Snow? What Snow?

© Ken Bingenheimer / RumBum.com

“I don’t care what we run into, I want to go to Georgetown tomorrow.”

“I’m with you. It just may not be possible, but if we can do it I’m with you.”

Such was the (somewhat inebriated) bravado around the campfire the night before the 2010 Elephant Ride. Georgetown, CO, however, was 24 miles away, over the officially closed and very snow-drifted Guanella Pass. That would be a hard 24 miles on a big 4X4 but these guys were only going to be on two wheels. Welcome to the 2010 Elephant Ride.

Named for Hannibal’s trek across the Alps with, among other things, elephants, the Elephant Ride grew out of a chance encounter about 30 years ago in Grant, the south terminus of the Guanella Pass road. It seems some Harley riders were dissing some guys on BMWs. The beemer guys issued a challenge. “We’ll ride to Georgetown over the pass; are you coming with us?”

The Harleys did not ride the pass that day, the beemers did, and a tradition was born.

The Elephant Ride grew and began attracting large numbers of riders from far away. It’s high point was the year ESPN send a camera crew and broadcast coverage nationwide. And then it just faded, although a few of the faithful kept it alive.

For the hard-core, the event really starts the night before, when anyone so inclined is invited to camp out and party. With some in tents and some in campers, some 25 brave (or crazy) souls faced the bitter February night, with a blazing campfire the center of activity. Everyone present was expected to, and did, ride around the camping area on a 50cc mini-bike that someone brought. With snow as deep as the wheels, the only place for your feet was in the air in front of you.

By morning four new inches had fallen and the first order of business was digging out the bikes. And starting them. Some, like a new-looking little Yamaha trail bike, purred to life at the push of the starter button. More commonly, riders worked off the morning chill endlessly kicking over the engines, trying to fire up their vehicles.

With the dawn came a contingent of the not-so-hard-core, unloading and prepping their bikes. Five Rokons arrived, those squat, wide-tired, two-wheel-drive motorcycle answers to the Jeep. And lastly, a squad of Ural sidecar rigs pulled in to join the fun.

Leaving in bunches, the assault on the pass began. The first part of the road is maintained in winter so it © Ken Bingenheimer / RumBum.comwas snow-packed but easily traversable, although the two-wheelers, especially those that did not have screws in their tires, struggled to stay upright.

Past the warning sign where winter maintenance ends the road was still good, even beyond the point where last year’s ride had had to end. Then it was up the first significant incline and it was time to regroup and assess what lay ahead.

“I barely made it up to here. I’m sure as heck not going on up this next stretch.”

“Oh, come on. There’s ice on the right so just stay to the left. Let’s go.”

And up they went. Then they hit the drifts.

In a spot where the wind was howling over a ridge, the blowing snow had built a drift across the road about 30 inches deep and 25 feet wide. Here the Urals decided they had gone as far as they were going, but many of the bikes struggled across, standing above the bike on the snow, lifting the front end and powering the rear wheel through. Even the Rokons struggled, but persevered.

Around the next bend, however, was another drift, and this one was bigger and deeper than the first. The top of the pass was still 2 miles away, and anyone familiar with Guanella knows the snow is deeper on the other side, the northern side of the pass. That about did it for this year’s Elephant Ride. A couple Rokons and one Yamaha YZ 250 made it up the pass, but no one went to Georgetown.

So it was back to the staging area, and time to load the bikes and the tents and other gear and head home. Maybe Georgetown had been a dream, but everyone who rides a motorcycle knows the journey is the destination. The Elephant Riders reached their true destination, and they’ll be back next year to do it again.