Roam About with "Big Hank"
- Thread starter parkkitchings
- Start date
parkkitchings
Adventurer
Hung out in Telluride for 3 days. Got caught up on some things and did some riding each afternoon. Of course had to head downtown in the evenings for a cold one.
Riding out of Telluride.
From Telluride decided to head over towards Silverton, Colorado as I was getting tired of the touristy feel of Telluride. Figured I'd hang out in Silverton for a week or so and do some riding/exploring in the area. Plus, I knew the chance of stealth camping would be much greater in the area. Silverton is a really cool town sitting at 9,300 feet in a beautiful setting. Lots of gold mining history in the area and some nice mountain pass roads right outside of town.
Town of Silverton...
Little girl and her friend selling her wares in Silverton...
Narrow gauge train entering Silverton. It comes up from Durango daily and returns the same day. Went out and shot the train a couple of days.
First night stealth campsite about a quarter mile further down this road. Tough to beat this!
Riding out of Telluride.
From Telluride decided to head over towards Silverton, Colorado as I was getting tired of the touristy feel of Telluride. Figured I'd hang out in Silverton for a week or so and do some riding/exploring in the area. Plus, I knew the chance of stealth camping would be much greater in the area. Silverton is a really cool town sitting at 9,300 feet in a beautiful setting. Lots of gold mining history in the area and some nice mountain pass roads right outside of town.
Town of Silverton...
Little girl and her friend selling her wares in Silverton...
Narrow gauge train entering Silverton. It comes up from Durango daily and returns the same day. Went out and shot the train a couple of days.
First night stealth campsite about a quarter mile further down this road. Tough to beat this!
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vision-quest
Observer
Great thread mate. Sorry to hear about your old buddy. Looking forward to further updates.
parkkitchings
Adventurer
Thanks
I miss old Hank daily but being an avid dog lover I just couldn't go long without another one. I told myself when I put Hank down that I'd never get another one. Losing them just about kills me but then I realize how much joy they bring into your life. I succumbed and ended up rescueing a 2 year old Pie Bald Dachshund. It is said that once in a mans lifetime a special dog comes along and this one may well be it for me. He is something else and although I haven't taken him out in the camper on a road trip I think he'll work out just fine. I present to you.......Petey!
I don't think he'll have any trouble sleeping in the camper. SOB could sleep through World War III and not bat an eye!
Now that Petey has been introduced back to the travels. Silverton is a great spot to base out of if you want to do some riding over some epic mountain passes. Colorado had a big snow year and alot of the passes weren't open yet so I rode most of them as high as I could get and then looped back. Had a great time just getting on the bike each morning and going wherever. Find a road and go down it.
Rode up to the old ghost town of Animas Forks and was able to get up over Cinnamon Pass at around 12,000 feet but it was a major mudfest doing so.
Back roads at the lower elevations were perfect.....
Ran into this couple at almost 12,000 who had run up here from near town. She was a college track coach and they acted like it was no big deal to run for almost 9 miles to this point at this elevation. They were taking a break and then running over another pass and then back to the starting point. All told they said it would be about 18 miles......all of it above 9000 feet. My old *** hit the magic button (ie: electric starter), pushed down with left foot, twisted with the right wrist and rode away in awe of their youth and fitness. Back in the day......maybe!
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parkkitchings
Adventurer
Besides the epic camping, riding and scenery in the Silverton area they have a really nice museum in town. Use to be the old jailhouse and it's got a lot of history. Well worth a visit.
Usually ended up downtown after riding each afternoon for a cold one.
Ran across this guy while hiking near camp one afternoon...
Usually ended up downtown after riding each afternoon for a cold one.
Ran across this guy while hiking near camp one afternoon...
unkamonkey
Explorer
Petey looks like he has a bit of Basset Hound in him.
parkkitchings
Adventurer
Wish more people would adopt or rescue. So many animals out there they need a good home.
Yea, he's a funny looking thing but according to the paperwork provided he's a purebred. I could of cared less about his paperwork and told the people I got him from I didn't even want it. First thing I had done after I got him was to make arrangements for the nut snip job so any paperwork was a mute point. I had no intentions of breeding him.
After over a week in Silverton I decided to head towards the ski town of Crested Butte in Colordado. This was probably my favorite stop in the state. Cool little town with a great vibe and the stealth camping just north of town is hard to beat. Still quite a bit of snow on the high passes so couldn't ride everywhere I wanted but had a great stay in the area.
Road leading out to the National Forest area where there are some great spots to camp.
Camped here for a few nights and explored the passes to the north. Had hoped to ride over into Aspen but no such luck with the snow. From this campsite was an easy 15 minutes on the bike back into town.
Stymied trying to get into Aspen. Had already worked my way through some smaller drifts but this was going to be work. Turned tail here and found something different.
Scoped it out and thought about it......
Maybe if I'd of had someone with me I'd of gone for it but it was pretty deep in places and moving pretty fast. Decided I didn't want to possibly go for a swim and opted not to go for it.
JCMatthews
Tour Guide
Great trip report! Loving your story and pictures.
parkkitchings
Adventurer
Rode back into Crested Butte that evening and ran into BeemerChef and his dog Spirit. I had been reading his posts on ADVRider and here for years and when I saw Spirit sitting in the sidecar out front of the burrito joint had to do a U-turn and get a picture. Talked for awhile about motorcycle and dogs.
Crested Butte is a cool place to hang out for an afternoon and just watch the world go by.
Shot taken headed back up to camp late that evening....
Next stop.....Steamboat Springs.
