Keep it coming Jochen
Any retail therapy yet?
Any retail therapy yet?
America's South West in 4 weeks
- Thread starter Jockser
- Start date
Thanks lads.
Wifi was so bad last night it took me nearly half an hour to post the reply to Jaws
Seems better here so I'll start uploading some pics to PB & hopefully have an update for youse to read over brekkie
No, Peter. Other than bed, food, go-go juice & lots of water the only thing I've bought is one t-shirt. Some of us can leave the house without maxing out the credit card.....
Wifi was so bad last night it took me nearly half an hour to post the reply to Jaws
Seems better here so I'll start uploading some pics to PB & hopefully have an update for youse to read over brekkie
No, Peter. Other than bed, food, go-go juice & lots of water the only thing I've bought is one t-shirt. Some of us can leave the house without maxing out the credit card.....
Hope you enjoy Brodie & Tioga Pass today JR. 
sven
Registered user
Hope you enjoy Brodie & Tioga Pass today JR.
We flew into LAX over the Tioga pass last night and the weather looked OK down there, although with some broken cloud
sven
Registered user
The Rockies looked nice in the snow further north
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Hope you enjoy Brodie & Tioga Pass today JR.
Great day today Aidan
Bright & sunny all day but cool enough at 10,000ft
Yep, got quite cloudy over Lee Vining before sunset but this morning dawned bright & clear. Beautiful day for ridin' twisty roadsWe flew into LAX over the Tioga pass last night and the weather looked OK down there, although with some broken cloud
Photo uploading was a complete disaster last night but it seems to be working at the moment. Now, if I can just get something posted before Dave makes me turn off the light......
Day 11 - Mexican Hat, AZ to Silverton, Colorado
After leaving Mexican Hat we rode for about 25 miles to Bluff where we found the Comb Ridge Cafe. Following last nights disaster we needed something to keep body & soul together (as well as confirm that the American hinterland isn't completly devoid of decent food !). This place was the perfect antidote to the San Juan Inn - friendly, helpful staff serving good food. I had a homemade berry yogurt and several cups of real tea & it was so good I wanted to stay for lunch & dinner too.
But eventually we had to move on....
The 'hat' of the Mexicans :
Everyone rushing for brekkie :
Nice scenery :
Comb Ridge cafe :
Dave reckons this fella is related to Bender on Futurama :
And out the back a retired judge has built this place :
After Bluff :
Think these are the "Navaho Twins" :
(apologies for the badly placed finger)
And more rocky bits as we headed north (US191), then east (Hwy262) from Bluff :
It then flattened out for a while :
Until we got to :
Hovenweep National Monument is one part of a number of Puebloan settlements in the area that date back about 1200 years. Nobody is quite sure of why the settlements were abandoned but prolonged drought would appear to be the favoured theory.
Some of (what's left of) the buildings :
Some cacti in flower :
And just for a change, some wildlife :
After Hovenweep we had the first twisty road since the little bit of Route 66 so I enjoyed that rather than take pics
Mural on the side of the bikers bar in Cortez where we had lunch :
Spotted in the Gents :
The original objective for the afternoon was to visit Mesa Verde NP & stop in Durango for the night. But a combination of more time walking around Hovenweep, watching the video & a slow (late) lunch meant we would have to miss Mesa Verde (which I still regret). However, after a discussion with our barkeep where he told us that Durango is where he goes to party we resolved to pass straight through and push on to Silverton, which he described as a 'sleepy mountain town'
Between Cortez & Durango :
And onto US550 (a.k.a The Million Dollar Highway) to Silverton :
Starting to get interesting :
A quick stop to take in the scenery :
The sun was starting to drop behind the mountains on our left, we were gaining altitude and the road was getting twistier :
Nigel making final preperations before the really twisty bit
:
Final approach to Silverton :
Silverton was in that half life between the winter & summer seasons so we were struggling to find somewhere when Nigel spotted a 'vacancy' sign in the window of the Prospector Motel where we finally got sorted. Dinner was a gorgeous Elk burger in the Bent Elbow restaurant where the waitress is also County Coroner & director of the Emergency Services in town
After leaving Mexican Hat we rode for about 25 miles to Bluff where we found the Comb Ridge Cafe. Following last nights disaster we needed something to keep body & soul together (as well as confirm that the American hinterland isn't completly devoid of decent food !). This place was the perfect antidote to the San Juan Inn - friendly, helpful staff serving good food. I had a homemade berry yogurt and several cups of real tea & it was so good I wanted to stay for lunch & dinner too.
But eventually we had to move on....
The 'hat' of the Mexicans :
Everyone rushing for brekkie :
Nice scenery :
Comb Ridge cafe :
Dave reckons this fella is related to Bender on Futurama :
And out the back a retired judge has built this place :
After Bluff :
Think these are the "Navaho Twins" :
(apologies for the badly placed finger)
And more rocky bits as we headed north (US191), then east (Hwy262) from Bluff :
It then flattened out for a while :
Until we got to :
Hovenweep National Monument is one part of a number of Puebloan settlements in the area that date back about 1200 years. Nobody is quite sure of why the settlements were abandoned but prolonged drought would appear to be the favoured theory.
