Connie and I enjoyed a leisurely morning doing not much of anything. Except maybe drinking coffee and breakfast. We did hop on the bike late morning and headed east and north toward Monarch Pass on Rt 12 and Kebler Pass.
The sky was a brilliant blue with tiny cloud puffs, and the air so clear you could see for miles. US 50 crosses Monarch Pass is in the Sawatch Range at 11,312 feet. A panoramic view of deep valleys captures your eye. The roadway is very good and pretty curvy. It was pretty breezy today with some gusts up to 30 mph so we were buffeted some, but not dangerously so. Riding heavy, choosing good lines and easing off the throttle a bit help keep it fun.
We passed Monarch Pass and tried to ride up to Kebler Pass, which is reached by Gunnison County Rt 12 out of Crested Butte heading west. It’s “only” 10,000 feet high and is unpaved, but is a very beautiful place. Unfortunately for us, the road was closed today for a bicycle race of some kind that involved amateurs and a lot of kids. We felt sorry for ourselves, but happy for the kids. Really.
On the way back down after the way was barred, we saw a rather flamboyant fellow on a bike with a big flag, a horn and other accoutrements. I’m pretty sure Connie caught that on her camera. He had to keep his momentum up so he couldn’t stop to talk. Sure would have liked to hear some of his story. We meet all kinds, no?
Our return to Salina was fun and and quicker due to less traffic. All told, we covered 200 miles in about 5 hours, plus a stop for food and at the grocery store for supper.
When we travel, we often buy packaged salads and cheese or chicken to eat in our rooms. Partly it’s to reduce costs, partly it is easier to stay in a fret a long day, and partly it’s to make up for too much rich food cadged on the road. Riding two-up we’re already heavy enough.
Hope your Friday was good, and your weekend even better.
A link to our route today:
https://scenicapp.space/ride/HTDMAlsq
Wandering Retirees 