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Touring the Rockies - Advice needed

Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2006 4:42 am
by beagley
Not sure if this is the most appropriate forum but you seem like a friendly bunch so here goes.

Background: Me and my girlfriend are planning a tour of the US Rockies (CO, UT, WY, ID, MT) for 3 weeks next September. We'll be riding two-up on something like a BMW R1200GS that we'll pick up in Denver. Because of the restricted luggage space we plan to stay in motels rather than camp.

OK, here's where I need advice from someone who's toured this region before:
  • * Ideally, we want the freedom to choose the route day-to-day and to end a day's riding wherever we stumble upon somewhere that looks nice. Do you think we'll be OK not booking accommodation ahead (in September)?
  • * How often do you come across fuel stops on the scenic routes? Never having been to this part of the US before I've got no feel for this.
  • * Security: Assuming the bike has a standard steering lock and the luggage locks onto the bike, will we need any additional locks (e.g. shackle lock) for this part of the world? We'll be steering clear of the big cities like Denver.
  • * Can anyone recommend which maps are best for touring the US Rockies?
  • * What's the weather like in September? How likely are we to hit snow in the higher elevations?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

David

Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 12:18 pm
by QuietMonkey
beagley,

I grew up within an hours drive of the Rocky Mountains, here in Canada, and as you can expect have been riding in, around, and through them for quite some time. Having been down into Montana and Washington
mountain ranges too which are similarly sceneric. Utah (Moab) is something else altogether.

As for maps, most local maps of the provinces should suffice, but specialty maps are always good. Likely googling will dig up lots of references online. A book of riding roads called Destination Highways is also a good bet. Google Maps will show you some topography. There is even a specialty store in our city that has every type of map you could want. If you're into techie stuff check out some of the latest GPS recievers -- some with full color maps!

Mountains being what they are (big and hard), road options can be limited to a few passes at times, and it can often be important to choose some roads far in advance or end up "stuck" on one side of a mountain range for hundreds of miles, whereas an earlier route through may allow you more options. Check this out in advance if it concerns you, otherwise just go with the flow. Talking with locals as you ride around often provides you the best info regarding fun roads or scenic places that are just a bit off the beaten path, as well as info on construction which can bog you down.

You shouldn't have a problem with fuel stops at all. It would take a concerted effort to not find fuel. The only caveat being some rare specific motorcycles with very short fuel range, which the bike you're choosing or similar models are designed for going long distance.

As for weather. September is inviting cooler weather, even August can be cold at times, and if you get soaked in the rain, well 50F is still cool at speed. It is much cooler at the higher altitudes, maybe 15-30F cooler at times, and the farther north you go the more likely you will run into inclement weather conditions.

The trick for comfort is to dress appropriately then you can ride in anything the bike can be ridden in. Full leathers and a rain-suit work very well for warmer stuff, but a syntethic suit or jacket/pants combo you can layer under, like an Aerostich are purpose built for all-weather touring. The layers cababilities make the difference. A couple pairs of gloves are good too. for changing conditions, and if one pair is soaked, yhou can change mid-day and dry then in the hotel. There are rain covers for boots and gloves (really the best ones I have are just like oversized dishwahing gloves, but black, and the boots are similar rubber things). If you wear leathers, some long johns (polypropylene, wool/poly blends are thin and toasty: like Thermax, Patagonia) can help alot. If you are wearing a synthethic cordura nylon blend of gear, than you should have more room for a layer of fleece if it's cold. Of course there's always electric vests and grips. I've only used the electric grips myself once, for a 24-hour ice race (very awesome!). One very important thing to remember is keeping drafts out of your clothes. On nice tidbit I wear is a fleece skiing/snowmobiling fleece "neck-tube" (dickie) in the cold months (they make ones that are nylon backed as well for more wind resistance). Often just a bandana wrapped around my neck in warmer fall or winter months is perfect. This makes tremendous difference in body temperature.

Hoteling is a safe bet to make your initial ride simpler, easier and thus more fun, although luggage space shouldn't be a concern if you want to go two-up camping, depending upon your sense of what is comfort and what is hardship. Anyway, late in the season is always easier to find places to drop for the night. In the areas I've been through there are always a myriad of small towns with everything from small bed-n-breakfasts and always larger motel/hotel chains... whatever suits your need. for reference, I've never booked hotels in advance no matter what time the year, but that's just me... likely I've forgotten times I had to dog around looking for a place for the nice after a rainy 500-mile day...

