2027: Staying Close to Home

Ruby is all shined and ready to hit the road in 2027. Four trips are planned. Three of them are Colorado-only.

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In 18 years of riding the American West, I’m fortunate to have traveled many of the best roads available. Sadly, I’m starting to run out of ideas for new destinations.

So my multi-day trips in 2027 will primarily be in Colorado’s spectacular Rocky Mountains, never more than a day’s ride from home. The Colorado trips will cover most of the state’s 10,000-foot+ paved passes, the Colorado Pass-a-Palooza™I completed over the summers of 2025 and 2026.

Still, adventure beckons, and I’m setting my sights on one of the best rides ever, outside of Colorado — Beartooth Pass in Wyoming and Montana. It’s Number Two on my all-time Top Ten list. That’ll be my one trip that leaves Colorado behind. It’s well worth the time to get there. You can see it as Trip #3 below.

All told — fourteen nights, 18 days on the road, 4,200 miles. Each trip ends with ice cream in either Paonia, Willits, Aspen, or Carbondale.

Here’s a summary of my 2027 summer travel plans:

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Trip #1

  • Day 1: Carbondale > Independence Pass > Leadville > Tennessee Pass > Minturn > Gore Pass > Steamboat Springs
  • Day 2: Steamboat Springs > Walden > Cameron Pass > Bellvue > Masonville > Estes Park
  • Day 3: Estes Park > Trail Ridge Road > Grand Lake > Winter Park > Georgetown > Guanella Pass > Buena Vista
  • Day 4: Buena Vista > Gunnison > West Elk Loop Scenic Byway > Paonia > Carbondale

Trip #2

  • Day 1: Carbondale > Hotchkiss > West Elk Loop Scenic Byway > Blue Mesa Dam > Gunnison > Monarch Pass > Salida
  • Day 2: Salida > Gunnison > Monarch Pass > Cottonwood Pass > Buena Vista > Fairplay > Hoosier Pass > Frisco
  • Day 3: Frisco > Keystone > Loveland Pass > Berthoud Pass > Winter Park > Grand Lake > Trail Ridge Road > Estes Park > Nederland > Georgetown
  • Day 4: Georgetown > Guanella Pass > Red Hill Pass > Fairrlay > Buena Vista > Independence Pass > Carbondale

Trip #3

  • Day 1: Carbondale > Rock Springs WY
  • Day 2: Rock Springs > Cody WY
  • Day 3: Cody > Chief Joseph Scenic Byway > Beartooth Pass > Red Lodge (and back to Cody)
  • Day 4: Cody > Yellowstone NP > Grand Teton NP > Jackson WY > Afton WY
  • Day 5: Afton > Dutch John UT
  • Day 6: Dutch John > Vernal > Rangely > Carbondale

Trip #4

  • Day 1: Carbondale > Hotchkiss > West Elk Loop Scenic Byway > Montrose > Ridgway > Million Dollar Highway > Durango
  • Day 2: Durango > Pagosa Springs > Wolf Creek Pass > South Fork > Creede (and back to Durango)
  • Day 3: Durango > Dolores > Lizard Head Pass > Unaweep Tabeguache Scenic Byway > Palisade
  • Day 4: Palisade > Grand Mesa > Hotchkiss > Carbondale