My Colorado Road Trip
-or-
Home is Where the Heart Lies
More Fun when you go by scooter!!!
Mileage Stats (as obtained by Garmin Legend C)
Day 1 8/4 Sat, Cottonwood to Montrose, 448 mi
Day 2 8/5 Sun, Montrose to Estes Park, 325 mi
Day 3 8/6 Mon, Estes Park to Gunnison, 266 mi
Gunnison to Crested Butte, 68 mi
Day 4 8/7 Tues, Gunnison to Cortez 216, mi
Cortez to Mesa Verde, 75 mi
Day 5 8/8 Wed, Cortez to Cottonwood, 456 mi
I was born and raised in Colorado. Nearly the entire western slope was my backyard and playground. As the summer where I now live in Arizona was getting increasingly hotter and I knew my current job was coming to an end, it was real natural for thoughts of cooler climes to lead me to consider a ride down (up) into memory lane.
I started planning this ride a couple months ago, and even the planning was a whole lotta fun. I won't tell you how familiar I got with "MS Streets and Trips." Anyhow, the plan was in motion. I'd invited Bruce and Jere along; Bruce only had 4 days, and Jere was sorta like me, with a little time to spare.
Day 1.
Bruce and I met at the appointed place and began our ride promptly at 0500. We were to meet Jere in Flagstaff at 0600, and due to the wet weather we'd been having (? a portent of things to come?) we were gonna go up the freeway. At the last minute, we decided to go on up Oak Creek Canyon - good thing, too, 'cause we met Jere right at 6 am.
After gassing up, we headed on north through the Navajo reservation; Tuba City, Kayenta, the 4 Corners, then the Ute reservation, and into Cortez. Unfortunately for my partners, my bike needs to feed every 120 miles or so… Not sure if the ACE Tourer has the same problem or not, but, my reserve goes off about 120, and I'm not sure how much I have left; I've never gone more than about 130 on a tank. To me, it's just not worth the risk.
We arrived in Cortez approximately 12noon, and weather was still good, although, looking north, you could see some pretty heavy cloud cover. We went on thru Delores, and not far north of there, stopped to get on the rain gear. Timing was perfect, as not long before Rico, the clouds cut loose. This was the beginning of my problem for the rest of the trip; wet weather and loss of power… (more later).
I was able to "limp" over Lizard Head Pass and down to the Telluride junction, where my friends met me (I'd told them to go on, as I knew I'd be able to make it). After a rest-stop, we continued on, past Sawpit, Placerville, and over Dallas Divide into Ridgway. Tons of history here: Marie Scott owned a "ton" of this area; after her death it was sold off, and a major purchaser was Ralph Lauren. At least, it appears he's kept it "un-developed," and I've heard it's actually a working ranch. We stopped at the turnoff to Cow Creek for more pix; Dennis Weaver (heard of "McCloud"?) lived up there; also, "Debbie's Meadow" is a pretty place where part of "How the West Was Won" was filmed (the first one). Ridgway, Colorado played the role of Fort Smith, Arkansas in another famous movie, "True Grit." I got a signed album from Glen Campbell when this took place. As I recall, for many years the gallows remained in the town park; I noticed today they are gone; I'm sure gallows wouldn't be politically correct…
We got into Montrose about 345 pm. After 450 miles, it was good to be "home." We went to our reserved cabin at King's Riverbend RV & Campground, right near Chipeta Lakes (where I learned to snorkel when I was 11 years old!)
(Chipeta was the wife of the famous Ute Indian Chief Ouray) and found our great resting spot for the night. Fully loaded w/ linens, kitchen, washer/dryer, and
at the riverside of the Uncompahgre, we were happy to get a good night's rest. (and did that dryer come in handy for our soaked gloves!).
