Sturgis: The Ride

Today we got up fairly early and made the mad scramble to get our stuff packed and get on the road at a reasonable hour. We failed. By the time we got packed, gassed, fed, and caffeinated it was almost noon.

Overall, I thought the weather was pretty awesome for a return trip from the Black Hills. Granted, it was a bit windy in spots, but the temperatures were comfortable and we didn't run into rain.

As we traveled south, I thought about The Ride. What is it that makes us love riding the motorcycle?

On a motorcycle, you are out in the elements -- the wind, the rain, the sun all have immediate effects. You are exposed to conditions that you have little to no control over. You travel the same roads and at the same speeds as people in cars. Many of those people don't see you because you are small and easy to miss. So you ride like you are invisible, because to most people you are.

But what makes us love it?

Motorcycle riding is a visceral activity. When I ride, I feel like I'm floating. I react to the road with a twitch of the hips one way or another, a slight lean into a handlebar as gusts of wind try to shove me off my course. The wind screams past my ears not quite drowning out the sound of the 1300 cc engine thundering below me.

The road itself is part of the sensation. Each different surface has its own feel through the tires. Some pavement is grooved, some not. Some surfaces are noisier than others, some more difficult to navigate. The heat affects different surfaces in different ways. And tar snakes are always a bikers favorite.

The wind brings fragrances, odors, and aromas that are gone as soon as they cross my nose. The sun beats down, turning my exposed skin a dark reddish-brown. When a cloud passes overhead, the air temperature drops. And you can tell where a field has been recently irrigated or fertilized.

There is a certain freedom in being out in the wind, exposed to the elements. If I could take all of my trips on a motorcycle, I would be a happy girl. But, this is a summertime activity, so we take advantage as we can. And so, we complete up another Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Thanks for reading my ramblings on our trips. And please take a peek back for photo and video updates as soon as I edit the GoPro footage.

Sturgis: Out and About

This morning we didn't have a plan outside of coffee and breakfast. Over breakfast we decided to go over to Harley-Davidson and get my mirrors installed, Lin wanted to look for shocks, and Donna wanted to look into getting her seat repaired. We will have to go into Sturgis for the seat repair, and Lin didn't like the price on the shocks. I got my mirrors installed, so one out of three ain't bad.

With my new mirrors installed, we took a little ride out to Caputa to take a look at the old camp spot. The fence had been removed, but other than that the place looked the same as the last time we were there.

After the visit to Caputa, we rode out to Box Elder to see Genevieve, Dave, and the kids. Bree was glad to see us, but it was hard to drag Aiden away from Minecraft. The visit was short as it was getting late and we still needed to eat, shower, and start packing for the trip home tomorrow.

We rode into Rapid City to the LongHorn Steakhouse, where Lin was kind enough to buy dinner for us (today is our 22nd anniversary -- thanks Lin). The place was busy as usual, and the service was very slow. By the time we made it back to the cabin, it was much later than we wanted (9:45, where does the time go?), so we postponed the shower and packing until morning.

Today's post is short, just like today's ride. Tomorrow we head for home.

Sturgis: Oh My Hail!

This morning we woke to cloudy skies and cooler temps. After a slow start (so what else is new?) we made our way to the Morningside Cafe, a local breakfast and lunch restaurant. We found that place last year, and decided to find it again. It was much less crowded this year than last, much like everywhere else.

Not long after we were seated, we heard from our friend Genevieve. She was able to take the afternoon off, so we arranged to meet her in town and go for a ride.

Despite the darkening clouds, we decided to ride for Sturgis along our original route -- through Nemo and Vanocker Canyon. We left the parking lot and headed for the road leading to Nemo. A few miles down the road, the raindrops were falling on our heads so we pulled over to don the rain gear. I loaned Genevieve my rain gear since I had worn my chaps and had my all-weather jacket with the water resistant liner.

By the time we had geared up, the rain had started in earnest. The ride from where we had stopped to don our rain gear until we reached Nemo was only about five or so miles, but I think it took us about 20 minutes to ride that five or so miles. A mile or so from where we had stopped to add clothes, the hail started.

The hail pelted us for about half mile, and of course the rain came down harder. I stayed in the lead until I couldn't see for the fog on two layers of glasses, then Donna took over. As long as I could see her, I was fine.

We stopped at the first beer garden we came to and waited out the rain. The break gave us a chance to dry out, warm up, and down a beer. The better part of an hour later, we rode out of Big Mama's beer garden and headed for the turn to Vanocker Canyon.

By that time, the rain had pretty much quit and the rest of the ride into Sturgis was beautiful. The air had a little bit of a nip since we were still damp from the rain, but it wasn't enough to pull us over to change anything.

Traffic in Sturgis was the lightest we have ever seen. In the past, the line of vehicles was almost a mile long. Today we had two bikes in front of us, and the only thing that slowed us down were the stop signs at almost every intersection. We even found places to park on the first block, all within sight of each other. That is unheard of.

