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Day 17
A mile and a half of tailwind is better than a headwind all day...sigh

ROUTE: Grand Junction to Montrose CO DISTANCE: 72 Miles WINDS: SE 10-12
WEATHER: Not as hot, but dry and hot enough...93 at Montrose TERRAIN: Gradual rise all the way to Montrose TOTAL CLIMBING: 3130 feet

DAILY DOINGS: Today we departed Grand Junction.  The town got its name from the junction of two grand rivers...the Colorado and Gunnison.  Today we followed the Gunnison River to the town of Montrose.  The river provides irrigation to large green agricultural areas that contrast the brown mesas that surrounded our route.  I'm always amazed at what a difference a little water makes in these parts...got water, have green...have no water, brown desert.

Our route took us mainly along highway 50 all the way to Montrose.  We did get a small respite early on when Susan Dickson (Our Grand Junction connection) provided us directions to a bike path that meandered out of town and intersected highway 50 about 17 miles out.  The departure was easy and enjoyable...nice to get away from traffic of any kind sometimes.  After we got off the path, we were met with a brisk headwind for the rest of the way to Montrose except for the last mile and a half to the motel.  Like the heading said, a mile and a half of tailwind is better than a headwind all day.  What made the day even a bit more challenging was the fact that we pretty much were on a steady climb for most of the day too.  We did have some downs, but the general terrain rose all the way to town.  Makes sense...we are going toward the Rockies the divide.  It will be a couple more days before we start drop over the course of the day.

One of the highlights of the day was a plaque on the side of the road that I told the riders not to miss.  It was supposed to be at the SAG stop, but Barb found a better place for the SAG stop that was a mile closer.  Actually she thought she was at the right place but the route change this morning messed up our mileage a bit.  So, there was only one rider that I know of that stopped to view the historic plaque...and he only stopped because he saw me there taking a photo of it.  I hardly recognized the area either because they had changed the area since the last time I was here.  The marker was in the middle of a dry field about 50 yards from the highway and it read, "February 1895:  Here the last of the great stinking Aardvarks were exterminated by Chief Nofunn and his tribe of Dementalists.  No species of aardvarks have been seen here since."  I hate the others missed it...quite worth hiking across the dirt to witness.

It was pretty late when everyone finally got in, but most spent some time in town before going to the motel.  After rap and putting new brakes on Alan's bike (who needs brakes?), we went to the Red Barn for dinner...if you ordered the special stew you got enough food to feed 4 people...even hungry bicyclists.  They brought a whole pot of stew for each person...FOOD MECCA!!!  Several of us weighed when we left the restaurant and found their scales were about 10 pounds heavy...at least that's our story and we're sticking to it.

All in all it was a tough day...maybe one of our hardest so far because of the winds.  Tomorrow we should get a good push to Gunnison with an option to ride up to the Black Canyon about 9 miles off route...up too.  Today's ride may have taken some of the spunk out of their climbing legs, but I figure by morning they will be ready to take the side trip...we'll see.  Talk to you tomorrow.  M

 

DAILY DISCERNING DIALOGUE:

"Jenny, get between me and the ducks!"  Monica...evidently afraid of the park mallards.

"I'm just the DOG...Debbie Our Gofer."  Debbie explaining her position with the staff.

The Montrose McDonalds only has one arch...first time I've ever seen that.  Joe commented that maybe Montrose has "fallen arches."

Seems Lisa is getting a rep for facilities use on the road.  Remember yesterday and the snake issue?  Well, today while using the bushes (She checked closely for snakes before hiding) she leaned into a cactus...ouch!  Don't know what's worse...getting bitten by a snake or bitten by a cactus...you decide.

 

 DAILY DUH:

Got to pick on Alan today...seems the heat the last couple of days has been getting to him.  Not surprising since his country probably never has had 6% humidity and upper 90 degree temperatures in its history.  Excuses aside, seems he was so out of it after yesterday's ride that he decided to call home in England.  He studied his phone and just couldn't figure out where the numbers had gotten to.  He started mumbling to himself, "They were here just a minute ago.  And where's the antennae?"  "Hey, my phone looks just like my camera!"  It was. 

After recovering from his embarrassing phone call last night, today he was sitting in a fast food store salivating over a thick, rich, chocolate shake to thwart the hot afternoon.  He exhaled completely to allow maximum suction on the oversized straw to produce a mouth full of tasty, cool shake...he sucked...and sucked...and sucked...nothing.  Wow, this is a THICK shake!  Discouraged but not giving up, he pulled the straw out of the cup to free the opening.  It was then he discovered it wasn't a straw...it was a long plastic spoon. 

DAILY DIGITAL DELIGHTS

Secure in his masculinity, Bill uses the pink pump during the early morning rush.

Preflight on a multi million dollar military airplane never gave Larry any problems, but he struggled with his defiant two wheeler this morning...Oh come on, get up!  Let's go! 

Jeff Foxworthy may find this useful in his routine...You might be a redneck if you have your hot tub on the top of your camper.

Sue done found her dream bike...no balancing required...and a basket for all the ice cream she could carry.

Riding through the bike path we came upon a bathroom...but when we got there, there was already a line.

I think the boys found an alternative to biking into the headwinds today...Larry pointed the way; Bill provided the steering; and David, Scott, and Alan went along for the ride.

Must be for the vegetarian buffalos.

I know why men don't ask for directions...I tried this afternoon and they acted like they weren't even there.

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