As it has for 32 years, the Colorado 500 explored Colorado’s high country this summer. Most of COHVCO’s long term members/supporters are familiar with the event. Wally Dallenbach invited his friend Sherm Cooper to join him exploring the area around his Basalt ranch during a break in the Indy car season. Next year the ride added several racing legends, and the tradition began. Known officially as the Colorado 500 Invitational Charity Dirt Bike Ride, the annual event is welcomed by mountain communities that receive donations from riders passing through. Keeping with its racer heritage, the ride is an invitation-only event in which rookies are closely watched and guided by their sponsor. The 500’s riders demonstrate shared responsibility that has proven instrumental in shaping the event’s reputation.

Ride veterans are quick to point out that along with Colorado’s stunning trails, the next best thing about the event is its camaraderie. Riders join friends to experience Colorado’s beautiful but unforgiving back country. (Favorite groups names include the self explanatory Team Texas and New England Rough Riders, Team WATIGE – We’re Almost There, It Gets Easier – which is of course not true, and Team Monkey Butt – which is probably true, but no one wants to know for sure.) Adversity and triumphs shared on the trail become the hot topics for each night’s celebration. Five days of escape from the usual routine make the 500 a much anticipated high point each year. Sharing it with friends makes it that much sweeter.

In 2007, there were plenty of highlights. Stan Simpson, the newly elected vice chairman of the AMA board of directors is a staunch supporter of Colorado trail riding. At the closing banquet, Stan announced that the AMA will be providing significant long term financial support for the coalition’s activities.

Despite his national responsibilities, Stan loves Colorado trails. For years, his volunteer group has traveled from Texas to perform spring maintenance on trails in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains as well as the Sargents area. This year, Stan also invited John and Jack Penton to the 500.

John was the original US importer of bikes produced by an obscure Austrian manufacturer known as Kronreif, Trukenpolz, Mattighofen. Recognizing that American tongues might struggle with that pronunciation, John named the bikes “Penton” when he imported them. His Pentons made an immediate impact on the nascent off road competitive scene in America. Eventually the Penton name was dropped, and the bikes picked up the shortened name KTM. KTM’s signature orange color is now hard to miss at any off-road motorcycling event in this country. It was especially fitting that John Penton, one of the true pioneers of the American dirt bike scene, should meet another of those pioneers – Wally Dallenbach.

Riders this year also welcomed a proliferation of green bikes. For many years, Kawasaki Team Green has provided unprecedented levels of technical support to bikes of all colors. The early introduction of the KLX450R led to an immediate influx of Kawasaki green steeds. Combined with unflagging volunteer help from Revloc’s Dave Vlasicak and Doug Drussel, Dunlop’s Brent Durfee, and many others, rider treatment was nothing less than first class.

COHVCO is proud to be a partner with the Colorado 500. Thanks to our cooperation with the 500’s Don Riggle, the routes necessary for the event and its characteristic adventure have remained open for not just the 500, but also for all users. As long as the 500 keeps coming back, Don Riggle and COHVCO will be working to keep the trails open.

What if the Colorado 500 didn’t exist?

• Struggling mountain communities would not be as healthy today. Charitable support runs the gamut from youth activities to essential services such as search and rescue groups.
• Many deserving Basalt high school grads wouldn’t have gone to college.
• The reputation of off-road motorcycling would have suffered. Those in the southwest portion of the state would have less first hand knowledge that we’re caring, contributing members of society.
• Less dirt bikers would be stewards of the trails. The 500 demands the highest standards for trail etiquette and ethics.
• COHVCO membership would be down. Every 500 participant shows their support by joining the coalition.
• COHVCO funding would be down. Recognizing that the event’s future depends on it, the 500 riders are legendarily generous in their support of Colorado’s routes.
• Many trails would be closed due to lack of maintenance. Don Riggle and Doug Drussel’s volunteer crews perform trail maintenance on popular (and not so popular) routes. Under Riggle’s direction, the 500 is a major recipient of Colorado OHV registration fund grants that also buy labor and materials to keep the trails in top shape.
• Fewer clubs and fewer volunteers would be adopting and maintaining local trails. 500 resources have helped create and strengthen deserving clubs that do much of the hard work needed to keep trails open.
• Many trails would be closed due to management actions. Historical use by the 500 is a powerful consideration when considering closures. Even more importantly, the Colorado 500 is always involved in travel management activities the threaten the quantity and quality of recreation.
• More routes outside Colorado would have been closed. Riggle recognizes that closures anywhere push increased use on the remaining open routes. He helps maintain opportunities elsewhere in the region. For example, the recently provided highly valued input to a recent travel management assessment in nearby Moab, Utah.

Colorado 500 by the numbers

• 500: Approximate number of miles ridden by the average rider during the event. Also a reference to its Indy Car racer roots
• 1975: First year of the ride
• 9: Number of riders the first year
• 2500+: riders that have participated in the Dirt and Road Charity Invitationals
• 300: Approximate number of riders in recent years
• 300: Approximate number of crashes or close calls on the first day of the ride
• 1981: Date the charity fund was established
• 130: Total number of charity fund recipients
• 50: Volunteers helping with signup and logistics each year
• 5: People eaten by Alferd Packer near the Cannibal Plateau Trail
• 1983: Date the college scholarship fund was created
• 40+: Scholarships funded by 500 riders
• 100+: Number of switchbacks on the 500’s signature Alpine Trail
• $1,000,000: Total donations to charitable causes
• 1988: First donation to preserve land use
• 18: Inches of snow that fell during the 2003 event
• $315,000+: Amount of Colorado OHV Registration funds received for trail work
• Infinite: Number of smiles seen throughout the event