After walking around and shopping for about an hour and a half, we met for a meal then headed back to Rapid City. We decided to ride back through Vanocker Canyon and Nemo since the skies had cleared and the air had warmed back up. Once we got riding up the canyon, we discovered that it hadn't warmed up that much, so on came the gear again. Not because it was raining, but because it was starting to cool off.

We dropped Genevieve off at her car and headed back to the cabin. We even managed to make it back before dark. It was a treat to get out of Sturgis during the day and under clear skies. Usually the rain chases us out and we're floating down the interstate after nighfall.

We haven't quite decided what we are going to do tomorrow. Probably go back over to the Harley shop. Lin wants to look at pipes and I'm going to see about getting mirrors mounted.

Sturgis: Black Hills Challenges

The goal of the day was Iron Mountain Road and Needles Highway. These are listed as two of the most challenging rides in the Black Hills. Now, I don't know if they are considered equally challenging riding one direction over the other, but this year, we chose to ride UP both. Usually when we ride Iron Mountain Road, we ride into Keystone instead of out of Keystone.

The Black Hills are criss-crossed with windy little state roads that connect the major highways. These roads are generally a little more narrow with fewer (if any) passing lanes and they hide some of the most beautiful scenery in the Hills.

We started the day in Keystone with a quick breakfast, then herding the cats.... er.... gathering all the bikes for the ride up Iron Mountain Road.

After Iron Mountain Road, we entered Custer State Park and saw a herd of buffalo along the side of the road. They pretty much ignored the tourists and just munched the grass.

Riding through Custer State Park along the Needles Highway seemed like a slow motion ride. The speed limit is 25 MPH, and for good reason. The road is narrow and has a lot of tight turns and switchbacks. But the views are awesome.

From left to right: Lin, Joby, Carrie, Donna, Jae, Vicki (trying to hide behind Jae), and Sharon.

After Needles Highway, we rode into Hill City for a beer, a bite to eat, and conversation before heading our separate ways for another year.

Lin, Donna, and I had discussed riding over the Old Hill City Road back into Keystone when we left, then up to our cabin, but the turn onto Old Hill City Road came up sooner than we expected and we missed it, so decided to skip that part of the day. It was probably a good thing, too, because the clouds were building up for their afternoon downpour. While we managed to miss most of the raindrops on the ride back to the cabin, the rain did chase us inside after we parked the bikes.

Tomorrow we head to Sturgis for some shopping and to register at the administration building. The plan is to ride up to Nemo then take Vanocker Canyon into Sturgis. Should be a fun day.

Sturgis: Deadwood

Today we rode to Deadwood to test our luck at the slots and grab dinner. The ride over was great. Bike traffic was light, as we noticed before, and we've heard a couple of locals comment the same thing.

We took Lake Sheridan Road to US Hwy 385 and practically had the road to ourselves. That's almost unheard of during rally week. It's nice when it does happen because no one is pushing us faster than we want to ride and we aren't pushing anyone else along.

We arrived in Deadwood around 2:30-ish, parked in the big lot across from the casinos, and walked the length of Main Street down to the Mineral Palace Casino to have dinner with our friends from North Dakota.

A few beers and steaks later, we toddled down to the casino and I dropped a twenty into an interesting looking machine. I started slow, like I always do, and I got a bonus spin. Then I got another bonus spin. And another. Pretty soon I was up about $50.00. That was when Lin told us that she had found a roulette machine.

We spent the next half hour or so playing roulette before we got the weather report from our friends who were wandering around outside. The clouds had turned black to the south and east, so we decided to cash out and head back to the cabin.

The skies over Deadwood had cleared by the time we got out to the bikes and on the road back, but we could see the blackness in the distance. Heading down US Hwy 385 we watched the sky with our eyes on the clouds. Luck was on our side all the way from Deadwood to Rapid City. The roads were still wet in spots, and we could tell that we had missed the rain by mere moments. But overall, the trip back was dry and incident free.

Tomorrow we ride Iron Mountain Road and Needles Highway.

Sturgis: Hail No!

The day started a little later this morning than expected. On the other hand, the night was much longer than expected. An hour or so after we turned the lights out, while we were still tossing and turning trying to get comfortable in unfamiliar beds, lightning and thunder rolled across the Black Hills along with the rumble of motorcycles. At one point, the thunder rumbled for almost two minutes as heat lightning lit up the clouds and our metal water bottles rattled against each other.

We woke to blue skies and sunshine. After breakfast, we headed to Black Hills Harley-Davidson, a regular stop during the rally.

Now, Lin is the only Harley rider in the group, but even us Honda riders can find a deal or two at BHHD. The vendors sell all kinds of accessories for more than just Harley-Davidson motorcycles. We found some new-fangled tie-downs to try out on the ATV and new mirrors for my Honda.

After we finished walking around and looking at accessories, it was time to find a bit of air conditioning and cold beverages before stopping for a few groceries on the way back to the cabin. As we left the bar and rode toward the store, our eyes turned west, to the clouds building up and moving east. We would have to make it a quick trip though the aisles.

