Day 13

I think we saw it all today.  It began at Grand Junction at 7:30 at a chilly 36 degrees.   We left the hotel heading toward Montrose and then on to Delta where we fueled up “the ladies.”  Then it was on up the mountain, several of them in fact.  And wouldn’t you know the temps stayed cold all day.  We hit a trip record low of 26.6 degrees on Wolf Creek Pass, the Continental Divide, at 10,500 feet.    

Our major routes today were Route 550, the Million Dollar Highway, route 160 and finally route 10 to La Junta. 

Along the way we crossed Red Mountain Pass at 11,000 ft. and rode in to Silverton.  It’s a nice little mountain town tucked in at 10,000 ft.  We did a “U” turn on Main Street and headed east, out of town. 

Both of us were watching our GPS’s for altitudes as we moved along.  I have a thermometer too, so I was reading temps to David over the radio as they dropped lower and lower as we moved up the mountain.  Burrr.  From there we crossed Molas Pass at 10,900 ft., Coal Bank Pass at 10,640 ft. and finally Wolf Creek Pass.    All of them gave us a taste of snow.  The roads were clear but gritty, compromising 2-wheeler traction all the way up and down both sides of each mountain.  We were happy campers to be over the last one and on the way down to La Junta and a scalding 60 degrees. 

The 73 mile run into La Junta from Walsenburg was one straight line all the way.  It did sport wonderful hills, valleys and a view of the high plains to help break things up.  I’m not sure what the speed limit was but I can say we stretched it out a bit.  I could see the sun setting in my mirrors and the wetness glistening on the road as we drove along.  It was nice having the sun warm our backs.

We arrived at 5:30 and checked in to the Mid-Town Motel.

Tomorrow we head toward Kansas City for our Monday night stay.