No Worries
07-31-2011, 07:58 PM
Ever been there? There's several ways to get there from Denver. From the east, Route 34 follows the twisty Big Thompson River. There was a flood there in 1976 that killed 143 people. From the south, you can take twisty Route 72, also called the Peak to Peak Highway. It starts in the former mining/ghost town of Blackhawk, but it's now huge casinos. You'll probably have better luck panning for gold in Clear Creek. Sport bike, sport/tourer, cruiser, tourer, old standard, or dual/purpose, you'll have a great time.
Speaking of dual/purpose bikes, there's a special ride in RMNP for dual/purpose riders. Old Fall River Road. A one-way dirt road, with abundant switchbacks, that up to yesterday was covered in snow. It climbs to over 11,000 feet to the Alpine Visitor Center. It usually opens by July 4, but not this year. Here's a map of the road. Route 34 is paved for those without DP bikes.
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/1659/rmnpmapoldfallriverroad.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/97/rmnpmapoldfallriverroad.jpg/)
Here's a website showing them clearing the snow: http://www.9news.com/rss/story.aspx?storyid=210838
Speaking of dual/purpose bikes, there's a special ride in RMNP for dual/purpose riders. Old Fall River Road. A one-way dirt road, with abundant switchbacks, that up to yesterday was covered in snow. It climbs to over 11,000 feet to the Alpine Visitor Center. It usually opens by July 4, but not this year. Here's a map of the road. Route 34 is paved for those without DP bikes.
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/1659/rmnpmapoldfallriverroad.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/97/rmnpmapoldfallriverroad.jpg/)
Here's a website showing them clearing the snow: http://www.9news.com/rss/story.aspx?storyid=210838