The clouds were blacker and closer when we came out of the store. We quickly packed the bikes and headed back to the cabin. Watching the clouds, we rode the handful of miles and got everything into the cabin moments before the sky opened up.

For the first time in my life, I saw golf-ball sized hail. The weirdest part of the storm was hearing the hail before I saw it. I could hear them hit the road as they traveled across the highway, then they ripped through the trees around the cabin, losing enough energy that they didn't damage our bikes.

Some bikes out on the highway weren't so lucky. We heard reports of broken headlights, cracked windshields and a few minor injuries, but nothing serious -- as far as we know.

That was our excitement for the day. Tomorrow we ride to Deadwood. Wish us luck!

Sturgis: On the Road Again

The annual motorcycle pilgrimage has begun. This morning, Lin, Donna, and I mounted our steel ponies and headed north to Sturgis, South Dakota.

Our day started around 7:30-ish with coffee and conversation. As usual, we chatted longer than intended and finally got our butts in gear and loaded the bikes. We finally got out of the driveway and off to Vern's Place for breakfast around 9:30. As usual, the food was very good.

The first leg of our trip started on I-25. This year, we decided to take the county roads out to Wellington and grab the Interstate there instead of Fort Collins. We gassed up and headed to Cheyenne. North of Cheyenne we took US Hwy 85 toward Torrington.

Having tested the range of the bikes on our trip to Pagosa Springs earlier this summer, we decided to skip one of our usual gas stops (next year we might skip two). Normally, we stop in Lusk, WY, for gas, but this year we skipped Lusk and rode straight through from Lingle, WY, to Edgemont, SD. About a mile or so before we reached Edgemont, Donna had to turn on her reserve tank.

Overall, today's ride was pretty uneventful. The weather was just about perfect when we hit the highway, with not a breath of wind in the air. That changed the further north we rode. By the time we reached Lusk, the wind kept trying to push us around. For the most part, the wind was behind us, but every once in a while the road curved around and the wind would broadside us.

We were able to make the ride with fewer stops this year, which makes a faster trip. We arrived at our camping cabin just outside of Rapid City before 7:00 PM. This year we rented a camping cabin at the Happy Holiday Resort. We are a little closer to Rapid City, which might or might not be a bad thing, I'll let you know.

So begins another adventure on a motorcycle.

Divisions

For the past week, I have struggled with reading (anti)social media and watching the news. I watch as our country devolves into violence, into an “us versus them” mindset. Black men are executed during simple traffic stops and for exercising their rights; white police officers are killed out of anger and retaliation for those killings of black men. Presidential candidates are spewing racist, sexist, dog-whistle phrases and memes as if they are the only ones whose opinions count and no one else is listening.

This is going on even among close friends and family. And I don’t like it. As Voltaire once said: “I disapprove of what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.” I used to believe that was what made civil discourse in America. We used to have polite conversation in our society, but it seems that “civil discourse” has become a dirty word. What ever happened to compromise? I give a little, you give a little; we agree to disagree on the rest, and leave those issues for later. These days, if one “side” or the other doesn’t get its way, the “civil discourse” turns into threats or downright violence.

What people seem to forget is that the Constitution applies to EVERYONE. Not just the rich, the white, the straight, the Right-Wing, the Christian. It applies to EVERYONE. The First Amendment states:

• “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

That sounds pretty plain to me. And to anyone who has read the writings of our founders, you will know that they wanted a country free from religious control and persecution – in short, they wanted a secular nation. After all, it hadn’t been that long since their own forefathers had boarded a ship to escape real religious persecution.While I don’t necessarily identify as a Christian, I do identify with the Christ-Consciousness. When I read the Christian Bible, I am more likely to pick up a red-letter version of that book and read the words printed in those red letters – the words of Jesus. (For the record, I don’t limit myself to the Christian Bible. I have also read from the Bhagavad Gita, The Tibetan Book of the Dead, the Kabalah, and various Indigenous belief systems. I am currently waiting for an annotated copy of the Holy Qo’ran.)

I read the Bible on a whim when Donna and I got home from Pagosa Springs last weekend. That day, I happened upon the Sermon on the Mount. I read the Sermon with the charged political rhetoric rolling around in the back of my head, and what stuck out to me the most was St. Matthew 7:1-2, as written in the King James Version.

1. “Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2. “For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

Now, to me, that says you should be paying more attention to your journey through this life – not someone else’s. As my kids, grandkids, and step-family will tell you, I am not one to tell anyone how to live their life. If you come to me for advice, I will tell you how I see it, through the eyes of my wisdom and my experience, but your choices are your own. I don’t live in your skin, I don’t know what challenges this life is throwing at you, I don’t know you from the inside – only you do.

My personal philosophy is that I will pay attention to my journey in life and let you live yours. I will respect that your journey has led you to different conclusions and ways of thinking than have mine. I only ask that you grant me the same respect.

