May 6, 2010.
Last winter I invited friends to join me on a ride of discovery: the unpaved roads south of Hotchkiss, Colorado between CO92 and the Gunnison River canyons. The roads were surprisingly scenic and fun, perhaps little known to anyone other than the ranchers and farmers who live there. I was immediately inspired to include certain of these roads in a close-to-home, brief but exhilarating loop with forty miles of lightly traveled sport bike-class twisty pavement and another forty miles of fast dirt and graveled back roads, all connected with roads more interesting than interstate highways. Something to ride on short notice, just for fun. Although familiar with all parts of the loop, this May 6, 2010 ride was the first time I've ridden the entire loop as I had envisioned it: pack a lunch, leave late-morning, back home by early-afternoon. The name "Inspiration" still seems appropriate.

When I pieced this loop together, I was thinking of it's suitability for fast riding. Not competition fast but sporty quick. CO92 between Black Mesa and the Black Canyon is widely renowned as a first class sport bike road. I ride it often for both pleasure and practice. I also like riding fast on gravel roads. Adding the Peach Valley road and the backroads south of Hotchkiss gives me a loop with both twisty pavement and fast gravel. Indeed, these roads are fun to ride fast but after riding the loop today, Thursday May 6, 2010, stopping often for photographs, once for a leisurely lunch, I believe a slower pace to be appropriate, especially in the ranch country north of Hotchkiss. As it was, riding only 40 to 60MPH out there, the few people I meet often waved. Why alienate them? It's their home.

The Loop:
I loved this ride. Scenery varies from forested mountains to canyon rims to barren desolation and the good parts have little traffic, especially on a week day. I can hardly believe I began and ended this loop only 9 miles from my home. Briefly, this route makes an irregular 140 mile loop around the Black Canyon of the Gunnison country using US highways, secondary paved roads, graded gravel and dirt roads. It's easy. You could do it on a Harley. It's fun, especially on an adventure touring-type motorcycle. Follow the instructions below and you will not actually go through a town on the entire loop although you will be briefly at the edge of Montrose and Hotchkiss. Better pack a lunch or plan a side trip to Crawford. Should one choose, this loop provides access to both north and south rims of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. South rim road is paved; north rim road is gravel. Additionally, there are countless side roads for the adventurous to explore, given time. Some fishermen and hikers are familiar with Peach Valley Road because of several trail heads leading to the Gunnison River and lower canyon. Hiking is not riding but sometimes we do both. The Peach Valley Recreation Area is popular with motorcyclists and ATV riders of all ages.

This Bing Map link should reproduce a zoomable, full-sized version of the small, clickable route map above right (give it a few seconds to convert route coordinates to graphics). Ignore the driving instructions, green flag and dots on route marking. Decide your own starting point and direction of travel. This narrative starts at Austin, Colorado, the nearest loop point to my home, and proceeds counterclockwise although on any given ride I might go either direction on a whim. It's possible few riders will share my enthusiasm for this ride. Of those who might, I suspect fewer still will take the time to study the map sufficiently to follow this route. There are many variations possible but it's best to choose an alternate road only if you know where it goes. I would suggest perusing the map until you have a visual image of the surrounding topography and a memory of important road names or numbers.

Austin to Montrose via unpaved Peach Valley Rd
From Austin, go south on 2200 Rd a little more than a mile, just before a sweeping curve to the right. The unpaved road east has a Peach Valley sign. Just follow this road as it meanders its way to F Rd. At F Rd, Peach Valley Rd makes a hard left. Follow Peach Valley Rd road again until the road forks about a half mile before the Montrose County line. Peach Valley Rd goes left, 6200 Rd goes right. Stay on Peach Valley Rd for several more miles, until just past the Peach Valley Recreation area where Peach Valley Rd terminates at an intersection of paved Falcon Rd west to US50 and paved 6400 Rd south to Montrose. Take 6400 Rd south. After a jog to the east to miss runway 17/35 at Montrose Reginal Airport, the road becomes 6450 Rd and continues south to San Juan Ave. Turn left on San Juan Ave, the bypass for missing downtown traffic and picking up US50 Eastbound. That's the easy directions. Here's a variation that will save a little time and miss more city traffic: after 6400 Road jogs east to miss the north end of Montrose Regional Airport's north-south runway, continue south on 6450 Road about a mile to Kentucky Road. Ride east on Kentucky Road about a half mile, taking the obvious turn south onto 6530 Road. After another half mile or so turn east on Lincoln Road for a half mile, then south again on 6600 Road and continue to the last eastbound stoplight on East Main/US50. Continue east (after only a short distance you will see Davis Service Center on the south side of the highway, my favorite Motorcycle Dealer in case you need anything or just want to say "Hi").

