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Hi and welcome to my motorcycle trip blog. Here you will find motorcycle trip reports primarily based in the State of Washington and Idaho. Born and raised in Washington I have over 50 years of motorcycle experience. Enjoy the ride.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Dam Tour SW Day 8

Here is today's route:


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I thought about staying in Durango for two days but decided against it because the weather was deteriorating with thunderstorms and snow in Siliverton, while the weather in northern Colorado more favorable.

Alignment is a word I often hear as part of the corporate lexicon theses days.  Alignment sounds good so we must have it, no questions asked.

Today's ride was all about alignment.  Yesterday as I entered Durango, Colorado the first hotels I found were  islands to themselves, not a restaurant to be found within walking distance.  I don't like to gear up after stopping for the day.  When I am done riding I am done riding.  So I rode in to Durango's old historical district and found an old but very nice hotel in the center of town.  Low and behold across the street was a smoke shop where I was able to buy a couple of cigars in hope of enjoying a smoke at a scenic place the next day.

So I left Durango as 7:30 before the tourist and headed up the Million Dollar Hwy to Silverton and Hwy 65, the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway.

At 10,000 feet elevation the Aspen trees are still missing leaves and campgrounds are closed.  Nuts.....

However a while later on the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway I found high mountain lakes still cover with a bit of ice along with a nice visitor center still closed.  I pulled over grabbed my camera, both lenses and a cigar. What a nice diversion for a hour or so.  None of this would have happened if the hotels in Durango were void of walk to restaurants.  Relaxing with a good smoke on a bench at the Grand Mesa Visitor Center would have never happened in season.  Today previous events aligned in my favor and I had a great day.

Enough of the dam bs and here are the photos......

Feejer along the Million Dollar Hwy.  I was as cool as 36 this morning.  

Million Dollar Hwy.  The road is cut into west side of a canyon and heads in a northeast direction and  view are to the east., so photographs in the morning are shot in to the sun and the mountains are in shadows.  Photographic tip - riding up from Durango  in the evening on a weekday to take photos.


Molas Pass

The speed limits are reasonable (how about that) and the vistas spectacular.


Historic Silverton Colorado


Feejer at  a scenic pullout.

Same pull at as in the photo above.

Same pull at as in the photo above.


Grand Mesa National Forest near the Visitor Center
The lake n the background had a thin layer of ice while the clouds refection is on the lake water.

Grand Mesa National Forest near the Visitor Center

The End


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