How To Read This Blog

First, thank you so much for taking the time to wade through these musings from the road and also looking at the photos!! The oldest posts are at the bottom so if this is your first time in here please go to the bottom or oldest posting and read up. If you are here just for the photos go about it however you like. In order to get a fuller appreciation of the photos please click on them to enlarge. If there is or are one or more that you like, feel free to save them to your computer. I do hope you enjoy your time here half as much as I enjoyed the adventures that made this story possible!

Day Nine

Dirk was first up and he was an hour behind the schedule he had in his head when he went to bed. I urged him to leave ahead of me and wished him well as he took off in a terrible storm. I went about my preparations with my normal deliberation and was blessed with the storm easing to a light shower by the time I was loaded and ready. I left the hotel wanting to fill up before I got on the freeway but there turned out to be no gas stations between there and the highway. I rode along for a couple of miles and got off on the first exit, filled up at a BP and was soon on my way in a now heavy downpour.

The drenching lasted for about thirty minutes and for the rest of the first tank I rode in dry conditions, staying minimally ahead of the storm. I arrived in the southern suburbs of Chicago about four hours later and gassed up. I wanted to eat but the storm didn’t look too far behind so I got back on the freeway for about another hour before pulling off for lunch. I ate a quick lunch and just as I got my helmet back on the rain started to fall.

I rode again in the rain but this time only for about half an hour and then the horizon cleared up though the skies overhead were laden with heavy clouds. At lunch the first shadow of a cord was teasing through the tire and I hoped that I would be able to nurse the tire back home. This tank took me all the way across Indiana and past Toledo, Ohio where I filled up and checked the tire. To my pleasant surprise it was not much different than it had been back in Illinois so I opted to ride on.

Still ahead of the storm, I had enough gas to make it home but it was hot and I was chugging the water so I had to stop short of the destination to answer a call of nature that any of us would ignore only to our embarrassment. I was only twenty miles from home and managed to get the bike in the garage with daylight to spare.

With the kickstand down and the luggage inside I was glad to have made it safely to the end of another wonderful adventure. I gave Dirk a call and he too had made it home with no incident. All is well that ends well!!

I tore the bike apart for service, tire change, oil change and such. There are a couple of parts for the windshield I had to order and those will take a few days to get in so that will mean a good week + of rest for the bike before it is pressed forward in search of new adventures at the urging of my wanderlust.

Day Eight

Having ridden the last day in the mountains and knowing that the only thing between us and home was a ride across the prairies with the Mississippi River being the only significant landmark between Cheyenne and the garage in which my trusty steed would find rest and relief from my constant urging, there was a palpable lack of a sense of urgency in my preparations for the day. The sun came up without having the opportunity to shine a ray on the face of one of its most ardent admirers. The word lethargy took on the likeness of a superlative when applied to me that day.

I masked this by preparing my bike while Dirk was firing off his last few emails and getting my bike prepared for the road well ahead of him. I sat on the bench outside the motel, feet in the sun and the rest of me in the shade with neither valley nor mountain interrupting my eye’s search for the horizon. Today, I could see all nine miles that the curvature of the earth allowed. The knowledge that the next two day offered, nay, guaranteed that same certainty weighed heavily on me as I considered the reality that if, only if we turned west instead of east, inside of two hours we would be enjoying the twisties that the Laramie Mountain could serve up.

But, my experience told me that my rear tire would soon tire of pushing the considerable silhouette of my bike through the air, of keeping it off the ground as I flung all five hundred odd pounds of aluminum, steel and plastic at corners with a free abandon that mirrored, to some, the crazed dance of a wayward warthog. No, this tire would serve the rest of its useful life in the vertical plane as I made my way across the plains.

Dirk was soon ready and we were on our way. We had gotten into the rhythm of riding from tank to tank, stopping only to take pictures and with the plains offering nothing more than beans, grains and cattle to capture in the lens it was highly unlikely that we would stop for photos and that this would be a tank-to-tank day.

I tired easily and after the first hundred miles or so I had to stop for a quick rest and then I was able to ride through the rest of the first tank. After that I had to stop again after about another hundred miles to reduce the layers I was wearing and I was thankful that Dirk had to answer some emails and make a couple of calls because that meant a longer break but that was soon over.

As we were approaching the end of the second tank Dirk signaled that he was hungry and shortly after that I saw a billboard advertising Cracker Barrel about ten miles up the road. We made it there before we fainted. It was hot and muggy and we were tired and road weary and, while looking forward to returning home, not all that pleased to be leaving the mountains. After lunch and coffee we were both pretty perked up for the remaining 250 miles to Iowa City. That part passed pretty much without issue and we made just one stop for gas before we rode in under cover of darkness. My tire had made it all the way here without the cords showing. The reason we had chosen Iowa City was there is a good BMW dealership there and I would go to get my tire changed in the morning if need be.

