The day arrived – and the first part of it was spent doing the usual arrangements, trying to find all the necessary bits and pieces, and attempting not to forget anything. We decided on taking the bike, so we also needed to make sure we had enough warm clothing layers to get us over the Rockies.
The dogs were a great help in getting us ready to roll.
We set off some time after 0800, to much fanfare and a brass band playing us off. We headed south west, and were treated to the beautiful vistas that open up once you get over Kenosha pass. There was a fair amount of snow, but not near the roads.
At Fairplay (which is where the mythical town of South Park is set) we turned north on Road 9, and wound our way over some pretty sharp hairpin bends and high forest roads towards Breckenridge. Again, weather was cool but our layes were adequate. We passed Breckenridge, and rode another half hour or so to Frisco, where we stopped at a lovely bakery for brunch.
Suitably fed and caffeinated, within 5 minutes of leaving we were on the main east-west Interstate that cuts through the whole of Colorado and beyond. Now traveling at motorway speeds, we ate up the miles heading west. The motorway is among the more pretty of it’s ilk, and passes through mountainous regions for 100 miles or so.
Down the western slopes of the Rockies, we got warm – quickly. We dropped of the I70 at Grand Junction, and quickly stopped to peel off the various layers, change our thick gloves for summer ones, and drink a lot of cold water. Now off the motorway, we rode through Grand Junction and out the other side – about 10 miles in all – to the entrance to the Colorado National Monument.
I rode through the monument last summer -about 20 miles of road that climbs rapidly, and hugs the rim of a few significant canyons. The sights are amazing, the corners very sharp, and the sheer drops down into the canyons are magnificent. We did a lot of ooh-ing and aah-ing, and stopped at various vantage points for some pictures.
After leaving the Monument (it is not a specific thing – the whole area is designated as the monument), we re-joined the highway and rode another 40-50 miles, crossing the State line into Utah in the process. Somewhere near Frisco, we left the Interstate once more, and meandered in a south-westerly direction.
After driving about 30 miles or so through pretty desolate scenery, we intersected with the Colorado river. The river quickly runs in to a broad canyon, and the road runs alongside it for miles. It is breathtakingly beautiful, the sides are high, and composed largely of the massive red rock that gave Colorado its name.
At one point, about 20 miles or so before Moab, the river makes a sarp right turn, and the landscape opens up into a vista befitting a cinematographically perfect Western. Large mesa’s, buttes, opening plains and odd shaped rocks patterned the landscape. It was a warm day, an in teh background, the La Sal mountains hovered behind the spectacular rocks. The La Sal range is still snow-covered, and added anther dimension to the scenery.
We got to Moab around 6pm. We checked in to our hotel, and made a beeline for the swimming pool where we cooled off. A nice walk to the Broken Oar eatery was followed by a decent meal, and we then returned to the hotel and turned in – both of us very tired from the lovely day