Colorado Rally Ouray Ride Routes

[Firehawk068]

As promised, I'm posting up three of the best ride routes from Ouray.

I ran all 3 of these last year, and can assure you the scenery is Spectacular!

I'll start with Ouray to Gateway.



https://goo.gl/maps/EzgtNR165kJ2

You start out heading North to Ridgway. This is a good place to fuel up, as it's cheaper than in Ouray.

Once there, head west on 62 to Placerville where you meet up with 145.
The 145 will eventually turn into the 141 at Naturita.



This is where the road gets Really Good!
You continue on 141 and it makes it's way into the canyon, alongside the Dolores River.
It is curve after curve of Motorcycle heaven for miles!







You make your way to the little town of Gateway.
Stop at the Gateway Canyons General Store for a sandwich and a cold drink.







There is fuel in Gateway if you need to top up before heading back the way you came.
There is also Fuel in Naturita if you didn't fuel up in Gateway.

Head back to Ridgway, and back down to Ouray.

[Firehawk068]

This route is the "Highway 92" ride.
This is still my absolute favorite Motorcycle road in Colorado. For me, it has everything!



https://goo.gl/maps/EHFAAS21Zhk

Head North from Ouray all the way to Montrose. There are plenty of places to fuel up in Montrose.
Turn on to the 50 and head East until you reach the turnoff for Blue Mesa Dam. This is where Highway 92 starts.



This road is non-stop curves all the way until you pop out of the canyon and start heading North towards Crawford.

There are a couple pull-off areas to take a break.









Be careful of those blind right-handers. There are usually one or two of them that always have sand on the curve.

Keep heading North to the town of Crawford.
As you are making your way through town, just as you are about to enter the right-hand bend, turn left on Dogwood Ave, and immediately onto "I Street".
Follow this road a short ways to "Skooterz and Shooterz".
It is a cool little hole-in-the-wall place that has good food, and live music on the weekends.
Put a Dollar up on the wall next to our other ones





After lunch, head back the way you came.
Just as you are heading back out of Crawford, on the South end of town, there is a fuel station to top up before heading back through the Black Canyon.
Head back to the 50, and West to 550, then back South to Ouray.

[Firehawk068]

This ride route is the "Million Dollar Highway"



https://goo.gl/maps/EaKHwLMUmeJ2

Top up your fuel before you leave Ouray, and head south out of town on the 550.
The road and the scenery is absolutely spectacular the whole way through Silverton, and all the way until you reach Purgatory Ski Resort.













The road straightens out, and becomes uneventful after Purgatory.
Turn around at the Ski Resort, and head back North to Silverton to have lunch.



If you time your stop in Silverton just right, you can watch the Steam Trains arrive or depart back to Durango.







After lunch, head back North on the 550 back to Ouray.

There was a section of construction on the 550 last year, and they may be still working on one little section of it this summer?

[aviationfred]

Another ride route is actually a destination ride. An all day ride to the Pikes Peak Summit. Count on 560 miles round trip. Kurt and I attempted this ride 4 years ago and we got a late start out of Gunnison. We never made it to the peak. By the time we got to the base of Pikes Peak, thunderstorms had rolled in at 3:00pm it was as dark as night. The key for this ride would be to pull out of the camp ground at 6:00-7:00am to reach the peak early enough so as not to get caught by the afternoon thunder storms that are common this time of year.


https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ouray+Riverside+Inn+and+Cabins,+1804+N.+Main,+Ouray,+CO+81427/Pikes+Peak,+El+Paso+County,+CO/@38.5422077,-106.9789292,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x873f21de14fbd92d:0xef95d456b1a6cc29!2m2!1d-107.678451!2d38.036984!1m5!1m1!1s0x8714a806033005bd:0xa67b8c79d6580c1e!2m2!1d-105.0422595!2d38.8408707

The return could be the route in grey. Like Alan says about his favorite road in Colorado. Hwy 50 between Hwy 9 and Howard along the Arkansas river is one of my favorite rides. Relatively flat but very curvy. We would hit it heading west in the late afternoon and very little traffic would be heading west.



Fred

[yamaha fj rider]

Pikes peak is on my list for places to see in Colorado this year. This will be my third Colorado rally and the third time is the charm as they say.

Kurt

[aviationfred]

As a side note. I am sure the Pikes Peak ride will be a very popular ride over that weekend. The MSTA (Motorcycle Sports Touring Association) is holding it's Annual STAR rally in Colorado Springs the 9th-11th. There will be a few hundred bikes attending. If anyone has friends that are attending the MSTA Rally, maybe schedule a meet up at the top of Pike's Peak.


Fred

[Firehawk068]

Pikes peak would be a LONG day of riding from Ouray!
I would plan on a 13-14 hour riding day if you take the fastest route. 15-16 hours if you go through Canon City.
If you don't leave Ouray by 5:00-5:30am, I wouldn't attempt to be back in Ouray the same day.

Leon, Cory, and I did the Peak from Gunnison back in 2012.

If anyone decides to do this, call ahead for current conditions: 719 385 PEAK (7325)

They are currently closed to the summit, with the fresh snow storm we just got.
There is more snow forecast for this week, but they might have it plowed by Rally time.

Also, they are planning Construction at the summit starting this summer I believe. I don't think this would affect riding to the summit, but they are tearing down the old building/gift-shop and building a new Summit House in its place, so the building may be closed.

One other thing to mention:
It currently costs $15 per person to ride/drive to the summit. There are $2-off coupons on this page (scroll down towards the bottom)
http://www.pikes-peak.com/discounts/

It takes around 2-hours round-trip from the toll gate, to the summit and back down.
Ideally, you want to be heading back down no later than 1:00-2:00pm. The weather in the afternoons is extremely unpredictable on the mountain. Trust me, I know!

If anyone ends up riding through Canon City on the 50, about a mile before town, take the left turn on to Skyline Drive. (You won't regret it)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=desQB1fTh60