Day 7&8- Buena Vista to Aurora Plus One

The dilemma: I am on a motorcycle and I am 20 minutes from my destination and it starts to downpour. Do I stop under an overpass or trudge on? Is this a fast moving thunderstorm or a long soak- both typical of a Colorado afternoon rain? Can I find a non-highway route and get off the Express? Should I stop to put on my luggage rain covers? Can I lane-split and bypass this traffic jam?

All these questions bounced around my brain as I got more and more soaked. I tried lane-splitting, but it quickly became obvious that Colorado did not appreciate lane splitters regardless of how wet the motorcyclist is getting. It seemed a dry and cozy lady in her big-ass Forerunner as well as other equally very dry and cozy SUV owners preferred sideswiping or blocking a sad, soggy and soaked motorcyclist who affronted them to ride between lanes. I just wanted to seek shelter as soon as possible no one had enough empathy to let one sad, soggy and soaked motorcyclist get by between lanes.

I get it. The little motorcycle chick trying to lane split in pouring rain, gusting winds, thundershowers and potential hail is really getting some kind of horrible and oppressive advantage over you. An advantage that only you, Forerunner/SVU owner earned. An advantage you are not about to give up. So protective of your few moment advantage that you are willing to use your big ol’ metal, glass and plastic, 4-wheeled, multi-ton Forerunner/SUV to block that tiny sub-1000lb, soaking wet motorcyclist. After all, that motorcyclist was stupid enough to ride through the eastern metro area where downpours in summer afternoons are predictable.

The lesson, drivers be kind to motorcyclist. They may have a bad reputation. Some may ride like asshats and do stupid shit, but there are more of us out there just wanting to enjoy the ride, stay rubber side down and live to ride another day. Give us a little buffer zone and don’t use you big ass vehicle for traffic control.

You can argue with me about the merits of lane splitting over a coffee or a beer, but it is dangerous to make that argument with your vehicle or try to play citizen cop to correct bad driving. You aren’t likely to put you and your vehicle in the way of an erratic vehicle driver. So, if a rider is doing something dangerous and horrible, don’t add to the danger. If you must, get a plate number and call it in.

Okay, so that was the dramatic end to my ride from Buena Vista to Aurora. What’s funnier is that my husband headed downtown to drop off his bike and did not see a drop of rain. I guess it was just Aurora’s way of welcoming me home.

Despite the end of the ride, the morning in the high country was perfect – cool, sunny and a little breezy. Before heading down to Aurora, we took a side trip over Hoosier Pass and back for a lunch in Breckenridge at Park & Main. Notice that awesome sign in the photo above from Hoosier Pass.

Headed down from the high country, I learned that I not only don’t like riding in the pounding rain, but I also don’t like riding on concrete highways. While my husband was riding a high-tech BMW monster with luxuries like hand warmers and suspension that automatically adjusted to changes in road surface, my wee little bike felt every slab seam of the concrete highway we were now riding on. I was hyper-aware that concrete changed my traction.

As we descending out of Conifer, the road widened and traffic thickened. It’s a weird feeling coming into traffic after so many days lollygagging around on two-lane blacktops. Even if the speed isn’t any faster, everything feels faster. Other drivers seem to move with more urgency and stress. That combined with my sensitivity to the concrete road made this little stretch taxing and tiring. And as I left that behind I cruised right into that rain storm.

I finally arrived at my cousin’s house. I poured half a pint of water from each of my shoes and rung out my socks in her front porch. Inside, I stood on a towel in her foyer peeling away wet motorcycle gear.

I also planned to meet up with old high school friends for beers this night. Or so I thought. In my time lollygagging on those two lane blacktops, I apparently only scheduled that reunion for tonight in my head. Actually scheduled it with them for the next night in Facebook events. As I dried off and headed out, I didn’t even bother looking it up.

But it all worked out in the end. I had a great dinner and beer with my husband at the Lowry Beer Garden on his last night in Colorado. Then we got to check out a friend’s basement bar. And I still managed to meet up with those high school friends the next night at The Emerald Isle.

Happy cooking and beer drinking!