Elephant Ride again tackles the snowy pass

On a day when temperatures along the Colorado flatlands were in the 60s, it was a perfect day for riding motorcycles . . . in the snow.

Today, of course, was the day for the annual Elephant Ride, so named because this charging of motorcycles up mountain roads in winter brings to mind Hannibal crossing the Alps with an entourage of elephants on his way to world conquest.

As usual, the hard-core gathered Saturday night in Grant at Psycho Steve's for eating, drinking, hanging out around the campfire, and general merry-making. Warmer weather than last year made it less chilling but there was a smaller crowd nevertheless.

Come morning riders emerged from their tents, their RVs, or wherever else they slept, and fired up their machines. Most had tired studded with screws for traction though a few hardy souls were planning to make the run bare-tired.

All through the early morning more trucks pulled up hauling motorcycles and the Ural sidecar contingent made their regular appearance, including Colorado Motorcycle Travel Examiner Dom Chang. Dom's monkey this year was a globe-trotting rider making his way around the world. Myself Dom's monkey last year, I was on one of Psycho Steve's Kawasaki quads this year, a little two-wheel-drive affair.

The usual Adventure Riders crowd was on hand as well, along with at least one first-timer. In Grant, on the south end of Guanella Pass, the morning was warm and optimism was high as to how far we would get this year. The main road was clear at this lower altitude but  with a lot of snow falling recently there was no telling what it would be like up higher, particularly because it had been windy the last few days. Serious drifts were a definite possibility.

The first riders took off, with Psycho Steve in the lead maintaining a speed you would expect to see in summer, not at a time of year when shaded areas shelter snow and ice. But screws in the tires give amazing traction. With bikes ranging from a BMW R1150GS to KLR 250s, it was definitely a run-what-ya-brung event.

How far did they get this year? Even I don't know that yet, as the Kawi quad I was riding didn't make it past the first snowfield. That's OK, I didn't expect it to. I was just there for the fun. Wait awhile longer and Dom will probably have something up about where the Urals got to, but check that Adventure Riders link above for the full scoop. Once those guys all get home and get around to posting of course.