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CO road trip planning

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
The day that I quit my job is not far out. I think that loading my truck up and road tripping myself to CO to ride would be an excellent use of my time.

1) Who wants to show me the goods?

2) How should I get there? I'm tempted to take 84 through Idaho, then either 70 or 80 over, since I haven't driven that route before, but I'm open to ideas.
 

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
40,145
16,539
Riding the baggage carousel.
84 through Idaho
:fie:

Seriously. I've made that drive 4 times now. There is fuck all between Ellensburg and Ft. Collins.

No matter what you will at some point have to cross a pretty big stretch of shit, but I recommend staying northwards as long as possible. Coeur d'Alene, Missoula, Bozeman, etc. Go to Yellowstone. Hit up @Serial Midget and @Montana rider for the goods up there on your way through.

When do you get here, how long you staying, where you going?
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,379
12,533
In a van.... down by the river
:fie:

Seriously. I've made that drive 4 times now. There is fuck all between Ellensburg and Ft. Collins.

No matter what you will at some point have to cross a pretty big stretch of shit, but I recommend staying northwards as long as possible. Coeur d'Alene, Missoula, Bozeman, etc. Go to Yellowstone. Hit up @Serial Midget and @Montana rider for the goods up there on your way through.
That's pretty solid advice. And after Yellowstone/Tetons - Jackson -> Rock Springs, then Rock Springs south to US-40 through Craig & Steamboat. That would actually be a pretty nice drive...
 

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,521
7,071
Colorado
Give us all a timeline and we can make some rides and beer happen.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
I'm planning on September 1st being my last day of work. I'd hit the road pretty immediately after that.
 

Montana rider

Turbo Monkey
Mar 14, 2005
1,741
2,164
I'm planning on September 1st being my last day of work. I'd hit the road pretty immediately after that.
@TreeSaw and family are leaving private MT monkeyfest around Thursday 24th, so @Serial Midget *Mr. Fun-employment/Retired* and I should be free (and recovered) for low key tour guiding in early September -- just let us know when your plans "firm" up.

ETA: I'd second the driving suggestions thus far. It's 10 hours from Seattle to BZN, and then depending on where we ride (i.e. my favorite trails are west of W. Yellowstone) you're already half-way to Driggs/Jackson...
 
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boostindoubles

Nacho Libre
Mar 16, 2004
7,839
6,145
Yakistan
If you take the 90/82/84 route, unlike @Pesqueeb says, there is some singletrack with pretty good interstate access. I could show you a 10 miler in Yakima off of 82. There's Echo outside of Hermiston which isn't epic trail but you can camp at the trailhead and spin the driving legs out. Mt. Emily outside of La Grande is easy access and great trail with good signage. Baker City has trail too but I haven't ridden it so won't comment, although my friends say the Elkhorn Crest is the real deal. After that you've got the Boise foothills which is as short or long of a ride as you can imagine, all out of the downtown.

After that its Sun Valley or head straight for Driggs/Jackson or SLC.

If you go across 90, take a detour for Priest Lake, ID and spend sometime camping on the lake and riding all the singletrack. I can fill you in on the details if you PM me. I've been riding up there for decades and it's Idaho's hidden gem.

I'd offer suggestions for Colorado but trails are in everywhere...
 

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
40,145
16,539
Riding the baggage carousel.
If you take the 90/82/84 route, unlike @Pesqueeb says, there is some singletrack with pretty good interstate access. I could show you a 10 miler in Yakima off of 82. There's Echo outside of Hermiston which isn't epic trail but you can camp at the trailhead and spin the driving legs out. Mt. Emily outside of La Grande is easy access and great trail with good signage. Baker City has trail too but I haven't ridden it so won't comment, although my friends say the Elkhorn Crest is the real deal. After that you've got the Boise foothills which is as short or long of a ride as you can imagine, all out of the downtown.

After that its Sun Valley or head straight for Driggs/Jackson or SLC.

If you go across 90, take a detour for Priest Lake, ID and spend sometime camping on the lake and riding all the singletrack. I can fill you in on the details if you PM me. I've been riding up there for decades and it's Idaho's hidden gem.

I'd offer suggestions for Colorado but trails are in everywhere...
Well, I guess I meant in terms of driving. I will depend for sure on how much free time he has. Except for one trip up on the motorcycle where I took teh very round about scenic way, they were always just strait through driving shots. I'd hazard a guess that you'd agree it's a pretty bleak drive for a very large portion of that country.
 

boostindoubles

Nacho Libre
Mar 16, 2004
7,839
6,145
Yakistan
I'd hazard a guess that you'd agree it's a pretty bleak drive for a very large portion of that country.
Agreed 100 percent, especially between Boise and SLC. Every couple hours theres places to stop and ride/camp though. All of 80 blows donkey chunks though.

My wife is from Laramie and I've made the Yakima/Laramie drive in a dozen ways and at least once a year for the last 10 years. Good times mostly and lots of bike rides in between.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
Jobs suck. How long are you planning on being funemployed?
Well, I just interviewed somewhere that I'm quite excited about. If I get that, I'll be funemployed for as the maximum duration that they'll let me push my start date out. If I don't, who the fuck knows. Couple months at least, probably more like 4-5.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
Thanks for the advice guys. This is all poorly/barely planned at this point. I'm definitely making it up as I go. As stated above, I figure I'm leaving Seattle beginning of September, but the duration and so on depends on whether I already have a job lined up or not, which I should find out soon. If the specific thing I already interviewed for doesn't work out, I'm not going to apply to anything else for a bit.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,241
20,022
Sleazattle
Thanks for the advice guys. This is all poorly/barely planned at this point. I'm definitely making it up as I go. As stated above, I figure I'm leaving Seattle beginning of September, but the duration and so on depends on whether I already have a job lined up or not, which I should find out soon. If the specific thing I already interviewed for doesn't work out, I'm not going to apply to anything else for a bit.
I strongly recommend sporadic early life retirements.

Where will the potential new job take you?

I have done the Seattle to East Coast drive 5 times with five different routes. Going through SLC was hands down the best.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,573
24,191
media blackout
Thanks for the advice guys. This is all poorly/barely planned at this point. I'm definitely making it up as I go. As stated above, I figure I'm leaving Seattle beginning of September, but the duration and so on depends on whether I already have a job lined up or not, which I should find out soon. If the specific thing I already interviewed for doesn't work out, I'm not going to apply to anything else for a bit.
you should definitely subscribe to @Full Trucker s newsletter.
 

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
40,496
9,526
follow sklar bikes and alter_bozeman on instagram and you might not want to go to colorado...
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
Postponed slightly due to changing work circumstances. Details TBD, but hopefully not too much of a delay. Stay tuned.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,573
24,191
media blackout
:rofl:

I don't think that is possible.

Not that HAB doesn't have the game to hit a hot VP, but a hot VP existing.
When I worked in the toy industry in LA the directors, vp's, etc of the girls brands were basically in a never ending contest to out milf each other.
 

boostindoubles

Nacho Libre
Mar 16, 2004
7,839
6,145
Yakistan
Bump... where you at @HAB ? I am rolling out tomorrow for an ID/UT/CO/WY/MT/ID adventure. Loose plans at this point but I'm shooting for LaGrande, SLC, Moab, Cortez, Durango, Crested Butte, Front Range, Curt Gowdy, Glendo, Helena... If I hit 7/10 I'll consider it a success.

Plans change, nowe it's gonna be Pocatello, Laramie, Fort Collins, Glendo State Park, Bozeman, Helena. That's 6 rides rides in 10 days...

Anyone around Fort Collins on Friday?
 
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