Some R&R

After a busy winter of working in the woods and getting ready for both the spring Adventure ride and the Miracle trail ride; Roy and I decided to head west... You know the saying "Head West young man". Well that is just what we did. West to Lake City Colorado.

Why Lake City?
Roy Garrett has been visiting Colorado as his yearly get away for the last ten years. Seems as if Roy favors Lake City over other towns/regions of Colorado. Yet, he's visited many regions of Colorado over the ten years he has been traveling in Colorado.

Lake City is one of three towns known as the San Juan Triangle. There is so much rich history in the area that trying to explain it all in an article would not provide it justice. After reading this article and your imagination is still wanting more. There are plenty of resources on the internet.

As I said, Lake City is only one of three cities that make up the San Juan Triangle, the other two are Silverton and Ourey.

There are trails, (Jeep, ATV and motorcycle) trails that connect these city called the Alpine Loop. The Alpine Loop is a network of four wheel drive roads that connect Lake City, Ouray, and Silverton, traverses passes up to 12,800 feet while showcasing old mines, ghost towns, natural wonders, beautiful wildflowers, and abundant wildlife. These roads were originally paths used by Native Americans crossing the region. In the 1880s, these trails were widened and used to access mines. Today, the Alpine Loop is an avenue for exploring nature and history with many thrilling views and stunning geography. The listed points of interest are in order from Cinnamon Pass to Engineer Pass.

The Alpine loop contains some beautiful passes that include Engineers Pass at 12,800 feet in elevation, Engineer Pass offers outstanding views of American Flats, Uncompahgre Peak, and on clear days, Utah.

We begin each day by traveling up to Engineers pass and picking our route for the day. Each day promised to be an adventure.

Roy's target each day was to have lunch in Silverton, Colorado and to keep the adventure going each day. We found that by the time we returned to Lake City each night our dinning choices become limited the later we returned. Lake City is a very eclectic town with a great deal of history.

Our first off the beaten path run was on a rock (and when I say rock I mean one to two foot size rocks) up to a barracks way up that Roy wanted to see.

Needless to say we turned around about halfway up due to the fact our 650cc pigs were a bit much for a trail like that and being the first day out our bodies weren't adjusted to the climate. Yet as the week went on we began to adjust and a trail like this was common place.

As we traveled we kept running into a herd of sheep with no one attending to them, except two dogs (do not pet the sheep dogs!).. Before we knew it we came upon the sheep herder's camp, yet he was not at home..

Most if not all the roads we used were gravel, actually crushed granite.. Traction was not an issue even in the ran...

We outfitted out bikes with 50/50 dual sport tires and the rear on my bike was already half-way gone when we got there..

Some points of interest..
1. Purchase your groceries in Gunnison, CO before you get to Lake City... $15.00 for a case of bottled water is a bit pricey.
2. Adjust your jetting before you head out and bring along the jetting kit to ensure you have it right.
3. Lower your gearing at least by one tooth on the counter shaft sprocket.
4. Bring extra tube, 21inch can be used in both the front and rear.
5. Know your limits. It's really easy to get tunnel vision.. Take your time.
6. Purchase the ORV sticker (it's cheap insurance).

The three bunk cabin we rented ($320/week) is located at Elk Horn RV Park.. 512-689-5110 (www.elkhornrvresort.com).

August, What a month

It just gets better and better each year. This year was no different.. To kick the month off, Roy and I had one heck of a week in Colorado and then a week later the Stoney Lonesome held their Buffalo Dual sport ride in Columbus, In.. They had multiple new land owners open their lands with new trial to be ridden.. Then a week later, was Moto GP weekend.. Friday was the second annual EnduroCross and what an event that was... Then The GP with the XL1200's running some of the best racing at the GP... And The flat-track racing out at the Marion county fair grounds... What a month.

What's in it for me?

This last year, I've had the opportunity to get to know a young man who lives down the street from me. I've known him for some time, yet this last year he and I have had an opportunity to get to know each other more through motorcycling and trail work.

He expressed interest in off-road riding and I offered to take him out and teach him as much as I can. Well it all started last fall when Roy and I were working on the LCRP trails. This young man volunteered to work on the new trails and he help throughout the winter at every opportunity. To say this young man was shy and reserved is not over stating his personality.

This young man is no different than most young teen agers today. He helped with the trails and help with trash can layout and pick up at the Miracle trail ride this past spring.. During the MRT he was able to take some time to ride his first dirt bike.. Needless to say in two days he burned through five gallons of gas...

Since then he has had some training with Roy and I've taken him to LCRP on about two different occasions. The first time he played on the new kids trail that is now established behind the big stage on the North West corner of the property. The next time out he spent his time playing a little deeper in the woods.

Well this past weekend is where I got my reward. He and I took off on the new six mile single track trail and he had one heck of a time and so did I. I spent the day following him and seeing all his efforts pay off. with every turn this young man's confidence grew and he learned something new with every spill, stumble and bobble.

By the end of the day we had completed almost two laps and I had a hard time convincing him that the his cramping hands were a sign that it was time to call it a day.

What did I get out of it? More than one would think. I look forward to watching this young man grow with each and every outing.

Al Pivonka