GPZ Rally West '09 "The Fandango in Durango V"

Mon Apr 27 20:55:17 PDT 2009

Just a reminder of dates and such.  Between Steve Northrop, George 
McCaul and I we have the two balcony rooms reserved at the Bent Elbow 
Saloon/Hotel/Whorehouse in Silverton.  They have two rooms left those 
three night for anyone coming who hasn't made their reservations.

You newbies are more than welcome to come along.  This is our fifth 
gathering in Durango and they are a lot of fun and there is some great 
riding in the four corners region.

Charles S.

Charles Scappaticci wrote:
> 
> The GPZ Rally West '09 "The Fandango in Durango V"
> 
> OK Folks, you've waited patiently during these cold miserable winter
> months, and now it's time to officially make those plans.
> 
> WHAT:  '09 GPZ1100 Mailing List Western Rally and International Concours
> d'Elegance.  Non-GPZ riders, deemed by a regular list member as
> responsible and road-worthy, are also more than welcome.
> 
> WHERE:  The Teller House Hotel (www.tellerhousehotel.com) 1250 Greene
> Street, Silverton, CO 81433, ~ 800.342.4338 ~ 970.387.5423 or The Bent
> Elbow Restaurant & Hotel (www.thebent.com) 1114 Blair Street, Silverton,
> CO 81433, ~ toll-free (877)387-5775 or (970)387-5775.  Accommodations
> are hotel and the rates are tourist town rates, from $65 to $90 per
> night for a room with one or two queen beds, many are one queen bed only
> so reserve accordingly.  For those who would rather camp out under the
> stars, camping is available at the A&B RV or a couple of other places.
> Visit them on the web or call me for directions.  I will be staying the
> Bent Elbow again this time.
> 
> AREA DESCRIPTION
> Nestled high in the heart of the San Juan Mountains in a mountain valley
> at 9,318 feet, the Town of Silverton combines supreme natural beauty and
> magnificent Victorian charm.  Silverton is a town that has its own color
> and character.  Most of the buildings and the mining-laden hillsides
> reflect a simpler day as does the Silverton lifestyle.  Winter
> activities include skiing, snowmobiling and lots of drinking.   Local
> summer recreational opportunities abound and include camping, hiking,
> fishing, biking, boating, photography, and nearby off-highway vehicle
> riding areas.  Visitors can also take the Durango & Silverton Narrow
> Gauge Railroad for a trip back into American history.   Having lived in
> Durango for three years while attending college, I can attest to the
> beauty and scenic vistas in the area.
> 
> For more info, see:  http://www.silvertoncolorado.com/
> 
> WHEN:  25-28 June 2009.  Arrive anytime on Thursday the 25th and leave
> on the morning of Sunday the 28th, or later if you so desire.
> 
> 25 June - We will occupy our hotel rooms Thursday (June 25th) evening,
> with the usual stories of the trip down.  Plan on a walk to dinner for
> those who arrive early enough.  For those coming from the east and
> riding down with me, I am planning on taking the scenic route we usually
> take over Monarch Pass, through Lake City and Creede, and over Wolf
> Creek Pass which is an excellent ride.
> 
> 26 June - Early morning walk to breakfast.  All day ride over the
> Million Dollar Highway via Durango, Cortez and past Mesa Verde National
> Park to Stoner, to scenic Telluride (with a stop for lunch hopefully),
> through Placerville, Ridgeway, Ouray, Red Mountain Pass and back to
> Silverton.  This time we will do the ride backwards from what we have
> previously.  We did this loop the past three rally's and it is a
> nationally ranked ride, Cycle World calls one of the ten best in the
> USA.  Please plan on leaving the motel on the early side so we can miss
> the Winnebago/land barge parade over the passes.  Return to camp for
> cleanup (we should be back by 3:00 or so), shopping and local sight
> seeing and dinner and the usual festivities and debauchery.  Total
> mileage is about 220 so it's not a terribly long day.  I'm thinking
> about a pre-drinking/after dark ride up Red Mountain Pass or up the dirt
> road towards Lake City for some star gazing which is simply amazing at
> 10,000 feet or so.
> 
> 27 June - Early morning hike to breakfast.  This year we are planning a
