I browsed the brochures and maps at the visitor's center, talked with the ladies there and gathered some travel information about the area. I wanted so much to visit Mesa Verde National Park either today or tomorrow while I'm here, but after talking with people and conducting my own research, I decided against it because once you enter the park, the dwellings which are really the only attraction the park has to offer, and the campground are at the southern end, 20 miles from the northern entrance and there is no southern entrance. And most of the park would look the same as its surroundings. I would've loved to go just to cross it off my national parks list, but I have found the best or easiest parks to ride through are exactly that - ones you can ride through - enter in one direction and come out at another entrance to continue on your way. Lassen Volcanic, Redwoods, Zion and Yellowstone all fall in this category. Mesa Verde, Arches and others have only one entrance unfortunately.
I was feeling a little dizzy in Cortez, but after I got some food in me and rested up some, I was on my way to Dolores where I was to meet up at a WS house. But first the visitor's center gave me directions to a bike shop in town because I had some bike issues and questions to ask about my gears. I found it and asked them but they weren't much help. On to Dolores I went which is only about 10 miles away.
What I thought would be a relatively easy 10 miles became a grueling uphill battle, partly in the rain. Practically the entire ten miles was a gradual uphill battling wind and rain. I've gone up worse, but it was slow going. Plus, my tires have both been slowly leaking air - my rear more than the front. My front has the same patch I used in Mina, Nevada. They are leaking air very slowly. I pump them up every 20-30 miles. It's a pain, but I just don't want to deal with changing or patching them. But I'll have to eventually -
Passed the turn off to where I will head into Utah tomorrow...and made it to Mollie's house in Dolores, Colorado. This marks the furthest east I will go on this trip. Mollie lives on the outskirts of town and has chickens and a couple dogs. She runs a dog breeding business and shop out of her house. Very nice lady. She made some amazing chili over fritos - spicy too! My kind of food! She was modest and said it was old leftovers...but made a run to get some fritos because she had a friend over that ate some and decided to splurge and go for some junk food. Live a little ya know - boy this tastes good! The shower and bed were a glorious addition. It had been awhile since my last soft bed and warm shower. We had some good conversation before I called it a night. Wonders never cease - a bed and shower we all take for granted in this country - that is until you go without for so long...
I think Mollie gets several cyclist guests needing a place to crash. She got a message from some while I was staying with her. I guess being the only host in a town makes you quite popular with the traveling community. She kept asking me if I was doing The Western Express route, but then she reminded herself that I was doing my own thing. Dolores was right on the route of the Western Express, one of the routes of the Adventure Cycling Association. Those maps are detailed and pretty cool, but they leave little room for exploration and the unknown - venture out - anywhere...you'll be surprised what you might find! I prefer doing my own routes. I have had so many unexpected adventures and have done my fair share of mistakes and met amazing people along the way. I haven't met many cyclists this trip and I feel that the ACA is a cop out. Don't get me wrong. It is a great organization. But their routes are predetermined, with most everything laid out ahead of you...the camping and lodging, where water and food are available, what to see, etc. What to avoid, what not to miss. In response to that, I say, "where's the adventure..." What's the fun, the adventure in having everything spelled out for you? Conduct your own trip somewhere you've never been - don't follow the crowd - and you will be amazed. You will be taken to places of wonder - it will be challenging - you will cry - you will laugh - but you will walk or ride away with a journal full of new thoughts and ideas and with a greater perspective of the world and those who inhabit it. You will ride away with a greater sense of adventure - of misadventure - which is really adventure amplified.
This is not where you find adventure; this is where adventure finds you.
July 31 (Dolores to Monticello, Utah, 63.08 miles) Dolores - Dove Creek - Monticello, Utah. Dove Creek arrived at last. Today has a lot of uphill climbs. Rested in Dove Creek, checked in with Dad, ate lunch - then it was time to ride towards Utah again.
