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August 31, 2023
Today's Ride - Mt Evans
So today, I decided I'd leave the house on the last day of August for a little motorcycle ride. This time, I'd hit Mt Evans, the highest paved road in North America.
Ran into a very cool guy on a Harley on my ride up Squaw Pass. Exchanged info with him. Wouldn't mind riding with him. Seemed like a very cool guy. His name is Von, and I have his contact info in my phone now.
5:45 p.m. - I got to the gate where they block off access to Mt Evans at 5:45 p.m. She didn't give me any trouble. You don't need a reservation and you don't have to pay. It's all a scam. So, I rode to the summit, temperature dropping, dodging mountain goats and sheep all the way.
5:45 p.m. - Gate to Mt Evans.
6:15 p.m. - Made it to the summit. 14.3 miles.
6:24 p.m. - Left the summit.
6:50 p.m. - Back at the gate. 14.0 miles.
7:50 p.m. - Home and brought Pearl in.
But the days have been getting shorter since June 20th, and my new rule is that I have to be home by 8:00 p.m. sharp.
So, for the ride back, I figured I'd return through Idaho Springs. So I took County Road 103 north from Echo Lake to Idaho Springs. Thought being I could follow a car into Idaho Springs and try to avoid any deer incidents. I did see an abandoned mine just south of Idaho Springs. I've seen it before, but I stopped to check it out. It's locked up with the jail-cell type of steel that they use to seal up the old mines.
Then, I get home in time to find the cats, get them inside, feed them, and then I let Tubby out, but keep Pearl in for the night.
Posted by Rob Kiser on August 31, 2023 at 8:15 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink
August 29, 2023
Jones Pass & the Henderson Mine
So today (8/29/2023), I went and checked on my mower today at CLS Equipment & Repair (by Grant Automotive). They haven't fixed it yet, but he said I'm next on the list. And I added them to my iPhone, because I don't want my iPhone blocking their calls when it's ready.
Then, I went and dropped off my chainsaw at Chainsaw Bob's in Conifer. Hopefully he can get it going. I haven't started it in years, and Tim and Julia have a tree they want down.
Then I decided I'd make a run up Jones Pass, and I summited Jones Pass for the first time this year. The last time I tried was 8/15/2023 and it was still snowed in. But this time (8/29/2023), I ran into a guy on an ATV up near the summit, and he explained a lot to me that I'd observed, but been puzzled by for some time.
I asked him "How is it that I see people living on the other side of the continental divide (satellite images), when there are no roads that access the houses, aside from Jones Pass, that is closed most of the year?"
He explained that they go through the mine tunnel to get to the houses. So, they go through the tunnel, beneath the continental divide, and that gives them access to their houses. So, that explains something that had me confused for some time.
The Henderson mine is a Molybdenum mine. It's been in operation since 1976. The Henderson mine is North America's largest producer of primary molybdenum.
The iphone I was using wouldn't take any photos, so I need to get another iphone, it seems.
Then, I followed him out on his ATV (in case I should drop the Africa Twin). Made it home by 8:30, when it was solidly dark. Managed to get Pearl in. Haven't seen Tubby yet, but he usually turns up shortly after dark.
Update: Tubby came in around 9:00pm - 9:30 pm.
Posted by Rob Kiser on August 29, 2023 at 8:58 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink
August 25, 2023
Devil's Thumb Fire
https://www.skyhinews.com/news/devils-thumb-fire-reaches-100-containment/
Posted by Rob Kiser on August 25, 2023 at 7:49 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink
August 9, 2023
Rollins Pass
So today, we had nice weather and I figured I'd take the Jeep and see if I could run it up to Yankee Doodle Lake, and possibly Needle's Eye Tunnel as well. Figured I'd take the Jeep on this one, as I recall that the road up there is very rocky - not well maintained.
I stopped at Walmart on the way out and picked up an air compressor for about $25. My thought being that I need to be able to control the air pressure in my tires. All of the guys out here for the Mile High Jeep Club rally all had air compressors and were airing up their tires after they got back to hard top.
I was going to take I-70 west but it was a parking lot, so I went down the hill on I-70, then north on 93 up to Coal Creek Canyon. Then up Coal Creek Canyon to Rollinsville to the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel.
I figured I should check and see what air pressure to use for the Jeep when off-road. I settled on 18 PSI, and that's what I did when I got to Forest Service Road 149 at the east entrance to the Moffat Tunnel. I let the tire pressure for all 4 tires down to 18 PSI, and then headed up the road towards Yankee Doodle Lake.
I started up the Forest Service Road 149 at 5:00 p.m.
It's 9 - 10 miles to Yankee Doodle Lake, but the road is very rough and rocky, and it took me almost 1 hour to get there. I would have liked to go up to Needle's Eye Tunnel, but by the time I got there (Yankee Doodle Lake), it was 6:00 p.m., so I turned around at Yankee Doodle Lake and headed back. Got back to Tolland Road (9 - 10 miles) at 7:05 p.m.
Then, I ate in Idaho Springs, and I hustled back home to get the cats inside before I lost them in the dark of the night. Got home at about 9:00 p.m.
I think that, in hindsight, the road is pretty rough. I think it's better suited for the ATV instead of the Jeep.
My route looked something like this.
Posted by Rob Kiser on August 9, 2023 at 9:42 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink
August 8, 2023
Argentine Pass Attempt - Take 3
So today (Tuesday 8/8/2023), I decided to try to summit Argentine Pass again. This is my 3rd attempt of the season. This time, I decide to take the Green Honda Rancher ATV, trailer it up in the Tahoe with the M101-A1 US Army trailer. But the parking lot for the Argentine Pass trail is about 100 yards or so down Guanella Pass from the trailhead.