As for security, I've generally used a disc-lock except with my most difficult to start bikes (hee hee) even in the boonies, because although the risk of your bike being stolen is greatly reduced over the cities, if it does go missing the situation would be a lot worse.

If I remeber I'll dig up some photos from over the last few years to whet your appetite a little more :-)

//monkey

Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 1:22 pm
by flynrider
Hi Beagly,

I didn't see this post last week. Good thing QuietMonkey bumped it.

I used to do similar trips every summer, from AZ as far north as Banff and Jasper Parks in Canada. I'll try and hit all of your bullets.

- Choosing your route day-to-day is fine. That's the way I always did it. I usually went during peak season and was able to find accomodations, but I was also doing some camping. Near the large nat'l parks, accomodations could be difficult to find through the end of Sept. In those areas, you might want to plan ahead. Overall, you'll see a lot of cool roads, people and places if you just wander at random.

- I never had a problem with fuel stops. I mostly stuck to the western slope of the Rockies and there were always little towns with fuel along the way. As long as you have an idea of your fuel consumption and you have a map, you'll be fine.

- I just used the steering lock. Of course, my bike was mostly a beater and probably not high on anyone's theft list. You'll have to make a personal risk assesment on this one.

- For maps, I just used run of the mill Rand McNally state road maps. At the state level, they'll have all the detail you'll require. I particularly liked that they made extensive use of those little tick marks along the roads to denote distance. In mountainous terrain, a road that looks 10 miles long on a flat map, could actually be twice that due to hills, switchbacks, etc...

- September can get chilly in the high spots. I've been snowed on a couple of times while camping in Montana during the 1st half of Sept. Also as late as June in the higher parts of the Colorado Rockies.

Last tip. Ride U.S. Highway 12 between Missoula, MT and Lewiston, ID. It's an excellent mountain road that crosses a nearly uninhabited stretch of forests and wilderness across central Idaho.

Check my personal gallery for pics of the bikes loaded for the Rockies. It'll look a lot different that a travelling Beemer :laughing:

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 11:48 pm
by beagley
Thanks guys, that's really useful stuff! :D

With all this talk of chill and snow I'm starting to wonder whether we ought to go a bit earlier in the year. My girlfriend hates being cold for more than an hour or two. Only reasons for opting for September were: cheaper flights from the UK, avoiding the US school vacations (quieter roads and easier to find accommodation) and (ironically) wanting to avoid the heat of a US summer! Maybe starting mid-August would be the best compromise. We'll be riding in full leathers, with rain-suits when needed. Given what you've said we'll definitely pack the thermal underwear too.

I've heard that the "Back to School" date has shifted earlier and earlier in August in recent years in many parts of the US. So I guess starting in mid-August would probably be OK in this respect.

Those rubberised rain covers for boots and gloves sound like a good idea. Could have done with some of those in the Alps last year!

QuietMonkey, When you say "Utah (Moab) is something else altogether", is this in a good way or a bad way?

Beagley

Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 9:39 am
by QuietMonkey
Here's photos from a ride through montana and washington, everything is shot from the roadside. Hiking would net some more spectacular shots... this was on a trip to the west coast...

along river and foothills - buddy's bike:
http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/9983/p08yzfwe5.jpg

http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/935/p1 ... eesof7.jpg

http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/6904 ... reeax3.jpg

cascade range:
http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/1751 ... deskx4.jpg

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/8127 ... desyz4.jpg

waterfall:
http://img120.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... allyc1.jpg

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/4871/p82me2.jpg

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/9877 ... er2sp1.jpg

The riding was scenic and as usual with mountains and rivers reasonably twisty, could be enjoyable on a cruiser, sportbike or sport-tourer for days or weeks... lots of local sportbike riders in the Cascade mountain range...

Yeah, leaving earlier would likely be better... early August the tourists taper of usually. Regarding Moab, in Arches National Park is just very different than the Rocky Mountain Cascade region... it's in the south eastern side the state in a more arrid climate, dusty with bold red rock. the "arches" are part of the scenic uniqueness. well worth a visit (as are Nevada and California which have some similar climate)...

Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 10:12 am
by QuietMonkey
beagley wrote:... in the Alps last year!
Beagley
nice photos of the Alps landscape... looks like fun to me. You'll find yourself at home in the Rockies, and the added character of riding through a variety of states in the US hearing some new accents and American stories with there local slang is always a pleasure...