DAY 20 AND END OF THE ROAD DAY21

DAY 20

We had decided to ride Colorado’s famous Million Dollar Highway today and a quick look at the weather  said it would be a good day to try it. Left Montrose with temps in the 40’s heading for Ouray and our climb into the mountains. We have done this ride on prior occasions but always from south to north and I can tell you it is a completely different ride the opposite direction.

The road is very lightly travelled during this time between skiers and summer visitors and we had it pretty much to ourselves. Short straight stretches with a 35 mph speed limit quickly change to 10 MPH corners with shear drop offs. When the road was built there wasn't room for two lanes and a guard rail so the pavement edge is a several hundred foot drop-off that begs to be looked at as you near the edge on the corners. We all know you will go where you look so there is a constant struggle to keep your speed adjusted and eyes looking ahead as the tires move ever closer to the edge. You do all this bundled up like a cocoon against the 31 degree temperature at the top. Dropping down into Silverton and the lower altitude (9300 feet) the weather warms and we sat outside a coffee shop for a cup of coffee before tackling the next two passes between Silverton and Durango.

Lunch in Durango and the map came out, we had three options, southwest to four corners towards Flagstaff and home, Straight south towards Shiprock and over to Show Low for the last night, or….route 550 (green scenic dots) southeast to Albuquerque. The rain we encountered later in the day let us know that we did not choose wisely but we made it cross it of the list. After 19 days of avoiding the weather with creative route planning we were due a day like this.

DAY 21

Pretty simple, everyone ready to head home about 500 miles to ride so for the first time long day of Interstate which put us home around 4 ish where a wife and grandkids gave me an enthusiastic welcome.

As usual have to thank my family for their support, the guys I ride with for keeping it fun and of course the great roads all over this country.

Every day's a revolution
Pull it together and it comes undone
Just one more candle and a trip around the sun.

I'm just hanging on while this old world keeps spinning
And it's good to know it's out of my control.
If there's one thing that I've learned from all this living
Is that it wouldn't change a thing if I let go.

No you never see it coming,
Always wind up wondering where it went.

Only time will tell
If it was time well spent.
It's another revelation,

Celebrating what I should have done
With these souvenirs of my trip around the sun.

Jimmy Buffett

I know we can't all ride around the country on motorcycles but get out and do something. See something, learn something, spend time with loved ones, just do something. Don’t look back and say “I could have”.Don't waste another Trip Around The Sun.

DAYS 17, 18, 19

Started day 17 still in Oklahoma finished day 19 in Montrose Colorado, there's more but that just about covers it. The roads have been exceptional with wide open spaces interspersed with cattle and farms. Driving across the panhandle of Oklahoma is long straight roads lightly travelled and very green. You see beautiful farmhouses setting well back from the road and large turn of the century homes in complete disrepair abandoned with twenty to thirty year old cars rusting in the yards.

As we entered New Mexico we all started to realize that this years spring trip is winding down, but not wanting it to end early we turned north into Colorado before stopping for the end of day 18. Awoke for day 19 and headed north a few miles before turning west with a vague plan to cross the rockies. At one point we topped a little pass and there before us were the rockies, rising thousands of feet in the air, covered with snow against a blue and white skie. After some map checking found a new route, new to us anyway, over the mountains at only 10,200 feet! The pass came with a few minutes of hail, rain and wind, not enough to slow us down but the kind that makes you sit up and pay attention.

We're just wastin' gas, woah
Blurring them dotted lines
Killing all kinds of time
Baby, like we ain't coming back, woah
Steal a kiss, maybe two
Pull it off for a few
Gonna hang as long as I can
You know I don't give it a damn
If we're just wastin' gas

Every once in a while
It'll backfire like a gun
I see that needle creeping down
Like a setting sun
Making every little memory one of a kind
You and I riding high all night
Dallas Smith

Using up all three weeks, one day at a time. Looking forward to being home still enjoying the journey.

On a different not when we crossed I-40 in the morning on day 18 Bruce let us know that he needed to get home, Jake went with, don't want him riding alone, and Jake's bike was starting to sound worse than before the repair in Florida.