Mrs. Doc and I spent the first week of August in Colorado. Not wanting to subject my long-suffering wife to a summer ride across Kansas, we trailered the Bonnie:
Arthur Bryant's is right off I-70, so a barbeque stop was required:
We also broke up the trip with a stop at Mamie & Ike's in Abilene:
And, thanks to the wonders of cell phones and GPS, we met some Denver friends for breakfast and got in a shopping run while Marsha's flight was delayed. (Marsha??? Our daughter's new aunt by marriage...)
Much of the week was occupied by such things as the Vail music and dance festival, some superb restaurants and more than a few bison burgers,but I was able to get in a full day with the Triumph:
Cross this bridge to take Tennessee Pass to Leadville:
Leadville is at 10,250 feet elevation. It dates back to the mining days, and there's some great architecture, such as this wooden church
and a recently restored synagogue across the street (5 points -- it had been originally built a a synagogue, later decommissioned and used as apartments.)
There's also an old road from the stage coach days linking Leadville to Denver by way of Alma, Mosquito Pass Road. At just over 13,000 feet, it's the highest pass with a road across it in the U.S. Since I've done my share of cow-trailing, I gave it a try. This road, along with Mrs. Doc preferring to pillion on the Triumph, is why I left the Suzuki at home. Even the modest forward positioning of the pegs on the Savage seemed unsuitable for anything off-road.
Not a street bike friendly road:
Here's where I met some guys on ATVs coming the other way.
Following some discussion, I decided that it would be, uhh, prudent, to turn back
before I damaged either the bike or myself.
Back in Leadville, I consoled myself with a visit to the Tennessee Pass Cafe and a nice Thai style chicken and shrimp dish.
With a full tummy and undamaged bike, I headed back to Avon by way of Fremont Pass, where I rode into some hail, Copper Mountain and Vail Pass. Had a great day, and still made it back in time for Eugenia Zuckerman performing a Bach concerto on flute and a baroque ensemble playing all four of Vivaldi's Four Seasons.
Later, there were zip lines, white water rafting, hiking and more performing arts.
Oh yeah, Mrs Doc and I went over Mosquito Pass a few days later in the Xterra. It wasn't bad with 4 wheel drive in compound low!
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