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Sunday on Memorial Day weekend some of the Guys with Exit Tours Motorcycle Club did an Epic Ride to the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado's San Luis Valley. A Pre-Ride of Day 1 of the 5 day HotSpringsADVTour this Autumn. We departed Cottonwood Hot Springs in Buena Vista and headed up Trout Creek pass to Dirt and Aspen Ridge. Took Aspen Ridge and its epic views of the Continental Divide south towards Salida, but then took a left and headed East in the dirt towards Cotopaxi and the Arkansas River. Gas at Lunch at the Store in Cotopaxi, then took 1A to Hwy 69. Hung a Left on 69 and then picked up Gulch road East towards the Royal Gorge. From there it was some excellent paved twistys and then multiple fun dirt switchbacks into Temple Canyon Park. From Temple Canyon Park your almost in Canon City, but if you take the correct route you can avoid the city and you end up on Oak Creek Grade. After an supreme climb up the Mountain , your then headed down into a canyon and neat rock formations on your way down to Silvercliff in the Wet Mountain Valley. Fuel and snacks in Silvercliff and then again down Hwy 69 to Medano Pass. Nobody rides or enters the Great Sand Dunes from this direction. No Rangers and no fees on this end of the National Monument. After passing bye where the Buffalo Roam, and a leisurely ride, Your then challenged by the switchbacks up to the top of 10,000 foot + Medano Pass. From the Top of Medano your headed down the Medano Canyon drainage into the back of the Great Sand Dunes. Multiple Creek crossings which where quite low for this time of the year. The Sand is quite soft on Medano Pass road and if you dont have a 21" inch front wheel, are not adept at staying on the Throttle and maintaining momentum, you will struggle. You May want to avoid to Medano Pass and take La Veta Pass around Mt. Blanca and come into the Dunes from the South. Word of warning. If you can ride and have a suitable bike with a knobby, by all means take the challenge of Medano Pass. Worth the views and a super fun ride. From The Sand Dunes we had made reservations at the Great Sand Dunes Lodge. Where views are spectacular and nights are quiet. But of course we had to visit the Great Sand Dunes Pool and their new Beer & Wine bar. Quite a few kids in the usually serene Pool. On Memorial Day weekend. So we avoided a dip in the pool. Sunday we had another Epic Ride that was not a Pre-ride, but fun nothing the less. Rode across the San Luis Valley and picked up a dirt road on the west side of the San Luis Valley and then up to Penitente Canyon, which is an Internationally recognized Rock Climbers Paradise. From Penitente Canyon there is a neat Pass west over the Mountains at 10,000+ feet thru the wilderness that takes you Hwy to 114. Old Cowtown Resort sits just a 1/2 mile from where Canero Canyon hits Hwy 114, and we had alerted the staff we where headed their way for Lunch and Drinks. The Good people at Old Cowtown Resort were quite accommodating, and after a a quick nap on the porch after an excellent meal, we headed East again. Old Cowtown Resort sits in a Valley and on a road that was the Hoagland Stagecoach stop used in the 1800s. Hence the Stage Road is the shortest route into Saguache and Fuel. From Saguache, the Little Known Ute Pass (1 of several Ute Passes) takes you up and over the mountain and drops you into the Bonanza Mining area. From Bonanza we took the Otto Mears Tollroad, (Which only had snow in a few small areas) up an over the Extreme West end of the Sangre de Cristo's and down into the the Silvercreek basin. Which then drops you out at the old mining town of Shirley and the East end of Marshall Pass. By the time we had gotten back to Buena Vista and Mountain Tech Motorsports after our last dirt Stint from Fisherman's Bridge on the Arkansas river to Trout Creek Pass we had covered over 500 miles. Captain Jack Bongiovanni, The Honda Africa Twin guy and Exit Tours MC Chief Instigator Michael Brown had an outstanding 2 days of riding and hauling butt in the dirt and on the pavement. Bongiovanni's '04 990 KTM may have had a few small issues, but the Africa Twin Never missed a beat. Other than his hard saddle bags almost causing him grief when the going got rocky. Brown's DR 650 was a weapon in the tight stuff and the soft dune road, and the DR's running out of gas once was the only issue for the weekend. See Fun Photos below and feel free to comment ?
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GRANBY, CO – February 15, 2017 – (Motor Sports Newswire) – Second Annual woman-led ADVWoman Rally dates Announced for July 20-23, 2017, at Flying Heels Rodeo Arena in Granby, Colorado Dates are announced for the second annual adventure rally organized for women and families. To be held July 20-23, 2017, in Granby, Colorado, the event will include a variety of self-guided rides, Geocache scavenger hunt, classroom training sessions as well as on-range adventure and dirt bike rider training. All instructors are women! Men are welcome too– this is a female and family friendly rally. “We are building on last year’s success with several key changes,” said Pat Jacques, Rally Director. “BMW Off Road instructor Caroline Stevenson has joined the teaching staff, plus the rally is expanded to four days, Thursday through Sunday. We have obtained indoor convention space, and have hotel accommodations available. We will teach on-range rider training ‘Adventure Essentials’ and ‘Dirt Bike Essentials’, and we’ve added the advanced level ‘BDR Essentials’ class. This will support riders in successfully completing the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route teaching steep ascents and descents, hair pin turns, water crossings, and rocky terrain skills.” Last year’s Rally was a great success with several participants traveling over 1800 miles to attend. “I knew the ladies would have a blast, but I was most surprised by how much the gentlemen enjoyed themselves,” said Jacques. “They were thrilled to see their spouses and partners quickly gain confidence and skill, which translates to more opportunities to enjoy riding together and also strengthens the industry.” Classroom Sessions are open to all attendees and will run Thursday & Friday 3:30PM-4:30PM and 4:45-5:45PM, with several classes running simultaneously in different locations. Topics include trailside maintenance, trailside first aid, intro to GPS navigation, fitness and training for off-road riding, truck & trailer motorcycle loading and unloading, flat tire repair, how to pick up a bike, moto-camping and travel photography. “Women teaching women is natural and transformative. We’re excited to have Canadian GS Trophy Candidate and BMW Off-Road Certified Instructor Caroline Stevenson joining our all-woman staff this year. Caroline’s quiet, confident manner and considerable skill is sure to resonate with many women,” said Jacques. Immediately following the Rally there will be a “First Ever” All-ladies Colorado Backcountry Discovery (COBDR) Tour led by Jacques and fellow adventure rider Alisa Clickenger. All classes are taught Thursday and Friday so participants can enjoy a full day of adventure riding on Saturday. www.advwoman.com/rally/ About Pat Jacques, Rally Director Pat Jacques is a groundbreaking woman who raced men’s motocross professionally. Retired from racing now, she still enjoys spirited single track riding and adventure touring. Jacques’ passion is empowering women and getting families out riding motorcycles together. She is a Keynote speaker appearing at the Steel Horse Sisterhood Summit, Women Creating Our Futures, and a personal coach. Source: ADVWOMAN RALLY