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Monarch Pass

Along US 50 from Poncha Springs to Gunnison you cross Monarch Pass. Although Monarch Pass is an extremely nice ride, if you’re coming from the south, through Saguache, and heading to Gunnison, CO 114 is an excellent yet little-known alternative. That road crosses North Pass and has almost no traffic. You'll meet up with US 50 just west of Parlin.

There are no campgrounds, motorcycle-accessible or not, along this stretch of road. However, in the small town of Monarch there are some sizeable ski condos that are very reasonable in the summer if you have a good-sized group. Just be prepared to do some rough gravel to get to them. Call this number: 866-539-7380.

Andy Simons has very graciously provided me with a photo he shot along this route. This shot is a view of Monarch Mountain, as you cross Monarch Pass.

And now I finally got back up that way and got some shots of my own. The first four shots are on the way from the west side, coming from Gunnison, the fifth is looking down the east side, and the sixth looks back up the pass facing west from the east side. As always, click to enlarge the images so you can get a better look.

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