I finally got around to putting up a ride report for my vacation I took in Colorado in August 2010.

Washington Gulch, Crested Butte CO -->Ride Report
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=656911


Here is a link to a video for Washington Gulch/Paradise Divide Crested Butte, CO.
http://player.vimeo.com/video/18521072

This photo was taken at Elko Park near Shoefield Pass and Crested Butte.


Dan

 

Lucky dog. Some day..

 

Ill be there the last week of july, first week of august!!!! Nothing like buring all 2 weeks of vacation i get in colorado on a bike!!!!!!

 

klxrida
Dude I live in Nebraska, and trust me when I say the closest thing to off road around here is a gravel road that is very straight. It is very difficult to find nice scenery. Don't get me wrong though, I wouldn't know what to do if I actually found some place to off road; because off roading requires some level of physical fitness. To find a curvy road in Nebraska you just ride around the block 4 times.

EMS_0525
I also went last year (August 2009) and I bought my KLX250SF (first bike) in June of 2009. I had my knobbies for a week before going to Colorado and that is when I first got my experience with crushed rock/gravel roads. I attempted to ride from Marble to Crystal City to Crested Butte over the Devil's Punchbowl and Schofield Pass. The information I had read said that the road from Marble to Crystal was an easy 4WD road, but beyond that is one of the worst roads on the planet. I made it to Crystal but I was very tired. I wasn't really expecting to make it all the way to Crested Butte because I knew there was a really difficult section. I just wanted to get close enough to that section to see for myself. After leaving Crystal and heading to Crested Butte I shortly ran into a lot of baby head rocks and being tired I fell down numerous times. With the overly stiff KLXSF suspension, my inexperience (not standing on pegs) and really poor fitness, I decided to turn around while I still could.

Do you know where you will be riding. I can tell you from my experience that you should pick one location and then explore that area thoroughly. I think the two best/most popular places are the Alpine Loop and Taylor Park. Are you looking for single-track or any other routes.

I compiled 360 tracks in Google Earth and GPX format from various sources prior to my last trip and you can access this information in the thread below.
Colorado KMZ and GPX Tracts


On last question, what does EMS_0525 stand for. When you were active posting the hotties, I surmized that EMS was an acroymn for Emergency Mammary Service.

 

Fooswolf, great report, thanks for posting it up. I know the reports are a bit of work to do. Sounds like you had a fair share of troubles between the bad batteries and the jetting. Glad that you ended up having a good time on top of all that. What an awesome area to go exploring in. EMS is a lucky dog, and is going to have so much fun this summer. I do think you're right, maybe pick a spot and thoroughly explore it. I've been to the alpine loop area, but only in my truck. Maybe someday I'll get to explore that area on the bike.
Dan

Alpine loop

 

fooswolf, no kidding on the Devil's Punchbowl section of that ride. That is one rocky *****! It's not that way for an extremely long distance, but what's there will get your attention.

 

Thanks Dan and yeah you definately need to get out there. Especially if you do single track. I wouldn't even try to take my Exploder on some of those roads, especially with the bike carrier. I drove over Weston Pass in 2009 and barely made it with the carrier and that is supposedly an easy 4WD road.

TNC bare in mind I only had a little over a months experience riding, and most of that on pavement and very little gravel. With the stiff SF suspension and my lack of fittness I got tired and dehydrated, but it makes for a good story. After Crystal, I only made it (I'm guessing) half way to the bridge right before it gets really difficult. I originally only planned on going to the bridge, but the baby head were too much. Perhaps I should have tried going from Crested Butte to Crystall as it is all downhill. For you guys unfamiliar with the pass in my report I provided a link to Questors accidental ride over this road - I recommend reading it. Also for beautiful photographs view the two-flatlanders report.

 

The first week we are staying in a buddies toyhauler/camper...
A possible first stopping point would be the Rampart Range Trail here:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=39.327...,0.004117&z=19

We will eventually be staying in the Ouray KOA for a couple days so we can ride the Ouray/Silverton/Telluride area:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.080...,0.008234&z=18

Then the second week we are staying in a house here...
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.819...,0.004117&z=19

EMS is my initials, and the numbers dont mean anything now.

 

EMS, having done all those areas, you're not staying in the Ouray/Silverton area long enough. I think you'd have more fun if you swap out your first time frame with the Silverton/Ouray area...or leave out the first part all together. There is so much more riding toward the Silverton/Ouray/Telluride/Lake City area. The Alpine Loop is just one ride. I was disappointed in Rampart Range compared to all the stuff around Silverton.

 

There is 4 of us driving out a week before everyone else, so we are camping the first week, probably in the areas i said, then we are headed to the house to stay the second week. The guys im going with the first week have been to all the areas i have mentioned so they want to go back and do some stuff over, specifically black bear pass... Honestly, i dont care were i am as long as im not at work and a motorcycle is near by, Ill bring it up though.