Colorados Indepenence Pass this month

[RDKing07]

So is there a lot of snow there and is it rideable two up with a trailer in a few weeks?  What are the temps going to be ?  Leaving for Colorado in three weeks from Nebraska, plan on going across trail ridge road, Dillon, Sadalia, Gunnison, Montrose, Four Corners.  Just kind of winding down and around for 8 days.  Or is it not a good time of year due to weather.

[marc]

I think your pushing your luck...I would wait a few weeks if you can...I know they had some snow a few weeks ago...There is or was a great little campground near the top of the pass coming from Aspen called Lost Man...Caught some nice trout too...

[Dennis The Menace]

So far, its okay, and only gets narrow in some places, not a worry for a MC trailer though.  But, who knows in 2 weeks.  Its been snowing in the mtns the past few days,with snow level at 8k feet in parts of the state.  It was 42 at my house in Denver area this morning when I got up at 4:30.  Blowing frost when I went out with the dogs.  Nuts for June!  lol

Still, it doesnt matter what time of year, bring gear for cold weather cuz it happens all the time at altitude.  Plan for afternoon storms throughout the state in June, and we are having a wet spring.  But, we get most of our rainfall in June here, so that should tell ya something.  Got over an inch at home the past 48 hours.

Dont want to discourage ya, just bring the gear so you are prepared.  Best way to enjoy Colorado riding, actually, is to get an early start as the sun comes up, and plan to end the riding day around 2-3pm.  You get a real treat with the sunrise shining on the mtns, and avoid the harsh storms in late afternoons, which are almost daily in the high country.

BTW, Trail Ridge Rd is closed right now due to snow, but will be opened back up in a day or so.

http://www.cotrip.org/roadConditions.htm

menace

[takwolf]

Planning on a run through Rocky Mtn. Nat. Park this weekend. I think it will be ok by then, but also cold.

[RDKing07]

Hopefully things will change and warm up a little in the next 3 weeks.  This is plan B as far as vacation goes so not sure where we will go if not Colorado ...

[Memnar]

My best friend works for CDOT and he opens the road every year...I'll shoot him an email and see when the road will be open..

-Erik

[Reddog74usa]

We went to Idependence pass on the 4th of july and had a snow ball fight LOL road was clear though. Be prepared for cool weather in the high elevations even in july but man is it worth it. Theres plenty of ridin on the western slope this time of year so just go for it you'll be glad ya did

[Dennis The Menace]

All Colorado passes are open for summer, but there are temporary closures when weather hits...which is why Trail Ridge (Rocky Mtn Park) and Mt Evans hwy's are temp closed....they got snow yesterday.  They may be open now, not sure havent checked since this AM.

I would plan to ride Colorado.  Its pretty nice here, just some freak weather out of the ordinary, but happens this time of year.  But, in late June when you plan to come, it will be very nice, but never know.  My buds came out from Milwaukee 3rd week of June 2 years back, and we got spit a little rain, but most of the time was sunny and warm.  No snow or bad weather over Independence or Trail Ridge.

I've spent my time at elevation, and still say get and early start in the morning, knock off early afternoon and you will be dry and warm.  Its nice to relax afternoons and watch the storms come through viewing through the bottom of a beer mug/margarita glass!

Tak, hope you have fun this weekend.  But, if you wait until the weekend of the 20th, Rocky Mountain Park is free entry!

Dennis

[ClassicRider2002]

"........So is there a lot of snow there and is it rideable two up with a trailer in a few weeks?  What are the temps going to be ? ......"

Wow....lol sounds like we are in winter wonderland....LOL with no hopes of ever warming up based upon the reports above.....

As you get closer to July 1st you will find great weather.....which seems to me based upon your reference of three weeks and given that we are at June 3rd today.....plus 21 days = June 24th.....I wouldn't plan to go anywhere besides Colorado.....

Any weather we experience such as white powder will only be short lived by this time of year.....and as for snow on "Trail Ridge Road" THERE IS ALWAYS SNOW about 5 feet off the roads.....LOL.....ie: it's the highest paved road in America.....so it doesn't matter what time of the summer you go through you could find some very cold weather there......heck I have been over Trail Ridge Road with it snowing and banked in with clouds in the middle of July.....but snow in July is different than a snow in Dec for sure....the point is bring your gloves, rain gear, heavy leather coat.....if you see the temperatures in Denver scheduled to be 80's or 90's assume in the mountains that the day time highs will be about 10-15 degrees cooler (the day time highs probably would be considered between 11:30am to 2:00pm or so and outside of this time frame it's going to be even cooler for example purposes) .....and at Trail Ridge you will be lucky if it ever gets above 60 even during the hottest days.....but Trail Ridge Road "Highway" only has 15 miles where one finds the snow or the cold 7.5 miles on either side approximately.....after that it becomes pretty normal......also plan on paying aprx $20.00 to go through the "National Park" area which surrounds the Trail Ridge Road area......You won't pay any money to go through anything else....just that particular stretch....

