Responses to this video have ranged from "you're insane" to "you're a good rider" . . . Not sure where that all leaves me, but I had fun on this ride. And didn't fall off the edge. So all good.

Nice. I did Imogene right after this too. Some of the best places on earth to visit.

Shortly after I went over, there was a big deal because a bunch of people in jeeps dug out the snow drift, went all the way over, and one of them got stuck with a wheel over the edge and had to be rescued. No way, for any amount of money, I'd do it in a 4-wheeler.

You're welcome, and thank you. TBH, watching this video from 29:00 to 31:30 makes me tense up every time I see it. I think it was mentally easier to do it than to watch it.

Yes I've been to Hallett many times over the years. Great track :)

Thanks. I was well aware of the risks, so I was extra careful.

There are very good views from the top of Imogene, and it's not nearly as dangerous as this.

Gracias, amigo. Suerte en sus viajes.

Hi Jeff. Thanks. There are many better riders than me; I was scared :) My wife and I are considering spending the winter in Baja. I don't know anything about the motorcycling down there, but have heard many good things. There's a ton of other great riding in the San Juans (all around Silverton, Ouray, Telluride, Lake City) besides BBP. 5 or 6 other big passes, a wide variety of riding levels, loads of amazing views. Definitely worth a couple of weeks. We stayed 4 weeks, with 2 weeks off work and riding all day. It was great. Silverton is the nicest place to stay, IMO. Low key, down to earth, good food, nice people, not too crowded (except when the train comes in). Likewise, ride safe and have fun.

Honestly, try this with an 790 or a Tenere, good luck backing it up the hill :D

If you aren't trying to go too fast, it's easier to enjoy the scenery. It's one of the most beautiful places to ride in the US

Big subject. Basically, eliminate discomfort and drink lots of water. You can do almost anything for half an hour, but the slightest discomfort will become much harder to deal with after 8-10 hours of riding. And dehydration is a huge factor. The wind is pulling moisture out of your body constantly. I keep a water bladder in my tank bag at all times and drink frequently. Dehydration causes all kinds of problems, from discomfort to fatigue to lack of mental acuity. The last thing, for long rides, is this: it's not how fast you go, it's how fast you stop. The serious long distance riders plan out every little detail and action during a stop. Glove is off before they get to the pump, credit card is in a sleeve pocket, easy to get to, don't take off your helmet, don't get off your bike unless you have to go use the bathroom, always point your bike toward an easy exit before you park it, etc etc. There are many tiny details that sum up to saved minutes. Oh, and let's not forget the most important thing: enjoy the ride :)

People have done it but I wouldn't. Not that it's impossible, just not very fun.

What about t7?

it is once you reach a certain section. You can't ride up it from town at all!!

Back in the day we used to go up and down it all the time on dirt bikes then 4wheelers started wrecking and the usfs made it one way there was talk that they were going close it completely

I did. A lot. Not sure what would give you the idea I didn't. It's an integral part of this kind of riding. Clutch modulation and engine power/braking are in constant flux.

'21 KTM 500 EXC-f. Basically set up for light ADV riding. Rack, seat, tank, hand guards, GPS mount.

Yeah even if there had been other 4X4s up there I would have risked it, but there was nobody around and nobody coming through, so I was extra careful. Would have been bad news if I'd gotten hurt enough to not keep riding. Helicopter time.

Video was shot on 8/28/23 from 550 up to the snow drift, then on 8/31/23 from the snowdrift down to Telluride.

@@Patrick_Cashman do you mean 7/28/23 and 7/31/23? It’s only 8/3/23 today.

@@austinchase5882yes, you’re right. July. Oops

@@Patrick_Cashman no worries. I just got back from Ouray and Black Bear was still closed, but we did it anyway in my 4 person Can Am Maverick X3. There is now only one spot of “impassible” snow. We had to drive around it on what appeared to be a service road out to a geo-marker. It circled us back beyond the snow and the rest of the drive was great :)

@@austinchase5882 And you still can't figure out why stuff gets permanently shut down can you? Great job!

'21 KTM 500 EXC-f 6 days

7/31/23

It wasn't officially open yet. A bunch of folks (like you) jumped the gun, ended up getting stuck and into a rescue situation. This stupidity ended up causing the trail to remain closed for the whole season.

No. I had Goldentire something on it when I bought it (used, from a guy in Texas). I'll probably get Dunlop D606 or D604 next. Or the Tusk tires from Rocky Mountain ATV. I don't care much at all about what tires I run. I did 2 BDRs on a 17 yr old front tire that was on my KLX400 when I got it. No issues. Did Black Bear on that one too. I also do a lot of street riding. Around 100,000 miles over the last 12 years. I run a car tire on my FJR. It has 14000 on it now. Still plenty of life. I rode that tire to Alaska and back - 7000 miles in one trip. No regular moto tire can do that, at least not how I ride (throttle, high speeds at times, lots of twisty roads). I also rode my KTM 1290 Super Duke to Alaska. Put a car tire on it for that trip too. Only got 8000 out of it on that bike - lots more torque, and I romped on that thing hard, flogged the throttle every chance I got. I had a group of serious track riders try to tell me I couldn't keep up with them on the twisties in NW Arkansas. lol I was waiting for them several times throughout the day. My bottom line is that any modern tire that's basically designed for the application will work fine. So I run whatever. They all slide. I roll with it.

MT-21 front and Tusk Dsport rear is what I run on my 450 Six Days and DRZ

I'm going to, depends on your skill on the bike

Really depends on your skill level. Several hundred yard of the downhill portion before the water fall are sketchy as heck. I’ve ridden it on my KTM 450 EXC-F but I’d never take my T7 on this route. Check out the video on my channel from 2020 when I did it.

Depends 100% on your skill level. The bike will certainly do it. Not as easily as a light DS (both of the bikes I've done it on are less than 310lb) but possible. Will you have fun and be safe doing it? Only you can decide that.

It's in my garage.

@@Patrick_Cashman I see. I just wondered because it was there at 4:35 but gone at 4:38.

Agree. It will only get worse. As to motives, I have no idea.

Because of the amount of snowfall this year, there were an abundance of road and bridge needs. So, limited resources.

Yes, '21 500 EXC-f 6 days. Great bike.

That’s why I bypassed/walked down the steps. Otherwise it was not difficult. Just narrow in some places.

@@Patrick_Cashman I’m very risk averse in my mid 50s, but may well have done the same thing 20 years ago. Keep the shiny side up!

@@DuaneGreen I'm 54, but apparently I'm not risk averse ;)

I watched all of this with my husband. He plans to ride this pass. This is something I will likely never do. You are certainly a skilled rider. Thanks for sharing the video. -Jackie

….probably not the wisest or dumbest decision you’ve ever made. I know it wouldn’t be either of mine.😄

I went in August, it was open. Probably saw 15 trucks and 10 bikes, no car went through the bit of snow that got on the path, they turned and went back to the start but it was nothing for the bikes and after the steps there were families hiking. I researched prior to avoid a ticket, it was definitely open the whole two weeks I was there