> ride up Colorado 141 to Gateway and possibly Grand Junction depending on
> time.  Gateway has a large new car museum owned and founded by the
> creator of the Discovery Channel and it has some pretty amazing cars in
> it.  The scenery follows the rivers, but the vistas and butte's you'll
> see are right out of the old westerns.  The ride is mostly easy sweepers
> with some tighter curves thrown in to keep it interesting. (See my pics
> from my ride last summer at http://community.webshots.com/user/scapco)
> Depending on how far, fast, or scenic everyone wants to ride, make the
> day as long or short as you desire.  Expect more spectacular scenery and
> many stops for posing and photo sessions on the way back.  Return to
> camp for cleanup, another brisk walk to dinner at the Bent Elbow
> Restaurant and more festivities and debauchery.  I'd like to do another
> T-shirt swap between the attendees like we did the last few rally's.
> Creativity is important.  LOL!
> 
> 28 June -  Break camp and clean up.  Not so early, bleary-eyed ride to
> breakfast.  Teary good byes and photos, exchanging of email addresses,
> cell phone #s, web URLs, and PDA data.  Long ride home begins.  I prefer
> to take the long way home which is near 450 miles of mountain passes,
> figure 10 hours in the saddle if you go my way.  There are several ways
> to shorten the ride depending on how one's “nether region” is holding up.
> 
> All attendees are expected to ride safely on all group rides, and
> expected to comply with the basic rules of the road.  Also, not all of
> the parking in Silverton is on the best surfaces, so please bring something
> to put under your kickstand or center stand.  Also, because of the
> altitude it can be cool at night, so bring some warm clothes or if you're
> Canadian and used to the cold, bring some shorts.
> 
> COST:  Up to you.  I don't make food reservations so spend as much or as
> little as you desire.  Silverton is somewhat of a tourist/mountain town,
> so expect things to be priced accordingly.  Beer is "plentiful",
> remember you're staying in a hotel where the first floors are
> bars/saloons (and the upper floors were once whorehouses!!).  LOL!  When
> I went to college in Durango in the late 70's there were 52 places to
> buy alcohol in a town of 12,000, and I think I knew them all.  One
> warning, drinking beer at 9,300 ft altitude is not like drinking at sea
> level.  If you’re a six pack per evening guy, three will do just fine up
> here.  I’m not kidding!!
> 
> I believe this will be a fairly small gathering due to the economy and
> being our fifth gathering so I encourage everyone on the list to make
> every reasonable attempt to make it to this year's rally as it might
> be the last.  Those that attended the GPZ rallies in previous years will
> confirm that the events exceeded all of our expectations.  They continue
> to be the peak experiences I've have in many years of motorcycling.
> Local bike rentals are available in Denver at Colorado Tour Bike Rentals
> http://www.tourbikes.com or (720) 231-6349, or http://www.eaglerider.com
> (Hardley's and Lead Wings only).  There are probably others too so shop
> around.
> 
> To read more about the previous rally's, visit the list page and check
> out the pictures at: http://list.gpz1100.com.  If you have questions,
> suggestions, or an offer of help, please don't hesitate to email me or
> call me on my cell at 303-956-6501.
> 
> I "might" be able to accommodate one or two before or after the ride at
> my ex wife's place in the south Denver metro area.  I will be living at
> my ex-s after next weekend for a couple of months until I can find a new
> place to live. Just let me know if you need a place to crash and I'll see
> what I can do.  Also, for anyone who wants to hang around Denver and ride
> on Monday the 29th, we're repeating the always spectacular day long ride
> through Rocky Mountain National Park which is one of the highest paved
> roads in North America and reaches altitudes of near 13,000 feet.
> 
> Thanks, and I look forward to seeing you.
> 
> Charles S.
> Centennial, Colorado
> 2009 Rally Coordinator
> 303-797-8970 Ex- Wife's Home
> 303-956-6501 My Cell
> 
> 