand Dunes National Park.
But today you turn south at Fort Garland and run through the flats down to San Luis, the oldest town in Colorado -- established in 1851. You turn west again and twist the throttle wide open because it's flat and the pavement is in good shape.
You cross the Rio Grande, whose headwaters are here in the San Luis Valley, and you pass through Manassa, the boyhood home of Jack Dempsey. Soon you catch CO 285 and you turn south.
Past the oldest church in Colorado, past Antonito, the road starts to follow the Conejos river on your left. There's finally some twisties, although it's still flat here.
Then you begin the ascent to La Manga Pass, climbing twisties and switchbacks that open onto vast panoramas of the Conejos River Valley. You top out at about 10,200 feet and wander across the mountain tops to Cumbres Pass. There are loads of high valleys and open spaces here. In the winter it's a snowmobiler's paradise. In the summer it is everyone's paradise. The day is warm enough that you don't have your leathers on. Most of the snow is melting fast and there is water and deer and elk everywhere and not a soul on the road but you.
After Cumbres Pass there are more twisties to get you down to Chama, New Mexico, where you stop for gas. This town is fed by the Cumbres & Toltec scenic railway -- the train tracks crossed the road several times while you were coming down from the mountains. You head out south again.
At first the land is farmland, but soon enough you are climbing again. And suddenly, you crest the mountain and the most incredible scene is laid out in front of you: a gorgeous semi-arid valley, and beyond is row after row of flattish mountain ridges, blue-black in the afternoon sun. The mountains are getting flatter now -- not the jagged Colorado peaks, and not the mesas of New Mexico, but something in between. As you descend and go further and further south, the earth turns red, and the land begins to look more and more arid. Soon there are flattops and hoodoos. You pass Abiquiu Reservoir, gleaming in the sun, and the home or Georgia O'Keefe.
At that point the road becomes congested -- the fun part is over. It's another hour or so to Santa Fe from here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
And I wore my smaller size jacket on this trip -- it's still a bit tight but it's do-able now!
0
Replies
-
It sounds like a great ride! I would probably have had my leathers on anyway. But then my leathers are different from yours and meant to be worn in heat =P That last hour must have really sucked though.0
-
oh that sounds wonderful!!0
-
Beginning of July we are doing a Mesa AZ to Durango/Pagosa to co springs to WY then down the West side, Glenwood to Teluride. Any suggestions?0
-
Yes! LOL.
You have to do the Million Dollar Highway from Durango to Ouray if at all possible. It is consistently ranked one of the 5 best motorcycle roads in America. You didn't say where in Wyoming you are going, but if you can, come down from Green River Wyoming, through Flaming Gorge -- take the east side road because it's much better than the west side -- to Vernal, Utah. From Vernal head to Glenwood Springs and enjoy 133 to Delta which is absolutely gorgeous. Then go south on 50 to Montrose and pick up 550 to Durango. There are several awesome stretches of road on that route, but Ouray to Durango will knock your socks off. You can loop back to Telleuride on 160/184/145. In fact, that completes a very long one-day ride that I love to do when I am down in that area.
From Pagosa to Colorado Springs you have a few options. I think probably the prettiest is to take 160 to 285 to 50 through Canon City and then 115 into the Springs. There has been a fire in the Canon City area, but before you reach that part, 50 winds along the river and is beautiful. Let me know if you don't like roads that wind along a river and I will tell you about your other options :-)
If you tell me where in Wyoming your are going I might have some other ideas for your leg from Colorado Springs to Wyoming.0 -
i live in santa fe! and, i just bought a new harley 883 iron. this is my first time biking and so far so good (i took the class first). today i just did a small ride from santa fe to lamy to galisteo, across to 14 and back home. next week i might do madrid. i'm going to have to find some biker friends so i'll feel more comfortable on longer trips.
and i'm working on losing some pounds so i can look super slick on my ride!0 -
Hi sarablueskies and Welcome to the Group! ^5 for taking the Riding Course and Congrats on getting your Bike!!
I've been Riding solo a year now and LOVE it!!
Good Luck and Safe Riding to you.
Sue0
