skip to main |
skip to sidebar
If I didn't know better, I'd think we were back in Kansas!
We spent Sunday night & rest day on Monday at Mollie Wolf's in Dolores (another fantastic warm showers host!) Spent most of Monday catching up with Peg Weir Oschenreiter- what a treat!
Today's ride to Monticello (& a new state) was an easy 60 through rolling hills & beautiful farms. We were able to go 17mph up the hills... sweeeet!.
More gorgeous scenery. Hope they aren't all looking the same to you. It seems there's a jaw-dropping sight around each bend!
Conquered Lizard head pass.
Mining equipment & some good advice.
Sorry about the duplicate photos...the other day I was able to delete...today- no such luck...I love electronics!
Our warm shower hosts- Rob & Robyn sent us out of Montrose with waffles for breakfast. All day yesterday & all morning today we could see we were getting closer & closer to the San Juan Mountains. Made it over Dallas divide with little difficulty & enjoyed a wonderful downhill to Placerville. On the other side of the pass there was red rock & pines. Spectacular!
Unfortunately, we had a tough uphill climb to get Telluride in view...& then back down. (tomorrow will begin with all up grrr)
Telluride is a cute little ski town, busy even in summer. There are Mountain bike & hiking trails. You can take the gondola up & ride or walk down.
Friday we took a boat tour of the beginning part of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River gorge. It was spectacular! Amazingly, they managed to build a narrow guage railroad at the base (now much is submerged by water from the 3 dams).
West of Monarch Pass are the Tomichi Creek & Gunnison river valleys. Where there's water things are lush & green. When it's absent- rocks & sage brush. Incredible contrast, incredible beauty!
Monarch Pass through the Sange de Christo Mts... 11,312 ft had us a little worried, but turned out to be a long & not so difficult thing after all! Had to put on jackets for the downhill side. Zoomed down at 25 mph & could have gone faster except we were (wait for it) stuck behind a truck.
Left West Cliffe CO & traveled easily through the big broad Wet Mountain Valley. Beautiful lush horse & cattle ranches. Then over a little pass to the headwaters of the Arkansas river valley. Here it's some white water through canyons (with mountain goats). Lots of rafting & fishing. Also hiking & horseback riding as we're right at the base of the mountains.
Big surprise today- Dan drove from NC with kayak & bikes & will join us for a couple more days!!!
We enjoyed a day off at Pueblo Lake State Park (Rach- think DeadHorse Canyon.UT). Sharon's friends Ron & Becky & family drove down from Boulder to visit & brought an awesome picnic spread! Edwin (from AL) joined us as well & will continue with us to CA. Sky did a marathon 24 hour ride to Pueblo from Scott City & visited a friend...but made it back in time for the party!
Today we left miniature "grand canyons" & set out over barren rolling desert hills towards the Sangre de Christo Mountains. (ponghorn antelope & prairie dogs) In about 15 miles things became green with more farms. Not long after that we started up into the Wet Mountains with pines & rocky craggs & alpine meadows. (bighorn sheep) Soon we were at Hardscrabble Pass (9,000 ft) with the big mountains in view! Our 58 mile day took waaaay longer than the one into Pueblo when we finished by lunchtime!
Had one of our best meals of the trip at the Stage Stop! Reminded me a lot of Betty's.
Met another trail angel named Treasure who found us a wonderful plce to stay.
Another big change- we said sad goodbyes to Sky, Klaas & Gosse who headed north towards WY.
New birds- western bluebird, oriole & magpie