So, at 2:15 p.m., I parked the Tahoe. Unloaded the ATV, and drove up the paved road until I got to the trailhead, and then turned up the trailhead to follow Forest Service Road 248.1.
At 3:07 p.m., after riding 6.9 miles, I found myself at the Waldorf Mine. I continued up to the summit of Argentine Pass, reaching the summit at 3:25 p.m. after riding 9.2 miles total. That last section of the road/trail above the Waldorf Mine is steeper and rougher than the earlier section of the route (parking lot to Waldorf Mine).
There were some people in a Jeep at the summit. They hiked up some mountain peaks near Argentine Pass, and when they came back down to Argentine Pass, I got them to take some photos of me with my iPhone.
The elevation of Argentine Pass is 13,207' above MSL. It is the highest mountain pass in North America.
I left the summit at 4:04 p.m. I took a little detour, and was back at the Waldorf Mine at 4:45 p.m. after going 3.1 miles. I stayed on Forest Service Road 248.1 and got back to Guanella Pass road at 5:17 p.m. after going 9.7 miles.
Loaded the Honda Rancher ATV into the M101-A1 US Army trailer, and towed it home with the Tahoe.
Posted by Rob Kiser on August 8, 2023 at 9:25 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink
August 5, 2023
Argentine Pass Attempt - Take 2
So, today it wasn't raining, so I figured I'd make another attempt at Argentine Pass. I had already tried it in the Jeep, but turned back before the summit as it seemed a little steep/dicey. (I don't like the feeling of the Jeep sliding backwards down the continental divide, as it doesn't have ABS.)
Argentine Pass, at 13207', is the highest named vehicle-accessible pass in Colorado.
So today, I figured I'd go see if I could make it up Argentine Pass in the ATV instead of the Jeep. Loaded the Honda Rancher ATV into the M101-A1 Army Trailer pulled by the Chevy Tahoe, and stopped by B&B cycles to update my OHV sticker on the ATV. At some point, they asked to see my driver's license, at which point I realized I couldn't find my driver's license. This is a bad feeling. So, we got that done, and they told me to watch the mail for the new sticker, and I headed off for Argentine Pass.
Headed west on I-70. Traffic not as bad as it has been since it's Saturday (not Friday afternoon). Some major festival going on in Idaho Springs. Go through Georgetown, and start up Guanella Pass. Just as I come to the point where people unloaded their vehicles to tackle Argentine Pass, there are move vehicles than I've ever seen at the base of Argentine Pass. As I pull up, it starts raining and hailing hard. Just my luck. So, not only can I not locate my driver's license, not only is the trail completely packed with OHV's - Jeeps, Motorcycles, ATV's, you name it, but now it's also raining and hailing.
So I decided to wrap it up. Turn around, and head back down towards Georgetown. I'm not happy that I can't find my driver's license. That's not a good feeling. Fortunately, I do have my passport on me, at least. I decide that I'll have to remove weekends from my riding schedule, as it's just too busy with all of these other people on the trails. Like...I just rode up these roads a few days ago in the Jeep Wrangler TJ, and I did not pass another single soul on the way in or out. And, I'd like to try Argentine Pass with the ATV, but it's not like I want to pass 50 Jeeps on the way up, as this road is very narrow. I'm not clear how two vehicles would pass along this route.
Get back home, unload the ATV, stick it in the garage. Unhook the trailer. Park it in the cul-de-sac. Put the Jeep in the driveway. Then, I head over to Mark & Brenda's place to meet the new cats. At some point, I hand buttercup my wallet, and she finds my driver's license in the wallet. So, it looks like I'll get to keep riding after all. But I'm not going to try Argentine Pass again unless it's a week day.
Update: Looks like the Rapidgrass Bluegrass Fest 2023 is what was going on in Idaho Springs.
Posted by Rob Kiser on August 5, 2023 at 8:23 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink
August 3, 2023
Argentine Pass
So, today (8/3/2023), I went and made an attempt to summit Argentine Pass in the Jeep Wrangler TJ. I made it as far as the mine, but turned back before I made it to the summit of Argentine Pass. My problem is that, I remember doing the passes, but not necessarily what vehicle I was in/on. So, yeah...I recall doing Argentine Pass before, but I can't recall if it was in the Jeep, on one of the ATV's, or on a motorcycle. As it turns out, it looks like that time (10/3/2015) I was on the Honda XR650L. So, that might be the better vehicle to take up there.
http://www.peeniewallie.com/2015/10/argentine-pass.html
Posted by Rob Kiser on August 3, 2023 at 10:46 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink
August 2, 2023
Corona Pass
So today, I took the Jeep and hit Corona Pass. Basically, since we live in a rain forest, I've been taking the Jeep instead of the motorcycles. Today, I was running late, and running low on gas. So, I wasn't sure if I'd make it to Corona Pass and back or not.
But, I managed to make it to the summit from the Winter Park side. They call it Corona Pass. But if you come up from the Rollinsville side, they call it Rollins Pass. Go figure.
I managed to make it back down before dark, then gassed up in Winter Park, and headed home to check on the cats. I don't like them being out after dark, especially if it's monsoon season.
By the time I got to Evergreen, it was pouring. I got home and found Pearl first. She was pretty dry, and staying close to the house, I figure. Later, Tubby walked in...drenched. So, locked in both cats for the night, dried Tubby off as best as I could.
Ride looked something like this.
Posted by Rob Kiser on August 2, 2023 at 9:56 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink