I left Topeka about 8:30 Monday, September 25 headed southwest for Colorado for what would turn out to be one of the finest riding days & tripever. The weather was just perfect with temperatures in the upper 40’s and rose to about 80 around Garden City. There was very little wind and cooled back to 77 as I entered Colorado and down to 68 as I entered Walsenburg.
I went west on I-70 to just west of Salina where I headed southwest to Great Bend, Larned, Jetmore, Garden City, Syracuse, KS and into Colorado through Lamar, La Junta, to Walsenburg where I spent the first night. I had a nice motel for $37 and there was a good Mexican restaurant nearby for dinner. I seen many antelope while riding through Colorado and took a picture of a herd near the road. Many farmers were in the field sowing wheat, windrowing feed & alfalfa and baling.
With the nice weather it was an easy 568 miles in a day. Gas was $2.00 in Topeka and $2.68 in Walsenburg. During the trip gas was usually $2.70 to 2.80 in Colorado.
Even though western Kansas and eastern Colorado is mostly flat there is still beauty with the growing crops and changing of scenery. Once you start to see the mountains the terrain becomes more rugged and farm ground changes to pastures.
Day two I left Walsenburg about 7 AM as I am an early riser. I rode west on 160 hwy and went over La Veta pass and the temperature dropped to 31 degrees. I had on plenty of clothes and even had another layer or two I could have added if need be. I stopped at the Old West Cafe in Fort Garland for a great breakfast, excellent service and nice people.
I went on west through Alamosa and over Wolf Creek pass down to Pagosa Springs to Durango. Around Alamosa is mostly cattle country with irrigated hay in the low lands and pasture higher up. It is really quite beautiful and again another great day. Between Alamosa and South Fork there were miles, about 20, of railroad cars to haul semi trailers. I stopped at South Fork at a visitor center to inquire about these and yes the railroad is storing them there.
From Durango I headed north on 550 hwy through Silverton, Ouray, and up to Montrose. It was a very scenic drive and scary at times because there were no guardrails or shoulder, just a straight drop off of several thousand feet. It made me want to crowd the centerline. I stopped often to take pictures. It is easier to find a place to stop while riding a motorcycle since it doesn’t take up much space.
From Montrose I headed east on 50 hwy to Gunnison where I spent the night. The motel was very nice for $50 and this is the first time I received a “Thank You” note from a motel after I arrived home. The reservoirs are probably 20 or more feet low but Blue Mesa is still a huge lake. I saw a bighorn sheep right next to the road but didn’t stop. I took some good pictures of them in Glazier National Park 3 years ago on my way to Alaska. I rode 415 miles today.
It is amazing how much building is going on around Durango, Montrose and in between. Some places it really ruins the scenery. I do not like all the man made structures such as power lines that run up and over the mountains. Sometimes it is very hard to take a picture without getting a power line or other obstacle in the picture.
On Wednesday I left Gunnison with 27 degree temperature and it did not get above freezing for about 2 hours. I have a heavy pair of gloves and also my bike has heated grips I turn on so I can keep my hands warm. It also has a heated seat but I haven’t used that. I just wiped the frost off the seat and took off. I saw a lot of deer, a coyote and ducks & geese this morning. I stopped often to take pictures. I would pull over, flip my helmet visor up, take off a glove, take the camera out of my coat pocket, turn it on and take the picture, then reverse the procedure. Many times I would just get rolling again only to pull over and go through that again and again.
I made it to Vail by noon and the building boom continues here. I planned to stay in Eagle that evening with our nephew Joe & wife Sandi Suther, son Paul, daughter Marie and her son Walker. It wasn’t far to Eagle so I went north to Steamboat Springs. I had eaten a couple of waffles at the motel this morning before leaving. I had some snacks I ate for lunch along the road. I usually eat breakfast & dinner and skip lunch while riding. It helps me from getting sleepy while riding.
Going to Steamboat there were many picture opportunities and what struck me that day was how blue the sky was. I came back a different route toward Kremmling and took a gravel road from there back to 131 hwy. It was 25 miles but was a pretty good road. I saw people in boats floating the river fly fishing and some just floating and shooting the rapids.
I arrived at Joe’s about 5 PM and their daughter Marie let me in. I inquired about a liquor store and she pointed one out so I went for some beer. As I was heading back to their house Joe followed me in. I had a great visit with them and enjoyed a good meal of baked potato, grilled chicken, and green beans. I rode 360 miles this day. Thanks for your hospitality!
The next morning I headed out at 7 AM Colorado time. It was 28 degrees but warmed up quickly. Eagle is about 120 miles west of Denver on I-70. I came through the Eisenhower Tunnel which was down to one lane each way. I did not have to wait. I went through Denver without incident and hit the other side with 75 mile per hour speed limit so I set the cruise on 80 until Limon. I stopped and ate breakfast, then 80 until the Kansas line. I set the cruise on 75 and stopped at Colby & Salina for fuel which was $2.12 there. I arrived home at 6:15 PM Kansas time so made 695 miles in just over 10 hours. The temperature high for the day was 68 and sunshine the entire way.
It was a great trip and not one drop of rain. It is really fun to ride in cooler weather and no rain. There was quite a lot of snow in the mountains and the Aspen were at the height of their glory. It was the right time to be there.
So my travels this year took me to Mississippi and Louisiana with the Salvation Army in February to see the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. In May I rode to Georgia to attend a BMW rally and to see the Great Smoky & Appalachian Mountains which I seen again in August when Mary and I drove the car to Gatlinburg, TN.
Then in July I rode to a BMW rally in Vermont, traveling in the Provinces of Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and many north eastern states. What a grand and diverse country we live in. From the plains, to the Rockies, to the Smokies, to the Canadian Provinces, it is all different and all grand. I love to travel through rural areas and see the different crops like, wheat, corn, soybeans, cotton, tobacco, sea weed, potatoes, hay and the different animals like beef cows, dairy cows, hogs, sheep, horses, llama’s, and goats. I saw two huge dairy herds one in New Brunswick and one in Colorado. I saw huge herds of sheep in Colorado and was reminded of “Broke Back Mountain”. You also see the extremes of how people live from the very poor to the very rich. There are many that live in poverty so be thankful for what we have!
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