That is the beauty of America. We are the Melting Pot of the world. We have taken thousands of religious and spiritual beliefs and blended them into a wonderful, beautiful tapestry. This country is richer for the diversity, and our strength lies in our diversity, which is exactly what some want to destroy – and we are letting them.Some people think that the relative anonymity of social(?) media gives them the cover to say things they would not say to someone’s face. This is where I see civil discourse break down. I made a promise to myself that I will only post things that I would want my mother to read.

I have tried very hard this year to not push my political views on my social media tribe, mostly because I do not push my life, beliefs, and lifestyle in anyone’s face. I am also trying very hard not to respond to (what in my opinion are) not well-thought out arguments and news items from my friends and family who have political views that are opposite of my own (refer back to the Voltaire quote in paragraph 2 and the fact that this is only MY opinion, which I am entitled to keep to myself).

What a lot of people seem to have forgotten right now is that for every argument you have in favor of your position, there is likely someone out there that is living life on the other side of that argument. You want to open carry your AR-15 rifle? Fine, your neighbor down the street should be able to carry one too if they are as law-abiding as you. They’re black or Latinx? Why is that a problem to you? Don’t they have as much right to defend themselves against you as you do to defend yourself against them?

This is the problem I’m having with the “political discourse” this election cycle. This “my way or the highway” attitude that is pervasive on the internet right now (FaceCrack(sic), Titter(sic), Ribbit(sic), and the rest of unsocial media) has me close to uninstalling any (anti)social media sites from my phone and going back to the 1990s way of keeping in touch with friends and family – email and phone calls.

For now, though, I will mostly lurk, read the headlines that grab my attention and keep my political opinions to myself. But, I will vote my conscience when the elections roll around, and hope that people remember the real issues – we are one nation and it hasn’t only been those on “your” side that have helped make it the success it is today. It has been men and women, straight people and LGBTQIA people, white and black and Native American and Hispanic and Asian, Christian and Muslim and Jew and Buddhist and Wiccan and Indigenous – all of us together – that has made this country what it is.

Let’s find the things we have in common, instead of looking for the things that set us apart and make a better America for our kids, grand kids, and great grand kids.

Pagosa Springs: After Thoughts

I’m one of those people whose mind never slows down. I find it hard to meditate, and consequently don’t do it as much as I should. I struggle with the staying power to make regular time to practice yoga on a daily basis, even though I am well aware of the physical, mental, and emotional benefits such a practice would evoke. I fully blame myself for these shortcomings. Simply put, I am human.

When I’m riding a long trip on the motorcycle, my mind is going in a million different directions. Primarily, my eyes wander the road from side to side along the road, I’m scanning my mirrors, I’m looking ahead at traffic, I’m watching the road surface for hazards. I’ve been driving for so long, that a lot of what I do when I drive (or ride) is automatic and it leaves a good portion of my brain singing “Are We There Yet?” until my head explodes.

So, instead of driving myself insane with an annoying earworm, I think about the stories that are constantly running though my head. Sometimes I write little vignettes and scenes that I can never quite remember when I sit down to put those thoughts on paper. I take in the scenery around me, and kick myself in the @$$ for not having my GoPro charged and mounted on a helmet. And the scents, aromas, and odors of an area are unavoidable when riding through on a motorcycle. The air can go from the scent of wildflowers to the stench of decay in one breath. Thankfully, on a motorcycle the latter is usually well behind by the time you can take a second whiff.

I’ve tried listening to music while I ride. That only works if you have a set of ear buds that will seal the ear canal enough not to let in the wind noise. And even then, in a cross wind all bets are off on even being able to hear anything but an occasional loud note or riff. I bought a (pricey) custom set of inner ear speakers, but they only lasted a few years before I couldn’t hear much out of them anymore. Besides, they didn’t have an inline volume control, and those are hard to find nowadays.

So, I think of stories to write when I ride. Someday those stories will make it to paper, but right now, they are ideas percolating in the depths of my mind. Stay tuned, you never know when one of those stories will appear in this blog. 

Pagosa Springs: Another One Bites the Dust

Another trip, that is.

This morning we were up and at 'em at 6:30 AM. (I know, right? We are almost never moving that early when we are on vacation. But this morning we were on a mission.) Our goal today was to ride all the way home. 

Last night, I put in a request for nice weather (or at least missed weather) for our ride home today. (I believe in the Law of Attraction. I mean, why not, it's worked for me so far.) And it worked, up to a point. Then it worked again.

We got the bikes packed, the place cleared out, the keys returned, and were sitting down do breakfast at Two Chicks and A Hippie (Donna wanted that awesome green chili one more time before we left) by 8:15 AM. By 9:00 AM we were riding east on US Hwy 160 facing our old nemesis, Wolf Creek Pass.

This morning the weather gods were with us as we had one of the most gorgeous rides over the pass that we have ever experienced. The sky was a perfect Colorado Blue with white puffy clouds. The last time we rode over Wolf Creek Pass, we to hailed on and rode over in rain and 50° temperatures. This ride was a treat. 

