Open invitation to ride Webster Pass in CO, 7/30 or 8/7

[detours]

Webster Pass is finally open at the top, and I've been itching to ride it. Anyone want to come? Any dual sport bike or rider is welcome, not just RX3s and TT250s.

Meeting Time and Ride Schedule

Let's ride Sunday 8/7. Here's my timetable for the day. It's probably 4+ hours of ride time ... plus 2 hours for stops, pics and 'mechanical adjustments', plus a dinner at the end. If we make good time, there are some optional routes and side trails we could explore along the way.

9:30 am - Meet at the Morrison Conoco.
10:00 am - Gearstands up.
10:45 am - Arrive in Bailey for last chance fill up.
11:15 am - Turnoff to Hall Valley Road ... finally hitting dirt
--- Lunch/snack/break somewhere along the way ---
1:30 pm - Top of Webster Pass ... rest and photo ops
* Option 1: Radical Hill (if we want to soil our shorts)
2:30 pm - Montezuma ... back to pavement :(
3:00 pm - Keystone Grocery and Gas (fill up, snacks, rest stop)
3:30 pm - A-Basin via US 6
* Dinner options: Georgetown, Idaho Springs, Morrison
* Option 2: Return via Guanella pass and US 285 ... if time permits or if the traffic pisses us off.
* Option 3: Return via Echo Lake/Mt Evans and Morrison Canyon
6:00 pm - Arrive at Morrison Conoco via I-70 and/or US40 frontage roads.

Trail Description

The trail is a fairly well maintained double-track that's popular in the 4x4 community. It climbs to 12,140 feet and has incredible scenery, with shallow creek crossings, a bit of stabilized marsh, some old mines, and a bridge. The road travels through canyon and ravine, following a creek and rising through lush forest and past treeline. There aren't any really difficult spots, but the final switchbacks traverse a mountainside with a very steep drop to one side.

I've never done it on a motorcycle, but I've done it several times in an SUV, and it should be no problem for us. It's only rated 3-4 out of 10 for difficulty on traildamage.com. Click here for their trail description.

Ride Time

Depending on time constraints, we can turn around at the pass for an out and back ... or continue down the other side to Montezuma and then Keystone ... then down I-70 toward Denver. Google Maps estimates ~5 hours, but I estimate at least 6 hours for this trip, depending on rest and food stops.

Route Maps

Morrison Conoco Location

I mapped most of the route starting at the Morrison Conoco, but Google Maps is missing part of the trail, so there's a small gap between the two maps.

Outbound Leg from Morrison ~ 2 hrs minimum
https://goo.gl/maps/gpqfHM48Doq

Return Leg to Morrison ~ 3 hrs minimum
https://goo.gl/maps/BuYN9TQqTjB2

Recommended Gear

• 13T front sprocket for the RX3. Preferably 45T or 46T in the back.
• Waterproof jacket or over-jacket
• Full armored gear - helmet, jacket, pants, boots
• Water, lunch and snacks
• Tools, spare parts and puncture kit.
• First Aid kit

Backup Plan

I'm open to suggestions. But if Webster's Pass trail is closed or too demanding (which I doubt), we can backtrack down US285 and take Guanella Pass road to Georgetown, then back down to Denver.