Crested Butte,Taylor Park, Ouray, CO.

[Clutch]

What can I say? We spent just over a week in the cool mountains of Colorado. Riding dirt bikes with 50+ of our closest friends. Simply the best single track I have ever been on, plus spectacular views and weather.

Alice did fantastic, she has only been on a dirt bike for 10 times, and that includes the time we were there. She even made it over Black Bear Pass into Telluride. She is the one on the Green KX 100 in the butt load of photos.

It should be illegal how much fun we had, probably is in some states. The people trying to close down the riding areas should at least try riding dirt bikes, and really see how much Fun it is. A thought of those people ran through my head, chasing my friends up through a ribbon of single track. They must be against having fun, maybe the weren't loved enough when they were young? I don't know why they are ruining it for people like me. Mang, you only live once. Get out there!

Butt load of pictures here...thousands and thousands of words....

http://outdoors.webshots.com/slideshow/560169370oyusaH

Yes, the Wildernest did leak like a sive, hence the blue tarp. I am glad I brought my 6 person tent, for the gear stash. I even folded the porta privy on the first try. My bug sprayer shower in a can work beautifully, too.

The 'Nest attracted humming birds, we had a few fly in...so, any of you, who wants to study hummingbirds...the Wildernest is a great trap!

The ride raised a couple thousand dollars to give to a local organization to keep the trails open, which I hope they remain open...or I'll go completely insane.

Hmmm...I am deffinately living in the wrong state. It is nice to be home, though. Tucson is getting hit hard with rain, my yard is in full bloom, I can't believe much stuff has grown in such little time. My tiny 876 square foot house seems huge, compared to to being in the truck camper. (I need a full size truck)

This pretty much sums up the feeling of the ride. Alice looking down Black Bear Pass. (Very proud of her)

 

[DaveInDenver]

Yes, the Wildernest did leak like a sive, hence the blue tarp.

Have you sealed the seams on your 'Nest lately? If not, that helps a lot.

Hmmm...I am deffinately living in the wrong state.

Yeah, driving home from the mountains yesterday I was thinking quite the opposite. I was ready to leave this state for good. So many people, took us 3 friggin' hours to get from Frisco to Denver (about 55 miles). I remember now why we don't ski in Summit County. Simply stupid number of people on the highway. Grrrrr.

Looks like a fun time up there, Kermit.

 

[Clutch]

Have you sealed the seams on your 'Nest lately? If not, that helps a lot.

Seems are sealed, the waterproofing is totally shot. The canvas got saturated. I didn't have time to waterproof it before I left. I found a sealer from the military surplus store that works wonders.

I really want a fullsize with a Four Wheel Camper, I just don't want to pay for it.

Yeah, driving home from the mountains yesterday I was thinking quite the opposite.

The traffic wasn't too bad on the Gunnison side. I do not dare venture towards Denver, I know it would destroy my idealic views of Colorado. We really liked Gunnison, but, Crested Butte, Silverton, and especially Telluride are just weird....does Disney own those towns?

How does one afford to live in those little towns? I am guessing you have to be a movie star...

 

[DaveInDenver]

Seems are sealed, the waterproofing is totally shot. The canvas got saturated. I didn't have time to waterproof it before I left. I found a sealer from the military surplus store that works wonders.

I really want a fullsize with a Four Wheel Camper, I just don't want to pay for it.

If you do try that stuff, let me know how it works. I know another fella with a 'Nest that has urethane-to-fabric separation. My understanding is that once the coating flakes off, that's it and you are doing a blue tarp or replacement. The tarp route is definitely not preferred because it gets like a sauna in there and it starts raining inside. FWIW, even new the fabric gets saturated, since the waterproofing is on the inside of the fabric. So even with good urethane you'll get condensation on the inside, but still mine has never 'leaked' as such. But if you camp near a river or something, there is often condensation inside. This is why I like having the gear loft in place with some clothes or something, reduces the chances of a water torture event...

If you are interested in refurbishing your fabric, hit me with a message. I have been trying to find a guinea pig who might be willing to use their existing done-for tent as a pattern for a new one. At this point the guy who I was going have sew it up went out of business, but there are other potential places who can sew up things like this.

The traffic wasn't too bad on the Gunnison side. I do not dare venture towards Denver, I know it would destroy my idealic views of Colorado. We really liked Gunnison, but, Crested Butte, Silverton, and especially Telluride are just weird....does Disney own those towns?

How does one afford to live in those little towns? I am guessing you have to be a movie star...

You are wealthy or live in a trailer and work 3 jobs. Guess why I still live in Denver. Heck, we both work regular full time professional jobs and can't even afford to live in the foothills, much less a real mountain town.

 

[Clutch]

If you do try that stuff, let me know how it works...

If you are interested in refurbishing your fabric, hit me with a message....

I did have can with me, and we did spray it down. It didn't have enough time to cure, but, did seem to work for repelling the water. Going to do it right once the rain stops here. There are some holes in the fabric...it is a fairly old one. One of the reasons I got it for so cheap.

I may take you up on the refurbishing. We perfered sleeping the 'Nest over the tent, was more comfortable by far. I am buying a New Scooter soon. Waiting patiently for it to come in. So, I don't know how much money I going to throw at the truck.

 

[kcowyo]

We really liked Gunnison, but, Crested Butte, Silverton, and especially Telluride are just weird....does Disney own those towns?

How does one afford to live in those little towns? I am guessing you have to be a movie star...

