Week Four of the Trip West
Day 22 - Monday - 7.15.13...... going to Colorado & Mountains
Up at 6 and off at 7:15 on Hwy 128 which runs along the south side of Arches NP and the Colorado River. Then I 70 which runs to Grand Junction and Whitewater Colorado again intercepting the Colorado River at it source. Then I turned south down # 141-145 past our first uranium mine and the first Super fund cleanup site.
The canyon narrowed and the sides were sheer. On the way to Ridgway on #62 I crossed a 9k' pass. At Ridgway I turned onto Hwy 550 to Ouray and Durango. Ouray is such a beautiful place... I could live there! After Ouray I went over three major passes - the first pass was 11081' almost on the divide, the second was 10.9' and the third was 10.2'. I have no picture of the third pass as it was raining like hell. I slowed and all the cars I had passed, passed me. Beyond Ouray was where I took a great riding picture of Marnie. The clouds held but the rain ceased after 20 miles. It was dry into Durango so I moved on. But another downpour re-soaked me, so I stopped for an hour along with 10 other riders. When the rain let up a little, I pressed on to Pagosa Springs (short of my goal of South Fork). Dried out and dried my clothes. 7500+ feet having ridden 401 miles in 7.4 hours and 7446 overall. Dinner at a closeby bar... Finally warm... I have decided to go home and after the building project is completed we will take a car to go to Austin cuz I am tired and it is very warm in Texas.
Day 23 - Tuesday - 7.16.13 .....on to the Divides...
Up at 6 and ready by 7:15.. Wolf Creek Pass.. 10,856' ...1st divide......I rode it in Oct '11 on the way to California. then... Spring Creek Divide... at 10898'... On Hwy 149.... Which is the head waters area for the Rio Grande.
Then ... a higher pass- Slumguillon - but not a divide... 11530'
Then the third divide - Monarch Pass - which Marnie and I rode years ago... 11312'... On Hwy 50..
And finally, 20 miles from Aspen and the highest... 12095'... On Hwy 82..
These 4 bring the total to 19 Divide rides, including an Arctic and a canyon Divide. One more tomorrow before leaving the Rockies.
Rode two passes - Wolf Creek on 160 and Spring Creek on 149. Monarch on 50 and Independence on 82 .... In Gunnison tonite..got here and checked into HIexp by noon, gassed up and went to ride two more passes ... Colorado amazingly green compared to it neighbors in both direction. WV was know for rusting junk cars in the yard..they do not exits in WV however .. but there are rusting, old junk vehicles and equipment around the ranches in CO and NM. 429 miles in 8 hours and a total of 7871 miles. News now and the Tour later...Changed my mind and will go to Austin to visit Kelzie- Taos...Guymon..Abilene.. Austin.... Gunnison is 7700 feet high and I slept very well.
Day 24 - Wednesday - 7.17.13. To the Dust Bowl area of Oklahoma
Changed my mind when I realized I was only 600 miles from Austin and I could get service on Friday- so I turned south, went cross country, and ended in Lubbock which is 388 miles from Lone Star BMW.
Up at 6:30 and off at 7:45 finding my gps power did not come on. Finagled til I got power and fixed it tonite - broken wire. Chilly but bright. 30 miles down the road I went over my 20th divide ride - 10135' over North Cochetopa Pass. Rode on to Hwy# 285 and Alamosa and on to #64 to Taos all above 6K'. Before Taos I crossed the Rio Grande gorge- unbelievably deep, but no picture as I could not walk back to the middle of the long bridge. Then into the San Christo Mountains #64 and went over a pass of 9100' and 8500'. Passed Philmont, the Boy Scout reservation, alone the desert area. Thereafter, the terrain changed and the fields had a grass cover without desert fauna and was on the Prairie after Cimarron, NM. When I checked my gps I discover I was only 600 miles from Austin, much closer by 300 miles than I had guessed, so I called and moved my schedule for service up to Friday. Will go to Guymon on the way home. I rode to Clovis NM and crossed into TX. Then it began to rain and I was rewetted many time in the next 180 miles to Lubbock. It is raining hard so I can't go to dinner. 588 miles in 9.5 hours of riding to a total of 8459 miles.
Day 25 - Thursday - 7.18.13. On to Austin and Kelzie's.
Up at 4:47 cuz on the western edge of the Central time zone in Lubbock of which I was unaware. Misting rain at the start but quickly cleared. Texas has good roads and great speed limits, but beyond that it has nothing for which it should be a state- the territory of texas.... The closer to Austin the higher the temperature as I rode cross country on state roads according to my gps. I rode thru a windmill farm of thousands of fans generating electricity... I have never seen so many in one location. Once I checked my bike into Lone Star BMW for service, I had to wait for Kelzie's arrival...what part of six messages that I would arrive at 3:00 did the kid not understand. Rode 388 miles in 5.25 hrs and 8800+ overall. As I was standing there my glasses lens fell out... We scoured the town for a glasses place for repair and found it across the street from K's apartment. Checked up on emails and did laundry. Which Wich for dinner..umh!
Days 26-27 - Friday and Saturday - 7.19-20.13
Nice days with much discussion about the future. Breakfast of frozen cherries, granola and my yogurt was great. Kelzie rode her bike inside for 1 hour...her workouts are shortened due to injuries in a running fall on Thursday around the lake. She went for her massage after dropping me at Lone Star to get my bike.. I think good service but $816 cost. Went to dinner Friday at a salad bar to counter the Which Wich item Thursday.
Saturday started late and after Kelzie ran outside for an hour and I gassed my bike. Then we went for a ride around the Capitol, University of Texas, and several neighborhoods. After cooling off since Nook's car does not include AC Kelzie went to get her hair cut. Dinner was at the County Line BBQ restaurant - stuffed unhealthfully. Then we watched the Tour..bed early.
Day 28 - Sunday - 7.21.13
Up at 5:30 and off at 6:45 with the help of Kelzie. 90 degrees by noon and 93 by 3 with high humidity. I find no redeeming value in Texas- politically of geographically - for me, after riding 1000 miles in TX. The roads are not bad, the speed limits are good, and Nook lives here - the only redeeming things. Went thru many small communities off the major roads ... 50% of the structures in the communities are abandoned..what a mess.. It does not look like Texas has the same economy about which Perry is out advertising in other states.... Depressing... Except for Dumas which is bustling because of a new pipeline. Went thru another very large fan farm. Tried to get as close as possible to Boise City so I can turn east thru the source area of the Dust Bowl.. 541 miles in 7.5 hours and a total of 9375 miles. So I shall arise early and ride 90 miles for that start... Nice to be resting and cool here in Dumas, TX HIexp. Gas tonite after dinner.
END OF WEEK FOUR
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