Cortez rides

Want an opinion on a couple of routes, esp AZ Wingrider, F6Bster and anyone else who knows the area. Short Day; Cortez up 145, Delores, Norwood and loop around to Dove Creek and home (not sure about 666 value). About 210 miles plus local exploring. Long Day Cortez, Durango, up 550, Ouray, Montrose, 50 to almost Sapinero, cross over Gunnison River for a taste of Hwy 92, backtrack 92, South on 25 to Lake City, Creede, South Fork, Pagosa Springs, home. About 500 miles (full day but I think doable????). Will have day three for Mesa Verde and Durango exploring or can do that on the way in/out if something else is important to see. I welcome input.

Short Day; Cortez up 145, Delores, Norwood and loop around to Dove Creek and home (not sure about 666 value). About 210 miles plus local exploring.
Overall a pretty nice ride. Delores up through Rico to Telluride to Placerville, San Miguel River Canyon and up through Norwood to almost Naturita is a nice ride. I like the return trip also. Nothing dramatic, but just a nice ride. Better would be to head on north through the Delores River Canyon to Gateway. That's an awesome ride. Turn around and head home on the same route, or make it a longer day and ride from Gateway to Whitewater, then south to Montrose, Ouray, MDH, Silverton, Durango, and back to Cortez. Keep in mind for your rides, the ride and sights are much different when you simply ride the opposite direction.

Long Day Cortez, Durango, up 550, Ouray, Montrose, 50 to almost Sapinero, cross over Gunnison River for a taste of Hwy 92, backtrack 92, South on 25 to Lake City, Creede, South Fork, Pagosa Springs, home. About 500 miles (full day but I think doable????).
Doable? Yes. Long day? Yes. CO-92 along the north rim of the Black Canyon is awesome, and riding it both directions would be great. After you get back on US-50 you'd ride along Blue Mesa Reservoir on CO-149 to Lake City, Creede, South Fork, Pagosa, and back to Cortez. -149 is a great road also.

As my earlier post indicated, there are lots of other rides if one wishes to do so, especially seeing Monument Valley and Moab/Arches if you've never been there. If time permits and you come all the way from Florida, you might want to allocate additional days to take in other sights.

As Tony indicated, some of us will put together suggested rides, maps, and files as we get much closer. Several folks might want to do the same ride on the same day, but I'll always suggest that folks keep each group to 4-5 bikes max. Much safer, stops are much easier, as is lunch. I'll be available for suggestions, but I don't ride in large groups anymore, and always want to ensure that everyone in the group is wanting the same kind of ride. This is going to be fun!!!!

Well I have to say that the Moab area might be a "must see" and it is close enough to Cortez to visit in a day. So much to see, need more than a few days. Maybe arrive early, depart late. Wife was already saying "The Rally is four days?" Plus 3 days out and 3 days back now I want to make it half a month.

Your proposed rides are pretty good and the suggestions by F6bster are also good. If you want to ride to Moab I suggest a combination of a couple of your already mentioned highways. Co-145 and C0-141 north from Cortez and Dolores to Naturita and then Co-90 west into Utah where it becomes Ut-46 to US-191 to Moab. Co-90 and Ut-46 are not well known but are great riding roads. After Moab you can ride south on US-191 to Us-491 east back to Cortez.

As F6Bster mentioned Co-149 (known as the Silver Thread) is a terrific ride and then east on Us-160 over Wolf Creek Pass through Pagosa Springs back to Cortez. Although a long day it is easily doable with an early start.

US-550 from Durango to Ridgway (the Million Dollar Highway) that you have planned I consider an absolute must for anyone in the area.

Also as mentioned Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly are easily reached from Cortez. The Navajo Reservation in northeast Arizona although not well known has some great roads with marvelous scenery.

I agree with F6Bster that small groups are the best way to ride, although I personally am comfortable with 8 to 10 bikes. My experience is the larger the group the less miles and the more stops. There should be plenty of people with local knowledge to have enough group leaders. Also I can put together rides on gpx files and download them into anybody's Gps that wants them. Also your idea of extending the rally to be able to see more of the area has a lot of merit.

It should be a great rally and I will be available to help anybody who asks with routing help. I am looking forward to meeting everyone.

Az Wingrider

It is probably not to early to post where you are coming from and your tentative route for planning possible ride meet ups along the way.

Think I will leave interstate 70 at Copper mountain and head to Cortez that way.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shortleg0521

Think I will leave interstate 70 at Copper mountain and head to Cortez that way.

---

Copper mountain is were I will get off of 70 ,catch 90 south till 24 ,then take 82 threw Independence Pass, Aspen then wind my way down to Cortez.