ALPINE LOOP COLORADO - Travel Documentary - On Electric Motorcycle

We were headed back to the Alpine Loop with two main goals. First, we wanted to push the Land Moto Electric Scrambler over as many mountain passes as possible, testing battery performance at elevation. Second, we had a group of friends—Aiden, his dad Jerry, Brent, and Braxton—who had never seen these mountains before, so we were excited to share the experience with them. After a full day of driving, we reached Velocity Basin near Silverton, a stunning alpine lake we somehow never noticed before. We set up camp, but since another group had already claimed the best spot, we moved on early the next morning. For the first leg of the ride, we swapped the bike’s main battery for two half-batteries to test their endurance. After airing down our tires for the rough trails, we hit the road toward Eureka and Animas Forks, a familiar but always rewarding route. We started climbing Picayune Gulch, and I wished I could see it with fresh eyes, like our friends. The electric bike struggled on steep inclines in Mode 4, so Braxton switched to Mode 2 for better control. Our first stop was Treasure Mountain Mine. We continued up the pass, spotting a herd of bighorn sheep grazing in the mountains. At 12,700 feet, we had already climbed 4,000 feet in elevation, and the bike was holding up well. We stopped at Sound Democrat Mill, an old gold-processing mill from 1905, before heading to Frisco Mill. After 11 miles and 6,000 feet of elevation change, the bike’s battery was down to 20%, so we swapped in a fresh one. As we climbed California Pass (12,900 feet), a storm rolled in fast, bringing hail. We hunkered down in our vehicles for half an hour until the worst passed. The next stop was Lake Como, where the guys had a bucket list challenge: a polar plunge in the freezing water. Fed by melting snow, the lake was brutally cold, but they did it anyway. We then ascended Hurricane Pass (12,700 feet), where a park ranger stopped us, curious about the electric motorcycle. With more storms coming, we loaded the bike back onto the truck and drove down Corkscrew Pass, a beautiful route between Red Mountain 1 and Red Mountain 2. The next morning, we swapped the small batteries for the big one and headed toward Imogene Pass (13,100 feet). This trail is one of the most scenic and challenging in the region, with steep grades and technical obstacles. Braxton mastered the bike’s handling, and surprisingly, the bike only used 5% of the battery to climb 8 miles and gain over 6900 feet. The group was loving every second—except for Brent, who hates heights, so we made sure he sat on the passenger side for the sketchiest sections. On the way down into Telluride, we helped winch two flipped side-by-sides back onto their wheels. Then, out of nowhere, the valley opened up to reveal Telluride below, with Black Bear Pass looming above. We stopped in town for lunch, then took Ophir Pass (11,800 feet) back toward Silverton. By the time we reached camp, we had traveled 41 miles, and the bike still had 35% battery left. Trail riding barely drained the battery, but highway speeds took a bigger toll. That night, we relaxed around the fire, sipping Brent’s bourbon—a perfect way to end the day. Our final goal was Engineer Pass (12,800 feet), but first, we explored Animas Forks, a ghost town from the 1800s. Jerry and Aiden, both in the mining industry, were fascinated by the old structures and mining history, spending extra time taking it all in. The ride up Engineer Pass was stunning. This road, originally built by the man behind the Million Dollar Highway, offered some of the best views of the trip. As we reached the top, another storm rolled in fast, forcing us to pack up and descend quickly. The bike had only used 32% battery climbing from Silverton to the top, proving that electric motorcycles can handle serious off-road terrain. #overlanding #alpineloop #electricmotorcycle Day 1 00:44 Velocity Basin 01:20 Basecamp Silverton/Battery Change 02:00 Eureka/Starting the Trail 03:20 Picayune Gulch 03:50 Treasure Mountain Mine 04:45 Top Of Treasure Mountain/Parson Lake 05:31 Sound Democrat Mine 06:00 Frisco Mill 06:22 California Gulch 06:37 Half Batter Change 07:12 California Pass/Hail Storm 07:52 Lake Como/Cold Plunge 08:34 Hurricane Pass 09:23 Corkscrew Pass 10:12 Ouray/Blackened Prime Rib/Outlaw Steakhouse 10:29 Charging the Motorcycle Batteries Day 2 11:04 Silverton in the Morning 11:22 Starting Imogene/Large Motorcycle Battery 11:57 Fun On Imogene 14:29 Poser Rock Overlook 15:06 Almost to the top/43 Percent Grade 15:26 Red Mountain Overlook/Ptarmigan Lake 15:58 Imogene Pass 16:58 Down to Telluride/Sketchy 17:58 Only 10 Percent Battery Used 18:22 Off to Ophir Pass 19:10 Ophir Pass 19:42 How the bike did from Braxton 21:07 Relaxing at camp with Bourbon Day 3 21:40 Morning Moose/Animus Forks 22:47 Last trail/Starting Engineer Pass 23:59 Storms Brewing 24:30 Engineer Pass 24:47 LAND Scrambler Conclusion 25:07 Recap Cant wait for the next trip!