The Proud Highway

When four friends set out on Triumph motorcycles to ride to Mesa Verde in the Four Corners area on a five-day trip, we didn’t know what luck we’d have. Riding in the mountains of Colorado is always a gamble with the weather, and we saw (and rode through) it all. In a tour of 1,100 miles over the finest roads that Colorado has to offer, we stayed at funky little roadside motels, crossed 11 mountain passes, ducked into local diners and saloons, and ticked off some bucket list areas like the Million Dollar Highway. A couple of my favorite moments are burned into my mind like a frozen movie frame, and that’s all I have to remember them. When the weather was bad, which it often was (from rain to hail to snow and wind–so much wind!), the camera was wrapped in three layers of waterproof bags and wasn’t coming out for anything. Here’s to the many miles we shared, good friends, fun bikes, and endless, twisty mountain roads.

An epic adventure told through the in-between moments, the moments that often matter the most. Joe Freemond

Mapping out the route, sans smartphones. Joe Freemond

Stopping in tiny mountain towns to take in the view and rest is essential. Joe Freemond

The majestic Rocky Mountains rise above the horizon like giants from an earlier time. Joe Freemond

The American frontier is still out there, on winding roads and mountain passes, waiting to be explored. Joe Freemond

Joe Freemond

Joe Freemond

The Million Dollar Highway winds like a dare through the San Juans, each curve a reminder that beauty and danger ride tandem. Chrome hums, cliffs drop, and the mountains watch without mercy. Joe Freemond