Thats the exact route we took, and there were a few bad gravel patches but I think everyone just got caught out by turns they didn't know and riding beyond their skill level, not hitting debris.

When I got serious into track riding I quit riding on the street all together for about 2 years, because your right it just wasn't fun, but I realized its because I was treating the track and the street like the same bit of tarmac. Now that I'm back in school I can't afford a dedicated track bike and all the associated costs of serious track riding and racing, so I can do occasional track days but not at full speed since I don't want to crash my transportation. I used to ride like I was on a racetrack on the street, but now I've calmed down and wisened up a bit, theres no reason you can't enjoy a street ride through the mountains, you just can't go in with the mindset that your going to ride like a track day, if you expect to get the same speed thrill your going to be dissapointed or get hurt. I just enjoyed getting out of town a little, hanging out with friends, seeing some beautiful scenery, and just spending time with my bike. Usually I will run through 56 once at a almost legal pace, look for gravel and hazards, turn around, and then run it at a quick pace knowing where potential hazards are, but still only riding at probably 80%, but going through blind the first run at 100% like a lot of guys do is just asking for it.