Great pics Kermit. It looks like you two had a great run. Looks wet too, I hear CO is getting a bunch of rain this summer.

Regarding CB, Silverton and T-Ride, well you can't really put Silverton in the same group as CB, T-Ride and maybe Ouray. I agree Telluride and CB are a little over the top but they're ski towns, not real towns. They used to be real towns, especially CB. But once Oprah moves in, it's all downhill from there.

Silverton is for the wayward mountain rat, ski bum and outcast with unsocial tendencies. In other words, it's perfect. The only thing wrong with Silverton is Hwy 550 and the myriad of people from the flats who drive up and down Main Street in a rental Jeep, wearing their new leather cowboy hats and shorts with black socks 'n sandals.

One of my favorite questions I was always asked by the summer tourons while I lived in Lake City was, 'What do you do here in the winter?' As dead panned as possible I would simply answer, 'We work.'

Dave's assumption is somewhat correct. You either need to be a Trustafarian (white kid with dreadlocks, an '83 Subaru wagon and access to Grandma's trust fund) or resourceful. Several people do come to those small towns and work a couple of jobs. But the old timers generally have just one job and they're off work and in the bar by 5pm. My first summer I worked in 3 restaurants, because I needed the money and they were short on help. After that though, I got one job (before going into business for myself) and kept it year round and I rented a really nice house for $500 a month for almost 4 years.

It can be done. Most people just assume it can't, so they don't.

 

[DaveInDenver]

After that though, I got one job (before going into business for myself) and kept it year round and I rented a really nice house for $500 a month for almost 4 years.

Yeah, I should clarify. If you want to live in Telluride, CB, Breck, etc, then it's trustifarian or several jobs. But 'our' people don't live in those places...

 

[Pskhaat]

...took us 3 friggin' hours to get from Frisco to Denver (about 55 miles). I remember now why we don't ski in Summit County. Simply stupid number of people on the highway. Grrrrr.

You're not alone up there Dave, took us an additional 2 hours to get from Black Canyon City to the PHX metropolis (22 miles); just the mass of humanity traveling home with the same-style constrained 2 lane Interstate.

 

[DaveInDenver]

You're not alone up there Dave, took us an additional 2 hours to get from Black Canyon City to the PHX metropolis (22 miles); just the mass of humanity traveling home with the same-style constrained 2 lane Interstate.

I guess we should have been here back before people like us ruined it?

 

[Pskhaat]

I guess we should have been here back before people like us ruined it?

Entendez-vous? how true I find it hard to believe though that DEN isn't somewhere in my future again with 2 hour commutes and moutain people who to this date don't know how to drive in the rain...

 

[Clutch]

Great pics Kermit. It looks like you two had a great run. Looks wet too, I hear CO is getting a bunch of rain this summer.

We only had rain in the afternoon, made for perrrfect riding conditions.

Man-O-man did we have fun. Alot of families, new riders and great riders, fantastic atmosphere.

Silverton is for the wayward mountain rat, ski bum and outcast with unsocial tendencies. In other words, it's perfect. The only thing wrong with Silverton is Hwy 550 and the myriad of people....

You are probably right on that, they were putting in a new larger turn off, to make sure the masses have direct access into Silverton.

Gunnison seemed like a "real" town to me. CB and T-Ride felt extremely fake, we stood out like sore thumbs...in CB I did have someone ask me directions for over one of the passes...maybe we looked more like a ski bum locals, than I thought.

Dave's assumption is somewhat correct. You either need to be a Trustafarian (white kid with dreadlocks, an '83 Subaru wagon and access to Grandma's trust fund) or resourceful. Several people do come to those small towns and work a couple of jobs. But the old timers generally have just one job and they're off work and in the bar by 5pm. My first summer I worked in 3 restaurants...

It can be done. Most people just assume it can't, so they don't.

I am diffiantely not a trustafarian....I do buy a lotto ticket now and again when I am totally frustrated with Tucson.

...and I already did the 3 job thing years ago, never want to go back that route ever again....I am sure you know what I mean.

I am stuck in Tucson for at least another 5 years, I really don't have a bad gig, easy job..(that I truely enjoy, even though it's an odd one)...lets me travel a bunch...I shouldn't complain. Just getting bored with Tucson. I am more of a mountain man than a desert rat. Nice to come back to all of this rain. I am not as bitchy, when I come back from the mountains and it is a 110 here. I even have grass sprouting up in the back yard!...funny thing is I never planted grass. I am more or less against grass in the desert...should I feel bad I kinda like the green??

 

[kcowyo]

...should I feel bad I kinda like the green??

Green Hell, my friend.

:beer:

 

[Clutch]

Green Hell, my friend.

:beer:

Alice...."Should we let it grow?"

...."No, waste of water!"

Alice..."It does look good against the house."

..."Yeah, cuts down on dust, feels good under the feet, dog seems to like it too"

Alice..."You'll have to buy a mower...water alot"

...."ummm, yeah...nope going to do it, I see dollar signs flying out of my bank account, just to have some green."

..."ya, know we could do the desert scape up front, and live a lie in the back yard."

..."...*sigh*...just let it die when the heat comes back...the grass just isn't good for the desert."

Alice..."...*sigh*...I suppose so....I miss the green grass."


I know this isn't alot of grass by wet climate standards, but, I didn't plant this. I am assuming it is summer rye from the previous owner. I don't know why it didn't come up last year. Click on picture to see full album.



The Garden Gnome seems to like the rain, too.