* Bruce and I had both purchased the Tourmaster rain gear, and they were certainly "waterproof," but the workmanship was less than desirable - each of us had a couple "breaks" the very first time we put them on: a zipper "fell" off, an inside elastic "broke" off, a stirrup strap "came" off. Definitely not the best quality I've ever seen; we were neither of us "hard" on these suits…
Having grown up in Montrose (I even went back there for a couple years after I got out of the Navy), I was very surprised and somewhat disappointed to see the incredible and seemingly unrestrained growth this once small town had undergone. Regardless, I have the wonderful memories of "how it used to be."
Day 2.
Sunday am, we left about 0630 and headed toward Delta, to find an eatery that Jere knew of. The scenery was certainly reminiscent of the old days, but not
quite as much desert; there was lots more cornfield. Have you ever heard of Olathe Sweet Corn? It's quite
"famous" now, apparently ships as far as Maine, and to Canada. August 4 was the Cornfest, and Leeann Rimes sang! We didn't make that, but, maybe
next time.
After a great feedbag, we headed west through Hotchkiss, Somerset, and Paonia; past the Paonia reservoir, and up and over McClure pass. Looking down from there, you can see the town of Marble (where some huge blocks were quarried out for several famous monuments. We followed the Crystal River down past the Redstone Castle,which was a mansion for an early governor of Colorado, and into Carbondale, then along the Roaring Fork River into Glenwood Springs, where it pours into the Colorado River. This is not only the home of the famed Glenwood Hot Springs, but also where my son was born, and my grandfather died, and Doc Holiday is buried! Quite the little berg, it's a beautiful place.
Traveling east through the Glenwood Canyon, and the really fancy construction for that section, I was reminded of the John Denver scene that took place during the debate over whether to build that considerable improvement. As I recall, he was protesting growth, and was on TV, explaining how, if the road was improved and turned into a 4 lane freeway (in those days, it was only 2 lanes, due to the narrow, steep walled canyon), he would no longer be able to throw a rock across the river; he then attempted to do so, and couldn't even make the rock go ½ way across! John Denver had a less than shining reputation among many native Coloradans, especially when he was "caught" burying huge gasoline storage tanks on his property near Aspen, during the great gas-shortage of the early 70's. Oh, well, my wife says he did make some good music…
At Wolcott, we headed north, and had we been on dirtbikes or cars, we could have turned off at State Bridge,, but we were forced to remain on paved roads, through Toponas, and into Kremmling; some of Colorado's finest beef growing country.
Kremmling, Hot Sulphur Springs, and then came Granby, and yet another downpour from the heavens. We pulled off just in time to avoid getting totally soaked before getting into our rain gear; didn't even slow down after suiting up and 5 minutes into the ride, my bike petered out again. I told the guys to go on into Grand Lake and I'd be there "eventually." Well, thru miscommunication, I sat in Grumpy's and waited and waited. When I was finally able to get through on the tele, they had gone back down the road to look for me! These are friends!
Grumpy's is a great little "hole in the wall" saloon, that, when I was a kid, was known as "the Foghorn." It was a "real" biker bar; in fact, I remember a 4th of July or two, the town actually closed off traffic to bikers! You could only get in if you were a property owner, or had a "real reason" to be in there. I recall one leather clad dude hopping on top of a tourist's car, dropping trou- and mooning all passersby. At the age of 11 or 12, I was duly impressed! (I think he was actually hauled off to the hoosegow for a lil' sobering up).
Anyhow, we hooked back up, and went up through Rocky Mountain National Park and over Trail Ridge Road. I was a truck driver for the Nat'l Park Road Crew for 3 summers, and those are memories I'll forever hold dear to my heart. Unfortunately for my pals (there was a little road construction going on up on top), the weather was very heavy with clouds, so the visibility was a little less than good! They had never been over before, and weren't able to see much of it at all… So, I had to bore them with my stories (now, you too!).
Like, the time we took two cars, and ferried ourselves back n forth from the old ski area, to the top of "knife edge," where we hiked about ½ mile across dry ground, then put on our skis, and skied down to the waiting car on the road, much to the surprise and delight of many tourists; this was in late June!
or how I'd ride my Yamaha 125 up n over the road and into Grand Lake from Estes Park. Not a lot of power, that, but it was "riding a scooter."
