Wandering Retirees

Today was the Trail Ridge Road (henceforth TRR ‘cause it takes too long to write) through Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s such a popular place that the National Park Service requires reservations online to enter the Park between 9am and 2pm. There’s a $2 fee for the service, but no additional cost beyond the regular gate fee. Which we don’t have to pay because I got the Senior Pass which gains us entry in all Nat’l Parks. Pretty nifty.

We can’t tell you what joy we find when we come here. We have described the park’s features in blogs from prior visits and it hasn’t changed much. Mountains are fairly a constant presence so we won’t go into great detail here. That said, the weather was perfect, clear skies, the air was clear, and mid-70’s at the entrance and low 60’s at the summit.

We stopped at the Forest Gorge Overlook at about 11,000 feet and admired the grand vistas it offered, and watched the marmots skittering about, munching some choice vegetation and sucking up to their human audience looking for a handout. The word is “don’t “. Their nutritional needs are delicately tuned to their sparse tundra home. Human food, especially processed snacks, can be toxic. It’s tempting, but don’t.

The road’s summit is at 12,200 feet, though the peaks are higher. It was a fun and easy ride to Grand Lake, an alpine village on Grand Lake of all things, made for tourists like us. We took a friend’s recommendation and had lunch at the Grand Lake Lodge, founded just after the Park in 1919. It’s a big old log structure with good food and a great view.

After lunch we launched our way back on the TRR to our more humble lodgings. There were a lot of vehicles on the road heading in both directions so progress was liesurely, to say the least. But we weren’t part of a race. We loved the sights from both directions.

We arrived at our digs and sagged into comfy chairs. The whole expedition was 96 miles, and we spent almost six hours doing it. Factoring in lunch and scenic breaks, we averaged all of 16 miles per hour. For today, and for this experience, that’s really okay.

We hope you enjoy the pics. And we encourage you to make this trip once in your life. Be well!

Riding to Estes Park

Leaving Paonia this morning, we made our way to new digs just outside Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. This is another favorite place to visit. The Trail Ridge Road is always spectacular and we can’t wait to ride it again.

Our route took us mostly on secondary state roads until we had to pick up I-70 heading east toward Fort Collins and Denver. As interstates go it’s a pretty drive through steep cuts in the mountains and high passes. It all happens so quickly, usually. Except this time. There were three construction zones where everything ground to a near stop. I got to practice slow riding among the trucks and fancy cars. (I can’t remember so many Porsches and campers in one stretch before.). We rode a lot of miles at 5-8 mph which is a bit of work. Finding your zen space usually helps yet it seems tiring nonetheless.

It wound up being an eight hour ride with stops for coffee and that funny dance to make your legs limber again. We’re very glad to settle in for the night with nice riding in the offing for tomorrow.

Nothing terribly exciting to say and no notable meetings to note. Just me and Connie having fun on the road.

More tomorrow.

Blessings, friends.

Independence Pass!

We had a bit of a long day yesterday, heading back up CO 133 past Redstone and Carbondale to CO 82 leading to Independence Pass. We have to tell you this is a favorite place to visit. For Hank it would make the whole trip worthwhile all by itself. We’re glad that life hasn’t been stingy at all, giving us wonderful memories of places and people who have enriched our journey. Today is a down day for lounging, laundry, eating, packing and lounging, for tomorrow we ride about 260 miles to Estes Park.

A heads up. This post may drift into sentimentality a bit, so proceed at your own risk.

The weather was very hot here in Paonia, so we were happy to speed to Independence Pass, which crosses the Continental Divide in the Sawatch Mountains of the Rockies. It was a happy trade going from 95F to about 62F at 12,100 feet. Of course we had to return to the heat but … oh, well.

Independence Pass has been a magical place since first visiting on our 2017 ride. Some things have changed. The Lookout Point buildings have been updated but there are fewer benches. In 2017 the road seemed carved through 8-feet of snow pack left over from winter. This time there is no snow remaining and the air is dry.

The magic happens when you stand and gaze at the majesty of these tremendous mountains. Even after climbing two miles above sea level they still tower thousands of feet above. The Continental Divide is a jagged knife cutting the sky that marks the Divide on the earth below. Seems no matter how high you climb, there is always more.

One’s heart fills to overflowing standing before the immensity and intricacy of creation, and to feel your place in it. We are awed. And grateful. We are so blessed to have come to this place.

As you know by now, one thing we love about traveling this way is the chance to meet folks. A common introduction is to offer (or be offered) to take a group shot without the awkwardness of selfies. Just happens that Connie is a talented photographer and always gets the pleasing shot. Sometimes this leads to introductions and conversation. Sometimes even to trading contact information and, if we’re lucky, to friendship.