As we left US 160 and turned onto US Hwy 285 north, the wind picked up and we could see the clouds build up in South Park. We pulled over to gear up for rain so we wouldn't have to do it at an inconvenient place. Sure enough, 5 miles up the road, the rain started. We were glad we had put our heavy gloves and rain gear on, because not only was it raining, the temperature had dropped as we were climbing over Poncha Pass. 

By the time US 285 turned northeast, a few miles south of Buena Vista, the rain had stopped over our heads, but we could see evidence of it along the road. We stopped a couple more times to get off the bikes and stretch before we reached the I-76 cutoff to I-25 in Denver. We had decided earlier in the day, that if traffic was as bad as it had been on our way out of town last weekend, we were going to take the service road instead of the stop and go traffic that plagues US Hwy 287. 

Surprisingly, traffic on I-70 and I-76 through Denver and north on I-25 was relatively light considering the holiday weekend. We expected traffic to be much worse. Once again, we could see evidence of rain that had passed less than an hour before. 

When we arrived back in Fort Collins, we had a final meal to celebrate another successful trip. We stopped at the Hideout Patio Restaurant and Bar for a bite before heading our separate ways. 

Donna and I arrived at our home on the mountain around 8:15 or so. The dog was also very glad to be home. In fact, he hasn't left my side since we got here. 

Pagosa Springs: Parting Preparations

Today is Saturday, our last day in Pagosa Springs. This morning we got moving early enough to catch breakfast at Cafe Colorado. It was very good, but Donna said the green chili was better at Two Chicks and a Hippie.

The day started out cloudy, and it stayed mostly cloudy all day long. The rain stayed mostly north or south of Pagosa, with occasional drops falling. Nothing like yesterday. After breakfast, we went for coffee at Higher Grounds Coffee, then back to the condo to take a few things to UPS. We decided to ship some stuff that we didn't need home. Might as well lighten the load if possible. It wasn't much, but it will shorten the time it takes to load the bikes.

After we finished at the UPS Store, we headed down to the Park to Park Arts & Crafts Festival in downtown Pagosa Springs. They had a small carnival and booths with arts and crafts. It was nice to see arts and crafts that are different than we usually see. We bought a few odds and ends for upcoming birthdays and such for kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids.

Because of where we parked, we had to start back to the condo in the opposite direction with the intent of finding a place to turn around. So we went back to the Malt Shoppe. I ordered an Avalanche (Donna and I shared) and Lin had a cone. We did a little browsing at the shops in the little strip mall while we ate our ice cream.

When we got back to the condo, around 3:30 PM, I did some laundry (did I mention that this place has an apartment sized washer and dryer?) and we started to pack. Dinner tonight was all the goodies that we bought when we got here and haven't consumed yet.

It will be an early night so we can get an early start in the morning. Not too early, though, we want to make sure we don't turn into Popsicles as we travel over Wolf Creek Pass. We plan to dress for the pass as we leave town. It will probably mean roasting when we stop for breakfast on the way out, but at least we'll be warm when we start out.

So, early to bed and a long day riding home. Look for a late post. We plan to ride all the way home tomorrow, so send those good weather thoughts our way!

Addendum: So a few minutes after I wrapped up the computer, Lin called me outside to look at the view. This is what my camera captured.

Pagosa Springs: Two Chicks, A Hippie, and ...

... A rainstorm. Yep, the precipitation started early this morning. We took our time getting ready to go to breakfast and hung out at the condo until the morning rain quit. The ride over to the restaurant (2 Chicks and a Hippie) was just about perfect. The air was fresh, the sun was shining, and the road had (mostly) dried out.

Our timing was great. We had a choice of indoor or outdoor seating – we chose to sit indoors figuring we would be outdoors most of the afternoon. By the time we ordered coffee and breakfast, all of the tables – inside and out – were taken. Since we are coming up on our return trip, we talked about what we wanted and needed to do today and tomorrow. When we finished eating, we made a brief stop to gas the bikes and headed toward Doc's Hawg Shop Service and Repair to get some oil – and what ever else we happened to find.

No sooner did we get out onto US Hwy 160 heading toward Pagosa Springs, then it started to rain. By the time we got three-and-a-half miles up the road, the raindrops were seriously coming down. Time to pull out of the backed-up traffic and find someplace to don the rain gear. Luckily, we found a place that had an overhang we could dress and wait under while the worst of the storm passed. 

When the rain slowed – we could see that it wasn't going to stop for a while – we headed back to the highway and the condo. What we could see of the valley was pretty socked in. No sense in getting more drenched or cold than we already were. 

One interesting effect of the rain is that the geese that had been pervasive at the seventh hole were gone. They had been replaced by a brace of ducks. At one point I saw at least 15 of the little guys out on the green. These three were hanging out on the rough. The one in the back had a hurt leg. (We saw a limping goose the other day, too.)

So, instead of spending the day browsing the Arts & Crafts Fair, we relaxed at the condo and watched Shark Week, slept, grazed, and were generally lazy – you know, typical rainy day stuff. And preparing for our trip home. And hoping that the weather improves in the next two days. All in all, it was a relaxing and lazy day.

