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Roads Home > Colorado Motorcycle
Roads |
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| Title:
San Juan Mountain Skyway |
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State:
Colorado
Submitted
By: Anonymous
Date Submitted: Nov 99
Motorcycle Type: 93 Ninja 600
Motorcycle Road Length: 225 Miles
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Motorcycle
Road Scenery: 
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This
ride will take you through arguably the most beautiful
sections of the Rocky Mountains as you follow a circular
path through southwestern Colorado. You will pass through
historic mining towns, national parks and forests and world-class
ski resort areas. On this trip you will see the San
Juan Mountains, home to many of Colorado’s elite group
of 14,000 foot mountain peeks. Along the way you will see
red-rock canyons, lush river valleys, hot springs and majestic
mountain peaks and an area known as the “Switzerland of
America.” Bottom line is BRING LOTS OF FILM ON THIS
TRIP!!!.
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Motorcycle
Road Quality:
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You
definitely want to be careful on this route. It has countless
number of hairpin turns and switchbacks (with and WITHOUT
guardrails) and the descents and climbs are almost endless.
Make sure you take advantage of the many scenic turnouts
to take a good long look at the scenery … you will be surprised
how glued your eyes will be on the scenery. Keep in mind,
this alpine route will have you riding at over 10,000 feet
three times on its path … some bikes (like humans) struggle
at these kinds of altitudes. Lastly, when planning any
bike trip through mountains, keep in mind that the snow
sticks around longer up there in the spring and returns
more quickly in the year (you’d be safest in July/August).
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Motorcycle
Roadside Amenities:
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There
are a large variety of amenities in this area of Colorado.
The town of Ridgway was home to the set of Wild West
movies such as True Grit and How the West Was Won.
You can also visit old mining towns such as Ouray,
Silverton
and Telluride.
Ouray was named after a Ute Indian chief and is home of
a number of hot springs including one converted to a municipal
pool ((970)325-4638). Silverton offers a look at a preserved
Rocky Mountain mining town with its once elegant hotels
and even a former red light district where the town locals
stage mock gunfights on some summer evenings. The city
has a museum and ample gift shops and places to grab a bite
or a brew. Durango is the largest city in southwestern
Colorado and as you walk its gas-lamp lit streets you will
see its vast collection of beautiful brick and stone Victorian
buildings that offer a multitude of souvenir shops, restaurants
and hotels. It is also the starting point for the “Durango
to Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.” This authentic
coal burning steam engine pulled train runs multiple times
a day across the breathtaking route from Durango to Silverton
((970)247-2733). You will pass buy Mesa
Verde National Park and will definitely want to stop
by and visit the ancient Ansazi villages and cliff dwellings
built here over 700 years ago. There you will see the “Cliff
Palace” that served as the home of more than 200 Anasazis.
On the southwestern corner of the trip you will pass through
Cherry Creek and see the area that gave western novelist
Louis L’Amour the inspiration for his many novels. As you
finish the loop of this route, one of the highlights of
your trip may be the world famous ski-town of Telluride.
Here you will find yourself in a town tucked close to awesome
mountains in its own corner of a mountain valley. This
Victorian town has ample activities including mountain-biking,
camping and a large offering of shops and restaurants.
It is also houses the historic bank where Butch Cassidy
committed his first bank robbery in 1889. While there make
sure you hike to Bridal
Veil Falls and see the highest freefall waterfall in
Colorado (the fall dives 425 ft).
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My
description above (in the "roadside amenities" section)
describes the route starting in Ridgway,
CO and ending in Telluride. You can follow this path
or start at any other point along the route since it is
a loop. Following my recommended route you start in Ridgway
on Rte. 62 heading east and immediately get on Rte. 550.
Take that road south all the way to Durango. From Durango,
get on Rte. 160 heading west towards Mesa Verde National
Park and the town of Cortez. Before you get to Cortez,
you need to turn north on Rte 145 and that will take you
all the way up to Telluride. You'll definitely want to stop
in Telluride and take a look around, stretch the legs, grab
some chow, and gas up. Once you get back on 145 continuing
north, you'll want to head up to Placerville at which point
you need to get on the road you started, 62, and take it
east all the way back to the starting point of Ridgway,
CO. A spectacular 225 mile loop.
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Additional
Information:
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