Thankfully, I could start the next day knowing that I had enough rubber on there to at least get me into Indiana.

As was becoming normal on this trip most places were closed for the night when we pulled into town but there was an eatery in the strip mall next to the hotel that was open reasonably late so we went over for a bite and some bitter. They had a domestic beer special of buy one and get one free so I, naturally, availed myself of that opportunity to sample the best from the house of Busch and ordered a couple of pints of Bud ...... naturally followed by another order when the food came.

It also turned out to be a karaoke joint and we had to sit through excruciatingly poor renditions of songs mangled quite far beyond recognition by folks who didn’t stand a chance to make it to auditions to American Idol.

Last bite chewed and last swallow quaffed we put the aural pain behind us and headed for the hotel to settle in for the night before the last day on the road. From here the pair would be broken up into single rider formation for the last few hundred miles.

Day Seven

Captions are below the photos. Please click on the photos to enlarge and if you like any of them please feel free to download them onto your computer and keep them for your self.

Getting up in Carbondale we knew that our route had been changed due to closed roads. Both independence Pass and Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park were closed. I had hoped to be able to make it to Denver so that I could see my friends Terry and Claudia but with the road closures the only way to Denver was on the freeway and with over 1,500 miles of freeway waiting for us on the return trip across the prairies we really didn’t want the last day in the mountains to be spent on the freeway so we opted to travel north to Wyoming.

I called Terry and found him and Claudia on their way to work so I at least got to visit with both of them on the phone. I plan on being back in this neck of the woods at the end of the summer and hopefully things work out then such that I get to see them.
Coming in at night, you never know what scenery awaits you in the morning. When I waked out of the front of the hotel my first word was WOW. Right in front of me was a huge snow-covered peak that is not shown or named on my map.

This was the view that greeted me as I walked out of the front of the hotel to load up the bike.

Looking north from the hotel I saw that the road to Aspen hugged the river at this point with the sheer rock face on the right that combined with lush vegetation and the blue sky make for a setting that lives up to the Colorado motto - Colorful Colorado!

As I was loading up my bike I struck up conversation with the morning front desk clerk. She told me about a bicycle store just down the road where I could get some CO2 canisters in the event I needed them. She pulled some stuff out so that Dirk could get a bite to eat before we got on the road and as he was fiddling with the toaster she told us that she and her husband vacation up in Alaska where they go fly fishing and bring back the catch which lasts quite a while in their freezer. They have spots in the Carbondale area where they go hiking and fishing. One of her favorite is one where after a four hour hike through the mountains you come upon three little lakes with some of the most colorful mountain trout. They will leave at first light and spend most of the day up there enjoying the fishing and the scenery.

I laughed and mentioned that those of us who don’t live in the area come here for vacation, peace and serenity; so, what do people from here do for vacation. She laughed and said that they go to Alaska. Also, the beach is a favorite place to go. Oftentimes they go to California or Florida to enjoy some beach time.

One thing about this middle part of Colorado is the people are for the most part insanely fit-looking. They are also really friendly and welcoming and laid back. While they are laid back, they do not look totally relaxed. There is a steely look about them. The are the only people along the way who don’t marvel at the miles we have ridden in such a short time. Living in this part of the state is about passion. Passion for what you love. Passion to seek it, find it and follow it. They live for the outdoors and will do whatever it takes just so they can have the freedom to do what they love. Most folks from everywhere else don’t understand that but here, they live it and love it. It would be appropriate to say that the motto of the area is love what you do and do what you love.

I decided to stop in at a bicycle store to pick up CO2 canisters in the event the tire didn’t hold up. I borrowed a pump from the bicycle store to top up the front tire. Dirk discovered a local coffee joint so he went over in search of a cup of Joe. He got what he was looking for as did I.
We rode the ten miles into Glenwood Springs and then took the freeway for about an hour to route 131 which we rode north to Topanas which is in the high plains surrounded by mountains. We then took 134 east over Gore Pass at an elevation of 9,527 ft. It rained as we approached the summit but the top was clear. As we came down the other side I tried to take photos of Dirk cornering but the delay from press to snap on the digital did not make for ideal action shooting conditions. Soon we were on route 40 north which we took to Muddy Pass at an elevation of 8,710 ft where we connected with 14 east that took us to Walden where we stopped for gas and lunch.

This was the first photo I took right as we got off the freeway onto route 131 north. As is becoming annoyingly common, the map does not name the mountains!

