When you’re riding in the mountains--such as the Rocky Mountains outside of Denver, CO--remember to bring your leathers, or some other warm clothing with you.  

 

It’s not uncommon to start your ride in a place where the summertime temperature is in the 80s or 90s Fahrenheit--like Boulder (which is just God’s country, as far as sheer beauty is concerned), or Golden (you can visit Buffalo Bill’s grave there, and take a free tour of the Coors brewery).  

 

But once you get up into the mountains, the temperature can drop significantly... Any time of the year.  

There are still glaciers up there!  Unfortunately, Global Warming is in the process of melting them off.  The glaciers are just about gone during the summer months now, and they’ll probably be gone for good in a few years... But that’s all the more reason to get your butt up there to see them while you can. 

 

I took a ride up to Ward, CO (a real Sicily, Alaska sort of place) a couple of years ago, and it started snowing.  IN LATE MAY!

Good Lord, I was cold.  I was shaking so hard that it was affecting my riding.  Not good...  especially on the twisties you encounter up on those Rocky Mountain roads.

Riding unprepared into those sorts of temperatures can be more than just uncomfortable, it can be downright dangerous.

 

So when you head to the hills, be sure to stuff a turtle-neck in your left saddlebag, and your leathers in your right.   When you’re on a motorcycle, cruising at speed, layering your clothing can make a real difference.  Just a leather jacket, with a t-shirt underneath, is simply not enough once you hit a storm at an altitude of 10,000’ or more. 

When you ride your motorcycle in the mountains, you hope for the best weather possible, while planning for the worst.