Steamboat Springs: Fall Colors Part II

Before heading out to Steamboat Springs, I read on the internet that Winona’s had the best breakfast in town. I read many great reviews on line and I also read that the place would be packed - and it was. There was a line of people outside waiting to get in, Winona‘s didn’t have a lot of tables. We put our name on the list and waited, half an hour later we were seated. I ordered the crab cake eggs Benedict, the best I’ve ever had. It was so worth the wait. After breakfast we hit the road.

Downtown Steamboat Springs on a rainy morning

The middle store front with the black car in front of it is Winona's

Waiting for a table at Winona's

Best Crab Cake Eggs Benedict I have ever had

Huge cookies and muffins at Winona's

Fall colors in Steamboat

Fall colors off of highway 131

We left Steamboat on Highway 131, which we took to 134 over Gore Pass. Great roads but there was lots of sand in the corners on 134 already - which means they must have been getting snow here already - and it was pretty cold at the top of the pass. Too cold to stop for pictures.

Highway 131

Highway 131

Highway 131

Highway 134

Highway 134

Highway 134

Highway 40

Highway 40

The next road was highway 40 through Winter Park. South of Empire we jumped on I-70 heading east for a little bit until we took the exit for Golden and Highway 6. Then back on the interstate. The weather was cool today, cloudy with rain in the morning. In the afternoon the wind started to pick up, and it looked like a storm was coming our way. If I was going to head home to Loveland, that would be an additional hour or more on the road, so I headed to Strasburg instead, and decided to take the long way home tomorrow.

Highways 131 and 134 over Gore Pass

Highway 134 and 40

Today's route: Highways 131, 134, 40, I-70, 6, I-70

Winona's giant cookies - oatmeal raisin was very yummy

Steamboat Springs: Fall Colors Part I

I wanted to do a fall colors weekend ride this year. Unfortunately being new to Colorado I wasn’t sure when the colors were supposed to peak on some of the roads I wanted to ride. I was hoping I didn’t miss the peak of the fall colors while I was in Chicago last weekend.

Highway 103

Highway 103

I rode down to Dalton's yesterday so we could start out from Strasburg early this morning and head west to ride highway 103. I just discovered that road last month and since Dalton hasn't been on it yet, we were going to ride 103 before heading to 131 and Steamboat.

The lake that sits along highway 103 was partly frozen

I love the scenery here

The bikes parked on the side of the road, near the lake

Ducks walking on the ice

Fall was definitely in the air this morning. The temperature was a brisk 20 degrees. I flipped on my heated grips, cranked the Gerbing heated liner to hi and we took off. Just a few miles from Dalton’s house we pulled over for gas and Dalton was already feeling cold. Since this was his first season on the VFR and touring, he hasn't acquired heated grips or heated liner yet. He also didn’t have a balaclava, or glove liners. Even his feet were cold.

A stop along highway 6 just southeast of 131

Fixing helmet hair

Highway 6

We stopped to warm up two times before we hit highway 103 and once we started climbing in elevation, it really got cold. Of course the only time I felt cold was when I got off the bike to take pictures. From 103 we took I-70 west to 131 north. 131 is one of my favorite roads that I discovered early this year, but the last time I rode it, it was under construction. I found out that it was finally finished now so of course I couldn’t wait to ride it again. By the time we hit the sweet curves of highway 131 it was getting a lot warmer. By the time I stopped to get my last layer off it must have been close to 65 degrees.

Steamboat Springs

Dinner at the Tap House

Best fish tacos I've ever had

As much as we wanted to camp this weekend, the night temperatures were looking pretty chilly and Dalton had a free motel room to use. So why not. We pulled in to Steamboat Springs, found the Comfort Inn, unpacked the bikes, changed our clothes and went back outside to catch the free shuttle in to town. We didn’t have a proper lunch today, just had an energy bar on the side of the road, so we were ready for dinner. We went to eat at the Tap House. I ordered the fish tacos and they were the best fish tacos I’ve ever had. After riding 264 miles, a big dinner and a couple of beers, it was time for bed.

Todays route 264 miles: highways I-70, 74, 103, I-70, 6, 131 and 40

Strasburg to Loveland, CO

The ride was technically over. Instead of riding directly home, I jumped on I-70 and headed west. I took the exit for Golden and rode highway 6 through the lovely twisties. I pulled over at the Starbucks in Idaho Springs to had some coffee and a Luna bar and looked over the map. I already knew what road I wanted to ride next. I’ve been wanting to ride highway 103 for a while and today was a good day to do it.

Breakfast - Idaho Springs

After I finished my coffee, I geared up, rode through town and found highway 103. I’ve read some ride reports on this road and it was as good as people made it out to be. Plus, on this Wednesday morning, there was hardly any traffic here. I liked 103 so much that I arrived at highway 74, I turned around and rode 103 back to Idaho Springs.

Highway 103

Fall colors on highway 103

Rain in the distance on highway 103

Amazing views on highway 103

Highway 103

The rain found me on highway 103

Pristine pavement on highway 103

From Idaho Springs I jumped back on to I-70 and headed east for a bit, took the exit for Golden and and then took 119 north to Nederland, and in Nederland I stayed on 119 in to Boulder. I’ve done the first section of 119 a few times already, but I have never been on the section of 119 from Nederland to Boulder before.

A lake near Nederland and highway 119

Highway 119

There was a lot of construction along 119 today. So many sections of the road had only one lane open in both directions, so there was a lot of waiting involved.

Highway 119

Once in Boulder, it was stop and go traffic through town. It was already after 3PM so I decided to head directly to Loveland from here on highway 119 and in Longmont I took 287 to Loveland.

After 6 days on the bike, some great roads and amazing scenery, the highlight of this trip was the Colorado National Monument. An amazing place with an amazing road. I also enjoyed camping at Mueller State Park and Ridgway State Park, those I will have to re-visit for sure.

Today's route 218 miles: Highways I-70, 58, 6, 103, I-70, 119 and 287