This is a photo of the same moutain from a different perspective

Looking north along 131 just a little south of our turn off to route 134 over the Gore Range of the Rocky Mountains.

Another shot of the mountians surrounding the high plains on which Walden is located

Along 134 I got a good action shot of Dirk cornering. Those of you who have heard or will hear his bike around town will think how quiet it is. However, if you have the opportunity to hear it at wide-open-throttle you will come to realize that it is not as quiet as it seems. He doubled back about a mile or two up the road and then made the top end of the rev range punch in for work. This was evidenced by the roar that broke the tranquility of the mountain stillness which had greeted us as we made our passage through this beatiful landscape.

This and the next few photos are landscape shots of the mountains around the high plains south of Walden, Colorado

I liked the color contrast here.

Future steaks and burgers munching on the grass.

No need to worry about bothering your neighbors!

We were well above the tree line at this point in our trip for the day.

Lunch was at a really cool lodge in the middle of “town”. It is built in the fashion of a log cabin and has a really homey feel to it. I think, no, I know I would like to make the end of a long day of riding. There is a restaurant at street level. Next to that is a bar and upstairs is a motel. The folks were friendly and assured us that we would enjoy riding along route 14 on the way to Fort Collins.

When we pulled in I had noticed a BMW R1200GS parked outside and the rider came up for a quick chat while we waited for our order. I turned out that he was retired (though he didn’t look to be a day over 47!) and had homes in Houston, Breckenridge and California. He spends his days riding the different bikes he has between his homes. What a life!!

After lunch we left Walden heading east along route 14. The first few miles was still high plains and other than the mountains on the surrounding horizons there was not much to look at. I did wonder what it was that compelled people to settle here as the only activity seemed to be farming and there is plenty of other more hospitable farming land elsewhere! Oh well, I guess you have to be from somewhere and these folks choose to be from here.

A close-up of me suiting up after lunch at the Anters Inn

Zoomed out a little to show the entire facade

We rode a little more in the high plains towards the snow covered Gore Range

This is Dirk racing for the mountians

A nice shot of the Gores with a touch of windshield!!

This and the following few show the dramatic and ragged peaks of the Gore Range.

You really need the arrows to remind you of the up-coming bends as the awesome scenery pulls hard at your attention!

Jeez, I guess I do look like a motorcycle cop! No wonder people hit the brakes when I am pulled over on the side of the road taking photos!

Not only am I a freeze baby, it is also pretty darned cold up here!

Once we joined up with the Cache de Poudre River the ride became significantly more scenic and interesting. However, I was exhausted and started to make mistakes through corners and just could not keep my attention on the road. I resolved that at the first opportunity I would stop for a little rest. Fortunately, we came upon the Poudre General store and I turned around, parked the bike and went in looking for chocolate and coffee. I think I would need both to perk me up and keep me going for the remainder of the ride.

The lady at the counter was really friendly and pointed out the coffee machine and the candy. As I was poking about in the candy section Dirk pulled in and also decided to get some candy and coffee.

We sat outside on the bench and got to chatting and it turns out we both hit the wall at about the same time. We were exhausted to the point where we could not make the most of the awesome road.

Perked up, we were soon on our way and the ride from that point to just north of Fort Collins was fun and beautiful. We bypassed Fort Collins and jumped on the freeway for the ride north to Cheyenne, Wyoming, choosing to bypass the Larmie Mountains as, again, we were running out of daylight.

I rode right past the motel all the way into downtown Cheyenne and we had to double back before I got my bearings. Once we were settled in we walked about half a mile over to the Outback Steak House where we had a few beers and food.

We then turned in for some rest and also to prepare for a ride to Idaho City, Idaho which would be about 750 miles east. It was a good day, a long day but also a day with no mechanical problems!! I hoped for the same for tomorrow!

Day Six

The captions are under the photos. Please click on the photos to enlarge and if you like any enough to want to keep, please feel free to save them to your computer.

After the challenging day that yesterday had been I was in no rush to get back on the road. I worried about my tire as well as the possibility of anything more going wrong with the bike. We got on our way well after sunrise and stopped in the Capitol Reef National Park just a few miles up the road. It was a stop well worth the time if, like me, you like colorful rock formations. The photos below tell the story of this beautiful park.

This is the obligatory shot out of the motel window in Torrey, Utah

I had to add air to the front tire and I was amused by the sign next to the air hose!

Looking back at the mountain we had crossed the previous evening it is plain to see why it was so cold on the summit - there is still some snow up there!

A little education on the geology of the area in south central Utah.

