Hi, everybody. I wanted to get this out there ASAP so people could get this on their calendars.
The 4th Annual Chuck Ferrari Memorial Ride will be on Sunday, March 20th, weather permitting (see my note at the end of this email regarding weather decisions.) This ride will be to honor the memory of our friend and riding companion Chuck Ferrari, and to raise money for the Humane Society of Colorado, one of Chuck's favorite charities.
Current plan (subject to change depending on weather) will be to meet at the Conoco in Morrison, CO. This is the one right off of C-470 near Bandimere Speedway. If you wish, you may want to get breakfast at the Blue Cow or Morrison Grille, but the meeting spot will be at the Conoco. I would like to be "kickstands up" no later than 9:00 AM. Please make sure you are fueled up and ready to ride by that time.
Since we have had a fairly mild late Winter/early Spring so far, we will be going up US-285 to Pine Junction, then taking CO 126/CO 67 through Pine, Buffalo Creek and Deckers, to Woodland Park. At Woodland Park we will re-group and those who need to fuel up can do so.
From there we will head West on US 24 just past Divide, where we will turn left onto High Rock Road until it intersects with Teller County Road 1 just south of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. We will then continue on to High Park Road ending up at the intersection of High Park and CO Highway 9 (this should be a familiar route to many who have gone on the Spring Overnight rides.)
From there we'll go 8 miles South to US 50 near Royal Gorge and turn East towards Canon City. We'll go about 6 miles to the entrance of Skyline Drive. I'd like to get a group photo at the entrance of Skyline Drive and another one up on top, the scenery is spectacular!
Distances: Distance from Morrison to Woodland Park is 70 miles. Distance from Woodland Park to Skyline Drive is about 60 miles. Note that once we pass the town of Divide, there is NO GAS anywhere along the route until we get into Canon City (i.e., AFTER Skyline drive) so please know your fuel range and plan accordingly. Our mid-way stop is at a gas station at Woodland Park for those who need to top off. Total Distance from Morrison to Skyline is about 130 miles.
I expect this will be a somewhat longer ride than previous years, plan on at least 3 hours to get to Skyline Drive. That should put us into Canon City just after noon. If you can't make the whole ride but would like to do part of it, you could jump off at Deckers or Woodland Park.
I will bring a tripod and camera for the group picture.
After Skyline Drive the ride will "officially" be done. From there those who need to get back home can do so (most direct route would be to take US 50 East to CO 115 at Penrose and then take 115 North to Colorado Springs.) There are a number of places to eat in Canon City but rather than overwhelm one restaurant (like we did last year) I think it would be better if people just found their own.
Recent road reports from members have confirmed that the route should be ice-free. Of course, sand is always present in the curves so watch for that. If we get a big snowstorm in the Front Range in the week or so before the ride I may have to adjust the route.
Donations: Not required but if you wish to donate in Chuck's memory, you can make your checks out to the Humane Society of Colorado. I would like to collect them at the beginning of the ride if possible. I will take the donations to the Humane Society on Monday.
We all know weather can be a little dodgy this time of year so I will plan on having a 'weather decision' regarding the ride no later than Thursday the 17th (that is, a week from tomorrow.) Also, those of us who ride this time of year know to expect anything, whether it's cold weather, rain, sun, etc. Make sure you have adequate gear and your bike is in good condition.
I'll post an update on Thursday the 17th and a final message on Saturday the 19th which will include my cell number.
If anyone has any questions please let me know!
Martin
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