Home for the 4th!

The final leg lasted a little over five hours and 190 miles and I’m sure glad to be home!

Of course it was still hot but the fireworks and barbecues hadn’t started yet so no one was acting crazy on the road. My route involved some side roads and some highways. I am pleased to say I did not incur a single toll on the ride back from Colorado. Not one. I have this thing about tolls, you see. We pay our taxes, which includes money for transportation, which means roads and bridges and tunnels and asphalt. Hate to pay twice. Connie and friends roll their eyes but it remains a bugaboo. So if I can avoid tolls, I do.

And I did.

A shower and a kiss were welcome homecoming events. We unpacked some and put the bike in the garage. And we started to take stock of our adventure. About 7,000 miles all told, from sea level to 14,000 feet, and from 40F to 104F. Striking pictures and memories of mountains and plains, and rivers and wonderful people along the way.

We left Colorado just as the wildfires began. It’s heartbreaking, so many people, so much wildlife and so much land impacted. Our prayers are with you.

Well, no it’s time to catch up with life, lawn and duties. Get the bike ready for another adventure that is as yet unnamed.

We are so blessed to have this chance at life, and are blessed to have friends like you to share the journey. Thank you so very much for checking in and your wonderful comments. You’ve made our journey better because you were there.

Hank and Connie

On the way home.

We had to say bye to Colorado early this morning. It’s inevitable that we have to return eventually to grown-up land. Things to do, grands to chase. (Sigh)

Truthfully, we are ready to head home, get some rest and pickup with life.

Connie set off to the airport to fly home and get her rest by chasing some grands. I’m riding home over the course of the next seven days and plan to arrive on the 4th. There’s a fairly strong heat wave covering the Plains and Mid-West so my rides will start early to beat the worst of the heat. I covered 310 miles today to reach Norton, KS. It didn’t quite reach 100F until the last 50 miles. I’m luxuriating in the cool as I write this.

There’s not a lot to tell about the ride today. Coming down from 7,500 feet to around 2,300 means increased heat and humidity. There are some huge farms that are busy with planting and tending their fields. Because there has been less rain than hoped, the dust level is often dramatically high. Farmers don’t get days off when there are miles of fields to be worked.

I have a couple of pictures that give some idea of the vastness of the area. Farm buildings are often miles apart and a trip to the store is a big deal. So is going to the doctor, dentist or the hardware store. I’m reminded of how little I know about the rigors of raising a family while raising crops or livestock.

When I got to town I stopped in the local grocery store to buy supper fixings and a couple of sundries. I felt like a curiosity in my riding gear – which thing doesn’t belong? But when I moved into someone’s personal space, I was met with civility and good manners. Conversations weren’t really the thing, you know. But I was treated as a guest and accorded politeness. It was not off-putting, but gives me pause considering another culture within our broader national life.

About two hours into the ride, I pulled over along side the road in a rare stretch of shade. Below was a dry creek bed that had enough moisture to support a grove of Aspens. While I drank some water and took in the surrounding countryside, not one vehicle passed in 20 minutes. Dozens of birds flew about looking for whatever they eat chattering away in the shade. Three miles of empty road stretched away in both directions on CO 94. It felt both magical and a little disorienting because I can’t imagine such a scene in the East.

At another stop, after turning from US 40 to US 83 North, at Oakley, KS, was the Buffalo Bill Cultural Center that features huge statues of a mounted Buffalo Bill about to shoot a bison. Bill Cody was born in Oakley and is celebrated for his famous prowess at horsemanship and shooting. Being Sunday, the center was closed so there wasn’t a conversation to be had. It was also hotter than a pistol just then. There was a brick walk with dozens of sponsors who helped finance the memorial. Even the local Masons lodge was a proud sponsor.

I have to admit I have mixed feelings about this. Whole herds of bison were slaughtered for the sport of it. Local native tribes saw their source of sustenance and way of life decimated to nothing more than the joy of the kill. At the same time this community of settlers have found a source of pride before the world. Personally, one of my forebears was a servant in Wild Bill Cody’s Wild West Show before starting a family. Makes me wonder. It seems one’s heritage is a convoluted thing.

