The last 20 miles into Glenwood Springs is spectacular in that it runs through a gorge following the course of a river below. Rather than being carved into one side of the gorge or the other, it is built over the river, almost suspended - 4 lanes of magnificent divided highway that allows an enthusiastic Harley rider to cruise comfortably at 70-80 mph- perfect for those who’ve had enough of the heat and just want to get to the air conditioned comfort of their room at days end.
Others dug out swimming attire and made good use of the pool - awesome. Mexican for dinner then off to bed. Once we’d cleared the township of Glenwood Springs, our route followed the curves of picturesque and fast moving Crystal River, a very pleasant way to start the days ride. We climbed mountains (the torque of our big Harleys making short work of the job) then rumbled down the other side, with apparently five passes making up the day’s total. At one point we saw massive black piles of fine coal approaching, evidence that rather than silver and other minerals apparently prevalent in the state, we were passing through an area of black rock, soon confirmed by the poverty that goes hand in hand with coal mining. More wrecked cars, more trailer homes half buried in weeds and junk, as desperate as their occupants, with no prospect of an easy life any time soon. We stopped in a small town called Delta for coffee and were very pleased to find a small and nondescript shop front housed a small and very “green” cafe which provided an air conditioned oasis from the ever increasing heat. The most memorable thing about Delta were a couple of used car lots on the outskirts of town specialising in unrestored cars of the 1950s - very unique. More miles under our tyres before stopping for lunch in Silverton (yes, a town made popular by the wealth of silver mining), before tackling what is known as the Million Dollar Highway - apparently named as the first road in the US that cost a million dollars a mile to construct. This road is terrifying for many, unlike the elevated marvel of yesterday, this has been blasted and hewn from solid rock. Seems the budget did not run to Armco barriers, so any miscalculation would mean a very long and rapid descent and no chance of a happy ending. Spectacular scenery though, waterfalls, even a massive American flag in the middle of a paddock flown at the Weber Ranch - very patriotic. More of the aforementioned passes followed, twisting up to 10000 then 11000 feet where the air is thin and cool, then twisting down the other side. Some had earlier joked that a cooling rain would be appreciated, not anticipating the hail and freezing rain that ensued, thankfully in short bursts, a relief for those of us in T shirts. Our hotel in Durango was situated a little further than most of us were prepared to walk, so pizzas in the lobby were deemed a great option. Comments are closed.
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Don MalcolmA perfect day involves being on my Harley with a long ride ahead.
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