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Pagosa Springs, CO information

Lee, not interested in an opinion on what someone else 'thinks' is a suitable road for a large bike. Did he say it was dirt/gravel or paved?

BTW, I have the Butler map, it doesn't show the County roads.

Duane

He said it was gravel not suitable for a large road bike.
I'm just try to help here.
 
Hit the Google search for Los Pinos Pass YouTube and there is a ride on it. I can’t link from iPhone at moment
After watching I remembered my ride.
It really depends on weather as the road conditions rapidly deteriorate between grading maintenance and would have not taken my RT the time I rode on my GSA... some very sketchy sections that trip. Your ride your choice :wave
Another plug for Steve Farsons book as well as page 196-197 has a good description of this 43 mile trek. His advice “A light and easily maneuverable street bike would probably be okay without causing any “ What am I doing here?” moments.”

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From the YouTube video it doesn't seem too bad. I have ridden a Harley bagger over worse! As long as it was dry I would ride it on an RT. but then my "gravel" tolerance is pretty high.
 
As mentioned it depends on weather, I have ridden a K12S on worse in CO... but it wasn’t by design as I was
following my bro in law who knew a “shortcut”...anything but.
My recall was worst part of Pinos was right before top of pass and was churned up and rocky from runoff after all the quad runners did their thing... there are tours/ rentals out of Lake City and a few large groups dusting it up depending on timing. The video I watched looked like a good day
:thumb
 
After the Great Falls Rally 5 of us are heading to Colorado. Will be spending 4 nights in Pagosa Springs. Interested in day ride routes start/ending Pagosa Springs. I found one route that takes you up 149 and just south of Lake City takes you east/northeast along County Roads 50/52, etc. Anyone ridden this area or these roads? Trying to confirm they are paved, e.g. we're all on K1600.. One of the days we'll be doing the train ride out of Chama, NM. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Please include details...

Duane

There's a lot a great suggestions here. We've ridden this area a lot every single year. My only suggestion would be to move on from Pagosa Springs. If you intend to end every night in Pagosa, you'll miss some opportunities because it will take a long time to get back there.

For example, ride out to Cortez, head north towards north towards Dove Creek, then go right on 141 and keep going until you hit Gateway. You will not be disappointed with this route, but it's a long, long ways back to Pagosa Springs. From Gateway you can head to Grand Junction for lunch. After lunch there's a great (but slow) ride through Colorado National Monument, then west on I-70 for a few miles to Loma. Then head north on 139 to Rangely. You'll go over super gnarly Douglas Pass. Great turns, a bit of a rough road (it is asphalt though) with no guardrails and a great view. From Rangely head east to Meeker for an overnight stay.

I would do two nights in Pagosa, do the loop out to Durango, 550 (Million Dollar Highway - easily one of the best road in Colorado and that's saying a lot!) head east on highway 50 to 149. Head south to Lake City, over slumgullen pass, stop in Creede for food (stop a Miner's Restarurant - excellent breakfast Pasty!) and then around the corner over Wolf Creek pass back to Pagosa Springs.

Oh, so many options! You'll love them all.
 
Lake City over to 114.

Duane

There's really only one way on a big street bike and that's to go north from Lake City to Blue Mountain Reservoir, east past Gunnison to 114. I've ridden this ride literally dozens of times. Really great north of the Cochetopa pass, then it's very arid, mostly flat. If you are hungry when you get to Saguache, stop at the 4th Street Bakery for breakfast or lunch. It's amazing! They bake all their own breads and such... really good!
 
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east past Gunnison to 114. I've ridden this ride literally dozens of times. Really great north of the Cochetopa pass, then it's very arid, mostly flat. If you are hungry when you get to Saguache, stop at the 4th Street Bakery for breakfast or lunch. It's amazing! They bake all their own breads and such... really good!

That's a fun road. I called it North Pass but looking at my pictures I see Cochetopa is the correct name.
Thanks for the tip on 4th Street, we'll check it out this summer.
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then go right on 141 and keep going until you hit Gateway.

I forgot to mention there is an amazing car museum in Gateway, CO. It is located at the Gateway Canyons Resort & Spa. http://gatewayautomuseum.com/

This is the Hendricks collection, owned by Discovery Channel founder John Hendriks. More than 50 vehicles on display, including the $3.24m "Mona Lisa", a 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 Concept Car.

This town is so far away from any amount of actual population of people that you wonder what in the world is it doing out in the middle of the desert! You can get a great meal here too.
 
Gunnert can’t say much more than what the others have said so about the county roads off 149. I was on 149 last year and it’s a great road. Don’t know if you are a map nut or not but AAA has a map called Indian Country....Arizona, Colorado,New Mexico & Utah. It shows good detail of the roads in the area you are looking at. The roads between Lake City and 114 are listed as graded gravel and gravel or deteriorated paved. Since you are staying in Pagosa Springs you are just north of NM. The Cumbres & Toltec R R is a great ride. On the bike 17 north out of Chama to Antonio very good. Also 64 from Chama to Taos is not to be to missed....you can thank me later. Little or no traffic. You can do the circle around Taos to Red River. 64 south out of Chama to Santa Fe is beautiful red rock country too. I’ll be at Great Falls too. I’ll be taking the route that Lewis & Clark took to the Pacific from my home outside StL. Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for all the help. We'll be in Pagosa Springs 4 nights. One of the days will be spent riding the train out of Chama. I rode Taos/Chama/etc 2 years ago and look forward to riding there again. Our ride down from Great Falls will have RON in Cody, WY, Estes Park, Co, Snowmass, CO, and Delta, CO; then into Pagosa Springs. After Pagosa Springs I'll drop the wife off at the airport in Colorado Springs and boot it back to Virginia.

Duane
 
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