Or, the time that…
ok, enough for now…
Oh, one other mention of my history. Ever heard of the Big Thompson flood of 1976?, or more info here. We were among the first people into the canyon the morning after the big rain: the road crew was called in to help haul survivors out of the canyon, it's difficult to believe the tremendous damage that was caused down there. I don't know the exact number, I believe more than 140 people died in that flood, & there is still disagreement on the number. Something I and many others will never ever forget.
We stopped at one of the many pullouts along the way, and saw a huge line of stopped traffic; wondered if there was more construction along the way. Turns out there was a pretty sizeable heard of elk, seemingly mostly bulls, and really well fed, good looking animals.(if it weren't so wet, I'd have taken pix)
The bike had petered out again, with all that rain, but again I was able to limp on down the road. Luckily, it was all downhill, so no problem… I called the campground and said my pals would be there ahead of me, but, after making the call, it had been enough time for the bike to "rest" or "dry out" or whatever, and we rode on in together.
We got some dinner and found the Stanley Hotel, which my friends had never before seen. Ever heard of Steven King's story "The Shining?"
The story I got was the Stanley was the model for "the Overlook" in that horror story; I've slept there, and yep, it just could be! It's a well known landmark in Estes Park.
Day 3.
We left Estes early in the morning, but not before stopping on Big Thompson Ave so watch a herd of elk right in the road, and on the church grounds, and in front of a motel… Pretty common site in Estes, but nonetheless a real thrill to see. Wish I'd gotten the camera out…
On down the Peak to Peak Highway, we stopped in Nederland for a great breakfast, although it sure took a long time to get it! But, we were "on island time," so, it was OK. Next, we went into Central City, and what a site! That place is really one huge casino - at least you could still see the old old homes and buildings that were the center point of the old famous mining town.
We found our way down to Evergreen, then to Conifer and Hwy 285 - fortunately, this was a beautiful and very pleasant way to bypass Denver. I'm not sure Denver is as bad as Phoenix, but, definitely too much traffic for my liking…
After Kenosha Pass, we crossed South Park, the biggest of the "parks" of Colorado (one of 3 huge glacial moraines left from prehistory, the others being North, and Middle parks). Thru the berg of Fairplay, and into Buena Vista, where you could get a good glimpse of the Collegiate Peaks, as in Mt's Harvard, Oxford, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia.
Altho you can't see them in my picture, these are all "fourteeners," that is they're each over 14000 msl. Quite beautiful, even with the cloud on top of them…
At Poncha Springs, we gassed again, and headed west, toward Monarch Pass. When I was a kid, this was part of the "boundary" of my backyard. My dad was a division water engineer for the State of Colorado Water Resources; his area (and therefore "mine!") was from Grand Junction to Red Mountain Pass, from the Utah border to Monarch Pass. What a great patch of ground to call "your own!"
I actually made it to the very top before the rain got hard; then, the same old "petering out" problem. Downhill to mini-town of Sargents, we pulled off, and I called Gunnison to get permission for my friends to check in without me. But, after about 5 minutes, the back ran perfectly… On the way into town, I passed the old "Tomichi Dome, which is one of the largest laccolith's in the country, if not in the world.
I actually pulled into the Gunnison KOA, while they were still in the office checking in.
We did a quick unpack, then took a scenic ride to Crested Butte. As a college student in Gunnison at Western State College (where I majored in Geology), I got lots of skiing in up there! We used to, and I imagine they still say: "Ski Western State College, and Earn A Degree in Your Spare Time."
Bruce had done some construction work there, so we were both excited to see yet another part of our past lives. It was sure pretty, but, man had it grown! The little old burnt out mining town that I knew was now a condo-built up ski area. At least it was nothing like the "rich man's ghetto" that had turned into Vail. It still had some small town charm. and the scenery was as beautiful as we remembered.
