There was traffic of course, so we couldn't just go bombing up the slope, but there was room to pass which we took advantage of. The road was actually in better shape than I though with such elevation. Construction on the road was begun in 1924 and finally completed in 1930. We quickly left the treeline past and experienced the barren beauty of the high altitudes. There were a few areas where the road got "lumpy" but nothing bad. The final stretch was a long series of switchbacks until we got to the tiny little parking lot on top. Pretty exhilarating looking at the views on the way up. There was this really interesting structure at the top which turned out to be the remains of The Crest House. Constructed between 1939 and 1941, it was the highest structure in the world at 14,260 feet above sea level. From the signs inside the structure: "Designed to symbolize the night sky, it was built in the shape of a star with large windows overlooking Denver. interior lights had round globes that resembled the moon. On September 1, 1979, a propane explosion destroyed the Crest House and a piece of history was lost forever. Amidst the rubble and twisted steel beams, the arched wall and star-shaped platform remained intact." And that's what we were walking through, the remains of the building.
It would have been really cool to see before the explosion. They cleaned up the debris and left it as a place for visitors to see and contemplate. Near the Crest House is a small observatory run by Denver University. Being on Mt. Evans it is of course the highest such observatory in the world. Across from the Crest House and the observatory is a path that leads to the peak. With such thin air, we took our time but made it to the top where we took pictures and video. Eventually it was time to head back, but I'm really glad we took the time to ride this. It's a simple "bucket-list" item and the views and history are always worth it in my opinion. Bill and Dan rode to the top of Pikes Peak in 2013 and said that the road wasn't in as good a shape as this one. Having ridden to Mt. Evans I don't have any particular desire to ride to Pikes Peak, but if the opportunity presented itself to take Vicki up either one, I would.
Bill has good friends, David and Melanie McLean in Fort Collins who have graciously opened their home to 5 smelly motorcycle riders so that's where we're headed this night. We took longer to see the sights than we had anticipated, so Bill split off from us to get there on time, via Boulder. The rest of us backtracked a bit on I-70 so we could get to US40 and Berthoud Pass. Named for Edward L. Berthoud, the chief surveyor of the Colorado Central Railroad, it is widely regarded as "one of Colorado's most demanding motoring roads with its tight switchbacks that crisscross avalanche chutes." It was a pretty nice road, but not as demanding as the passes that we had travelled earlier. Passing through Granby, we turned on to US34 which led us through Rocky Mountain National Park toward Estes Park.
What a perfectly named park! I know I live not too far from Glacier National Park in Montana and should be loyal to it, but I feel that Rocky Mountain National Park is far more beautiful. Gorgeous meadows running along Timber Creek with elk and moose for miles, literally. The road? Immaculate! I mean it. Smooth asphalt with nary a crack, divot, or undulation. That led to effortless twisties with beautiful scenery and wildlife. We took our time, but still passed cars when the opportunity presented itself.
Tom Clark
I'm a Senior Software Engineer at Intellitect, living in Spokane, Washington. I also do a little development work on the side. And I love riding motorcycles all over the country with my friends.