It happens that we met a couple, Wolfgang and Angelika, from Germany, who are visiting for 4-5 weeks. Both are doctors, one an MD, the other we believe is a Ph’d who studied in the US at Rutgers University in NJ. Of course they are fluent English speakers and a delight to converse with. They were so kind as Connie and I shared our stories of having exchange students and learning of other cultures. Even more, they graciously endured our broken attempts to speak Deutsch. Did I mention that they are kind?

Wolfgang and Angelika are headed to a rendezvous with a son who lives in San Francisco. We traded contact information and would be so pleased to meet again.

Well, that’s all folks. Hope you’re happy and well. And thanks for checking in!

Today we had a beautiful little ride to Grand Mesa in the Grand Mesa National Forest. The US Forest Service does a wonderful job preserving the park, and providing information and guidance for so many folks who come to visit.

Grand Mesa is a large Mesa in Colorado and the tallest “flat top” Mesa in the world. It covers about 500 square miles east of Grand Junction, CO, and rises about 6,000 feet above the Colorado River and Gunnison River valleys. That puts it at 11,000 feet at the top.

The Mesa is capped by a thick layer of volcanic rock (basalt) that is much harder than the sedimentary rock in the area. This hard rock, that flowed from volcanos 10 million years ago, kept the surrounding rivers from eroding the Mesa like the soft rock around it. Amazing what water can do with a little time.

Anyway, it’s gorgeous! There is a lot of water sequestered on the Mesa in the form of 300 small lakes and reservoirs, and a lot of streams. The contrast with the surrounding valleys is stark. With the drought of the last several years, so much of Colorado has a dun, parched look except where fields are irrigated. And the temperature on the Mesa was in the low 60’s versus mid-90’s below. It was a beautiful day for a ride. 140 miles worth.

Of course we met some folks. Myron Hostettler, from close by in Cedaredge, was at the Mesa Visitor’s Center when we pulled in for a bit of relief. He took time to point us to a lovely trail that led to a vantage point that overlooks the valleys below. Myron was a tall, powerful, kindly man who impresses with quiet dignity.

He had his five sons, all about 10 years and up, with their bicycles in the bed of his pickup. There wasn’t a cell phone or gadget in sight. Every one was polite and waited with some patience for their dad to stop talking. He finally did, as all dads finally do. Seems they were excited to ride downhill off the Mesa and had dad to cover their back door from traffic. And maybe to help out if there’s a mishap. That being said, the boys and Myron quickly mounted up and set off down the mountain. Wow.

The trail we stopped at is called Land O’ Lakes and is a short, paved path that leads to the south rim of the mountain. In the near view about 1,000 feet below, there were five small lakes looking refreshing if half full. Farther off the Gunnison River Valley was spread out. Farther yet we could see the San Juan Mountains, part of the Rockies, which extend from Northern New Mexico into the so called mineral belt of Colorado. The towns of Silverton and Ouray, and Telluride were established there during the silver rush in the mid-1800’s. We rode the Million Dollar Highway from Durango north through the San Juan’s last week. They looked as impressive at a distance as they did close at hand.

While at the scenic overlook, we met an Hispanic family from Iowa. Jorge and Imelda were toting their two very young kids along the trail. They were all excited to be on vacation in a not-flat place, and meeting two strangers wearing funny coats in summertime may have been a sight. When we parted, Connie and I wondered if this young family was concerned about possible judgement, or even hostility. They were bilingual but … would that be enough away from home? We liked them, and were glad to have met them.

Then there was Bob Binnell who hails from Michigan near Saginaw and is on a solo excursion in his pickup and camper. He was thrilled to meet us as we were putting on our jackets. He was an enthusiastic conversationalist. We were glad to have met it. He told us he loves July 4th, not because of overt patriotism but because has a forebear, discovered through Ancestry.com, that was intimately involved with and signatory to the Declaration of Independence who represented New Jersey. We learned Bob’s maternal great grandmother created the formula for Spic and Span in the 1920’s and sold it to P&G a few years later. He had so many things to share and was grateful for an audience. At last we had to move on and head home.

Our routes were principally CO 92 and CO 65 today. Wonderful roads.

Tomorrow we plan a more ambitious ride to Independence Pass, one of our all time favorites.

Have a great night!

Off to Kebler Pass and Crested Butte.

Today started cloudy and not as hot as recent days. We hauled ourselves down the hill and rode away about 9 am, headed to a route we couldn’t get to last visit (2023) due to a bicycle race. Starting out on CO 133 north, we turned right just south of Paonia Reservoir onto CO 12 toward Kebler Pass (pronounced Kēbler).

