Fall Colors on Boreas Pass - 2012

As it appears that Yoshie, my 2006 Suzuki V-Strom Dauntless Sidecar Rig is to be with me for a while, I decided it was her turn for a ride into the mountins to see the fall colors on Boreas Pass.

I'd forgotten how fast the DL1000's engine pulls the rig along on the super slabs, I was passing cars, using the far left lane, holding an indicated 75mph with ease while going up the inclined portions of the I-70 Super Slab, fun stuff.

I fueled up at Idaho Springs and shortly afterwards around the 90 minute mark from leaving home, I was crossing the Continental Divide by way of the Eisenhower Tunnel.  The weather was nice and cool, almost cold.  There were points were I turned on the heated grips on the low setting, just saying.

I arrived at the exit for Frisco and Breckenridge with no issues and transited Frisco south and cruised the nine miles to the ski town of Breckenridge before I knew it.  A slow ride though this tourist town and soon enough I saw the sign advertising Boreas Pass and I turned left to begin the scenic portion of the ride.

I say scenic but truly the town of Breckenridge was  beautifully festooned with its own fall coloring, and with the sun shining brightly upon the town as I was there, it was quite the leaf peeper's delight right there!

 There was a small park on the edge of Breckrenridge on Boreas Pass Road with

the above and below snow-clearing trains engines on display.

The wonderfully illuminated fall colors started almost immediately on Boreas Pass Road, and I had to stop often to take pictures.  Pretty soon, it became a rocky dirt road but nothing of much consequence, especially when you're on three wheels!

The road was not as full of cagers as was Guanella Pass Road last weekend, but the cagers there were seemed to be frantically racing down the narrow dirt roads, racing from leaf peeping spot to leaf peeping spot.  Some, apparently oblivious to the beauty around them were just racing along....probably for a late brunch in Breckenridge.  Slow down people, there's other folks on the road, and we're actually there to enjoy the scenery!

 At the start of Boreas Pass Road.

I think that's Goose Pasture Tarn Lake below.

 You can see the bare ski runs of the Breckenridge Ski Resort

in the distance behind Yoshie

 Nice vistas of far off peaks along Boreas Pass Road

 I loved the way the sun would "illuminate" the fall leaves

making them seem to glow in the sunlight

 Yep, we already have a dusting of snow in the higher mountain peaks.

 Above and below, approaching Mount Silverheels

The rest of the ride on Boreas Pass Road was under increasingly overcast skies and this made the fall coloring seemingly dull and lifeless to me as I motored past.  

A view of  briefly sunlit aspen trees, as they cascaded downhill towards the valley

as Boreas Pass Road descended down towards Como.

The rest of Boreas Road was mainly pine forest with the occasional burst of yellow leaves in their midst.  The road turned quite narrow and steep and I would soon find myself in the valley where the town of Como, Colorado is located.

 Como, Colorado, the southern end of Boreas Pass Road

 Fall Colors near the entrance of Baron Ranch, this is along US285

east of Grant, CO

I cruised, easily keeping up with traffic and at times powering past the slower stuff.  Near the Fitzimmons Middle School area, there was some annual biker rally I think in support of Cancer Research as I saw a lot of pink balloons and ribbons on the side of the road.  There were already hundreds of motorcycles in the school parking lot and I lost count of the motorcycles of all makes and models which were still streaming in from the east.

I was in Conifer, CO soon enough and I detoured onto Pleasant Park Road instead of continuing of US285 and it's steep twists and turns into the Denver Metro Area.  Pleasant Park Road is twisty enough for me and there was a lot less traffic on it as well.

One last shot of Fall Colors along Pleasant Park Road

Pleasant Park Road took me to High Grade Road and soon enough Yoshie and I were motoring our way along Deer Creek Canyon Road and back into the "civilized" portions of the Denver Metro Area.  Yoshie's powerful 1000cc's sped us along with seemingly little effort and we were home by 2:30PM.  It really cuts down on travel time on the slabs, when you can maintain over 75mph (indicated) when you want to!

I was cheered by the sight of the slight dusting of snow on the distant mountain peaks, can't wait for more snow to make its way to our mountains here in the great state of Colorado.