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Wheels in song, wheels in story. Little wheels spin and spin. Wheels on the bus go round and round. Wheels in Colorado often go off-road, on purpose. So what are the options? Lots!
Here's a young man in Silverton skatejoring down the road with his pit bull type dog.
They were so quick I was lucky to get a picture, let alone ask questions.
Bicycles. This one passed us as we were working our way up the trail.
Silverton was full of motorcycles in a wide range of sizes and colors. In groups, mostly.
They mostly looked like street machines. Could probably take some of the less aggressive trails.
Trails don't really receive much in the way of maintenance so there's loose rock and rubble.
Snow doesn't go before July, comes back just a couple of months later.
No, if you want to two-wheel on a trail you should look for something like this.
As we were strolling around Silverton we came upon this Rokon trail breaker motorcycle for sale. The four of us were standing around examining it - doesn't look like the motorcycles you'd see on the street. Look at those tires. And that chain on the front wheel up to a housing by the front fork. Started chatting with the owner.
Apparently it goes almost anywhere. He told us he had ridden it up the avalanche chute seen here just outside town. Well, almost all of the way up the chute, then it began slipping and spinning under him. Must have been altogether too exciting.
Much of the off-roading is done with OHV, off-highway vehicles which does include motorcycles and dirt bikes, also three-wheelers, ATVs, and dune buggies that are operated on public land or trails in Colorado. They must be registered with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The registration program fees fund trail maintenance, construction, trailheads, parking areas, trail signs, maps, and land acquisition. Here's more information on the Off Highway Vehicle Regulations in Colorado. And etiquette is important too. Don't drive on trails that are narrower than your vehicle to avoid damaging the verges. If you meet a vehicle going the opposite way on a trail it is the uphill vehicle that has priority - stopping uphill on loose rock is not a good idea. And so on with common sense rules.
A truck with a trailer to haul a couple of OHV is an easy way to get to
a trailhead for off-roading where the truck is not allowed to travel.
Of course in Silverton OHV are street legal (but must be registered) and
can be seen gallivanting down Greene Street, (the only paved street in town.
Or angle parked at the curb.
Then there's snazzy, suitable-for-the-family OHV like this John Deere XUV 625i.
Or you could consider a 4X4, like this Toyota Tundra. Things to consider - first and foremost - ground clearance. Don't try and drive somewhere that will rip apart all those important bits and pieces on the underside of your vehicle. Secondly, what happens if you get into trouble. This particular 4X4 is retro-fitted with a Smittybilt winch, straps, shackles, a snatch block, and other supplies for those just-in-case situations.
The Silverton VFW has a World War II halftrack. Not sure what they use it for. Could be just for parades? Maybe. The main advantage of half-tracks over wheeled vehicles is that the tracks spread the vehicle's weight over a larger area giving greater mobility over soft terrain like snow. So in a worst case scenario it might be used for winter rescues.
Other entries here, here, and here
To Be Continued
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