Well, enough for tonight. I’m planning to get on the road early again.

Please take care.

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.

Connie here. Hank is taking  full advantage of the rest day. 

Today we hung out at our lodging in the small town of Walsenburg, CO. It was a day for napping. And some laundry. It feels good to have some clean clothes again. 

Speaking of clothes, many have asked us what we take on our long trips. The truth is: only what we need.  We each have one side case in which to fit our clothing. We use packing cubes to compress everything so we can carry enough. Enough is a relative term but we make do. We each have clothing to hike in, ride in, swim in and sleep in.  As you may have guessed socks and underwear are high priority.  With the wind brought by speed, we can wear stinking clothes without being obnoxious! 😂

We have a bag for the top case (like a trunk on a car). In there we keep communal items like a mini kitchen with bowls, sporks, knife and dish soap; a laundry kit with laundry soap, Tide sticks and laundry lines to hang up clothing after washing; a first aid kit, meds, pain relievers and such. We have a compact backpack that fits in its own pocket to that we use for grocery shopping. 

We also carry rain jackets and warmer clothing for layering. At altitude in the Rockies it is cold and often there is snow on the ground. 

When we took our first cross country trip in 2017, we found ourselves thinking that even though we had so little we had enough. And it felt good. It felt like all the possessions at home were too much and unnecessary.  I try to remember this when I want to buy something else for the house. I’m not always successful in resisting the urge to accumulate things, but I don’t do badly. 

Tomorrow we head out to see the Great Sand Dune National Park and then on to see a friend of Hank’s from high school. Bruce and his wife Terri are opening their home to us for a couple of nights. We’re both looking forward to spending time with them. 

Good night and good luck. Thanks for following along. 

The road to Walsenburg, CO felt really long today. I had it my silly brain it was only 240 miles. Google Maps insisted it was 283, and Apple Maps said about 290. It was 315 miles with not very much of the things we take for granted at home. Fuel stops are 30 or more miles apart and you can’t be very fussy. There’s usually a convenience store attached with restrooms, snacks and cold drinks, though not often with a place to sit. We enjoyed our lunchtime peanuts and cold drinks leaning on an ice cream freezer next to the register. We got some looks and a couple of nibbles of conversation but that’s all.

We are again struck by how vast and beautiful our country is. Our route took us mostly on US 160, a nicely maintained two lane road. If you look at a map, you’ll see that the road is straight as an arrow until you meet a junction where you make a turn (or not) and drive straight again. There is precious little traffic except the occasional grain truck, oil/gas carrier and cattle truck.

Grain, energy and ranching pretty much describes the economy we saw here. Huge fields (like miles long) are planted with corn, wheat, soy and alfalfa. Great irrigation booms are connected to substantial pumps that draw water from the aquifer and turn semi arid land a vibrant green. Gas and oil wells abound as do huge solar and wind farms that take advantage of the open ground and prevailing winds. We passed miles of aromatic feed lots where cattle are fattened then trucked to market.

What we didn’t see a lot of were houses and people. Many small towns we rode through had seen better days. Empty and closed stores tell a tale of relocation, maybe due to a search for paying work elsewhere. It seems a lot of folks in rural west Kansas and southeastern Colorado are just getting by. Which is a shame. We depend on farms and farmers to feed our 340 million people. Just saying.

Early on today we stopped at a huge grain co-op that loads hopper rail cars some of which were already on the siding, maybe waiting to be filled. This scene was repeated dozens of times today. Again, the scale of food production beggars the imagination.

What also caught our attention was a 50’ tower with a tornado warning siren. The tower had its own junction box and transformer. Tornados are serious business here.

That’s all we have for tonight. Tomorrow is a down day for laundry and lounging. Probably not in that order.

Be well, and thanks for following along with us!