Loveland to Walden

September 10, 2011

First leg (A-B): Wilson north, Harmony / 38E west, Centennial / 23 north along Horsetooth Resevoir (nice views), Rist Canyon west to intersection at Stove Prairie Rd, 31 miles, 40-45 minutes. Point of interest (C): Gas at Echo Park at 52 mile mark. 2 pumps, no super. FYI. Second leg (B-D): Hwy 14 west 37 miles to Cameron Pass rest stop 78 at mile mark. Third leg (D-E): Hwy 14 west 31 miles all the way to Walden at 109 mile mark. Elapsed time to Walden 2 hrs 50 minutes.

WHERE'S WALDEN?

Leg 1
Loveland to Stove Prairie 31 miles

Four riders: John (Yamaha R6), Shawn (Yamaha R1), Rick (MV Agusta), and Ian (Ducati 1098). Perfect weather and nice views from a goodly height above Horsetooth Resevoir as the road runs along the spine, with Fort Collins and the plains to the east and the resevoir to the west. Rist Canyon is a very nice road and was almost completely devoid of traffic. The intersection at Stove Prairie Road is scenic and peaceful, a good place to stop for a break. In the spring it is green, green, green, and absolutely gorgeous.

Leg 2
Stove Prairie to Cameron Pass 37 miles

Facilities

Where we parked What we saw

Beautiful views through Poudre Canyon. Took a break at the rest stop near Cameron Pass. Met and talked to several other motorcycling enthusiasts. Used the facilities. Forgot to take photos. The image of the rest stop shows what it would look like in winter, although having ridden the pass when it was snowing I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.

Local character and fount of information

The bench

John

Ian

Leg 3
Cameron Pass to Walden 31 miles
Unplanned stop for a highway construction delay. Shawn had to turn back to make it home in time. Ate too much for breakfast so we didn't eat lunch. Instead, spent the better part of an hour in Walden sitting on a bench talking to locals and passersby. What we learned:
Walden has 2 industries: cattle and logging Walden is 60 miles from anything Last winter it got down to -60F but it was only for one day. The rest of the week was -10. Jackson county has 1300 residents and covers 1800 sq miles. It has less than 2 people per sq mile and thus is considered a frontier.
Rick

 Not much traffic, had some good runs. Did not see any moose. Wrong time of day. Seats are starting to feel hard.

Leg 4
Walden to Stove Prairie 73 miles

 Seats are now definitely hard and knees are starting to creak. Picked up some goodies, sat again on a bench, and enjoyed the afternoon. Talked to a local guy who drove a Plymota. That is a 1938 Plymouth sedan mounted onto a Toyota 4x4 chassis.

John Ian Rick's beer

Leg 5
Stove Prairie to Masonville 19 miles

 Ian proves it is possible to fuel up without dismounting. A full tank is a happy thing. Took a swing around Carter Lake on the way home. Total miles round trip from Erie: 284. Left around 7 AM, returned around 5 PM.

Leg 6
Masonville to Closest Gas 7 miles