Day4.
We ate a good breakfast in town, then headed west back toward Montrose. My companions were ready to be done with the trip, so, at Ridgway, we parted company; they attempted the Lizard Head Pass again, hopefully to see more than what we'd seen on the way up. I believe they got just about the same as before, lots of clouds and rain. I had opted to go back over Red Mountain Pass, thru Ouray, and into Silverton, then Durango.
I was Really lucky, in that the sky was beautiful for me. That is, until I reached Molas, before I got into Durango; again, the showers came HARD, and I limped down to the ski area (Purgatory) before the faucet finally turned off. I stopped a bit for some pictures, then, gassed in Durango, and headed back to Cortez.
I got another KOA Kabin, unloaded, and headed back east again, as I'd wanted to see the Mesa Verde by motorcycle; been there many times in my youth, just never by scooter. It was well worth the trip!
Anyhow, back to the Kabin for a good nights visit with fellow bikers (from Las Vegas, they were here for a Rally of Suzuki WHATEVER YOU CALL EMS). Enjoyed some good visiting and storytelling and a couple beers! Then said goo' nite.
Day 5.
I headed south through the 4 corners, and into Teec Nos Pos. there I stopped for gas, and visited w/ the store owner; he suggested that I take the "back way" to Chinle, as I really hadn't intended on actually going into the Canyon de Chelly proper, as "there are some great overlooks into the canyon." Man was he ever right!
The views were incredible, and lots of storyboards discussing the history of that forbidden land. It was a wonderful way to go, and I will return with my wife to see that with time to really look around.
I went into the old Hubbel Trading Post, I believe they call it the "oldest" trading post in Arizona, quite interesting to see.
From here, I just rode on back into Holbrook, where I joined up on Hwy 377, and made my way home via Heber, and the Rim Lakes Road, Payson, and on down the hill…
It was a wonderful trip, and I found some places I definitely want to return to. Especially on my scooter!
-or-
Mileage Stats (as obtained by Garmin Legend C)
Day 1
8/4 Sat, Cottonwood to Montrose, 448 mi
Day 2
8/5 Sun, Montrose to Estes Park, 325 mi
Day 3
8/6 Mon, Estes Park to Gunnison, 266 mi
Gunnison to Crested Butte, 68 mi
Day 4
8/7 Tues, Gunnison to Cortez 216, mi
Cortez to Mesa Verde, 75 mi
Day 5
8/8 Wed, Cortez to Cottonwood, 456 mi
I was born and raised in Colorado. Nearly the entire western slope was my backyard and playground. As the summer where I now live in Arizona was getting increasingly hotter and I knew my current job was coming to an end, it was real natural for thoughts of cooler climes to lead me to consider a ride down (up) into memory lane.
I started planning this ride a couple months ago, and even the planning was a whole lotta fun. I won't tell you how familiar I got with "MS Streets and Trips." Anyhow, the plan was in motion. I'd invited Bruce and Jere along; Bruce only had 4 days, and Jere was sorta like me, with a little time to spare.
Day 1.
Bruce and I met at the appointed place and began our ride promptly at 0500. We were to meet Jere in Flagstaff at 0600, and due to the wet weather we'd been having (? a portent of things to come?) we were gonna go up the freeway. At the last minute, we decided to go on up Oak Creek Canyon - good thing, too, 'cause we met Jere right at 6 am.
After gassing up, we headed on north through the Navajo reservation; Tuba City, Kayenta, the 4 Corners, then the Ute reservation, and into Cortez. Unfortunately for my partners, my bike needs to feed every 120 miles or so… Not sure if the ACE Tourer has the same problem or not, but, my reserve goes off about 120, and I'm not sure how much I have left; I've never gone more than about 130 on a tank. To me, it's just not worth the risk.