Rt 12 is about one third paved. The rest is hard packed dirt with small gravel and a rut or two. While our bike is not an “off road” machine, we can do pretty well on maintained dirt roads. We just needed to slow down. A lot. On paved sections, we averaged about 40 mph despite some tight corners. On hard pack dirt, not so much. Using mostly 2nd and 3rd gears, we did mostly between 15 – 25 mph, which seemed plenty fast enough. Control on dirt is not really very hard. It just requires concentration, patience, keeping your head up, your hands relaxed, and have confidence in your machine.

We were passed repeatedly by cars and trucks that were in a hurry for some reason. So we let them go by. Courteously with a wave. It doesn’t hurt our feelings when someone scoots by. Our egos don’t bruise. We are just happy with what we’re doing. The only annoyance was the billows of dust each vehicle kicked up. Oh, well.

The views were stellar today. Kebler Pass is just a tad under 10,000 feet, and the ride down hill into Crested Butte is fun. Settled in about 1880, the town is located in the Elk Mountain range and the region was formerly inhabited by the Ute people. At first the city supported silver then coal mining, and boasted service by the Denver and Rio Grand. After mining companies mostly left in the 1950’s, it transformed itself into a ski resort. Today it’s a bit upscale with about 1,650 full time residents. Folks come to ski, hike, enjoy shopping in chic boutiques, and concerts in a lovely concert hall.

We stopped for coffee at a very cute cafe connected to a local bookstore. We’d packed sandwiches and ate outside, saving shekels for later use.

If I may say so, we might have been a little grubby looking, having come through the dusty ride and sporting helmet head hair. (Of course I should speak only for myself.) By contrast, many folks strolling by had immaculate hair and wearing clothes that have that studied casual look. And nice shoes.

One suggestion, if we may. Leave your bright white chinos, shorts or skirts at home. It’s not a great look here. Especially if you sit down anywhere.

We strolled along the street for a bit and met Sarah, who with her two-year old shepherd, Cedar, were gearing up for a ride over the Kebler Pass. Sarah is from near Atlanta and loves riding with her pup who has a deluxe seat behind her mom. Of course we talked about our rides and gear and whatnot. She graciously gave us permission to include her name and pic here. We love Cedar’s custom goggles!

We took off soon thereafter to return the way we came. Again, it was so much fun! I confess that I didn’t take much time to sightsee. But Connie did. Riding through Keebler Pass and the Gunnison National Forest was magical in itself. And Connie got the pics!

Tonight we’re staying up late to stargaze. We learned that tonight will have the darkest sky here. We both look forward to seeing the Milky Way in its glory. The skies are clear now, and we hope they stay that way.

Thanks for following along with us. It means so much to be able to share this experience with you.

Yesterday was another down day. We did chores instead of taking long rides. Shopping for a week, cooking multiple meals, laundry, and resting up some. We’ve spent more than a week at more than 5,500 up to 11,000 feet. The altitude and very low humidity take some getting used to. Though we’re acclimating well (we think, anyway), the days have been tiring. And then there’s our lovely cabin that sits 200 feet up a 10-12% grade, rutted gravel drive from the street. I’m not risking the bike so we get to carry our things. Connie has been a trouper; I’m the whiney one. But this is a lovely place with a view of the Gunnison Valley.

Over the next few nights we will have a new moon, and great sky viewing. This area is known for having fewer outdoor lights, hence little light pollution. We’re looking forward to it so long as we can stay awake that long.

Today we beat the heat with an early ride north on CO 133 across the McClure Pass (only 10,000’) to Redstone, Carbondale and Marble. The forecast was for 94+F so early was better. Once over the pass, the road followed the course of the Crystal River which may have had as many fishermen as fish. Seemed a bit crowded to me. Passing cutoffs for Redstone and Marble, we sussed our Carbondale. This part of the state is know for its mining, especially coal and marble. We passed two mines with scores of rail cars heaped with coal for market. Based on signs, it’s anthracite they mine here which is akin to the coal found in the Poconos. It’s sobering that we still use so much coal to run our industries.

Carbondale is a fancy town built on the wealth extracted from the ground. It still looks well-to-do with well manicured and sprinklered lawns, upscale developments, and vacuous, entitled drivers. It’s the first time we’ve encountered this in southern CO. Sorry to say it encouraged us to move on.

