Wandering Retirees

Yesterday was down day for rest and recuperation. Connie and I slept in then treated ourselves to breakfast out at Starvin’ Arvins in town. With a name like that it has to be good. And it is: they provided us with a fantastic breakfast. Then off to the Safeway to lay in food. Connie cooked up a multi-day batch of chili and took ourselves a nap. Most decadent.

After supper we took a stroll through this park and encountered Rick and Cindy. They are both riders with a lot of experience and cred. And both are retired from unusual and exciting careers as Roadies and support staff for big name acts, like the Stones in the early 80’s, Rush, Genesis, Phil Collins, Celine Dione and a ton more. She didn’t say, but I believe Cindy was also into the performance side of these products. So we sat and talked into the evening about rides we’ve had, some of which we have had in common, and their stories about traveling with the Dead and Foreigner. Amazing!

We turned in early so we could start early this morning for a four hour ride before forecast high winds showed up.

And off we went east on US 50 to CO 92 north into the Gunnison Nat’l Park along the north rim of the Black Canyon. The canyon is quite narrow and very deep. Over the course of millions of years, the Gunnison River has cut through layers of basalt to form a fast moving, turbulent body of water more than a thousand feet below the surrounding rock. The Nat’l Park Service has done its usual fantastic job of making Scenic overlooks that provide stunning views. Unlike most of the shots we’ve taken so far, many today are looking down a long, long way.

And because the route is so twisty, there are tons of bikers who ride there. We met a number of riders from Texas, and a gracious, funny man named Tom who is retired but tends a vineyard in nearby Paradise.

This evening we’re meeting a couple from Louisiana for supper who are on a ride a long way from home. We have been in touch through a shared FB group and are lucky to cross paths. After supper we plan to head back to Gunnison to view the starry sky. The moon is just past New, the air is very clear and there is little light pollution to inhibit our viewing. It’ll be chilly up there, but we’re excited to see it.

Okay, then. We’re off to supper and star watching. Have a great night.

If you’d like to see our route for today:

https://scenicapp.space/route/QEdtcdhK