Dillon to Montrose - Up and over.

When I got up in the morning, I turned on the weather channel: 30 degrees. I went back to sleep until the sun came up and the temp rose to 34. Just above freezing as I loaded the bike – small scattered flakes were falling – the asphalt was thawed. I don’t remember what time I got away, but it was light as I made my way down to Aspen, via Copper Mountain and through Leadville and Climax. The mountains were spectacular in the clear morning air, but as throughout this trip, I had a hard time finding a safe place to pull over for photos. As I climbed the first pass on Hwy 91 it was only 27 degrees. Then a silly man in an orange vest waved me to a stop. Seems a tow-truck was relieving an automobile from its encumbered parking spot in the ditch, so I took the opportunity to take some photos. Passing through Leadville I took a trip to the edge of town looking for a photo-op, but didn’t really find one. I wouldn’t mind having that scene out my back door though.

Almost half way to the top of the world!

Off of Hwy 91 and onto 24, then a right on Hwy 82 started the journey over Independence Pass. I had to stop at Twin Lakes for some photos, but I didn’t pick the most pleasing spot. The air was still crisp at two miles high; about 28 but, the sky was clear and everything was dusted with the previous night’s snowfall – BEAUTIFUL!! I’m sure the air was thin, but I had a full day’s acclamation so I didn’t notice, and the bike was doing all the work, until I got closer to the summit, into those 10 mph switchbacks. There had been tracks of snow before I got to them, but those switchbacks had snow tracks and -SAND- covering their surfaces. I’m pretty sure I forgot to breathe a few times. The last thing I wanted to do was drop Hondapotomus then pray that someone with some significant strength would come along and help me pick her up. No worries, I made it to the top for the “I was here” photo, chatted with other tourists, took some scenery shots and started down the mountain before my tires froze to the parking lot. The goal was Aspen for Lunch!

A wide spot on the west side of Indepence Pass.

I found a really wide spot on the downhill side of the pass and stopped there for a number of photos. I pulled way over to the side to make room for other tourists that might want to stop too and it turned out to be a good idea; not to leave room for others to park, but to keep the bike from getting run over by numerous stupid people that ran the corner way wide. They must have been looking at the bike because a couple of them looked like they were headed right for her. I don’t even know if cell service was available up there – what a pain that would have been to get hit that far from civilization!!

Parking spots are hard to find in Aspen.

Lunch in Aspen consisted of a Cheeseburger special at a small tavern on the main road of the most touristy part of town. Cute little town and I’ll bet it really get’s busy during ski season! My open air sidewalk seat let me soak up the atmosphere, people watch, and keep an eye on the bike. Not that I was ever really worried about the bike, but I’d sure hate to have any problems that far from home, or a Honda Dealer!!! I left Aspen to the west and turned left through Carbondale down Hwy 133. The snow-covered mountain peaks played peek-a-boo between the lower hills and the yellow leafed Aspens played finger paint on the hills, lakes and streams. I met a couple from riding from Vegas at one wide spot and we conferred that the wide spots just weren’t in the right places to get the shots we really wanted, and that what we got would have to do for fear of getting plowed by passersby. I had originally planned to meet a friend in Durango this Tuesday, but he couldn’t make it and I wasn’t making the kind of time I thought I might (must have been the cheeseburger). I did really want to see the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

The north rim of the Black Canyon is primative!!!

I turned left on Hwy 92 and negotiated 6 miles, each way, of well packed and relatively pothole-free dirt road to visit the north rim of the Black Canyon a few miles later. Amazing what a little water can do given enough time. The north rim is primitive and desolate. I met two cars coming in, a couple who had been to the south rim earlier in the day, and nobody riding out. It was about five o’clock as I left my parking spot thinking, “don’t drop this sucker now, no one will find you until morning!” I was able to safely make it back to asphalt, but I was getting a little tired so I decided not to ride the couple hours all the way around the east to the more-commercialized south rim although the road looks like it would be great fun on the map. Sorry I missed it, but I found a room in Montrose before the sun went down and spent time organizing photos, getting the bugs off the front of the bike, sorting out an e-mail problem and chatting with the clerk at Super 8. Mileage for the day: 285. Was I slacking? I was on vacation!