We arrived in Cortez approximately 12noon, and weather was still good, although, looking north, you could see some pretty heavy cloud cover. We went on thru Delores, and not far north of there, stopped to get on the rain gear. Timing was perfect, as not long before Rico, the clouds cut loose. This was the beginning of my problem for the rest of the trip; wet weather and loss of power… (more later).
I was able to "limp" over Lizard Head Pass and down to the Telluride junction, where my friends met me (I'd told them to go on, as I knew I'd be able to make it). After a rest-stop, we continued on, past Sawpit, Placerville, and over Dallas Divide into Ridgway. Tons of history here: Marie Scott owned a "ton" of this area; after her death it was sold off, and a major purchaser was Ralph Lauren. At least, it appears he's kept it "un-developed," and I've heard it's actually a working ranch. We stopped at the turnoff to Cow Creek for more pix; Dennis Weaver (heard of "McCloud"?) lived up there; also, "Debbie's Meadow" is a pretty place where part of "How the West Was Won" was filmed (the first one). Ridgway, Colorado played the role of Fort Smith, Arkansas in another famous movie, "True Grit." I got a signed album from Glen Campbell when this took place. As I recall, for many years the gallows remained in the town park; I noticed today they are gone; I'm sure gallows wouldn't be politically correct…
We got into Montrose about 3
45 pm. After 450 miles, it was good to be "home." We went to our reserved cabin at King's Riverbend RV & Campground, right near Chipeta Lakes (where I learned to snorkel when I was 11 years old!)
(Chipeta was the wife of the famous Ute Indian Chief Ouray) and found our great resting spot for the night. Fully loaded w/ linens, kitchen, washer/dryer, and
at the riverside of the Uncompahgre, we were happy to get a good night's rest. (and did that dryer come in handy for our soaked gloves!).
* Bruce and I had both purchased the Tourmaster rain gear, and they were certainly "waterproof," but the workmanship was less than desirable - each of us had a couple "breaks" the very first time we put them on: a zipper "fell" off, an inside elastic "broke" off, a stirrup strap "came" off. Definitely not the best quality I've ever seen; we were neither of us "hard" on these suits…
Having grown up in Montrose (I even went back there for a couple years after I got out of the Navy), I was very surprised and somewhat disappointed to see the incredible and seemingly unrestrained growth this once small town had undergone. Regardless, I have the wonderful memories of "how it used to be."
Day 2.
Sunday am, we left about 06
30 and headed toward Delta, to find an eatery that Jere knew of. The scenery was certainly reminiscent of the old days, but not
quite as much desert; there was lots more cornfield. Have you ever heard of Olathe Sweet Corn? It's quite
"famous" now, apparently ships as far as Maine, and to Canada. August 4 was the Cornfest, and Leeann Rimes sang! We didn't make that, but, maybe
next time.
After a great feedbag, we headed west through Hotchkiss, Somerset, and Paonia; past the Paonia reservoir, and up and over McClure pass. Looking down from there, you can see the town of Marble (where some huge blocks were quarried out for several famous monuments. We followed the Crystal River down past the Redstone Castle,which was a mansion for an early governor of Colorado, and into Carbondale, then along the Roaring Fork River into Glenwood Springs, where it pours into the Colorado River. This is not only the home of the famed Glenwood Hot Springs, but also where my son was born, and my grandfather died, and Doc Holiday is buried! Quite the little berg, it's a beautiful place.
Traveling east through the Glenwood Canyon, and the really fancy construction for that section, I was reminded of the John Denver scene that took place during the debate over whether to build that considerable improvement. As I recall, he was protesting growth, and was on TV, explaining how, if the road was improved and turned into a 4 lane freeway (in those days, it was only 2 lanes, due to the narrow, steep walled canyon), he would no longer be able to throw a rock across the river; he then attempted to do so, and couldn't even make the rock go ½ way across! John Denver had a less than shining reputation among many native Coloradans, especially when he was "caught" burying huge gasoline storage tanks on his property near Aspen, during the great gas-shortage of the early 70's. Oh, well, my wife says he did make some good music…
At Wolcott, we headed north, and had we been on dirtbikes or cars, we could have turned off at State Bridge,, but we were forced to remain on paved roads, through Toponas, and into Kremmling; some of Colorado's finest beef growing country.
