Rides for the 2010 SW Rally

[audiogooroo]

Hey everyone!
Since I actually scored a day off today, I thought I would consider one of the rides for the Rally. I would like to do the Million Dollar Highway, because I'm convinced it is one of the most scenic rides in America, and if we don't hit, you will never forgive me! :)
I'm thinking we head east through Durango to get on Hwy 550, and ride to either Ouray or Ridgway to have lunch.
Ridgeway is about 125 miles, but will take around 3 hours. I was thinking of maybe this place for lunch:
http://www.truegritcafe.com/index.html
Then we ride the same way back to Cortez. Having ridden 550 many times, I know that it is a completely different experience depending on whether you are north bound or south bound, and I want everyone to see both.
So that's what I'm proposing for a day ride for either Monday or Tuesday. Thoughts?
It would be great for Joel and Jared to sound off on what would be another ride, perhaps heading west and including Mesa Verde. I've never actually been to Meas Verde, but would like to see it.
Am also open to suggestions from everyone. I'll lead the 550 ride, but would like to recruit someone else for any other rides. Right now my schedule is looking good for me to be there Sunday through Tuesday, but will probably need to head out Wednesday morning. Busy summer for me.
I so can't wait for June!

[MarkG]

There are a couple of nice restaurants in Silverton, too. Handlebars for pretty good steaks and Romero's for Mexican food.

Mesa Verde is a lot bigger than it looks. It took me the better part of a day to go through it and I didn't go on any of the walking tours into the ruins. It was a nice side trip the last time I went through the area.

Honeyville, just north of Durango, is a nice little store for anybody interested in various flavors of fresh honey and other related products.

[waterman]

Hmmm, beat me to it (posting that is). Here are two rides with a variation on one of them.


Instead of riding back on 550 you could ride around thru Telluride and back to Cortez this way. It is a gorgeous ride.


4 Corners Ride - Version 1


Version 2


All of these rides are around 260 miles round trip.

[pronghorn]

I like all the rides both of you have suggested. To many rides and not enough time. One thing about the two way ride on 550 can be a little shorter if you turn around at Ouray. Some attending might want an easy day Monday after riding in from wherever on Sunday. You can also ride north out of Cortez on 145 to Telluride, west on 145 to Naturita, south on 141 to Dove Creek, and south on 491 to Cortez also a great ride and maybe a little cooler than the southern rides.

[Jared]

All the rides that have been suggested sound very good to me! The loop in Mesa Verde is nice. You get to see all the major Cliff Dwellings, but like Mark said, you don't get to hike to any of them.

When my wife and I did the Mesa Verde on the bike last summer, it took us about 4 hours. It could be an optional ride in the afternoon or a main ride. The only problem is you're not do a lot of riding. It's just a lot of stopping and going every 1/4 miles for about 5 miles with a 20 mile ride in and back out.

I would really like to see 4 Corners and the Million Dollar Hwy. I've never see either.

[waterman]

Here is a website for the first run (San Juan Skyway).

http://www.motorcycleroads.com/route.../CO/CO_1.shtml

[audiogooroo]

Looks great Joel, thanks for your efforts!

[Jared]

Originally Posted by waterman

Hmmm, beat me to it (posting that is). Here are two rides with a variation on one of them.


Instead of riding back on 550 you could ride around thru Telluride and back to Cortez this way. It is a gorgeous ride.


4 Corners Ride - Version 1


Version 2


All of these rides are around 260 miles round trip.

Version 1 gets my vote, for whatever that is worth.

[waterman]

Utah,

I would agree that version 1 might be better. However, there will definately be some desert riding on both.

[Jared]

I guess it's just the nature of the beast. There's a lot of desert in the area. 160 is a nice road, but we will be hitting that when we go up 555.

Maybe we ought to have two half day rides. One riding straight out to 4 Corners and one riding through mesa verde. Both those rides could be done on the same day.