Some of (what's left of) the buildings :
Some cacti in flower :
And just for a change, some wildlife :
After Hovenweep we had the first twisty road since the little bit of Route 66 so I enjoyed that rather than take pics
Mural on the side of the bikers bar in Cortez where we had lunch :
Spotted in the Gents :
The original objective for the afternoon was to visit Mesa Verde NP & stop in Durango for the night. But a combination of more time walking around Hovenweep, watching the video & a slow (late) lunch meant we would have to miss Mesa Verde (which I still regret). However, after a discussion with our barkeep where he told us that Durango is where he goes to party we resolved to pass straight through and push on to Silverton, which he described as a 'sleepy mountain town'
Between Cortez & Durango :
And onto US550 (a.k.a The Million Dollar Highway) to Silverton
:
Starting to get interesting :
A quick stop to take in the scenery :
The sun was starting to drop behind the mountains on our left, we were gaining altitude and the road was getting twistier
:
Nigel making final preperations before the really twisty bit
:
Final approach to Silverton :
Silverton was in that half life between the winter & summer seasons so we were struggling to find somewhere when Nigel spotted a 'vacancy' sign in the window of the Prospector Motel where we finally got sorted. Dinner was a gorgeous Elk burger in the Bent Elbow restaurant where the waitress is also County Coroner & director of the Emergency Services in town
Dinner was a gorgeous Elk burger in the Bent Elbow restaurant where the waitress is also County Coroner & director of the Emergency Services in town
Excellent update
Was the waitress real skinny with huge norks?
We arrived in Silverton on the trails after passing many abandoned mines and were reminded how tough it was there in past times.
This was in the cafe we stopped at.
Some stunning scenery JR!
Shame about those double yellow lines - did you obey them?
Shame about those double yellow lines - did you obey them?
Most of the timeShame about those double yellow lines - did you obey them?
Just wait til ya see some of the other stuffI'm getting really jealous now.
R2D2
Registered user
elk burger 
another good write up ! hope all well
another good write up ! hope all well sfarson
Registered user
Ahhhh... Jockser, Been following along! Terrific images and tale. You're in my backyard now. Well, kinda. I'm about half a day to the east. Enjoy Southwest Colorado. Much to ride, to see, to do.
Steve
Steve
The finest Ed, thankshope all well
Steve, unfortunately the RR is about 2 weeks behind the actual ride
Nearing the end now, bikes go back Sunday 
Currently in Three Rivers, CA, just south of Kings Canyon / Sequoia
You live in a beautiful state, just wish I'd had more time there, maybe next time. But this country is just so goddam big
If we rode in one direction for a day at home half the ride would be under the sea 
Stand by for Silverton. Gotta get it posted before the Europeans come down for breakfast
Day 12 - Silverton, CO to Silverton, CO
It got so cold last night, we're at almost 10,000ft, that there was a bit of frost on the bike seats. Unfortunately I wasn't up early enough to see it !
Today turned out to be a short riding day. After breakfast we wandered around Silverton taking pictures as Nigel wanted to see the steam train arriving from Durango at midday.
Silverton :
That's racist surely ? Why can't you trade any other colour ? :
Eventually got going about lunchtime but only got about 10 miles up the road before we'd a bike issue & had to return to Silverton. As we didn't know how long it would take to resolve we checked into the Prospector Motel again. As it turned out Outback John, the local bike/ATV/Skidoo expert had it sorted within the hour but by then it was too late to move on.
The road (US550) north out of Silverton :
Went to dinner with our innkeeper Andy to Handlebars restaurant. Nice evening with Andy, the lady who owns the place & an ex-teacher, with Irish roots, who now works in the restaurant. Towards the end we were joined by the sherriff who was taking a break from bear patrol
I tried the buffalo burger but it wasn't as good as the elk last night. I'm developing a real taste for sweet potato fries though....
It got so cold last night, we're at almost 10,000ft, that there was a bit of frost on the bike seats. Unfortunately I wasn't up early enough to see it !
Today turned out to be a short riding day. After breakfast we wandered around Silverton taking pictures as Nigel wanted to see the steam train arriving from Durango at midday.
Silverton :
That's racist surely ? Why can't you trade any other colour ? :
Eventually got going about lunchtime but only got about 10 miles up the road before we'd a bike issue & had to return to Silverton. As we didn't know how long it would take to resolve we checked into the Prospector Motel again. As it turned out Outback John, the local bike/ATV/Skidoo expert had it sorted within the hour but by then it was too late to move on.
The road (US550) north out of Silverton :
Went to dinner with our innkeeper Andy to Handlebars restaurant. Nice evening with Andy, the lady who owns the place & an ex-teacher, with Irish roots, who now works in the restaurant. Towards the end we were joined by the sherriff who was taking a break from bear patrol
I tried the buffalo burger but it wasn't as good as the elk last night. I'm developing a real taste for sweet potato fries though....
(RIP) petcul
Registered user
Some more great shots Jochen. What fantastic light
Tengiz99
Registered user
Now that's what I call a ride report!
Great pics and write up.
Great pics and write up.
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