Continental Divide Ride
July 23-24, 2009
 

Our route for July 24 is here.


Our cumulative route is here.



    “So, what is that big, yellow thing on the back of your bike, a GPS?”

                Fellow motorcyclist to Meredith, wondering about her suitcase



    “Well, I think Meredith might have a hard time on the KLR (her motorcycle) going over Hancock and Tomichi Pass,” Dad said on the phone.

    I hate to say it, but him telling me that it might be hard was tantamount to telling me we couldn’t do it.  That was all it took to make me want to do it.  I’m just hard-headed that way.

    We’d spent the previous day (July 23) resting in Buena Vista, CO and mentally preparing ourselves for the aforementioned passes.  We were set to traverse both Hancock and Tomichi passes, just a few miles southwest of Buena Vista, and then we were to ride on southwest to Lake City, CO and meet Mom, Dad, Doug, and Tammy.

    In 2006 and 2007, on the Trans-America Trail, we were turned away from Hancock, and, therefore, Tomichi, since it is on down the trail from Hancock, by snow.  In 2006 we made it to the timberline before being blocked by a snowdrift.  In 2007 we got smarter and called the Forest Service before even attempting it.

    S
o, we (more exactly, Ron) really wanted to finally put these two passes to rest in our catalog of high places attained.

    We left Buena Vista at 8:00 A.M. on July 24 and headed into the National Forest.  Soon we had made the place where we had been turned around three years ago.

    Here, at the treeline, the “road” assumes more of boulder-y manner and we began bouncing and bucking as we climbed higher and higher. 

    Inevitable, we dropped our bikes and the trail became fairly difficult.  Righting a fully loaded dual-sport bike takes two people to accomplish and we would get much, much practice with this as the morning wore on.

   
We met our friend that asked about Meredith’s GPS as we were within 100 yards of the summit of Hancock.  He, being on a pure dirt bike, couldn’t quite contain his shock when we told him we started at the Canadian Border and were going to Mexico.   
    In several spots Meredith’s bike was just too much for her to ride and we would play leapfrog with the bikes to make both summits.  I would ride my bike past a difficult section and then ride hers.  But the great
majority of riding was done by her.

    With a little effort, we made 12,140 foot Hancock Pass, on the Continental Divide!

    Then the fun began.  Apparently, turning wasn’t a big concern of the road builders on the south side of the Hancock Pass.  For the most part, the road just went straight downhill.

   
Four hundred pounds carries a bit of momentum, and we both struggled with the descent.  It took a couple of miles to get down.

    In the photo to the right, the V-shape in the Mountain is Hancock Pass.

    After having trouble on Hancock, our nerves were a bit rattled and we were trying real hard to not let the riding get into our heads.  Once you start worrying about the riding instead of riding, then it’s bad news.

    Tomichi Pass was up next and we did our best to keep moving forward. 
The trail, notice I didn’t say road, got narrow and steep and it took nerves of steel to ride a bike with panniers.  In some spots a rock would protrude into the trail and we would have no choice but to ride in the outside tire path.

    The narrow road went on for several miles, and we pushed forward. 

   
Oh, by the way, the scenery was stunning.

    Before we knew it, we were on Tomichi Pass and were looking down towards our objective of Highway 50.  It was 12:30.

    I think the descent was worse from Tomichi.  I know for sure it was longer!  But we forged on.  A few falls and several miles of rock laden trail later, we began to emerge on a better path and we were elated.

    Highway 50, on the west side of Monarch Pass was a very welcome site.  We stopped in Sargents, CO.  It was 1:30.  It had taken us five hours to traverse 26 miles. 

    Our lunch was a nice respite and we took plenty of time.  Our rendezvous with my parents was to be in late evening and we had time to spend.

    Lake City wasn’t very far away.

    After lunch we struck for Lake City and our ride across 10,400 feet Los Pinos Pass seemed like a cake walk compared to earlier endeavors.  But it was pretty, nonetheless.

    Lake City was a welcome sight and we were earlier than any of the rest of my family.  So, we went to sit by the river that runs through down and Meredith cooled the ankle she had injured in one of her tipovers.  It was a good way to end and outstanding day.  See y’all down the trail.                      July 25