The hums, buzzes, engine revving and backed-up traffic returned for the annual Four Corners Motorcycle Rally in Durango on Saturday.
Considering about 20,000 visitors (a little more than Durango’s population) were expected in town this Labor Day weekend, the Durango Harley-Davidson dealership was properly packed with touring riders, vendors and motorcycles on display.
Forty-nine motorcycle and gear vendors showcased their stuff at the Harley-Davidson dealership and the La Plata County Fairgrounds, accompanied by 11 food and beverage vendors.
The Ives Brothers’ third Wall of Death performance was held Saturday afternoon at the fairgrounds. The $25,000 Poker Run presented by Rider Justice was held earlier that morning.
A representative of Rider Justice said Saturday that more than 100 motorcycles were up for sale. She said the sale got off to a great start Thursday and carried that momentum into Friday, and Saturday would likely end up being the best day for sales and transactions.
She said some buyers load up their new motorcycles onto trailers to take home, while others ride off on their new bikes.
Some riders said they were most looking forward to the Four Corners Hill Climb Races on Sunday afternoon.
Many were escaping the desert heat of New Mexico and Arizona on Saturday.
Brandon and Janet Baxter of Alamogordo, New Mexico, said Saturday marked their first ride through Durango for the Four Corners Motorcycle Rally. Their motorcycle of choice was a 2015 Street Glide that recently had performance work.
It makes for a sleek ride, he said.
“We just enjoy the whole ride. The camaraderie,” he said.
From Alamogordo, the Baxters rode through Santa Fe and Chama, New Mexico, to Pagosa Springs and then to Ignacio, where they enjoyed campgrounds.
The transition from the New Mexico desert into the relatively green, hilly and mountainous landscape of the Durango area was stark and satisfying, Janet said.
“Beautiful. The mountains, the red, the gold, the yellow, the trees,” she said. “It’s green here. Where we live, it’s the desert. So this is really, really nice.”
Brandon said the only specific ride they had planned after reaching Durango was to Silverton, and they were looking forward to it.
Another New Mexico man, who declined to give his name, riding a 2005 Honda VTX 1300 and representing the American Legion with a black leather jacket, said he was meeting friends in Durango for his first Four Corners Motorcycle Rally as well. He said he’d carry on to Cortez in the coming days.
Brothers Tim and Scotty Johnson, who were in Durango for a work-vacation weekend, said they finished up work Thursday ahead of the rally. They came up from Texas, as they do every year for the past 15 years.
“We rode the Million Dollar Highway the other day. It was (expletive) awesome,” Scotty said of the view.
He said they’ve learned to plan their route along U.S. Highway 550 – connecting Silverton, Durango and Ouray – so they could make it to Rico in time for a beer before the bars close.
Tim said he wanted to visit the fairgrounds, but was wary of the $15 entry fee. He also remembers the rally having more beer stands in past years.
cburney@durangoherald.com
