DAY 4 ROCKY MONTAIN PARK

Stood alone on a mountain top,
Starin' out at the great divide 
I could go east, I could go west,
It was all up to me to decide
Just then I saw a young hawk flyin'
And my soul began to rise
And pretty soon
My heart was singin'


Roll, roll me away,
I'm gonna roll me away tonight
Gotta keep rollin, gotta keep ridin',
Keep searchin' till I find what's right
Bob Seger

Left Dillon under clear cool skies, a quick ride up I-70 through the tunnel under Loveland then headed north over another pass adding to the dozen or so we have already driven.

Eventually it was on to Rocky Mountain National Park and another day of incredible riding. Didn't get many miles today but had quality over quantity this state just keeps impressing with new things to see. Once in the park the road starts to climb rapidly back and forth up steep mountain grades with speeds from 30 to 10. After a few minutes you can look down and see the tiny dots of cars coming up behind far below. Looking back has to be in quick glances as the road is narrow with sharp turns and few guard rails, just what we are looking for.

Shortly after entering the park we saw the first of several moose sightings, also lots of elk were in attendance for the tourists pleasure today. This causes many of said tourists to stop their vehicles in the middle of the road and jump out to take pictures. Sometimes the animals themselves caused the traffic delays. Two elk were crossing the road and the first elk, obviously a male, waited for traffic to stop and made a quick direct crossing. The second elk, possibly a female, started across then stopped went back started again eventually stopping in the road before finally crossing at a leisurely pace.

Stopped at the top of the park, the Alpine Lodge for a break and to admire the scenery. Lunch tastes great when you are eating above the tree line at almost 12,000 feet with a view for miles around. Restrooms, and drinking fountains were out of order since all the water pipes and supply was still frozen.

Into Estes Park Co stopped for the night nice motel, gorgeous views, walked to dinner. Finally leaving Colorado tomorrow.

Chuck

DAY 3 PIKE'S PEAK

What’s the best thing to do with eight AARP members most of whom take meds for one ailment or another. If you guessed put them on motorcycles and drive a narrow two lane road with no guardrails to an altitude over 14,000 feet and then make them try to walk around you got it right.


Left Pueblo north to 24 then over to entrance to Pike’s Peak. Stopped at the ranger station to pay our entrance fee and the sign said temperature at the top was 32 with wind chill 19! Decided to put on jackets, ride up and down couldn’t have been better. The views from the top are amazing the road is incredible, and here is the best part, it was my turn to lead up and down.

Followed that up with a great ride on more Colorado two lane even managed to work in a few additional mountain passes. The 10,000 footers just don’t seem as high after Pike’s Peak, this is one incredibly beautiful state. In for the night in Dillon Colorado in a Best Western with ski lockers for each room and a beautiful view of Dillon Resovoir.

Pike's Peak was named for Zebulon Pike and inspired Katharine Bates to write America The Beautiful, the road to the top is 38 miles round trip.

DAY 2 DURANGO TO PUEBLO

If you looked at a map of Colorado you would notice several ways to get from Durango to Pueblo Colorado. That was our goal for the day, drive to Pueblo and meet JB the last member of this years ride and a charter member of our group.

Well, after letting Jan look at the map and talking it over we had found a route that would take us all day, wear out the sides of the tires, and take us over four different mountain passes above 10,000 feet. There was no other reasonable choice but the long way around and a full day of hard riding. So it was over Wolf Creek then north on 149 towards Gunnison over a couple of passes all narrow two lane stopped for a great lunch in Lake City Co.
Once we had started up into the high mountains of 149 we came across a section with three signs spaced a few hundred yards apart.
ROAD DAMAGE
NARROW ROAD
MOTORCYCLES USE EXTREME CAUTION
doesn't get any better!


After the 149 it was onto 50 over Monarch pass and into Salida then east along the Arkansas river for mile after mile, absolutely gorgeous, not the first time on 50 but could do it every day.

Finally made it to Pueblo found JB at the agreed upon motel gave him a big hug, got a kiss from Susie and followed up with dinner at a nearby restaurant. Clear skies, temps ranging from 50 to 75, great twisty roads, bikes running good, mark it down as a great day.

Chuck

DAY 1 PHOENIX-DURANGO

Started with breakfast at Denny's, kind of a tradition, joined by family and friends. Headed out to the bikes shortly after eight and on down the road. Didn't really feel like the start of another trip,felt more like a weekend run to Flagstaff or Prescott. Picked up Jan in Camp Verde and headed north slowly starting to realize this was it, the start of another adventure.

