I don't know what the answer is for a good route in the high country of Colorado. The population has probably quadrupled since 1976 and the traffic increased 10x. US 24 from Leadville over Tennessee Pass is nice. The climb up Red Cliff is on a narrow road and the switchbacks are tight. There's a new bike trail along the Eagle River above and below Avon. Then Hwy 131 and Hwy 134 are both quite nice and connect you back to the Trans-Am north of Kremmling. Still, there are not many options given how busy Denver's back yard has gotten.

Here's a traffic volume map of Colorado I developed from state 2004 data. If anybody want a full-sized copy they can e-mail me.

As for Kentucky, it is always a shock for those who haven't seen Appalachia before. It was for Robert Kennedy 40 years ago. It still is today. I remember seeing old refrigerators and sofas dumped in Elkhorn Creek. Why? Well, American culture creates a lot of garbage - even in Appalachia. City folks just cart the stuff to the curb and forget about it. There's no garbage pick-up in a lot of Appalachia and so people just dump things wherever. No excuse, though.