So we retraced our route to a tiny cut-off to Redstone, a cute little town (?) of 127 souls who reside full time. It’s right on the river and offers fishing, tubing, hiking, trail riding, and lots of crafts. We stopped in the General Store and met Skye, a third year student at Colorado State majoring in Mechanical Engineering. She was raised in town and is working the summer break. She mentioned that nearly every structure in town is owned by full time residents. (There are a few BNBs for summer visits.) The town was built for miners for the local mine only a short distance away. They are self contained since winter is serious business at 7,100 feet. Looking up the valley looms Mt Sopris at 13,000 feet. Redstone is a lovely, even magnetic place.

Our next stop after turning east on CR 3 was the town of Marble, famous for … marble. Marble has the feel of a mining town where practicality seems to matter more than quaintness. The roads are dusty and lined with businesses too busy for aesthetics, so it feels like we imagine a frontier town would. We stopped for lunch at Slow Groovin’ BBQ. With a big smoker out front and plenty of porch space, this just screams country food. There’s no frills about the staff or the menu, and it is very very good. We shared an order of brisket and slaw, corn bread, beans and fries. Rolling out was about the best we could manage. It was dynamite.

The ride home was mostly relaxed and very fun. Having left most of our stuff at the cottage, we could ride more quickly and nimbly. (Yes, that’s a word.). It was so fun even as the temp was rising. Back at the cottage we squared away the bike, our gear and put our feet up. Read, ‘nap’.

Tomorrow we plan a more ambitious outing through Kebler Pass and beyond. We’ll let you know.

We’ve now been on the road for two weeks.

Today we rode north to Paonia, CO where we will spend the next eight nights and ride out on day long excursions. This allows us to buy groceries and prepare our own meals, keep up with laundry and add in some down time.

We’re staying at a lovely VRBO on the side of a mountain that overlooks the north Fork of the Gunnison River, and faces Grand Mesa. What a great base to ride from.

Our route took us north on US 491 to Monticello, then north on US 191 to just past Dove Creek, and then CO 141 north. This last road is really popular to motorcyclists as a gorgeous, fun and sometimes challenging ride. We pulled over a number of times to take in the mesas, ridgelines and expansive valleys. Connie has a bunch of shots.

Just south of Grand Junction we picked up US 50 and headed south along the Gunnison River to Delta. We turned east on CO 92 which took us into Hotchkiss and supper fixings, then on to Paonia. 250 miles and 5 hours in all.

A question for someone who knows these things: so much of the lower lying flatlands we passed look suspiciously like old sea bottom. I seem to remember reading about an inland sea. Did this sea cover what is now southwestern Colorado?

Of course we met some folks today. Just before we set out, we chatted with another couple on a two-up adventure. They are Sean and Amy from neat Toronto and ride an “adventure” version of our bike. By “adventure” we mean it’s designed for off road riding. We seem to have spent a lot of time talking about rider comfort (aka, the seats) and how to make it more cushy for the tushy. Not very dignified but a fun conversation anyway.

A kindly woman in a pickup approached us with her sweetheart of a dog. She is looking for a home near Cortez that has a garage big enough for her 1972 Chevy Pickup. The truck is in mint condition and came to her from her dad when he passed not long ago. She embraces her sentimental feeling and will keep looking. Turns out she rode a Harley 883 Sportster in a prior life and loved it. She was excited to reminisce with us while we finished prepping our bike.

And then there was Bruce who is returning to Texas after visiting relatives. He, too, rode back in the 90’s and misses it still. He is a soft spoken, very polite, man. Very glad we met.

Well, that’s all the text I can coax out of my fingers. Thanks for following along. It’s a special gift you give us.

We just finished a long beautiful day riding a grand loop from Cortez, CO to Durango to Rt 550, the Million Dollar Highway, through Silverton, Ouray, then Ridgeway; then south on CO 145 back to Cortez. About 235 miles and lots of photo stops and schmoozing with fellow travelers.

The Million Dollar Highway was built during the silver mining rush in the mid-19th century to help supply and cash-in on thousands of prospectors who searched and mined for riches. it was a spectacular feat for its time considering the rugged and remote terrain. There was even a railroad built to Silverton to meet the needs of several boomtowns. After the boom of silver mining went bust, tourism eventually kicked in as a means to support the economy. Natural hot springs and pure alpine air were draws for folks in the cities. Ouray, for example, has an immense system of public hot spring baths, and still promotes itself as “Switzerland in America”. We stayed in Ouray on our 2017 trip and enjoyed the baths very much. There is a lot to enjoy in this quaint and picturesque town.

There are several passes that offer breathtaking views, and a lot of fun riding, like Molas Pass at 10,900 feet, Coal Bank Pass at 10,650 feet, nd Red Mountain Pass at 11,020 feet. We stopped at a turnout at Molas and Red Mountain Passes to gawk and marvel and share with fellow travelers, some on bikes and some not.