Kremmling, Hot Sulphur Springs, and then came Granby, and yet another downpour from the heavens. We pulled off just in time to avoid getting totally soaked before getting into our rain gear; didn't even slow down after suiting up and 5 minutes into the ride, my bike petered out again. I told the guys to go on into Grand Lake and I'd be there "eventually." Well, thru miscommunication, I sat in Grumpy's and waited and waited. When I was finally able to get through on the tele, they had gone back down the road to look for me! These are friends!
Grumpy's is a great little "hole in the wall" saloon, that, when I was a kid, was known as "the Foghorn." It was a "real" biker bar; in fact, I remember a 4th of July or two, the town actually closed off traffic to bikers! You could only get in if you were a property owner, or had a "real reason" to be in there. I recall one leather clad dude hopping on top of a tourist's car, dropping trou- and mooning all passersby. At the age of 11 or 12, I was duly impressed! (I think he was actually hauled off to the hoosegow for a lil' sobering up).
Anyhow, we hooked back up, and went up through Rocky Mountain National Park and over Trail Ridge Road. I was a truck driver for the Nat'l Park Road Crew for 3 summers, and those are memories I'll forever hold dear to my heart. Unfortunately for my pals (there was a little road construction going on up on top), the weather was very heavy with clouds, so the visibility was a little less than good! They had never been over before, and weren't able to see much of it at all… So, I had to bore them with my stories (now, you too!).
Like, the time we took two cars, and ferried ourselves back n forth from the old ski area, to the top of "knife edge," where we hiked about ½ mile across dry ground, then put on our skis, and skied down to the waiting car on the road, much to the surprise and delight of many tourists; this was in late June!
or how I'd ride my Yamaha 125 up n over the road and into Grand Lake from Estes Park. Not a lot of power, that, but it was "riding a scooter."
Or, the time that…
ok, enough for now…
Oh, one other mention of my history. Ever heard of the Big Thompson flood of 1976?, or more info here. We were among the first people into the canyon the morning after the big rain: the road crew was called in to help haul survivors out of the canyon, it's difficult to believe the tremendous damage that was caused down there. I don't know the exact number, I believe more than 140 people died in that flood, & there is still disagreement on the number. Something I and many others will never ever forget.
We stopped at one of the many pullouts along the way, and saw a huge line of stopped traffic; wondered if there was more construction along the way. Turns out there was a pretty sizeable heard of elk, seemingly mostly bulls, and really well fed, good looking animals.(if it weren't so wet, I'd have taken pix)
The bike had petered out again, with all that rain, but again I was able to limp on down the road. Luckily, it was all downhill, so no problem… I called the campground and said my pals would be there ahead of me, but, after making the call, it had been enough time for the bike to "rest" or "dry out" or whatever, and we rode on in together.
We got some dinner and found the Stanley Hotel, which my friends had never before seen. Ever heard of Steven King's story "The Shining?"
The story I got was the Stanley was the model for "the Overlook" in that horror story; I've slept there, and yep, it just could be! It's a well known landmark in Estes Park.
Day 3.
We left Estes early in the morning, but not before stopping on Big Thompson Ave so watch a herd of elk right in the road, and on the church grounds, and in front of a motel… Pretty common site in Estes, but nonetheless a real thrill to see. Wish I'd gotten the camera out…
On down the Peak to Peak Highway, we stopped in Nederland for a great breakfast, although it sure took a long time to get it! But, we were "on island time," so, it was OK. Next, we went into Central City, and what a site! That place is really one huge casino - at least you could still see the old old homes and buildings that were the center point of the old famous mining town.