I was soon off the interstate headed up 89 with sunny skies, 70 degrees, great music on the satellite radio, big v-twin rumbling and followed by friends. At that point thoughts of three weeks of doing this very thing start dancing in my head.

Now I been out in the desert, just doin' my time
Searchin' through the dust, lookin' for a sign
If there's a light up ahead well brother I don't know
But I got this fever burnin' in my soul
So let's take the good times as they go
And I'll meet you further on up the road
Springsteen

Driving across 160 around Kayenta skirting the south side of Monument Valley I'm amazed at the red rock formations that look like ocean waves that were frozen in time. They undulate back and forth imitating a storm at sea with spires reaching to the sky in the distance, so beautiful and varied, impossible to take it all in. This part of Arizona is so different and desolate but with its own incredible beauty.

We are stopped for the night in Durango, about 450 miles today, a good ride. This year we have two new people riding with us, Tim and Greg giving us seven tonight. Tomorrow we will meet up with JB probably around Pueblo.

Ready To Go

Just finished packing after spending a wonderful day with family. Sitting here in front of the computer knowing I should go to bed since we leave in eight hours with the  "did I forget anything" thoughts running through my head.

Then on pops the screen saver which is set to google photos and I spend the next half hour watching pictures of trips past and thinking about the trip to come. Time to get some sleep and begin another adventure around America.

Chuck

DAY 23 END OF THE ROAD

Tourists don't know where they've been, travelers don't know where they're going.
Paul Theroux

Made it home late afternoon Tuesday happy to be home and sad that it's over until next year. There will be numerous short rides and a week with the wives in October but this one is in the history books.

We are so fortunate to have missed the devastating weather that has touched many of the areas we were near. Just watching it on the news brought back memories of riding in northern Arkansas Mother's Day morning. We had tornado damage on the sides of the road, parking lots with mobile insurance offices filing claims on a Sunday, and packed church parking lots.

We are all home safe, rode some unbelievable country, met incredible people, all on two wheels. The saying "It's Not The Destination, It's The Journey" isn't brand specific and certainly describes our group.

As always I must thank my family who indulge me and realize how important the trip is to my mental well being.

Chuck

DAY 22 May 23

Left this morning headed south on I-25 with jackets on to the first gas stop. Jan suggested that we head west on two lane roads instead of continuing down the interstate, we could pick up 25 again in Santa Fe. That’s all it took and we were westbound on Co 160 (I think) with 14,000 foot snow covered peaks to our side and 60 MPH lightly traveled roads.

Eventually ended up back on I-25 then I-40 to Gallup where we are stopped for our last night, luckily the motel has a restaurant and bar on site . Spent dinner talking about the ride and what we could do next year, would like to complete the river road in the future but not next year.

Today while I was riding put together some thoughts about the things that had left an impression with me on this trip. There are probably a few hundred things that have left a memory that will pop up in the months and years to come I know any list would leave out to many but here are a few in no particular order:

The Natchez Trace, a path created over 2000 years ago by migrating animals still in use by the same, us.

The Tail of The Dragon, not any more challenging than many other roads but oh so famous.

The camaraderie of other riders at Deals Gap and anywhere else we ran into fellow travelers.

Of course the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 460 mile long National Park of incredible beauty, so many shades of green on a great road.

Finding a motel with a restaurant and lounge after an afternoon in the rain south of Toledo.

Meeting the Over The Wall Crew at breakfast the next morning. These young men were from a trade school in North Carolina for, what else, pit crews.

Sitting at a picnic table in Wisconsin above the Mississippi near one of the dams eating fresh cheese sold in quarter pound little baggies while a barge heads upriver.

The color of the sky above the 45th parallel, a most incredible blue in the top quarter of the world.

At a scenic view in Iowa above the river just sitting for a few minutes to watch a bald eagle hunt along the bluffs.

The fun of talking to new people anywhere we were. A couple of nights ago sitting outside a motel on a bench when a man started as the always do, “You the fellas on the bikes?” wanted to know where we are going and where we are from. We asked this particular man where he was from and he said, CheBOYgan.

I could go on forever about things that left an impression but it’s time to skip to my favorite part of the trip.

Every morning I get up pack most of the gear and take it out to the bike. Then it’s time to meet the guys for breakfast and discuss exactly which way we are heading today and what roads we are going to start on. Then it’s back to the room grab the helmet make a last check and walk to the bike, time for my favorite part.

I toss the last of my cup of coffee into the trash, fasten the helmet, start the bike, and turn down a new road.