Pagosa Springs: Rain, Rest, and Relaxation

So, yesterday, the annual Colorado rainy season began. Around here, the weather-guessers call it the "monsoon season." For those of you who don't live in Colorado it means that our normally dry state gets a lot of rain. Basically what happens is that the seasonal wind patterns shift and moisture from the Gulf of California and the Gulf of Mexico clash and is carried into the desert Southwest. Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado experience a few weeks of daily thunderstorms and occasional heavy rains. National Geographic has a good article about the monsoons that occur around the world, and toward the bottom is an explanation of the North American monsoon.

With the beginning of the summer rainy season in mind, we stayed close to the condo. We went to breakfast at the Cafe Colorado, but by the time we got seated, they were no longer serving breakfast, so we had to change gears and decide what to have for lunch. Needless to say, we were a bit disappointed. While we were having lunch, we watched round one of the daily atmosphere rinse.

By the time we finished eating, the rain had stopped, the sun was out, and the pavement was already starting to dry. (Have I ever mentioned that the weather in Colorado can be a bit schizophrenic?) We hopped on the bikes and went downtown to do a little shopping. By then, the temperature had shot up a good 15° and we worked a little more on our sunburns.

When we'd had enough retail therapy, we went back to the condo for a little relaxation – after all, we are on vacation. Donna checked out the Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough hot water to have a nice, warm, relaxing soak, so had to settle for a luke-cold soak. I did a little yoga and Lin watched the golfers (and round two of the rain) from the deck.

Later in the evening, Donna and I went out to the Sky Ute Casino in Ignacio with Donna's friend, Denise. It's a little tricky getting in and out of the resort, so I ventured out to guide Denise to the condo since she offered to drive us out there. While I was waiting for her (turns out we were at opposite ends of the parking lot), round three of the storms rolled through. Needless to say, I got wet. (OK, not really. I prepared for it and had donned my rain suit before leaving the condo.)

Now, I'm not much of a gambler unless the machines keep me playing for a while. My limit is usually $20. If I lose half of it before we eat, I know what kind of night it's going to be. And last night was one of those nights. It started out well. Fred Flintstone almost doubled my money on my second or third spin, then Barney Rubble took it all back. <sigh> There's a reason I don't have a gambling addiction.

Overall it was a nice time. After we ate, I wandered around the small casino while Donna and Denise migrated from machine to machine for a while. When we had all given enough to the casino we headed back to Pagosa Springs. It's about an hour-long drive from Ignacio back to Pagosa Springs, and it's along one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in the US.

Wildlife is prevalent in the area. Elk, deer, bears, skunks and all kinds of critters live in the San Juan Mountains and Southern Ute Reservation. I am a firm believer in "intention manifestation" (call it prayer if you will). Ever since we had a near miss with a Bambi in Vernal Canyon a few years ago, I have made it a point to project my attention and intention for a wildlife-free road ahead of us. So far, despite the number of miles we have ridden, we have not had another near-miss. Last night, I was projecting like crazy. And it must work, because Denise commented that it was unusual that she wasn't seeing any deer along the road.

Today is July 1, and it's raining. We are thinking about going down to the Pagosa Springs Park to Park Arts & Crafts Festival that starts today and runs through the 4th. More shopping!

Pagosa Springs: Conquering Fear

Today, we went to Mesa Verde National Park. Our driver and guide for (most of) the day was Tom -- a long-time resident and retired Forest Service Hot Shot who was very knowledgeable about the area. We left the resort at 7:30 AM, just the three of us and our guide.

Along the way, Tom told us a little about the history of the area and pointed out some of the local landmarks. A little more than two hours after leaving Pagosa Springs, we arrived at the visitor center at the entrance to MVNP. This bronze sculpture is one of the first things you see when you enter the area.

The tour originally planned to have us do the Cliff Palace tour, but it was sold out until 5: 00 PM. That was a little late for us, so instead we booked the 1:30 PM Balcony House tour. We had time to drive around the mesa top and stop at the Spruce Tree House visitor area for a bite to eat before we took the tour. From this area, you can look across the canyon and see the Cliff Palace dwelling.

After lunch, Tom drove us around to the Balcony House and left us in the capable hands of our cliff dwelling guide, Ranger Pete. Now, even though these are all cliff dwellings, each one is different. They were built around matrilineal clans. The cliff dwellers didn't stay in the cliffs long -- less than one hundred years -- but what they left behind is amazing. 

As Ranger Pete began to describe the physical difficulty level of the tour, both Donna and Lin started to get cold feet. I talked them into at least walking with the rest of the group to the point of no turning back and let them decide from there. They agreed, and by the time the strenuous part came, they decided to go for it. (It didn't hurt that there was a 72-year-old woman on the tour also -- Donna figured if that woman could do this, so could she.) Before they had a chance to change their minds, Ranger Pete and I had them up the ladder.  

