So back in mid July we decided to take a (full) moonlit ride up Rocky Mountain National Park and Trail Ridge Road. Without getting into too many details, let me just say: it was dark to the point where headlights were useless, it was hot (read: upper 90s) in Denver when I left and yet in the low 50s at the top of Trail Ridge Road. Brr...

Since the group was smaller we stopped at Lake Mary Lodge and had a nice dinner although I ended up with a stomach ache the following day which I can't blame on the food, but I have no other idea of why I would have had a stomach ache.

Anywho, these are pictures from the trip:

From Lake Mary Lodge looking east towards the moonrise

The SV with peaks in the background (severely lightened)

The SV with some moving clouds in the background.

Believe it or not this is close to midnight, but with a 30 second exposure we see it a though it were late dusk.

Not focused very well, but you get the idea.

My friend Maria's Triumph.

And more SV.

Walk-about? No, it's a Ride-about.

Like all good riders, I got out and put some mileage on my motorcycle this past weekend. A long day in the saddle Saturday took me nearly 300 miles and a total of nearly 12,000 feet in elevation gain/loss.

There were six of us: a ZX10r, FZ1, FZ6, TLR and R6 and my SV1000s. We left the Denver area and headed up I-70 to Berthoud Pass where we cross the Continental Divide and on into Winter Park, CO.

From Trail Ridge Ride, 6-25-2011

Looking north from the summit of Berthoud Pass.

From Trail Ridge Ride, 6-25-2011

 We kept heading north through Granby and Grand Lake (which reminded my of small European lake-side communities) and into Rocky Mountain National Park. We were a little dismayed at the $10/motorcycle charged to get into the park and the ranger even charged the R6 (which was 2-up) $20 citing the fees were per-person. I highly doubt that is the case as cars and vans with multiple persons weren't paying per-person.

We rode (slowly behind tourists and gawkers) up Trail Ridge Road until this pull-out indicating we were crossing the Continental Divide again. We stopped to play in the snow.

From Trail Ridge Ride, 6-25-2011

And to take some pictures with the snow in the background.

From Trail Ridge Ride, 6-25-2011

We got on the bikes and headed up some more. At the below images we were at more than 12,000ft above sea-level. There was a sign we passed that I was hoping to get back to and get a picture that indicated the point when we passed the 2-mile high mark but I didn't get a chance to stop. Well, I did get the chance, but when you ride with a group the whole group seems to want to stop for something that quick and I didn't want to make anyone stop for me.

From Trail Ridge Ride, 6-25-2011

Our Route:

View Winter Park to Trail Ridge 6-25-11 in a larger map

When I returned to Denver, I swung by Fay Myers and picked up my new EXO750 Vintage helmet. It fits so much better than the EXO500, which also resulted in the very noticeable corn-rows I'm sporting in the above pictures. The EXO750 doesn't have all the bells and whistles the EXO500 has, such as the drop-down sun shield, but it fits my head shape so much better and seems lighter on my neck. I've only been a few miles with the EXO750 so far but it seems more stable in the wind, too.

I was hoping to go up again today and get some pictures with my dSLR but the weather didn't cooperate. If I get time tomorrow I'd like to head up again. If not, then perhaps when I return from Florida.