The Delta County section of the Peach Valley Rd is lightly settled, well graded and maintained. The gravel may be either wearing thin, or fresh and deep, depending on when it was last graveled and graded. There is not much traffic. I've always thought it a fun road. The Montrose County section has no homes that I remember and the road gets little maintenance. This section has been graded sometime in the past but if there was ever gravel, it's mostly long gone. The road is two-track (maybe three track) rutted dirt and would likely be impassible after a heavy rain or spring thaw. Of course, this reflects the condition as of this writing. It could change at the whim of the county. Nevertheless, the Montrose County section of the Peach Valley Rd is a fun, fast road through stark, desolate scenery that will seem miles from civilization even though you are just over the ridge from homes and farms. I like it. It's 25 miles from Austin to San Juan Ave in Montrose; about 20 of that is gravel or dirt. Detail Map (If your browser makes this map fit your screen, you will have to toggle it to full size.)

Montrose to Blue Mesa Reservoir dam via US50
Stay on US50 eastbound about 38 miles to the CO92 turnoff near Blue Mesa dam. This is a U.S. Transcontinental Highway but the Interstate system has left it with mostly local traffic or tourists in the summer. There can be slow parades of trucks or RVs. Patience may be required. It's mostly 2-lane twisty mountain pavement over a couple minor divides and through a short, pretty canyon before Blue Mesa Reservoir comes into view. It's a fun road but regularly patrolled.

Blue Mesa dam to Black Canyon Road.
Once on CO92 It's 38 miles, more or less, to the well-marked Black Canyon Road turn off (just south of Crawford Reservoir) and you can't get lost. CO92 climbs and descends, twists and turns through mountainous terrain of extraordinary splendor along precipitous canyon rims of great height and near-vertical drops. Local riders know this road as "Black Mesa" because of its proximity to that dominant feature. Outsiders often refer to it as the "Black Canyon Road" because of its proximity to the canyon. It's a tight road with a fast sweeper now and then, a technical road that rewards the rider on a light, flickable motorcycle. It's a real road with sand on the curves, deer bent on crossing, an occasional RV straddling the center line in blind corners and now and then a tourist stopped dead in the center of their lane, taking a picture (I've also met motorcyclists on the wrong side of the road in a blind curve as well so ride a tight line). And of course there are those precipitous rims of great height where a rider, should they miss a turn, might remain airborne for long, long moments before splattering themselves against a canyon wall far below. Stay focused and you will have fun—or go slow and visit the scenery. Traffic is generally light; in the summer there may be more motorcycles than cars. Not routinely patrolled but you do occasionally meet Sheriff's Department vehicles out there.

Black Canyon Road to Hotchkiss via unpaved Fruitland Mesa and Scenic Mesa Roads
Turn west on Black Canyon Road and follow it around Crawford Reservoir and up on top the mesa. Here's where you need to have remembered 4 road names in sequence: Black Canyon Road, West Black Canyon Road, Fruitland Mesa Road, Scenic Mesa Road. After maybe three miles on Black Canyon Road you will see a sign pointing to Fruitland Mesa Road. You could go that way but my way is quicker. Stay on Black Canyon Road until it becomes West Black Canyon Road (or turns south and continues on to the the north rim of the canyon). Follow West Black Canyon Road to Fruitland Mesa Road. Follow Fruitland Mesa Rd through a picturesque hidden canyon to Scenic Mesa Road which will take you to to 3400 Rd, north into Hotchkiss and directly to CO92 west. The unpaved portions of these roads are good graded gravel through pretty country, often with grand views. Traffic should be light and mostly local. It's 22 miles from Crawford Reservoir to Hotchkiss with maybe 17 miles unpaved.

Hotchkiss to Austin via CO92
It's only 14 miles westbound on CO92 to Austin. This road is sometimes patrolled. I measured Austin to Austin as 140 miles on my odometer, 3 hours and 40 minutes on my clock with numerous stops and a lunch break. That sounds slow and I assure you it could be quicker but even more time might be appreciated. There is much to see. Anyone new to the entire area should consider spending the day, or more, with side trips to the south and north canyon rims.

—Verle Nelson, Cedaredge Colorado