If you do find yourself riding after 5:30pm anywhere in the mountains when you are by streams just be on the out look for deer.....and since deer are pretty unpredictable it wouldn't hurt to keep your eyes focused always on that thought.....

Also when you are trying to figure out your days......just plan on averaging around 45 mph through out the mountains unless you are on I 70.  The only stretch of I 70 I would recommend being on would be from Eagle to Glenwood Springs as there is about 10-15 miles of highway that is absolutely beautiful.....ie: million dollar highway.....outside of this area I wouldn't be on the interstate of I 70 through the mountains.....

You haven't actually asked for directions.....LOL but here are some reflections:

You have mentioned going to Durango and working yourself through that part of the State is absolutely beautiful.....try to take Independence Pass from the direction of Aspen over Independence Pass down to Buena Vista to Salida over to Gunnison where there is a nice Holiday Inn Express.....that's spectacular.....the absolute best time of day for this section of the ride is being in Aspen around 3:00-4:00pm local time which allows one to capture the sun as it's coming through the trees from the west while you are riding more to the east in this section which offers some beautiful shadows, it's simply a spectacular time of the day really to travel this section of the journey.....if you are in Aspen (which is a small town really) at 3:30 pm you can get to your next destination like Gunnison for example by 8:00pm or so which would be before you loose sun light.....and playing several John Denver songs is always appropriate through there for SURE!   You will capture the moment......Of course if the day you are in this section of the journey is a cloudy day then what time you travel through makes no difference....I have been over this road in the moring time frame from Aspen over Independence Pass and in the late afternoon as I have mentioned above.....and there is no comparison....it's absolutely stunning to do it in the late afternoon on a "warm" day with blue sky......

If you follow the Aspen to Trail Ridge Route to Gunnison....then I believe the next beautiful route is to go from Gunnison to Montrose,  Montrose (Highway 550) to  Ridgeway (Highway 62) to Placerville (Highway 145) you then could go into Telluride for lunch if you like and then back track out of Telluride (continuing on Highway 145) to Rico to Doloras into Durango. Durango is a nice place to settle in for a couple of days....you can then go into the local Harley Davidson dealership there and they can tell you about a nice day ride into southern Utah and back up through Farmington NM....I don't know the exact ride....but they take these rides with their local group.....anyway if you plan to be in Durango for a couple of days that would be a nice ride.....at least I know it's a ride the locals enjoy taking......then another nice ride would be to make sure you go from Durango back up to Silverton and Ouray.  If you look at a CO map you could have taken this section of the journey from Gunnison to Montrose straight into Durango.....but I figured you could capture this particular section of the ride either leaving Durango or on a specific day trip with Durango as your resting point.  If you do decide to go from Durango say back up to Glenwood Springs then back over to say Trail Ridge Road....here is the direction I would take,  Durango (Highway 550) to Delta, Delta (Highway 92) to Hotchkiss, Hotchkiss (Highway 133) to Carbondale to Glenwood Springs on to I 70 east to Wolcott, Wolcott (Highway 131) Toponas, on to Highway 134 and take a right on Highway 9 to Kremmling to Hot Sulphur Springs into Grandby into Grand Lake, which takes you into the Rocky Mountain National Park entrance over Trail Ridge into Estes Park.   While Grand Lake and Grandby have some accomodations they don't have much, your areas to stay in would be Glenwood Springs or Estes Park.   Moving yourself into Steamboat Springs would be a nice ride as well.  Going over Trail Ridge road either direction is about the same......

Also you might consider when coming in from Nebraska that traveling from say, Fort Collins that you give some thought to dropping yourself into Steamboat Springs for a night and then working yourself over to Glenwood Springs as an example that way you are only hitting Trail Ridge Road on your exit out of the State and paying to go over Trail Ridge once....vs paying twice or if that's no big deal do it twice.....you can purchase a season pass as well....but that's more expensive than the one day pass.....or if you are BRAVE LOL you can go over Trail Ridge after dark lol....which I have done and it's A WHOLE ANOTHER AMOUNT OF BEAUTIFUL on a NICE NITE THAT IS.....I have been over Trail Ridge at Midnite on a full moon with my son-in-law with him leading the way....ABSOLUTELY NO TRAFFIC...lol as one might expect and it was a very nice warm NITE.....nothing like it.....of course you have to take into account deer.....on this particular nite we saw none.....lol when you go through the park at nite you do not pay.....lol ie: nothing to see lol.....but like I said it's a different type of beautiful under a full moon....anyway that's one way to avoid paying park fees if you find yourself going through this area twice and as I said one way to avoid this is to take a "STEAMBOAT" route on one of the routes.....which is beautiful as well.....