From here, we could only go forward. We climbed a short ladder and some steps that had been carved into the stone, and squeezed through a narrow passage into the kiva area. At this point, Ranger Pete gathered everyone around the kiva and described the clan structure to us.

The next -- and biggest -- challenge was the 18-foot long tunnel we had to crawl through to get to the dwelling exit and back up the parking lot. The entrance and exit of the tunnel (three or four feet long each) were only about 18-inches or so wide and two-and-a-half feet tall. The center area wasn't any wider, but was much taller. 

After crawling through the tunnel, we had to take a few to calm our nerves. Donna also had to make an adjustment to her leg. While we rested, we took the time to pose with Ranger Pete.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of the ladder up, but it was quite a climb. By the time we made it back to the top, we were shaking. 

The drive back to Pagosa Springs was much more subdued than the trip out this morning. We made it back to the resort around 6:00-ish. Once again, the temperatures had cooled by about 15 or more degrees and the shorts and tank tops we wore for the tour were woefully inadequate. We put on as many clothes as we could and had a cold ride back to the condo. 

By this time, we were all starving, so we changed into warmer clothes, hopped back on the bikes, and rode a couple of miles to a place called The Buck Stops Here. It is a deli/restaurant that came highly recommended by the resort staff. We decided it was time to try the place. 

The food was amazing. The steak was cooked just the way we like it (Donna and I shared the thing, it was huge), and was seasoned perfectly. In fact, Donna mentioned that it tasted like we could have cooked it. 

All in all, it was a good day.

Addendum 6/30/16: Although we didn't get a picture of the final climb out of the cliff dwelling (my phone had died hours ago, and Donna's and Lin's phones were screaming battery warnings at us), our friend, Lourie Strasburg, has kindly granted permission to use her photo that was taken when she and her friends came here in the past. This is the last part of the Balcony House cliff dwelling tour.

(Photo used with permission of Lourie Strasburg)

Pagosa Springs: Hot Springs and Cold Rides

This morning we ventured out to the Hot Springs. After a light breakfast and coffee at the condo, we put our suits on under our clothes, hopped on the bikes, and headed headed for the springs. The weather was beautiful, but we could see the clouds build up over the San Juan mountains to the east.

After a couple of hours of moving from one pool to another -- each pool with a different relaxing water temperature -- we looked at the skies to the east and decided it was time to leave -- along with everyone else. By the time we had showered, dressed back in our street clothes, and reached the bikes, the rain started. It wasn't heavy, but what fell out of the sky were big, fat, semi-solid chunks of rain that were not quite hail.

Luckily, it barely began before it stopped again, and we were able to get in our rain gear as we left the Hot Springs and headed back to the condo. Of course, that was when the steady light drizzle started. We stopped for linner (dunch?) to wait for the rain to pass.

Just our luck, the rain quit almost as soon as we walked into Wolfe Brewing. (Of course we would stop at brewery for dunch (linner?), wouldn't you?) We ate and enjoyed the atmosphere. It was pretty quiet for a brewery, but it was still fairly early -- not even happy hour(s) yet. About the time we finished our meal and paid the bill, it had started sprinkling again.

The cold ride "home" after the relaxing hot mineral water, was certainly a shock to the system. We had planned to make a couple of tourist shopping stops along the way, but bagged that idea when the sky turned liquid. Don't get me wrong, I like when it rains, it keeps the fire danger away. But I really don't like riding in the stuff. A lot of drivers are stupid enough around motorcycles on a good weather day, but when the weather is bad, it's even more dangerous for those of us out on two wheels.

When we got back to the condo, I hesitated to take off my chaps because they were keeping my legs warm -- I had worn shorts anticipating the stroll around Pagosa Springs. Instead, I pulled my clean jeans and socks out of the dryer and put those on. Ah, warmth.

Last night we had talked about heading out to one of the local casinos with Donna's friend Denise, but between the hot springs, the cold ride, and the overall malaise of the day, we pooped out early and will part with our hard-earned money later in the week.

Tomorrow we are off to Mesa Verde National Park bright and early. We opted for the bus tour that leaves at 7:15 AM instead of riding out there. This way, we don't have to stress about traffic or worry about the weather. We can enjoy the park and relax as we travel back and forth to the park.

Pagosa Springs: Old Friends, New Friends

Today was our typical first day at the destination. Slow start, shopping, and just plain hanging out. We started the day with a trek to lunch followed by a stroll through the grocery store to pick up a few food, beverage, and snack items.

Our brunch today was chips and (excellent) salsa, followed by a Shrimp Fajita plate at Chato's Mexican Restaurant. We were surprised that more people weren't in the place enjoying the tasty food. After we ate, we rode over to the grocery store and bought way too much food and snack items, while forgetting some of the things we really needed -- like food storage bags.

Back at the condo, the air conditioning felt so good, that we all kind of collapsed into our respective "lazy" modes -- Donna laid down to read her book (and fall asleep), Lin sat on the porch and watched the geese and golfers, and I took some time to practice a new yoga routine.

