Colorado to Utah

Prev Index Next

July 21, 2010

In the morning, I put my mosquito net back on and picked up camp. I stopped at McDonald's for breakfast, then got back on highway 50.

Going west through Pueblo I passed through Canon City, CO. There's a one lane road here called Skyline Drive that goes along the top of a mountain ridge. I'd been on Skyline Drive in a car, but never on a bike so I took the opportunity.

Video of Skyline Drive The bike on Skyline Drive A smiley face burnout

I continued west, and met an ADVrider on a Honda ST at a gas station, Carl Custer. We talked briefly, and after I told him where I was heading, he told me that the University of Alaska Fairbanks offered guest housing in the dorms during the summer for a reasonable price. After a brief chat, I continued northwest to Aspen. I took highway 82 over the Continental Divide through Independence Pass. At its peak, it reaches 12,095 feet before winding down to Aspen. I met a couple Harley riders on the way up, and we took some pictures before heading down the pass.

Leaving Aspen, I passed through Carbondale and then took highway 133 southwest. This was one of my favorite roads to ride in Colorado. It winds through mountains, curving back and forth while presenting a beautiful view. Continuing west, I began to leave the towering mountains and forests behind. The roads flattened, spread out over a rocky plain interrupted by cliffs.

I continued west into Utah, enjoying the wide open roads before the sun went down. As it approached midnight, I stopped in Spanish Fork, UT. After a quick bite to eat, I found an empty field to set up camp behind a business. The ground and grass were dry, so there were very few bugs to worry about during the process.

Prev Index Next


Copyright (c) 2010 Paul Miner <$firstname.$lastname@gmail.com>