Ride on 12-7-08

On Sunday mornings in December, one would expect cold weather. On this Sunday, it's pretty warm. It was the perfect temperature for a ride, so I decided to run out and grab the day early. Knowing that things can change pretty quickly, I dressed in all my snivel gear; my warmest leather jacket, thick boots and all that stuff, so that I felt kind of like Randy from "A Christmas Story," wearing so much stuff that I was having trouble moving. I felt even more stupid, when I pulled up to a stoplight, and another motorcycle pulled up next to me. The rider wasn't wearing anything more than jeans and a sweatshirt.

I decided then to get out of town a little. That way, I wouldn't feel so stupid wearing as much as I was, so I decided to head up north through Elbert, to Kiowa. From there, back through Elizabeth and Franktown, back to Colorado Springs. Since that was heading north towards Denver, I would need the extra clothing.

My first leg of the journey was along Woodman Road in Colorado Springs. That took me through a construction area, which slowed me down, but made me aware of the loose sand on the pavement. As any biker will attest to, loose sand can be as treacherous as black ice, causing a bike to lose traction in an instant. I would have to be extra careful on this ride.

I hit Highway 24, heading out to the northeast. This was a road I was familiar with, having taken my bicycle along this route, as well as drives last Winter to see abandoned homes along the way. It was an interesting route. I hit the Elbert Road, and was able to open up a little. There isn't much traffic here, if any at all, so I was able to see for miles ahead and all around.

Rougly five miles into the Elbert Road, I passed the Monument turn off, and headed into some small rolling hills. These hills were topped with Evergreens making them look like little hairy topped heads sticking out of the ground. In these woods were ranches, a Boy Scout camp, and even a tiny airstrip, adjacent to a metal hangar and a wind sock.

The tiny town of Elbert sits just within Elbert County. I suppose that makes it the County Seat, but I could be mistaken. There was a school there, along with a football field, and a classic old country church. It seemed to be the most well kept building in town, so I stopped to take its picture.

My next landmark was Kiowa. I had never been there, but a few months earlier had found a photo on Google maps. The photo was descriptive, showing a crossroads and a couple of buildings off in the distance. The photo did not lie. I decided to head out west, on my next leg of the trip.

This took me through Elizabeth. This town does have a historic district, so I felt obliged to stop and see what it was all about. I found a few buildings that were about a hundred years old, and one that caught my attention was the old Railroad Section house. I didn't know that there was a railroad here, but apparently there was, but this house was the last remaining bit of it.

From there, it was on to Franktown. This is a spread out area, so not too much of a town. I do know that the actress Pamela Grier has a ranch here, so I brought an extra helmet, just in case I should find her hitchhiking for a ride. As I really expected, I had no such luck.

My last turn was back to Colorado Springs along highway 83. There was an uncharacteristic breeze from the South, slowing me down and finally making me glad that I had all the extra layers on. I fell in behind a few vehicles, and kept my speed reasonable. The sun was still out- it would be up for another five hours- and I still had time to fulfill my plans for the rest of the day. I wanted to get lunch at my daughter's restaurant, and get my dog into the dog park.

I made it home by 2 PM.