We found our way down to Evergreen, then to Conifer and Hwy 285 - fortunately, this was a beautiful and very pleasant way to bypass Denver. I'm not sure Denver is as bad as Phoenix, but, definitely too much traffic for my liking…
After Kenosha Pass, we crossed South Park, the biggest of the "parks" of Colorado (one of 3 huge glacial moraines left from prehistory, the others being North, and Middle parks). Thru the berg of Fairplay, and into Buena Vista, where you could get a good glimpse of the Collegiate Peaks, as in Mt's Harvard, Oxford, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia.
Altho you can't see them in my picture, these are all "fourteeners," that is they're each over 14000 msl. Quite beautiful, even with the cloud on top of them…
At Poncha Springs, we gassed again, and headed west, toward Monarch Pass. When I was a kid, this was part of the "boundary" of my backyard. My dad was a division water engineer for the State of Colorado Water Resources; his area (and therefore "mine!") was from Grand Junction to Red Mountain Pass, from the Utah border to Monarch Pass. What a great patch of ground to call "your own!"
I actually made it to the very top before the rain got hard; then, the same old "petering out" problem. Downhill to mini-town of Sargents, we pulled off, and I called Gunnison to get permission for my friends to check in without me. But, after about 5 minutes, the back ran perfectly… On the way into town, I passed the old "Tomichi Dome, which is one of the largest laccolith's in the country, if not in the world.
I actually pulled into the Gunnison KOA, while they were still in the office checking in.
We did a quick unpack, then took a scenic ride to Crested Butte. As a college student in Gunnison at Western State College (where I majored in Geology), I got lots of skiing in up there! We used to, and I imagine they still say: "Ski Western State College, and Earn A Degree in Your Spare Time."
Bruce had done some construction work there, so we were both excited to see yet another part of our past lives. It was sure pretty, but, man had it grown! The little old burnt out mining town that I knew was now a condo-built up ski area. At least it was nothing like the "rich man's ghetto" that had turned into Vail. It still had some small town charm. and the scenery was as beautiful as we remembered.
Day4.
We ate a good breakfast in town, then headed west back toward Montrose. My companions were ready to be done with the trip, so, at Ridgway, we parted company; they attempted the Lizard Head Pass again, hopefully to see more than what we'd seen on the way up. I believe they got just about the same as before, lots of clouds and rain. I had opted to go back over Red Mountain Pass, thru Ouray, and into Silverton, then Durango.
I was Really lucky, in that the sky was beautiful for me. That is, until I reached Molas, before I got into Durango; again, the showers came HARD, and I limped down to the ski area (Purgatory) before the faucet finally turned off. I stopped a bit for some pictures, then, gassed in Durango, and headed back to Cortez.
I got another KOA Kabin, unloaded, and headed back east again, as I'd wanted to see the Mesa Verde by motorcycle; been there many times in my youth, just never by scooter. It was well worth the trip!
Anyhow, back to the Kabin for a good nights visit with fellow bikers (from Las Vegas, they were here for a Rally of Suzuki WHATEVER YOU CALL EMS). Enjoyed some good visiting and storytelling and a couple beers! Then said goo' nite.
Day 5.
I headed south through the 4 corners, and into Teec Nos Pos. there I stopped for gas, and visited w/ the store owner; he suggested that I take the "back way" to Chinle, as I really hadn't intended on actually going into the Canyon de Chelly proper, as "there are some great overlooks into the canyon." Man was he ever right!
The views were incredible, and lots of storyboards discussing the history of that forbidden land. It was a wonderful way to go, and I will return with my wife to see that with time to really look around.
I went into the old Hubbel Trading Post, I believe they call it the "oldest" trading post in Arizona, quite interesting to see.
From here, I just rode on back into Holbrook, where I joined up on Hwy 377, and made my way home via Heber, and the Rim Lakes Road, Payson, and on down the hill…
It was a wonderful trip, and I found some places I definitely want to return to. Especially on my scooter!
