Two great riding days

The last two days featured many mountain passes, good weather, and interesting roads.

We left Boulder early and followed 119 (Boulder Canyon road) to Nederland, then north on scenic Highway 72 through Peaceful Valley to Highway 7 and then Estes Park at Highway 34. We rode Trail Ridge road in Rocky Mountain National Park to the parking lot and visitor's center where we hung out for an hour or so, talking with other motorcyclists. I walked up to the summit and had someone take my picture. The first time I was there was in 1972 with Dick Bouck - on our motorcycles of course. At that time the only road to the top from the east was one-way dirt and gravel for the last 5 or 10 miles. Once at the top you could only keep going west to Granby, although at least the road west from the summit was two-way and paved. We turned onto US 40 going west over Muddy Pass and Rabbit Ears Pass into Steamboat. We had a little rain at the passes - I don't think I've ever been over those passes when it hasn't been raining. Steamboat Springs just keeps growing and growing - just outside of town is the largest Subaru dealership I've ever seen, and beyond that there's a big trailer park, where I suppose all the service workers live. Steamboat is getting to be like Aspen. We stayed on US 40 to Vernal, Utah, where we spent the night.

View from the Visitors' Center at the top of Trail Ridge Road.

Pete at the summit - I look just the same as I did in 1972 when I was first here except that I no longer have a mustache and goatee. Right.

Taken at the summit of Trail Ridge Road on the 1972 motorcycle trip with Dick Bouck

The old dirt and gravel one-way road in the background

This morning (August 30) we continued west on US 40 to Duschene, Utah where we turned south on US 191. As Utah has grown, US 40 has become a main road into Salt Lake City and there was a fair amount of truck traffic, so we were glad to leave it. Highway 191 south is twisty and interesting and there wasn't much traffic. At Price we turned onto Utah 10 to Huntington, and then went to Fairview via UT 31, which is a great road that goes through a National Forest and over a 9400 foot pass. The weather was good, there was very little traffic, and there were lots of turns - great riding. We turned on Utah 132 and rode into Nephi, and then Delta where we joined US 50, which we followed over several 7400 foot passes into Ely, Nevada and then Eureka, where we are spending the night.

Tomorrow will be the last day on the road, and although it will be good to get home to Carol and Nikki and sleep in my own bed, I have to say that I feel like I could just keep on going.