Taking a photo-op break before entering Capiton Reef National Park

One of the many beautiful views in the park

Looking east towards the entrance with a nice ridge line to the east and snow caps in the background

I love the contrast between rock and sky

Really!

I have a thing for scraggly trees

So these continue the scraggly tree series

And this is the last of this series.

Again, the contrast between rock and sky but some lush vegetation adds color to this shot.

Back on the road we came upon a traffic jam in the middle of nowhere!! It turns out that the Kia auto company was filming a commercial for their new SUV and they had the road blocked off. I wondered with all the open spaces out here, why on earth did they choose a spot right off a major through road to do their filming?!?! The wait was only about ten minutes and we were soon on our way.

The film crew for the Kia commercial. With all the beauty this area has to offer it is a wonde that they chose this barren gray backdrop for their commercial. For having kept us roasting in the sun they had better sell a lot of those SUV's ..... oh, wait, we are now paying $4.00 a gallon, hmm, not such a good time to bring a new huge ute to the market is it?

The ride from Capitol Reefs to Hanksville is pretty desolate!

Though you do run into lush green vegetation as you approach rivers.

We turned south on route 95 at Hanskville and between Hanksville and the Colorado River we took some measurements and gathered some data on a flat and open portion of road with clear views for a couple of miles in each direction.

This road offered spectacular views of Mt. Ellen Peak at 11,506 ft in elevation, Mt. Pennell at 11,371 ft in elevation and Mt. Hillers at 10,723 ft in elevation. They were a nice contrast to the landscape to the east which is just high plains devoid of vegetation with the exception of tufts of grass and little bushes about a foot tall but all a washed-out sandy color.

Mt. Ellen Peak as seen from the eastern exposure from route 95 in Utah

Mt. Hillers on the left and Mt. Pennell on the right

A closer shot of Mt. Hillers. It is always amazing to me to see snow when you are sitting in the roasting sun in the middle of the desert!

As we approached the Colorado River the road followed a canyon of beautiful red rocks with nice sweeping turns. The only problem with the turns is the cracks in the road have been fixed with tar and with the sun shining hard on them the tar gets a little squishy and the bikes wobbled through the corners in the most disconcerting manner. We made a stop at a scenic overlook at the Colorado and as we were preparing to take off after taking a bunch of photos a couple more BMW bikes pulled in and we wondered if this was a convention of BMW motorcyclists!

Looking west along the Colorado River in the direction of the Powell Reservoir

Looking east near the confluence of the Devil and Cololorado Rivers

I think we have a quorum for a BMW convention!!

We made quick work of the ride into Blanding where we stopped for breakfast ...... our initial plan was to have breakfast here since it was one tank from Torrey and we figured we would cover it in about three hours. On the way we had to use Dirk’s reserve tank as the measurements we took earlier consumed more than the normal amount of gasoline. So, instead, it was 4:00 pm by the time we arrived and we were famished!

This is the mountain range overlooking Blanding Utah and in it are Shay Mountain with an elevation of 9,988 ft, Abajo Peak with an elevation of 11,360 ft and Mt. Linneaus at an elevation of 10,961 ft.

We stopped in at the Peace Tree Juice Cafe for a tasty meal and a little rest. I was quite tired and thought about canceling the reservation in Carbondale Colorado which was still five hours off and getting a place in Moab, Utah just an hour up the road but on checking I was reminded that I had to have canceled the day before in order not to be charged for the room so we were committed.

Dirk takes advantage of our lunch stop at the Peace Tree Juice Cafe to call home and say good night to the kids.

A view of the La Salle mountains from the south.

The ride over the southern shoulder of the La Salle Mountains into the plains of western Colorado was a fun and twisty ride. We then settled in for the long straights to the intersection with route 141.

We turned north on route 141 for what turned out to be a very spirited ride along the Dolores and Miguel river valleys. It was getting on in the day and we did not stop to take photos but both provided very scenic beauty as backdrop to a fun ride.

We stopped in Grand Junction to gas up just as the sun was about to set. Tired, we grabbed a cup of coffee and decided to finish up the ride to Carbondale on the freeway rather than risk any close encounters with deer through the mountain passes.

It was a good call and less than two hours later we were checked in and ready for a good meal. Unfortunately, everything was closed with the exception of the gas station next to the hotel and we had to settle for pre-wrapped “deli” sandwiches from there. No worries, though as they did have decent beer and that helped wash them down.

It had been a great day of riding and not one mechanical issue with either of the bikes. I checked the routes for the next day only to learn that Independence Pass up the road and Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park were both still closed because of snow. That nixed the possibility of spending the next night in Denver so we opted to end the mountain portion of the trip in Cheyenne, Wyoming after a ride through the Laramie mountians.