Hopefully you enjoy your stay in Colorado, if I can be of further assistance please feel free to private message me or ask away here within the THREAD.

Regards,

"Classic"

[RDKing07]

Thanks everyone,  This has been a big help and I think it's been decided that we will be coming to Colorado.  Probably hit Estes Park on the 21st and then out the West side and South from there.  Not sure yet. but will be making more plans this wk-end.  Thanks again and feel free to offer more info on camp grounds and eating places.  Kind of like the out of the way places to eat that only the locals know about.  (No fast food).
Thanks again
Mike  (RDKing07)

[dakota224]

GOOD choice,,  I just rode from Cheyenne To Durango & Back (via hwy 285)and i had a blast,, i was dodgeing rain clouds here and there but the ride was awesome.. I will be Riding back down there in 3 weeks.. My girlfriend lives in the four corners area..   next ride will be thru steamboat springs & down torwards paionia down thru the rockies....There is a bar in Glenwood Springs called the Doc Holliday bar.. thats where we meet.(about halfway). she rides too.  enjoy your trip..

[texaskatfish]

RDKing07 - as above pack everything you own and pray you only need half of it!

And wet or dry you simply cannot beat Colorado - I lived in Denver 10 years and didn't see HALF the mtn roads in the state I wanted to.

If after Trail Ridge Road (presuming your going east side to west) you get the urge to roll west before south - that stretch of I-70 mentioned above through Glenwood Canyon is AWESOME!

West of there Grand Mesa is huge and as I recall up on the Mesa there was a pretty nice lodge I stayed at (been back in '97 or so though).............derned if I can recall the name - but the tiny cafe had cinammon rolls the size of a toddlers head and YUMMY!

Even a bit further west just over the line into Utah you can catch UT128...........follows the Colorado River canyon over to Moab - from there you can go south to Monticello and camp at Monti LaSalle (had 20 doe close enough to hit with a spitwad while sitting at our table)..................oh and about UT128 - right down on the deck with the kayakers (1000 foot or more sheer cliffs straight up on either side).............but from I-70 to the actual canyon it's some of the emptiest, most bizzare scenery I've ever seen - you could be on the moon.................

From Monticello you can cut back across into CO and catch at least half of the 'Alps of America' going past Telluride and south of there choose east for Durango or west for 4 corners and Monument Valley out of Bluff UT

If I do this right here's one of those scenery pics between I-70 and the UT128 canyon to Moab...............

[wingie]

A great family resturant in Ward, 30 miles South of Estes Park. Peak to Peak Highway goes from Estes to Central City. One of the best,scenic roads ever. Ward is half way between Estes and Central City. Open for breakfast  7;30 Tues thru Sat. Italian meals Thur thru Sat evening  5;30 to 8;30  wingie

[Memnar]

Well the other posts have said it all..if/when the weather turns just wait it out..if your in a little town the better.

My avatar ; Taken at the top of Red Mountain Pass between Ouray and Silverton - it was sunny 3 miles down the road, and then 5 miles later again a blizzard. It took us 5 hours to go 70 miles...but the memories are worth it.

-Erik

[dakota224]

wingie ,, are you talking about the Millsite Inn?? i lived above warn in the Brainered lake area for years.. maybe its the old ward store??

[Reddog74usa]

Katfish, That is river road that runs from I-70 to Moab and one of the best rides in that area. It brings you out just south of arches national park and is absolutly beautiful.

[MtnRider2]

Dakota... I live 40 miles from the Steamboat. If your there around lunch the Old Town Pub my favorite. Specitalty is Buffalo. There yesterday for a brew and the weather was perfict.

[Dennis The Menace]

Dammit mtnrider....will you guys please suck these clouds in Denver back up in the mtns where they belong!  Thank you.

lol

Dennis

[MtnRider2]

Them clouds don't belong on MY side.... this is the high desert here. I live west of the Boat nothing growing here but sage and junipers. This has to be the wettest spring I've seen in years. Been trying to make it to make to Glenwood or Junction on the bike for the last month but have nothing but storms all my days off. Haven't  even made the Snowey Range loop to Laramie yet.

[Bear]

  Hey Mike the ride through the Snowy Mts on the road to Centenial Wyo. is worth the time on the way down or back and the Flaming Gorge dam just into Utah is as pretty as it gets! Have fun.          Dave