West 2009
  
 

Day 17

September 12

  
 
 
  Well, today is our last day of riding together - a day that has come far more quickly than I could ever imagine. Andy and I have clocked over 7,000 miles so far and my back tire is beginning to look real iffy. We get the bikes packed, do our cabin check and leave the keys on the counter.  
 
 
  Highway 50 will be our companion for about half of the way to Denver, the the rest of the way on highway 285. Also, I had forgotten that we would summit Monarch Pass today - the third highest pass in Colorado. The last time I was through there was at night and after an encounter with a big elk, I pulled off at Salida for the evening.  
 
 
  We are out early, about good sunrise since we having nothing but miles to do today. The morning air is crisp and cold and I have to pull over and put on my heated gear before I turn into an ice cube.  
 
 
  When Guy and I were here in 2007 they were chip and sealing this section. But now it is good pavement and a real pleasure to ride.  
 
 
  Highway 50 is just an asphalt ribbon that cuts across most of the United States. One of my future rides will be taking it all the way from Ocean City, Maryland to Sacramento, California. It is mostly 2 lane except for a section in Colorado and Utah so it closely resembles the old Route 66 in nature and character and still exists. I have been from Sacramento to Dodge City but I have the desire to do the whole thing one day.  
 
 
  It takes us by the Blue Mesa Reservoir and through the Curecanti National Recreation Area on our way to Gunnison, the first city of any size we will pass through today.  
 
 
  When we get into Gunnison, I do my 'is breakfast anywhere nearby' look, and I spot the W Cafe just off highway 50. It looks open and it looks like it will work, so we do an about face and back into parking spaces right in front of the cafe.  
 
 
  It's a small, local place and appears to be a working man's stop - just the kind of place that I like. It's not too crowded and the service is great and quick.  
 
 
  And the food is just what a feller needs to do the business that needs to be done. But it must have a reputation of more than a local place, because about the time we get our food, the Mongolian hordes descend from the steppes and I have never seen such a crowd waiting outside to get in.  
 
 
 

I look up on the wall across from us and I see an explanation. This restaurant has been picked as the 'Best In Town' from 2001 through 2008 - and we just happen to pick it. Well, I reckon I'd rather be lucky than good any day. With the crowds surging outside, we finish up and clear out so some other hungry folks can have our place.

  
 
 
  Dave's cloud is out there lingering around, waiting for us like a cat waiting on a mouse to move. But it won't have much time to trouble us for today will be a short day of just over 250 miles. Then it should follow Dave back to Scotland and leave Andy and me alone!  
 
 
 

When we arrive at Monarch Pass, I tell Andy and Dave -

"Well, it's nice to know what this place looks like in the daylight. The last time I was at this sign it was in the middle of the night and the wind was blowing like crazy."

  
 
 
  From here it's pretty much down hill, but even at the foot of the hill we'll still be over a mile high in the air.  
 
 
  At Poncha Springs,we hang a left on highway 285 which will be the route we take all the rest of the way into Denver proper.  
 
 
  I'm a bit unsure of our exact path once we get into Denver, but 285 should deposit us on I25 south which will take us to I225 which should put us back at the exit for our motel. I figure I can navigate back to the rental shop by memory from there. But I sure am enjoying the view from where we are right now.  
 
 
  The landscape flattens and the traffic picks up as we move on up highway 285 toward Denver.  
 
 
  At Fairplay, we take one more fuel stop that should get us to a gas station near the rental place.  
 
 
  Then it's back after it as Dave's cloud continues to threaten us from a distance.  
 
 
  Once we get into Denver, the route is a lot simpler that I had anticipated and the traffic not near as heavy. It's a decent three lane pretty much all the way to the slab.  
 
 
 

Once we exit near the motel, my memory kicks in just fine and I am able to navigate us right back to the place. When we arrive, we notice that the rental office is locked up tighter than a drum. As we stand about, scratching our anatomy, a man from the neighboring office comes out to solve our conundrum -

"Oh, they're never here on Saturday. You have to call them so they can come down and meet you."

We thank him and fortunately our cell phones are working and we can reach them. I look at Dave -

"Well, it sure would have been nice for them to let us know about that. We could've called them on the way."

At least they must not live far away because it was not too long of a wait. Andy and I decide that we'll just wait outside in case the temperature rises really high when Dave finishes his business in there. I can tell that nothing was done about the problem but figure we can talk about it back at the ranch. Dave calls for a taxi, so Andy and I head back to the motel by ourselves.

  
 
 
 

When lands back at the Motel 6 he tells us -

"They said that they had just called Ad-Mo Tours about it and hadn't got an answer yet."

"Well, that's nice. They've had over 2 weeks to sort it out and obviously nothing was done. Good luck on this one" I tell him.

We get checked back in as it is only 2:30 and decide to chill out for while before supper.

  
 
 
  Finally the dinner hour calls, so we take a walk in the brisk evening. Since we did Applebees last time, and we're going to do the Diner for breakfast, my mind is on something else a little special for our last supper together. Ever vigilant in my search for nourishment, I spy what I think is a Texas Roadhouse which serves up pretty good portions of burnt dead cow. I lead the charge in and we enjoy the laid back atmosphere where the peanuts are free and iced tea is plentiful. It's a time we talk about our various experiences on the road, the places we've seen and what a ride it has been.  
 
 
  Too soon the evening winds down, I also am profoundly aware that chances are we will not pass this way together again. We all have long days ahead of us - Andy and I to make the journey back to Nashville and Dave to deal with the joys of intercontinental flight. It's been quite a ride and one that none of us will forget any time soon. I pillow my head tonight - thankful for great friends, thankful we're still friends, and thankful we all made it back to this point with all human body and motorcycle body parts intact.