To Honor A Friend

Several years back, a friend moved from California to Colorado, where he promptly bought a motorcycle. “Dude!” he wrote, not abandoning his California roots entirely.  “Come ride with me.  The roads here’ll blow your mind!”

“Someday,” I told him.

It was the last conversation we ever had. When he died a year later—ironically in a car accident—regret consumed me. Why do we always say: “Someday?”

Five Colorado Roads in Five Days

Fast-forward to the present. When my son chose the University of Colorado for law school, I knew it was time to make “someday” today.

My plan was simple. Five mind-blowing roads in five days. To honor a friend.

After inhaling the pineapple upside-down pancakes at Snooze in Boulder, CO, I hug my son and head up Canyon Blvd, all signs of civilization disappearing immediately. The KTM 1290 Super Adventure I’ve rented feels strangely familiar, navigating the crags of the Flatirons like an old friend. An hour later, I arrive at the first road on my list.

Day One: Trail Ridge Road

Known as the Highway to the Sky, Trail Ridge Rd is the highest continuous paved two-lane in the U.S., crossing the Continental Divide at 12,183 feet. As trees part to reveal boundless vistas, clouds gather like curious angels. The KTM is swallowing pavement at a rapid pace, so I use one of the many turnouts to stop and stare, John Denver’s voice filling my ears.