Overnighter to Taos, NM.

On May 20th. we did a overnight run to Taos, NM., the ride was cold and wet and gray all the way thru CO. but as we headed over the pass on I-25 S. into NM. The sun came out and we got to Raton and took off all the "rain gear" and rain covers! We had a great ride on NM. 64 W., thru the Cimmaron National Forest, the first part of the road was wide sweepers but soon turned to "serious 20mph twisties! :) This kept up all the way to Eagles Nest, NM. where we stopped for a lunch and talked about the way the water was coming up all the way to the road in places!! We continued on 64 into Taos with more twisty roads and entered the mass of slow traffic that is always a part of "down town" Taos! We got to the motel and unpacked and the weather was excellent!

We spent the afternoon walking around Taos, artys mid-town, getting dinner and enjoying the warm and sunny weahter that has not been seen in So. Colorado for the last 2 weeks!!! Once it got dark we just hung around the motel by the fireplace and watched the sun go down. Woke up the next morning and it was pretty chilly but still sunny. The had a great free breakfast at the motel so we chowed down and headed back on a different route. We took NM. 552 N. and that turned into CO. 159 N. into Fort Garland.

The last bit of WARM weather at Ft. Garland, CO. 

 This is a huge open area with lot's of Mesa's and excellent wide open sky views but there's NOTHING on this road till Fort Garland! We picked up CO. 160 E. into Walsenburg but just as we were going on the down side of La Veta Pass (9,000+ ft.), it turned "COLD"!!! It was like someone shoved us in a freezer! Back to the gray, cold and solid clouds, aruugh!!! We stopped in Walsenburg for Hot Chocolate and to warm up, then added the "rain gear" for another layer against the cold. We didn't get a drop of rain till 20 miles outside of Colorado Springs, then it opened up and poured on us all the way home. The ride was good even with the cold, we had very good time! :)

The rain just won't stop!!!

It's been raining a LOT lately, something we here in So. Colorado aren't used too! We did manage to get out for a short "battery charge" run between rainstorms last Saturday! We have a favorite back road, it's called Old Pueblo Road and it start's along I-25S. and heads into Fountain, CO. It's a nice bit of two-track twisty tarmac. We charge the batter by hauling down I-25 S. from Co Springs at a nice 75mph, then head back home via Old Pueblo Road. It has some nice bridges and little farms before you head into Fountain or head to the eastern side of Co. Springs via, the Marksuffle Road connector!
We headed out for some lunch and then managed to beat the "rain" back to the storage area were we have our bike garaged! Hopefully the rain will quit soon so we can get in a longer ride! :)

Gett'in out for a bit of twisty road! :)

Finally it's starting to get some good riding weather, last Sunday it was 70 degrees F and sunny! Yes, it was also WINDY, that's just normal for spring in Southern Colorado, headed out to ride CO 50W thru the Big Horn Sheep Canyon and to stop at a good little cafe at the hamlet of Texas Creek, CO.  The Canyon rides right next to the Arkansas River and it a really beautiful ride, heading west outside of Canon City, (pronounced Canyon), CO. There's lot's of pull off's due to it's being a BIG rafting river but most of them are dirt so it's not real safe for a motorcycle!!

The photo's below are at 5 points pull off and campground, bad thing is that it's a "CO. State" area and they charge to use the picnic tables but I only used it for a rest room stop and a photo op so I just breezed thru. I don't mind the cost, IF, I'm having a picnic lunch with Jo but I ain't paying $7 to use a porta-potty, jmho!!

This is the picnic grounds and right on the River, across the highway is the campground.

It's a nice place to lunch, I've never been to the campground, I passed this on the way to TX. Creek and the cafe, only to find, their "closing" it down again, RATS! :(  Just not enough business to keep it open, sadly, it's had quite a few owners over the years. Hopefully someone will give it a go again soon! Did a turn around and headed back to Canon City and then took Hwy. 115 into Florence, CO., hoping to stop at a favorite little diner, called the Rosebud Cafe but being Easter Sunday it was closed. Had to settle for a Carl's Jr. but the hamburger was good and the mike shake better! After the munch, I headed back home via CO. 115N back into the Springs. Gassed up and headed for the barn, 150 miles round trip and great day in the So. Colorado Sunshine!! :)

WINTER IS THE PITTS!!!

Well for most of the winter we've been able to get out for at least a "battery charging" run but since Thursday last week all it's done is SNOW!!  Now we've got more snow tonight, and then Sat. thru Monday, ARRUGH!! :(  With the old style water battries you could get 2 or 3 weeks and the bike would still start but with these new fangle gel battries, I have no idea if the Sporty is going to start up when the snow finally melts and the roads clear.

It's been pretty dull around here, not being able to at least get in a short ride but you really need to get the scoot up to "highway" speed for a couple of hours to actually do any real battery charging!  That's the one BAD thing about having the bike in a heated storage area, there's no electrical plug so you could run a trickle charger to keep the battery up, BUMMER!! Oh well, we might be putting out $100 for a new battery if Mother Nature doesn't give us a break! Awaiting our income tax refunds so we can get upgraded suspension front and rear and a new seat, sure will be a improvement over the stock stuff!  Hope you get to ride, put in a few extra miles for us!!! :)

A couple of warmer days

This week has had a couple of warmer days so I got to take the Sporty out and do a couple of "Battery Charge" runs, in the middle of lot's of COLD, snowy days so far her in Jan.  Sunday the wife and I just hauled down South on I-25 to Colorado City and had tested out the pulled pork BBQ at Obies, BBQ and Bar. It's a nice set up with the cafe on one side and the bar on the other, so since we don't drink booze we enjoyed the 50's style diner and enjoyed a cold root beer and some decent BBQ! :) Tuesday was EXCELLENT, weather wise, close to 70 degrees (F) with little breeze and lot's of sun so I put on 150 miles and just enjoyed myself! :)

Weds. was fun too but the weather wasn't near as good, 50 F, partly sunny and VERY WINDY! Still the fun part was getting in a ride with my best friend Ed Wing. He's gota sweet Kawi Vulcan cruiser that looks like a Road Glide but it's only 900cc's so we are pretty compatiable on our 883 Sporty. We took the backroads behind the Pueblo Resivour and LOL, had to hold on for dear life as the WIND was kick'in hard! Stopped for a burger in Florence and then rode back to the Springs. He doesn't ride a lot anymore, in the old days we rode almost every weekend. Still it felt great to ride with him again, hopefully he'll decide to get out more often as the weather warms up! :)

My friend Ed Wing , his wife Diane and their Vulcan Cruiser! :)

Today is cloudy and chilly and their talking that damn 4-letter word, SNOW for Friday late into Saturday so it's not look'in like we will be able to ride for several days. Feb. and March aren't good weather months in So. Colorado but hopefully we can get in some runs to keep the battey alive and kick'in, LOL!! Hope your getting, "On the Road"! :)