John A. Brown's Top 'o the Rockies photo page

The Odometer rolled over 100,000 miles on this trip! The actual bike mileage though is 123,800 due to replacement of the ODO at 23,800 miles. Still it was exciting to watch...	Eastern Colorado... not exactly what I was expecting. WHERE are the mountains?!?	Denver Colorado... just visible are the outlines of the mountains in the distance... THIS is more like it!
You can see the mountain outlines just showing in the haze around Denver.	I-70 just West of Denver. I wish there was a scenic pulloff here... there are the mountains, a train track on the left, and a river... what a sight!	Vail Colorado... you can see the ski slopes cut out of the sides of the mountains.
Off the Interstate in Glenwood Springs on SR 82. Dusk will be settting in an little over an hour, I've been warned to watch out for deer and BEAR!	Coke ovens set into the rocky slopes, just outside Redstone. The look like giant bee hives.	A historical marker explaining about the coke ovens.
Looking down at Redstone and the Crystal River.	Blue Mesa Lake off SR 92. This lake is filled my mountain snow melts each spring.	You can just see boats in the Blue Mesa Lake. In the next couple weeks, as the water is used for irrigation on farms and ranches, it will be too shallow for boats.
Closeup of the Mesa.	Historical marker explaining the creation of Mesas.	Blue Mesa Lake Damn at the Black Canyon turnoff.
Gunnison river, approximately 600 feet down from me... Steve Aikens reports I am more likely 1000 feet up!!! WOW!	It's difficult to see... I'm standing on the edge of a cliff. It's difficult to capture the 3D terrain of these mountains and valleys on film.	Another shot... I love the remote control on my Canon SLR!
Close up... playing with the scanner...	Gunnison river again...	Despite the rugged, harsh terrain, life finds a way to hold on...
The Gunnison Valley looking West from Blue Mesa Lake. Those cliffs in the background are almost 2000 feet above the river!	A very common sight... "curves ahead", a bikers dream!	The hills and valleys just never seem to end...
No guard rails on these roads clinging to the sides of the mountains... they make for some VERY interesting riding!		The town of Paonia, looking north, nestled in between mountain peaks. South Park comes to mind...
Paonia, looking south...		Local artist at work on his mural on the local library.
One strip of bikes parked just outside the town park, I'm camped just to the left of these bikes.	Ummm... I wonder if those underpants belonged to the rider of this bike which has obviously been dropped.	The Internet BMW Riders club banner, and the RAT (Road Anomoly Tour) banner.
The gathering of IBMWR Presidents. I've got to learn to use the flash more...!	Most attractive bike contest... I really like this teradactyl motif... very nice!	Close up....
One more...	Fukengruven eh?!? Those German's have a different word for everything (apologies to Steve Martin...)	A really HOT looking R1200C. I spoke with the owner later... this was "just" a winter project...
Another shot in the contest...	Winner of the most attractive bike... VERY highly detailed, polished, and immaculate. Very nice...	My buddy Arnold. We had breakfast Sunday and then went our own ways... he back to Texas and even MORE heat, me back to Michigan where it's (hopefully) cooler...
Approaching Carbondale on SR133.

My new buddy Steve led us on a circular tour of Carbondale, Snowmass, Aspen, Gunnison, Blue Lake Mesa, Black Canyon and finally back to Paonia.	Black Canyon road...
The highest alititude I acheived on this trip...
		My buddy Doug Grosjean informs me THIS stretch of the river is called the Meatgrinder. He's been down it in a Kayak!
Just outside Redstone... you can see where the name comes from.	They'll stick a house just about ANYWHERE in Colorado...	The cause of a huge traffic snarl 50 miles West of Denver... the peak of the climb just before the drop into Denver. Trucks and RV's were having a difficult time.
Finally fed up with the traffic, I tucked in behind 12 other rides and rode the emergency lane until we reached this tunnel.	North Eastern Colorado... WHAT a contrast in terrain!	Looking behind me in North East Colorado... BORING!!!
Roads don't get much straighter than this!! Looking ahead of me in NE Colorado... BORING!