Wandering Retirees

Day 10 – June 10th

What a great day! We rode 265 miles in 8 hours and saw the highest paved mountain pass in America, hummingbirds, a Dutch couple riding a Harley on vacation, 8-foot snow packs, and folks in sandals walking hip deep in snow who claim it “felt great!”. Seriously. Where to start?

We’ll start with a wrong turn down a road headed the north when we wanted to ride south toward Independence Pass. (That was a consequence of the driver error/day dreaming). Our carefully laid plans blew up and Connie came to the rescue with a series of delightful reroutes that took us away from the usual path. I can’t exactly say where we were, but we wound up in backwoods camp land with cabins on lots that are clearly a slice of heaven to some lucky folks. And our course took us by a memorial to the 990 soldiers of the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division who lost their lives while fighting in World War II, on Kiska in Alaska’s Aleutian Island chain, and the mountainous Apennines of Italy. The memorial is aptly located at the Tennessee Pass (10,400 feet) on the Continental Divide.

Our impromptu route brought us to CO Rte 82 and the path to Independence Pass. The roads are pretty good considering that they are subject to frequent rock falls and avalanches, though the speed limit is fairly low. Vehicles longer than 35’ are not allowed above a certain point because of tight switchbacks and narrow road way. The fines begin at $500 for trying to evade that restriction. (We have a video that might make this understandable.) We had such a great time climbing to the top with just a few adrenaline moments, and stopped to admire the sight. There were lots of sightseers in every kind of vehicle and, yes, lots of bikes.

We were so happy to meet Theo and Julanda (not totally sure of the spelling, I’m sorry to say) from the Netherlands, who were riding a big Harley out of Denver. They were so enthusiastic about the friendliness and kindness they’ve received everywhere on their 3 week vacation. Of course Theo and I talked bikes and he waxed ecstatic about the many Harley’s he has owned over the years. His favorite rides close to home are centered on the northern Rhein River region. We’d love to ride with both of them some day. (Another bucket list item!)

While stopped, we saw all kinds of people doing everything from sinking to the hip in snow to cross country skiers to simple gawking at the majestic spectacle all around. The sun was out, the air was warm (relatively – almost 60*) and the view was beyond belief. Independence Pass tops out at 12,095 feet, yet the mountain tops towering above emphasize a feeling of being so small. We’re also glad we’ve had several days to acclimate to thin air at high altitude. Just amazing.

On the road to the pass, we stopped at a quaint general store and lodge that sported hummingbird feeders in front. Of course we had to try to get a shot, and out effort is posted here.

On our return ride to Dillon, we rode through all kinds of terrain, from green wetland watered by abundant snow melt, through semi arid land along I-70, and back to cool alpine environs around Breckinridge and Dillon. A great mix and a great ride. We crawled off the bike around 5:30 Mountain Time and proceeded to get a shower, then a beer and a brisket for supper. Bedtime is calling. And tomorrow is another good day. Be well.

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Pictures from our wrong turn

Independence Pass, from the beginning in Leadville.

Enamored with the hummingbirds.

If you look closely, you can see the roads we traveled at different altitudes.

The terrain was so varied today. Snow capped mountains, wide plateaus, steep valleys, river dug gorges and semi arid red rock mountains.