With a lot of time to kill once in Monticello, I grabbed some drinks and hung out a bit enjoying the city before I went in search of Brian's house. Brian, my WS host for the evening, lives in a nice calm community - easy to find. His house is marked by the Warm Shower logo and a flag. Brian was a fabulous host! You never know what to expect from WS hosts. I've had my share of dicey experiences with them but I've also had many wonderful experiences and Brian was one of the wonderful experiences. He is a very nice and generous man. The shower was amazing as always, both in the evening and in the morning. He made some delicious stew and chicken over rice and squash! So good! Over the meal, we had a nice conversation. I learned that his wife lives in Oregon and he often goes - lives in Silverton! He picked my brain about touring, because he wants to go on one soon - wanted to know the reason for my adventure - the reason I am traveling solo and not following an ACA map. Brian gets a lot of bicycle traffic since he is the only host in Monticello, the crossroads of the Western Express. From here, you an either go south to Blanding, north to Moab or east to Colorado. It really is a nice location. I signed Brian's guestbook before I turned in for the night. That's such an awesome idea. His guest book was given to him from a bicyclist guest seeing how many people he hosted. The book was filling up fast. I wrote down my blog address in case he wanted to learn how I got on.
August 1 (Monticello to Goose Island Campground, Moab, 64.91 miles) Monticello - Moab, Goose Island Campground. The next morning, Brian was up and made me eggs and sausage, pomegranate juice, toast, extra toast, blue berries from Oregon and coffee - what a host. He enjoys it too - one of my favorite by far. I wish I didn't have to leave so soon. I hope we meet again down the road Brian! - perhaps in Oregon!
August 1st - here is where I point my wheels north through the heart of Utah. I got a later start to the day - have to sleep in sometime ya know! Plus, that amazing breakfast - had to make time and room for that! After once again pumping my bike tires up, I made ready for Moab. From Monticello, I descend nearly 3,000 feet. What a glorious day. Downhill is a mighty change - a glorious change. Although I still have to be careful because the traffic is not light and the shoulders are tricky. They were hard to ride on at times. Along the way, I came to the Hole-in-the-Rock which is this large house carved inside this rock wall. It cost money to tour the thing, but there was a gift shop inside and all around there were attractions to view. It was quite the hole in the wall place, no pun intended. A great place to rest indeed. It was a long haul to Moab - downhill and flat mostly with a few ups, but with the lack of decent shoulders and traffic, it was an exhausting ride. A mile later there was a rest area that I had lunch at. The rest area manager who was cleaning the place told me of a pump where I could fill my water at. Thank God for rest areas! He also warned me of the road from there to Moab as it is dangerous. Big rigs and vehicles not looking for bicycles on the road. Everyone is gazing at the walls and scenery around them that they may no mind to a bicyclist on the road. I was cautious as always...but what's adventure without danger?
I've been to Moab only once before - back in 2007 - it's a very nice town - huge biking hub, mainly mountain biking which I am not akin to. Once there, I stopped at Chili Pepper Bike Shop to ask a few questions about my faithful steed - and moved on. I had to stop at Shopko to buy some extra floss and bungees. During the past few days I had lost some of my bungees off the back of my bike that I forgot to secure. Oh well, mishaps happen. What would life be like without any mishaps?
I rode through Moab which is always a beautiful ride. I wanted to stay with a host in Moab, but no one was available. Instead I had a few options. There was the Lazy Lizard Hostel at the southern end or there were some campgrounds on the northern end by the Colorado River and on the door step to Arches National Park. I made my way north to the first campground along the Colorado - Goose Island. There is a bike path that led me straight here. To my horror, the campsites were full - but, not to worry, there was an empty group campsite that, in the end, decided to bed down in. Before I got out my tent I just sat on the table with my thoughts. I still wasn't sure if it was okay for me to camp here or not. But I wasn't sure where I would be able to if it wasn't. At the entrance there was a calendar with group campsite reservations and the evening of the first of August was blank so I figured no one was expecting to camp here. A little while later the camp host drove by (he wasn't in when I had arrived) and asked if I planned to camp. He told me to just pay him $7.00 for the site. The normal price was about $15.00 I think. I looked in my wallet and realized I only had a $20.00 bill. The host quickly told me that he doesn't make any change so he just decided to waive the fee entirely. I asked him if he was sure. I didn't want to sound too excited. But he assured me that he wouldn't have said it if he wasn't sure. SCORE!
I enjoyed this location immensely - right by the river, in a canyon. A bike path right near going up and down the canyon. The rock walls of the canyon looming overhead with the sun shining on it before it set was pretty. Another good night's sleep - it's nice to sleep at peace.
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