A shoutout here to Bruce and Terri who advised us to stop and look!

We enjoyed meeting a foursome at Molas Pass from Manhattan Kansas. They were two pairs of brothers who are also cousins on a weeks long adventure. They couldn’t believe we’d ride all the way from Philly and still like each other at the end. (We’ve done it four times now.). At another stop we met a couple from Munich, Germany who were traveling for five weeks. The husband had been a German Air Force officer in the 60’s stationed in Texas and spoke quite fluent English. We were joined by a couple from Lancaster, PA who were honeymooning and wanted their picture taken. Before we knew it there were about ten folks chatting while taking in the sights. There was even a very tall, skinny fellow dressed like a hippie from Paris, TX, named Tom. He was on his way to somewhere in Idaho and figured to get there when the spirit moved him. He was very excited about his divining rods that leads him to precious metals. He had quite a tale, let me tell you.

We had lunch in Ouray at Maggie’s Burger Joint and met Dave and Lisa from Boise, ID. They ride their own Indian cycles and are living their best life. They are in the area for an Indian Cycle rally and very excited. There is something about sharp curves at 7,000-10,00 feet with no guardrails. Lisa is a relatively new rider and seemed a little intimidated by the Million Dollar Highway. But she’s game and Dave seems a good support. It was fun meeting them.

We resumed our ride to Ridgeway and turned south on CO 145 through Telluride and a big swath of the San Juan National Forest. Much of the ride paralleled the Dolores River making a really pretty and relaxing ride.

We’re back in our hotel and had some wonderful Mexican food. Now it’s shower and wind down time.

Until tomorrow then. Be well!

Sorry for the delay in posting but our days were really full then our energy ran out. Yes, we’re taking the senior’s way out.

Nevertheless, we’re back tonight.

On Sunday the 7th we left Walsenburg, CO on US 160 heading to Pagosa Springs to visit Bruce and Terri Anderson. He is an old friend from High School (possible redundancy there). He and Terri suggested several “don’t miss” stops along the way so we took them.

For our first stop, we took County Road 150, off of US 160, north to the Great Sand Dunes National Park to see a true wonder. I usually think of sand dunes as shore attractions. These dunes were formed at over 6,000 feet above sea level. A combination of prevailing winds from the southwest have carried grains of sand hundreds of miles to be trapped by mountain cliffs. The tallest dunes are more than 750 feet tall and they continue to shift with the winds. Water is involved, too, in shaping and maintaining these dunes in an almost magical way. Take a peek at the website sponsored by the National Park Service. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

When done gawking, we returned to US 160 which took us through Lasamos where we stopped for lunch at the Mammoth Spud Cafe and dined on fancy, stuffed spuds. 🥔 I’m not usually a fan but we truly enjoyed our meal. The owners are Les and Amanda who make their living with the cafe and an RV park they own a few miles away. It seems they really enjoy their life even as busy as it is.

Back to US 160 through South Fork to Wolf Creek Pass at 10,800 feet. It’s a fun ride with lots of twisties and a pleasantly chilly after the heat of the valley below. There’s a ski resort close by, but there’s been precious little snow the last two years, so no snow pack or spring skiing. And since snow pack is key to the water supply through the Colorado River system for millions of people in the south west, this is a problem. There’s been a little rain so far this year, so we noticed how green and verdant (redundant again) the country side looked on the west side of the pass. Going from semi-arid to green was striking,

We made Pagosa Springs in mid-afternoon, climbed off the bike and enjoyed Bruce and Terri’s hospitality. They have a beautiful home in the hills above town that they share with their indoor cats and about a thousand critters outside of all shapes, colors and sizes.

Bruce, a retired National Forest Service expert, and Terri, a biologist by training, kept us enthralled with expertise with the critters, from two species of chipmunks, several of squirrels, magpies, finches, orioles, tanagers, even turkeys and elk.

They are just plain kind and generous. Bruce has had some health challenges but seems on the mend. And they’re both eager to wander a bit themselves and see what there is to see.

So, yesterday was a non riding day, and today we headed out to reach Cortez, CO which will set us up for two days of wonderful riding, including the Million Dollar Highway, one of my all time favorites. Our route took us down US 84 and west on US 64 through New Mexico. Pretty blustery but not bad. The landscape has returned (from our perspective) to semi-arid, but lots of pretty. We passed Mesa Verde park on our way. We’re not sure we can visit it again this trip. We will just have to see.

We stopped at the local Walmart to pickup supplies for supper and now it’s time to eat. Absolutely.

Have a great night! More tomorrow.

Will write a decent blog post tomorrow evening.