Crested Butte is a cool place to hang out for an afternoon and just watch the world go by.
Shot taken headed back up to camp late that evening....
Next stop.....Steamboat Springs.
parkkitchings
Adventurer
After a great layover in Crested Butte I decided it was time to move on. I left Crested Butte late one afternoon and headed towards Tin Cupp Pass. Weather was really turning bad and like an idiot I screwed around and didn't find a stealth campsite before dark....again. I was on some back road and finally located a level place to pull off and set up. Was just going to stay the night and leave early the following morning. Could feel the temps dropping considerably once the sun had disappeared and I was at around 9000 feet. Should have gotten lower and found a place earlier. Had gotten some snow overnite.
When I had pulled over I didn't notice anything around me but the next morning not 100 feet from the camper was a guy laying next to his bicycle and trailer in a bag directly on the ground. He didn't stir and I felt bad about pulling over near him but honestly didn't even see him. He finally got up and came over to tell me about how cold it got last night. I was cold in the camper with a good bag and extra blankets. He had to of been freezing. He had been on the road for about 6 months and was down to his last $40 and was going in to Crested Butte to look for some work. I offered him some food and coffee but he declined. Even offered to throw his stuff in the trailer and drive him back into Crested Butte but he'd have none of that. He looked a little out of sorts. Just sat down next to the trailer and stared at the ground for the longest time. It was cold out but he just sat there. I finally departed and he was still sitting there ..... staring. Over the following days I often wondered if he got work and where he was at. He certainly had an adventurous spirit and was an interesting fellow. You meet all kinds out here bumming around on back roads.
From here I was headed up towards the little community of Tin Cup and to see if I could get over Tin Cup Pass. Guy in Crested Butte had told me about it so figured I'd go check it out. Tin Cup consists of a little tiny community with a church and one store from what I could see. Stopped in the store and got some information on the pass and the elderly lady told me about an old cemetery not to far out of town that had alot of history.
Liked this one. Born and died. Dates are irrelevant!
Headed up towards the pass where I planned to camp for the night. Still pretty cold and I'd be near 10,000 ft so I was debating my decision as I drove up towards the pass. Road up is full of chicken head rocks and it was slow going pulling the trailer. No where to be so I just crept along so I didn't beat the rig to death.
Finally got up to the lake and the road was covered with water in places heading up towards the pass. Rock/gravel base so no mud and it was easy driving through it. Appeared the road could easily just disappear alongside the lake with a rise in the water level. I figured I was here so I'd go for it but ran into snow drifts on the other side of the lake and ended up backtracking through Tin Cup the following day. Really pretty setting up here and a National Forest Campground at the end of the lake. Found another place to pull off as I didn't want to pay $14 for a picnic table. Just so many places to stealth camp in the National Forest without having to pay.
When I had pulled over I didn't notice anything around me but the next morning not 100 feet from the camper was a guy laying next to his bicycle and trailer in a bag directly on the ground. He didn't stir and I felt bad about pulling over near him but honestly didn't even see him. He finally got up and came over to tell me about how cold it got last night. I was cold in the camper with a good bag and extra blankets. He had to of been freezing. He had been on the road for about 6 months and was down to his last $40 and was going in to Crested Butte to look for some work. I offered him some food and coffee but he declined. Even offered to throw his stuff in the trailer and drive him back into Crested Butte but he'd have none of that. He looked a little out of sorts. Just sat down next to the trailer and stared at the ground for the longest time. It was cold out but he just sat there. I finally departed and he was still sitting there ..... staring. Over the following days I often wondered if he got work and where he was at. He certainly had an adventurous spirit and was an interesting fellow. You meet all kinds out here bumming around on back roads.
From here I was headed up towards the little community of Tin Cup and to see if I could get over Tin Cup Pass. Guy in Crested Butte had told me about it so figured I'd go check it out. Tin Cup consists of a little tiny community with a church and one store from what I could see. Stopped in the store and got some information on the pass and the elderly lady told me about an old cemetery not to far out of town that had alot of history.
Liked this one. Born and died. Dates are irrelevant!
Headed up towards the pass where I planned to camp for the night. Still pretty cold and I'd be near 10,000 ft so I was debating my decision as I drove up towards the pass. Road up is full of chicken head rocks and it was slow going pulling the trailer. No where to be so I just crept along so I didn't beat the rig to death.
Finally got up to the lake and the road was covered with water in places heading up towards the pass. Rock/gravel base so no mud and it was easy driving through it. Appeared the road could easily just disappear alongside the lake with a rise in the water level. I figured I was here so I'd go for it but ran into snow drifts on the other side of the lake and ended up backtracking through Tin Cup the following day. Really pretty setting up here and a National Forest Campground at the end of the lake. Found another place to pull off as I didn't want to pay $14 for a picnic table. Just so many places to stealth camp in the National Forest without having to pay.
chet6.7
Explorer
When I saw Petey I thought, he needs goggles and a sidecar,it cool you guys met up with BeemerChef/Spirit.
"Born died",that's a good one.
That is some beautiful country,looking forward to the next chapter.
It is easy to miss stuff in the dark when pulling into an unfamiliar camp site.
I once pulled off the road in the desert,middle of nowhere I thought.When I woke up I was way too close to someones home,I quickly left.
"Born died",that's a good one.
That is some beautiful country,looking forward to the next chapter.
It is easy to miss stuff in the dark when pulling into an unfamiliar camp site.
I once pulled off the road in the desert,middle of nowhere I thought.When I woke up I was way too close to someones home,I quickly left.