The first ever Weston Pass Cheeseburger Run was a great ride. The weather was perfect and we had a mix of newer and older bikes, ranging from a 2022 Yamaha Tenere 700 to 1990 BMW R100GS Paris Dakar. The bikes ranged in size from a KTM 1190 Adventure to a KTM 525. We will definitely look forward to a repeat in 2024!
The fall morning air was crisp as a small group of adventure riders gathered for coffee in Leadville. Introductions were made, the route was discussed, and kickstands went up as we headed south for Weston Pass. The fall colors were almost at their peak, and the ride up the pass was fantastic. The pass road was very well maintained with only a couple rougher sections. At the top of the pass, we paused for a couple pictures at 11,921′ above sea level.
The ride down may have been even more beautiful than the ride up, as big views stretched out in front of us. We wound our way down the pass, riding past small mountain lakes and streams, taking a beautiful dirt detour along the Buffalo Springs Campground Road on our way to Hartsel for lunch.
A beautiful fall day, a great ride with great people and a well cooked cheeseburger all add up to a winning combination for a good time.
After lunch, we took a short side trip down Hartsel Ranch Road to see a somewhat uncommon sight for Colorado…zebras!
We looped north and west, taking a scenic ride to Elkhorn Rd. From here, only 2 of us rode north to Como to head over Boreas Pass. Despite a slight mechanical issue with a broken shifter bolt in Como, the ride over Boreas Pass was spectacular!
From Breckenridge, we took a long highway ride back to Leadville, but it was hard to complain about that on such a nice day. In total, the long version of the loop was a little over 160 miles. The roads and scenery were fantastic. Thanks to everyone who participated in the ride. For those who couldn’t make it this year, we hope to see you next time!
Thanks also to Viking Bags for their support of this year’s event.
Be sure to check out some of our other ride reports, including this other great Colorado ride from earlier this summer… Great 3 Day Adventure Ride Over 8 Colorado Mountain Passes