Pikes Peak is the ultimate tourist trap. Although there are over 50 similarly sized mountains in Colorado, this is the first you encounter when migrating from the East. It’s famous for being big and famous. It’s a long drive out and up to the top, a windy peak with viewpoints so high as to make poor photographs, too little air to breath and a shop full of food knick-knacks. So of course it was totally on my to-do list and I took the ride up above 14,000 feet on Saturday (October 8th).
I took the back way down to Pikes Peak from Colorado, winding through the mountains on 67, being sent on a random dirt road (much more threatening when they go down steep inclines!) and then onto 24 to the entrance to the road up Pikes Peak.
The road up Pikes Peak begins slowly up through forests and eventually, as the mountain narrows and the plants fade away, coils up into a tighter path that lashes back and forth up the cliffs.
Yes I’d just had maintenance done two days before, but they didn’t have the time to open the front of the scooter and check where I suspected the coolant leak was. I don’t know if it was the altitude, but the coolant came out all over the place today. I felt like I was leaving a trail of pollution and putting my bike in danger. By the time I came back down, the leak had stopped. Not sure if it was losing the altitude or just that enough had come pouring out that there wasn’t enough pressure to squeeze more out.
After that I joined the crush of traffic up I-25, slowly motoring back home to Denver. The scooter continued to perform well and no more coolant leaked out. I had another appointment the upcoming Thursday, so hoped it could keep it together until then.