Miles yesterday: 200
Miles today: 175
Miles so far: 1150
We have all agreed today has probably been the best sustained motorbike riding day we have ever had. The roads were simply sublime, and in most cases reasonably quiet. From our first climb out of the valley in Gunnison to the top of the Monarch Pass and down the other side was easily one of the best roads we had ever ridden - and on almost new tarmac in perfect high teens heat. And at the top, on the continental divide at around 3500m, we were then treated to another 400m or so of cable car taking us to some spectacular panoramic views. And a bit of fun as well.
Shall we go for a scenic cable car ride? Of course we will!
Transport up - quaint!
An amazing panoramic shot from the top
The road down
And it didn't let up. From the top of the Monarch, via the fast, sweeping bends of the US285 north and finally over the Guanella Pass, even higher at nearly 1200ft, and into Georgetown, a little west of Denver, it was one spectacular 175 miles!
We are going up there.
At the top
Also at the top, without the idiots.
Mind you, we have definitely passed the hot desert weather we had outside Vegas. When we woke this morning in Gunnison it was 2ºC, and we wore all we had on the bikes for the first hour or so. Don't feel such fools for bringing all those down gilets, fleeces and liners now!
And before we tackled the Guanella Pass, we just had to stop off at the Shaggy Sheep for a bowl of soup.
Eric looking casual, post-soup!
And that was just today! Yesterday we left Durango and headed up the "Million Dollar Highway". I'm not sure if it is so named because the views are worth that, or it cost that much to build. But either way it too is a pretty spectacular road.
Just a low pass on the "Million Dollar Highway" - under 11000ft!
An early start from Durango, to get those 200 miles in, meant breakfast an hour later in Silverton, an impossibly quaint mining town (silver presumably!), at the top end of the railroad we had sampled the day before. Found a great cafe too!
Love it. The Main Street is the only one that is paved.
And then, with Eric making the most of his leadership day which required only two roads, both ending in 50, we diverted briefly to another amazing National Park, between Durango and Gunnison. So, hands up - who has heard of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park? Nope, me neither! But it's magnificent. And as is often the case with magnificence on this kind of scale, it's just about impossible to do justice with a phone camera - or perhaps any camera.
The narrowest, deepest, steepest canyon in the world (well, the USA anyway). Presumably it doesn't win any of those "awards" individually but together it is quite something!
So that's it for another couple of simply amazing days. Colorado is undoubtedly the best place we have ever been to ride motorbikes. And we haven't even reached Rocky Mountain National Park yet! We are now heading north, tomorrow, all being well, into Wyoming. Some pictures to finish with...
The continental divide marked in the Observation Tower at the top of the cable car at Monarch. Hard to get a picture from the Pacific side!
We briefly considered staying here. But we didn't like the smell 🤣.
And last but not least, the obligatory rubbish selfie at The Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
Shaggy Sheep - are you sure you're not in Wales!