My girl and I along with a couple friends went on a 3 day ride from Northern Colorado down to Durango and back again. All and all it was just over 900 miles of the most scenic routes in the state. 10/10 would recommend as a bucket list trip.
We rode a Yamaha XSR so the twisty roads were an absolute blast to take at a spirited pace when we weren't slowing down to take in the sights.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ryanp225, July 10, 2023 03:14 PM

Million dollar highway? I love that drive! Absolutely stunning scenery!

Yep! Worth every penny.

Love to ride that one day....

She's a trooper if you put her on the back seat on that bike for three days!

Haha. I didn't put her anywhere. She loves long rides and actually pushes me to keep going.
The Corbin seat really helped too. We were more comfortable than our friends on a Harley bagger. (and cooler)

Gorgeous views, man. Looks like a fun ride. The scenery in the fist several pics reminds me of Northeast Oregon. Some of the most beautiful, big sky country I've ever been through.

550's a very scenic ride, and on a nice motorcycle with an attractive companion it doesn't get any better!

Monarch Pass is on US 50, not 550.

I visited CO twice in the 1980s by motorcycle and did ride 550 on one trip, but I can't recall if I rode Monarch. I do remember riding 50 east of there through Cañon City and Salida and visiting Royal Gorge.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
Monarch Pass is on US 50, not 550.

Thank you, you are correct of course! I obviously forgot the Monarch Pass sign in the first image and remembered Boattrash asking if it was Million Dollar Hwy! I've ridden over Monarch a number of times including one ride all on 50 from WV to California.

Those pictures are from Hwy 50, 550, and 285.
We met and started out in Lyons, CO then headed down the Peak to Peak hwy south to 285 until we hit Poncha Springs on 50, From there we went west over Monarch Pass and through Gunnison which was actually my favorite part of the trip.
Wide open roads with hills and turns aplenty and the most breathtaking scenery in the state.

Blue Mesa Reservoir and the Black Canyon park we passed on the way got bookmarked for more exploration next summer too.

We stayed at a b&b in Montrose that night and woke up early the next morning to take the famous 550 "Million Dollar Highway" down to Durango for lunch and some sight seeing. That afternoon we backtracked the route back to the b&b to rest up before heading all the way home the next day.

We stopped about every hour and a half to stretch and let our butts reinflate a bit so the trip wasn't too uncomfortable. The spirited pace through the mountains and epic views made the many hours in the saddle go by painlessly.