Day 4,Independence Pass Colorado

Day 4 – Farmington NM to Glenwood Springs CO, 356 miles

It is not far out of Farmington before I’m into the foothills of the Rockies. As subtle as the high desert was, the Rockies are bold.  Smoke from a forest fire cast a blue haze on the views for about 30 miles but that was all I encountered.

Chimney Rock is Smokin' - Haze from Forest Fire

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Most of the driving was smooth roads, sweeping curves and beautiful vistas.  The mountains were always in the background, sometimes dry broken rock, sometimes snow capped monoliths.

And I thought I had a great view from my dooryard...

I crossed 2 passes. At the top of Wolf Creek Pass (elevation 10868 ft) a group was having a very spirited snow ball fight and letting off some steam after being cooped up in vehicles.

Twin Lakes - on the way up to Independence Pass

 














Independence Pass is the second highest paved pass in Colorado at 12095 feet. The views on the way up are calendar quality; the road is challenging with 10 mph switchbacks and narrow sections where only one vehicle will fit. The bike never complained but I can really tell it is heavily loaded and took extra care. No spirited curve carving this time.  It was 65F at the top of the pass and 95F in Aspen.  BTW – I experienced the rudest drivers on this trip so far on the highway out of Aspen.

Alpine Meadow - pics don't do it justice

From the top - above the tree line

It was good to meet Dave G. and Ginny at the hotel in Glenwood Springs and sample the local fare for dinner (yummo!).

Day 3, NM RT 371 High Desert

Day 3 – Albuquerque to Farmington/Shiprock , 298 miles

The Start of My Ride up RT371

Continental Divide - Elevation 7530

I chose to take route 371 north through Crownpoint and the Bisti badlands rather than the 4 lane.  Tony Hillerman mentions the highway in his books and his descriptions were accurate.  This is a desolate part of the state that has more livestock than people, and the cattle & sheep were not always on their side of the fence. This is Navajo land. It was clear that these people are living on very little. The theme for this entry could have been “Move to New Mexico & never mow your lawn again”.  I did not see one piece of green lawn today only hardscrabble.

I wonder where this one goes?

This is high desert with elevations over 5000 ft. "Real" trees were rare, horses were not.  The vistas were vast, subtle and fascinating.  The road is lined with fences and the “slot” gates.  The cattle will not cross the gates.  Sometimes the dirt track leads to a residence, sometimes it has a road sign, like RT7250 but we would not recognize these tracks as “roads”.  The thought of a dual purpose bike and time to explore crossed my mind more than once.

After the wild beauty of the high desert came the “Walmart/Chili’s/Taco Bell/Motel 6/Cheap Gas” of Farmington – back to civilization – yeck.  The trading post I had planned to visit closed at 5pm sharp but I found one that was in the process of closing and was not in a hurry. I purchased an inexpensive Navajo rug.  The good ones were $2500. The one I purchased had one less zero on the price, but a hand woven Navajo rug nonetheless. It will be a great addition to the wall in my study.

Shiprock is situated in the middle of a vast flat plain but I just don't see a "ship".

Shiprock

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Days 1&2 - "Get There" Days
As many times as I've traveled across this country, I have never tired of the diversity and subtle character of each new scene.  In the farming country the crops were lush, most corn was waist high and stretched to the horizon and large round hay bales were in the fields by the hundreds.  As everywhere, some (very modest) homes show fastidious care and some were falling down. We are an interesting culture.

Unlike traveling in a car, when you travel on a motorcycle, people routinely approach and want to chat - and if you are willing to listen they share a little of their life. One man had traveled to the Arctic Circle on a very beat Honda ST1100. His bike looked like a Rube Goldberg creation, and at McD's "mom" sold me coffee. "mom" (lower case, on her name tag) was the managers mom.

Day 1, Wayland to St. Louis MO. 813 miles.  Temps were cool at 54F near Salamanca & and hot at 95F in Indianapolis.  I got to see the St. Louis Arch lit up after dark and toured the museum.  The museum had several artifacts from the settling of the west including a Conestoga wagon and (very red) stage coach.  The pic does not do the wagon justice - it is really small. I have no right to grumble about the lack of storage space on the bike - whole families lived out of these wagons for months. Cramped, hot/cold, rough and tiny - unbelievable. Those were some really tough people.

Day 2, St. Louis to Albuquerque NM, 1029 miles. 10 drops (literally) of rain and hot. It was 80F by 7:30 am and 96F at noon. Even though it was more miles than day 1, it was easier.  Unlike NY, the roads are smooth and fast. The bike computer shows a moving average of 69.2 mph - that's cookin'.  Did you know that Oklahoma and the upper section of Texas are really really flat?

 

The land slowly changed from the limestone cliffs in Missouri to fields being harvested by huge farming machinery to tumbleweeds and beef cattle.  Then came New Mexico. Vast desert with deep gullies, rocky cliffs and delicate blue flowers.  I noted that somewhere in the middle of Texas the scene changed from the heartland to the west, green to tan and brown, crops to endless fences and cattle.  I also noted that my allergies disappeared somewhere in Texas.

The pic is of my trusty steed at a gas stop in New Mexico. It ran flawlessly, heavily loaded, in the heat and at speed hour after hour. I wish I could say the same for the operator!

 








Dave G. and Ginny got a late start last Thursday due to a failed battery - but are on their way.  Hope to hear from them today. Plans are to meet them in Glenwood Springs CO on Wednesday night.

Day -4

Captain's Log, Star Date - oops, wrong channel...
This will be a running, rambling set of disjointed entries and pics attempting to capture the essence of our 2012 Southwest motorcycle tour.

Nancy & I will be spending 8 days together touring & sight-seeing in Colorado, Arizona, Utah and Nevada with Dave & Ginny. I meet them on 6/13 in Glenwood Springs, CO and pick up Nancy at the Denver Airport on 6/14.

Entries will be hit and miss as connectivity, time and energy level allows - you get the idea.  Hope you enjoy tracking our mishaps & adventure as it unfolds over the 21 days (total) of the trip.