Some pics from today's lunchtime scoot in the neighborhood.

First, I paused on the south side of nearby Kenosha Pass. The high altitude meadows of South Park are below...


Brought the H-D closer to the Mosquito Range. That's 13,370ft. Mt. Guyot on the right. Leaves on the aspen trees have yet to appear at this altitude. Big time wilderness is all around. Heard tales at the nearby country general store of a mountain lion taking newborn horses...


The second pass to scoot over is Red Hill Pass. Can see vehicles climbing the grade in the distance. The massive 14,000ft.+ sentinels of Mt. Bross and Mt. Lincoln stand guard on the horizon...


My county seat town of Fairplay is in the distance. Can see the small community is not that far below timberline. The town name comes from founders proclaiming they would "play fair" with 19th century miners looking for goods, supplies, and equitable dealings with their mined gold. Until about ten years ago, this county about the size of Rhode Island did not have a single stop light. Now there are two. Fortunately, in the 1990's my phone line was upgraded from a four party line to a single party...


Here's Mt. Silverheels. This shapely 13,822ft. peak was named after a Fairplay dance hall lady who looked after, and took care of the miners when a smallpox epidemic swept through the mining camps. Many miners credited her loving care with their survival. She eventually contracted the disfiguring disease and withdrew to her home. The grateful miners took up a collection for this special lady, but found her cabin empty when they visited. She was never seen again, but some report seeing her ghostly apparition tending the graves of miners at the Buckskin Joe cemetery a few miles north of Fairplay. Anyway, this care giving dance hall lady wore... silver heels...


I'm getting closer to the lunchtime destination, but pause before a spur of the Mosquito Range...


I made a u-turn for this pic when I saw bison in an unencumbered field of immense dimensions. The Ute Indians would have seen a scene just like this 150 - 200 years ago. Not a sight of man, or man's interventions anywhere, in any direction. The last wild bison in Colorado was shot nearby in the year 1901. Not a whole lot has changed here since the Utes rode their ponies here, just like I'm riding an iron horse here. There's something appropriate about this transportation choice. That's Pikes Peak peering over the rumpled carpet of prairie grass...


And just a few miles further, a small herd of fleet-footed pronghorn antelope resist the temptation to flee as the rumbling big twin awaits the image capture...


If you're interested in raising some cattle, or just settling into a place and area where the hands of the clock turn slowly, this historic homestead is for sale...


And pausing for lunch outside, while the other patrons are inside. What is it about bikers enjoying the outdoors? Rita really enjoys motorcyclists, and she makes a killer BLT. She always greets those she knows with a hug, and she says farewell with the same kind of squeeze. Kinda nice if you ask me. I try to make it here 1-2x a month. A sweet scoot today, made possible and perfectly so, by the legend from Milwaukee...

 

Looks nice. About 2.5 hours from me down here in colo springs. Hope the wife don't see these pics or else we're making a drive :-)

 

Those are some great pics, I'm sure the ride was even better.

 

Beautiful pics.

 

Thanks for the pics,
Very inspiring! And they bring back many good memories.
Went to High School in Colorado Springs and College at CSU.
I spent lots of time where u are, and have always loved it up there. It is really hard (and lucky I suppose) to live on the pacific coast and have so much family back there.
I am 1/2 ute indian and have family all over CO.
For years I have been trying to figure out a way to get back there permanently, but have yet to pull the trigger
Problem is, even though I want to, my pay scale would drop some 20-30 percent and I can't take the hit just now.
Sux.

Anyway, here are a couple of pics from my little trip from Leadville over Mosquito Pass to Southpark.

 

Got 44 of 50 States under our belts and both the wife and i put Colorado as the most beautiful State mile for mile.....heading there this summer once again....

"God Bless the Rockies"

 

I was riding through South Park on Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, it's the beginning of tourist season up here. Time for the annual migration of fifth wheels, RV's and camper trailers. It gets real frustrating poking along at 35 MPH inhaling diesel fumes from an RV that can't get up the steep grades.

Aside from the stinkin' RV's, it can be a great ride. Oh yeah, saw lot of antelope too, yummy.

 

Nice Neighborhood!!!

 

Great pics Sfarson !I plan on making my first trip to Co. in July .Ihope I get to ride in that area.How about directions/location to Rita's place ? Thanks DThrash

 

DT... Find the small town of Guffey just off Colorado 9. It's an eclectic, cool town that time hasn't changed much. Guffey only has one block, so it is easy to spot Rita's Place. If you're in the area July 4th, they have a chicken toss festival.

Here's a map to Guffey...

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=...,1.550446&z=10