Well, I guess road trips must end. We toyed with different routes to take back to Nederland. The very scenic but very much longer route via RT230 and then Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park? Back the way we came and have to endure the gauntlet of Ft Collins? We decided on a third route:
Take the dirt road (Ryan Park) to the Snowy Range Nat'l Forest, head back across the Snowies to Laramie, south on 287, then head West, yes West, up the Poudre Canyon (Rt 14), to an un-named turn off that goes south, then head West some more (Rt 34) to Estes Park. Skip around the edges of town, head south eastward on RT 7, then south on Rt72 Peak-to-Peak Highway to home. It took an extra hour... According to Google, all of our other choices (taking rt230 south from Saratoga) would have put us 2 extra hours.
Proof of riding on dirt
more scenic shots (and nice view of my jacket patch ... need to get a bbo patch too!)
It was a much cooler ride through the Snowy Range this day and a bit windy, which made the scenery that much more beautiful.
we decide to hike over a glacial mound to get a picture of the lake ... and I notice that Wolfram is hiking with his helmet on! What a nerd (i say this lovingly):
And we pass a magnificently built ... outhouse - built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 30's
Climbing down was a little tricky in motorcycle boots, but well worth it
effluent stream behind me ... leading west and south - but I don't know if it goes to the Platte River, mmm...
This is the other stop at the pass, same mountains, different view.
Watch out for the loose gravel at the edge of the road. Just sayin.
east of Centennial, I saw prong horned antelope in the distance. If you have never seen them up close, they are really beautiful critters and look like they should be on the African savannah. These pics are from another trip where there were pull offs
We pulled back into the Gunslinger for gas and to top off the air on our tires for highway pressures. We had let a little air out for biking the dirt and gravel
yes! be nice to your fellow travelers
You just never know what you are going to see!
no! we are not going that way!
we're headed west. And there's a ton of traffic headed east - white water rafters, tubers, motorcyclists etc. The road was nice and empty in the westbound lane.
And very nicely paved too
now up RT 34 through Big Thompson Canyon to Estes Park
We get close to Rocky Mountain National Park, and have no desire to enter the park. Its getting late, our bumms are fatigued, my hands feel like they've been buzzed, and we want to get home.
We do stop for a quick break at Lily Lake which is marginally less crowded than Estes Park. And then we ... blast our way home. Its that horses know which way the barn is and nobody was going to get in our way. Fortunately traffic was very light, and somehow the cars that were in front of us knew that we meant business, so they pulled off at safe passing areas. We're looking forward to taking other routes to get to this section of Wyoming; it is one of the most beautiful areas I've seen.
Thanks for hanging in there!
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