That's one dirty bike!
 

I spent Thanksgiving in SLC and one the way home to Denver yesterday things got ugly.

Everything was going good until we got about 2 hours from home (coincidentally just as you really hit the mountains) were we ran into a closed freeway due to an accident. It wasn’t really snowing at this point, but it had been the days before. Rather than waiting it out, we opted to try and find an alternate route. We drove about 40 mins south to the outskirts of Aspen and found out that both of the passes out of that area were closed due to snow too. I had given up and we were heading back out to I-70 when I noticed another path google maps that would get us out about 10 miles up the freeway. We headed up this skinny road, that eventually turned to gravel, and then to dirt and then to severely snow covered dirt. We ended up driving about 20 miles on a single-lane, cliff-ridden road going over a 10,000 ft. pass! It was crazy! We almost had a few run-ins because several other cars were trying to do the same thing we were but from the other direction. I snapped some pictures when we finally got out of the real treacherous part, but they just don’t do anything justice. My poor bike was COVERED in mud... I don’t think it’ll ever be clean again!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3162/...e6a4be98f3.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3295/...b8447b8451.jpg

Finally we get back on the freeway and go about another 10 miles and run into some serious traffic due to some serious snow and wind. At Vail summit it looked like it had snowed a good 5 feet since we had been through 5 days earlier. I don't have any pictures of the bike in it's current state, but it's bad. Most of the mud is gone now, but it's completely covered in salt and road grime and the bar tape and seat are stained brown.

What a disaster. :mad: Damned weather.

that sucks hope u can get it off the seat

Why not put your bike in your VW?

We drove from Denver to Vail (on vacation from Kansas City) a few months ago in perfectly dry weather. I can't imagine driving thru those mountains with snow on the ground.

It was packed full of mom, kid, and all that they require for a week of travel. I all of a sudden see why sometimes roof mounts are better.

At least most of your bike was shielded. If you mounted your bike on top then it would have to endure anything going over the top. Unless you had a bike bra.

This is why my bike rides inside the car...

I generally carry my bikes inside my SUV, but when it's loaded they go on the roof. They stay cleaner up there than on a trailer hitch rack, but they impede fuel economy more.

Wow, did you do the road up the Frying Pan Valley and over to Vail? I wouldn't think it passable in anything with wheels by this time of year. Once Independence Pass closes for the season, the Roaring Fork Valley to Aspen is pretty much one way in and out.

It was a road called Cottonwood Pass Rd. that took us from basically Carbondale to Gypsum. I-70 was closed in Glenwood Springs.

Ah, still a crazy road, but not as crazy as I thought. There seems to always be snow and a truck accident on I-70 on Thanksgiving weekend. It is a requirement of some kind...

ride a cheaper bike