Colorado Riders Circa 1950

Here’s the clan filling up for gas outside of Fort Collins CO. We’ve got them from left to right: Jerry Francis, 1950 Harley 74 Mike Sadusky, 1950 Harley 74 Warren Webber, 1950 Harley 74 Wendell Rea, 1942 Harley 45 notice the front knobby

The true adventure riders: On Thanksgiving day while most Americans were sitting around watching football the Webber family was sitting around talking about bikes. As the conversation progressed they started looking through their dads old ridding photos. The photos are so good that they decided that they should be shared with people that would appreciate their content.

Mr. Webber and his friends where adventure riders to the max back in their day. Sunday rides were the thing for these guys with an occasional jaunt down to Mexico City thrown in for kicks. First off let’s introduce the characters.

Another Sunday ride in Grant, Colorado.

I guess the 1950 Harley was all that…… Here’s the usual suspects taking a brake on a Sunday ride outside of Grant CO.

One Sunday ride took them to the top of Mt. Evans elevation 14,264. This was back in the day before it was paved all the way to the top. It was how ever paved here if it hadn’t been for the snow. Looks kind of touchy. Must be a little hairy with the foot clutch.

How’s this for a road, up Mount Evans.

Yet another 1952 ride ventured up Arapahoe pass – it’s near Eldora and is now all wilderness. Stupid lousy enviromentalist but I digress… The clan started out from the Webber house in Wheat Ridge, which is a stones throw from Golden, CO. They usually left around 8:00 am. If you didn’t arrive on time they would leave you. They headed up to Boulder and followed the twisty, scenic Boulder Canyon to Nederland. From there they headed through the town of Eldora and up Arapahoe Pass.

Mike on his ’52 K Model.

Now some things never change. There’s always that one person in the group that insist they absolutely positively know where they are or that it’s not that bad. In this case the group ended up venturing down this:

Turned out that this is the wrong way. The Harley guys actually let the British guys take the lead on this stretch of trail.

Must have been one of those hot-headed British riding know-it-alls That suggested it in the first place…..

Slow mud motion.

After some back tracking and de-mudding operations,

They finally found the right trail and made the climb to the top at 11,905 elevation…

My 1952 74 cu. in. top of Arapahoe pass.

Arapahoe Pass, 1953.

I also think these guys could have invented the “no-fear” logo.

I have fear when it associates a 750 lb. hardtail with a stream crossing on a trail.

These guys really deserve some respect for being able to pull this off. Or, they should be taken away in straight jackets…… Not that they didn’t dab once or twice, ok maybe 100 times but they did make it across. Now it’s time to take a break and dry off….