Big Run Through Colorado this Fall....Questions???

[MTNAdventureRider]

Hey there gang.....I am planning a Colorado ride that will occur in the next month or so and would like some advice. This ride is going to be all about timing, as we want to be able to see the Aspen and Oak Brush in the height of their Fall color!!!!

I live in Colorado Springs, so that is the location for start and finish. The wife and I will leave on a Friday morning and return on a Sunday afternoon. We will be camping two nights in a hotel room, therefore our gear will be pretty light. Here is my idea, but for those of you that have been out there quiet a bit, I am wide open to ideas.

We will leave early Friday morning from the Springs and head southwest on Highway 115, toward Canyon City. Once hitting Hwy 50 we will head west through Canyon City, Poncha Springs, up over Monarch Pass to Gunnison. After lunch in Gunnison, we will continue west for a few miles, before turning south on Hwy 149, passing through Lake City and Creede, to Hwy 160 and South Fork. From there we will ride on over to Durango for our first night.

Saturday morning we will ride north on Hwy 550 through Silverton, Ouray, Montrose and Delta. At Delta we will head northeast to Hotchkiss, through Placita, Carbondale....spending night #2 at Glenwood Springs.

Sunday morning we will ride back south through Aspen on Hwy 82, back down to Hwy 24. Then it is Hwy 24 back to the springs, through Hartsel, Woodland Park and the Springs.

My questions are.....

1. Do the distances and times on these daily rides seem doable?
2. Am I missing anthing that I should make a point to ride by or see?
3. Anyone have some great suggestions for a fun spot to eat and tip a beer in Durango and Glenwood Springs?
4. What weekend in the Fall would be the best to see the Aspens and Oak Brush in the peak of their turning colors?
5. Any other tips are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[footloose]

How I envy you! I haven't been able to make that run in several years but I've done it a few times in the past.

If you could work it into your timeline, instead of spending the night in Glenwood Springs, you might consider staying at the Redstone Inn in Redstone, just 17 miles south of Carbondale. I've never spent the night there but checked it out while exploring the art shops in Redstone. It is a magnificent, historic inn built in the Swiss Chalet style. Very pretty and romantic. I've often dreamed of returning and spending some time there.

http://www.redstoneinn.com/

Of course there are lots more amenities available in Glenwood and there are the hotsprings there too. Nice to look forward to after a long day in the saddle.
I found a natural hotsprings in the river on the side of Route 133 but I can't remember whether it was north or south of Carbondale. I had pulled over on the side of the road to snap a photo of an old cabin and smelt the sulpher in the air. I spent the night at a youth hostel in GS and returned to the hotsprings after dark with a couple of other women staying at the hostel.

[footloose]

Have you been to Creede before? There is a really interesting historic road that runs above the town for about 15 miles that passes by all kinds of mining equipment, buildings and mineheads. Various stops along the way are signed by the town. It is quite a rough road, 4 wheel drive in the upper part probably doable on a VStrom but not perhaps with 2up. I did about the first third of it on my Harley Softail before turning back regretfully. It might have been improved since I was there. Worth checking out.
The firestation there is neat....it's housed in the opening of an old mine.

[K6OST]

I took a trip with my wife up the California coast in June http://www.k6ost.com/pages/anniversary%20trip.htm our longest leg of the trip was 260 miles and that was a long and painful day. It was made worse because it was the last day of 5 days in the saddle and we had a stock seat. Our rest stops went from every hour to 45 minutes to 30 to 15 as the day wore on. Since then I have a gel seat and do at or about 300mile days pretty often, I haven't tried more yet, but I'm sure I can. So being comfy in the saddle makes all the difference.

I went and checked out your route on Google Maps and it looks like you're planning 400 miles day 1, 228 miles day 2, and 198 miles day 3.

That's doable and sounds like a great trip just keep in mind that the purpose is to see the sites along the way not to blast your way from here to there and back. Put another way, day 2 and 3 aren't going to be too bad. Day one is going to be a long day just plan it that way so you have plenty of time to stop to see the sites and enjoy yourselves.

Just my 2cents on keeping the wife happy. Cause if the wife isn't happy, no one is :mrgreen:

[jking41]

Your days are doable,but day 1 is pretty long.The tour around Creede that Footloose mentioned is called the bachelor tour.You can pick up a flyer at the visitor center that explains all the various stops.My brother and I did it in his Dodge Caravan.I don't think you will have any problems on the Strom.It is worth doing.Everywhere you want to go is very beautiful.Enjoy and take lots of pictures.