Donna has a friend from her high school days that lives in this area, and tonight her friend came to visit with two of her children and grandchildren. We had a very nice visit with Denise and her family (Angelo, Christina, Carlos, and Larry).

  

While we talked, we watched the sun go down. It's amazing how the sky seems to light on fire when the clouds build up. 

 

Tomorrow is casino day. Time to break even on the trip. Wish us luck!  

Pagosa Springs: Long Days, Late Posts, and Leg Cramps

I'm bad. Here we are on another riding adventure and I haven't started the story of this adventure yet. And we left Fort Collins yesterday morning.

This year, Donna, Lin, and I have traveled to Pagosa Springs, Colorado. So, here is the story of the last two days.

Pagosa Springs is only about 350 miles from Fort Collins -- totally do-able in a car in one day, but not so much on a motorcycle (for us at least). We decided to make the trip in two days and made motel reservations in Salida -- a mere 200 miles from the Fort. Good thing, too.

We packed up the bikes, backed out of the drive, and pushed the starter buttons. Of course, my bike decided not to start. I had to jump-start her on my first ride this year, but she had started the night before when we rode from the garage where we park the bikes to Lin's house across town, so I wasn't expecting issues first thing in the morning. Surprise!

After push-starting the bike, we made our first stop the Honda shop for a new battery. Lin and I pulled the seat off and replaced the battery. Before we put the seat back together, we made sure the bike started. Success!

As I packed all my stuff back on the bike, we watched the interstate and the southbound lanes had stopped. Hmmm. Time to rethink our route. One of the employees came over to tell us that a motorcycle accident had occurred in the southbound lanes, hence the traffic backup. Knowing our way around the area, we quickly chose a route that would keep us off the highway until we were well past the accident.

We had originally decided to stop at Johnson's Corner for breakfast, but scrapped the idea when we had to make the detour to fix my bike. We thought about Mickey-D's, but circled back around and decided that we needed a good start to the trip -- so off to Johnson's Corner we rode.

After a good breakfast and three full tanks of gas, we were off to Pagosa Springs -- at the crack of noon, of course.

We watched traffic on the highway as we ate and gassed the bikes, the southbound lanes crawled along, while the northbound lanes zipped by at normal speeds. Change of plans, instead of the taking the interstate to Denver and US Hwy 285, we headed for US 287 to Denver and US Hwy 285. Either way, we were looking at slow-and-go traffic. Finally, we reached US Hwy 285 and pointed the bikes south.

The ride down US 285 was uneventful until we tried to find the motel where we had made reservations. The address was in Poncha Springs, it was really in Salida. The room was small and by the time we had found a place for dinner, unloaded our luggage, and settled in, there was barely space to walk in the room, let alone break out the computer and try to make a blog entry. Not only that, I'm not sure they had WiFi.

Last night was a long night of leg cramps. Donna suffers from muscle cramps, as does Lin, and my legs are trying to take lessons. No amount of water, Gatorade, or leg cramp pills helped. All Donna could do was walk them out and hope they wouldn't come back. She's had worse nights, but last night was bad enough.

This morning, we packed up and had to pick a few things up at Wally-World before heading out. We asked a local about a breakfast place and got an excellent recommendation -- the Patio Pancake Place in Salida. According to Lin, the pancakes are very good. I liked that I could get a 1/2 order of Eggs Benedict (I can't eat a full order any more and I hate to waste food).

Once again, it was the crack of noon before we were fully on the road and headed to Pagosa Springs. Today we only had to ride about 145 miles, but that ride included the ever-dreaded Wolf Creek Pass. This pass has never been kind to us. We have ridden it three or four times in the past 10 years, and it's been cold and/or rainy every time. Today was the best ride we've had over Wolf Creek.

Our delays caused us to miss all of the rain that fell throughout the last two days (who says delays can't be beneficial?), and possibly an accident. When we left South Fork, we made sure we were dressed for cooler conditions -- jacket liners, sweatshirts, heavy gloves, face protection. Sure enough, it was pretty chilly by the time we reached the summit. Five miles later, we were melting -- but we missed the rain (by minutes apparently, the road was still very wet).

At the first opportunity when we reached Pagosa Springs, we pulled into a parking area to pull off the extra clothes before we passed out from heat stroke. As luck would have it, the Malt Shoppe serviced the same parking lot, so we slid in out of the heat and sat down for an ice cream and a pit stop. Our timing (as usual) was impeccable. About 10 minutes after we walked in, the Sunday afternoon ice cream rush was on. By the time we walked out, the line was out the door and half-way down the sidewalk.

Fifteen minutes later, we were standing in line waiting to check in at the resort. Twenty minutes after that, we were sitting on the patio outside our home for the week looking at the San Juan Mountains.

After much-needed showers and an awesome meal, it's past time for a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, a week of new adventures begins.

((Correction 6/29: Our view is not of the Collegiate Peaks, they are the San Juan Mountains, my apologies for the misinformation.))