Day 17: Grand Junction, CO to Montrose, CO

Day 76: 19 June 2007

Grand Junction, CO (4591 ft) to Montrose, CO (5820 ft). 
70 Miles.

Blog Address:
http://bikeboyglovach.blogspot.com
Friends – feel free to encourage or make fun of me on this blog.

Videos on the WWW
http://public.box.net//greg98266
Friends – access this link to view some videos I am making with my digital camera.  Not advised while riding, but, at least I have a helmet on…..
 
New Videos:
 

Day’s Theme:
Resume climbing, head towards the Rockies!

Weather/Terrain:
The weather does not seem to change much – hot, high 90s I gather, some breeze (usually in our face), and it seems even HOTTER at 7:00 PM!!
The road was a bit friendlier today, and the majestic Rocky Mountains are in view…

How I feel:
I am well and ready for the next two days – we will climb the next two days and cross the Continental Divide on Thursday at something like 11,400 feet.

Notable Events:
The was a buck just laying under the trees at about 85 miles, just along the interstate.

Pictures:
What’s Happening:



Well, we were off interstate roads for the first 12 miles, and traveled along the Colorado River on the Colorado River Trail.






At the end of the bike path, was a nice little recreation area and this blue peron.






This is Colorado River my friends.  It was flowing quite fast….






So, this is how it works.
Tom gets a flat.
Les and Virginia stop to help.
I come along, Les and Virginia “pass the baton”, and I help Tom get the wheel on.
Yeah, we stop to help, but try to get away form the flatsters as SOON as possible…






This I believe is the Grand Mesa.
A mesa is the rock remaining after water washes away the softer earth, ie, like the Grand Canyon.
 





The Colorado scenery becomes more grand as we head eastward.






An interesting pine tree in this fiend by the road.
It looked like a Christmas Tree, and I know you can’t see the detail, but it was actually a Patriot Tree – decorated with flags and red, white, and blue.
A salute to our fine troops I gather. 
And, I will pause to salute them also.  I know I am very fortunate to live in a country where we can do things like this.
 
 




A little canyon on the way to Montrose.






At about 85 miles, I noticed this buck resting just off the road in the shade.
I managed to get a couple pictures of him without scaring him.
Silly freak isn’t afraid of the wolf??






Montrose, CO seemed like a nice little town.