Not a single vehicle of any type came by while I was parked. One of the reasons I love riding out west so much.
I needed to catch up with Uncle Phil, so got back on the road. Sobered by the scene on the mountain, the 1300 and high gently rolled down the hill, leaning enough to have fun, but way short of scraping anything. I caught up with Uncle Phil who was stationed on a crest taking pictures. "Dang Uncle Phil, you've taken more pics the last 2 days then the previous year." "Yeah been kinda nice." Reunited we came off the mountain peaks into a large valley grassland. The temp was soaring, it was well into the 90s now.
The ranches we rode past were big, they looked to be mostly cattle farms, but I could be wrong, being the city I am.
After an awesome ride we made it to Crawford, which was a store with a motel overhead, and few other buildings. In the parking lot a Buell and a BMW GS sat, the riders gathered around a table inside. "Hey what's goin on?" Uncle called out. "Not much, just hanging out." Each were riding 2 up. I went to the freezer for a ice cream sandwich. The other riders advised they were checking into the motel upstairs. "Dang, they're gonna spend the night here?" I really didn't see why anyone would want to do that, but like Uncle Phil said when I commented to him about it, "Well, some folks are just wired a little different." "Yeah I guess so."
We stayed on 92 through Hotchkiss, Lazera and Austin. The riding was much less spectacular, and for most part we were just looking to get to the "barn." By the time we made it to Delta it was 100 degrees.
U.S. 50 south to Montrose was a mediocre ride, but fast. We came back to the motel after a 217 mile day.
After parking the bikes I went around to the vending machines for something to drink. I made a few phone calls and even managed to get online in the motel lobby. I went to my checking account to check the money situation. "Way under budget, I can motel all the way home if I want."
Debbie told me Chris was coming to Prattville this weekend to pick up a few things. He had a apartment in Mobile but was sleeping on the floor. "He's gonna need some help getting his bed down there, but he has to do it on Sunday." "I wasn't planning on returning till Sunday, but let me take a look and see if I can make it back Saturday." "Ok, that would be nice."
Next I went out to the 1300 and cleaned off the screen, also checked the oil, I don't know why, just thought I should. It was still the same after 6,000 hard miles from Alabama.
We went back to the Red Barn for supper. A number of bikes had gathered in the parking lot, and it looked like a happening place. I ordered the same items as the night before. Uncle Phil had the rib eye, and reported it was excellent.
Our conversation covered a lot of things, but it usually came back to riding and motorcycles. He asked me about the Mississippi Headwaters. "So what did ya find up there?" "Not much, a pond, and some wetlands, but it was pretty neat." "Think I'm gonna take a ride that way soon, and down to Big Bend." "I hada good trip down there, you'll like it." Like anyone with a lot of miles, he has a lot funny stories from the road.
One not so funny was his recent ride up on Lolo. Seems he hit a monster frost heave in a curve, that bounced him off line, into the opposite lane as a car bore down. "The joker in the car saw what was coming off and slowed for me and I made it back over." "Dang, I had that happen to me once but took me to the shoulder, what'd ya think?" ""Funny", I just said, "well I reckon this is how I go out."
On the way back to the room we stopped off at the con store for something sweet, then had nice stroll to the cabin. It was almost dark when we entered.
I flipped the TV on as we chatted some more. We talked about a trip to the Alps next summer. He has that trip pretty much planned out, but after hearing the details I don't know if I'm going to make it or not, not really the way I'd do it. I'd like to spend more time in the lowlands, visit a few WWII sites, then ride up to the Alps, but Uncle Phil says he just wants blitz across France, ride as many passes as possible and book back to the UK. No doubt I'd slow them down too much. If I'm going to the trouble of Europe, I want to see as much as I can while I'm there, and not have to go back on ANOTHER trip to see what I missed.
"I dunno Uncle Phil, if the point of the trip is to see the Alps, I'm thinking fly into Germany and already be THERE. That would save several days and hundreds of dollars in itself, with the price of gas and all, it ain't gonna be cheap to ride across France to get to the mountains." No matter how you slice it, going to take serious money for THAT ride. We've been talking about it since our return from the UK, so I won't rule it out. We'll see.
I don't know if I changed his mind or not, but like HE says, some are wired different.
Not long after that Uncle Phil started sorting his stuff for the ride back to Nashville. HE was traveling light this tour. In fact he had nothing packed on the seat, everything was in the top case and panniers.
I decided a long time ago I wanted to ride U.S. 50 across Monarch, out to the Front Range, and across Kansas on SR 96.
"I'm thinking of riding south into New Mexico, pick out a few roads, then finish up on I-40, I don't want deal with that construction zone on 50 again."
"Try SR 518 south out of Taos, pretty good road and it will take ya down to I-40, I'll see ya in the morning bro," and I headed off to bed.
Before turning the lights off I took out my atlas and GPS to see how I could trim a day off and arrive back in Prattville Saturday afternoon. My original plan was 300 miles to Scott City Kansas, then west Missouri, then Cape Giradeau, and home the next day.
"I can ride an extra 100 east tomorrow, another 200 the next day, and get to Cape Giradeau by Friday." I still wanted to ride back roads home. Many, in the last few days of a long tour, do nothing but ride to get home, and miss out on a lot of good riding. My last day, as most are, would be all interstate home. When I get a day from home, there is nothing for me to see, so I just ride.
Of course all that depended on good weather, and no flat tires. I don't worry about anything on the Honda breaking. It WILL get me home. Evening weather put no fronts between Colorado and home, but some rain to the south. I should only have isolated afternoon thunderstorms to deal with.
I didn't need to change anything on the GPS. "Those will still be my routes, when I get to Scott City tomorrow I'll just bring up the next day and keep going."
With a good plan all layed out, I hit the lights and rolled over.
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