The Long Way Around

Armed with a new plug cap and 6 hours of sleep, we're getting ready to start off on yet another day's riding.

Today we reach out peak height of 11800 feet, and more or less after today the rest of the route involves going down hill or at least just staying flat.

The less desert mountain climbs, the better. Dunno how much longer my bike can take that. This GT is going to need the mother of all services when it's done.

Last night, getting ready for bed, I discovered that I forgot to pit sunscreen on my neck. So my neck, especially the back and sides, is beet red. Sharp contrast to the rest of my body it's funny, kinda.

The run will be short - only a few hundred miles (332 or something).

When I go through a town at 25-30 mph, it's weird. I feel like I'm standing still.

Here's to hoping the most absurdly difficult is behind us. Nothing, no amount of riding on streets, prepares you for 40 miles of washboarded dirt road on 12" slick street performance tires.

I have a 2 liter hydration pack i've been using on the ride. Each day I fill it with hotel tap water to get me through the day.

It is amazing the variation of flavor in hotel water. Honestly I'm a little grossed out.

No one can say I wasn't stupid enough to ride my scooter to Colorado.

It was beautiful. Seriously. I know I keep ending sentences with 'seriously', but there's a reason.

I am amazed at the sights this part of the country has. It is no question to me now why so many songs were written to describe it.

Definitely something you don't forget.

One more for good measure.

Sometimes, you run into people who see you're doing something stupid, and want to take a picture for you.

Extra proof ;)

So funny seeing a motorcycle surrounded by scooters. It's an invasion.

Fun times.

The further we go the less I'm sure if we're stupid, nuts, or on to something.

It's a blur. Who knows at this point. What I do know is my neck huts, my back hurts, my wrists are killing me, and I'm in third.

Keee-ripes. Beautiful.

This is in down town historic Solidas. It's quaint, home-like. Fits like a glove. So far, of the states we've passed through, Colorado reminds me the most of California.

Today is the first day that I've really felt my past injuries on the road.

The previous few days, I thought to myself, wow - my neck hasn't really hurt. Neither has my back.

Today, of course, about a hundred miles in or so, I started feeling like crap. My lower back hurts, my neck might as well not exist... just bad news all around.

Whatever. I can keep going. It's all just physical.

The scenery in Utah was amazing - for those days that didn't look like the background to Roadrunner cartoons - but really, Colorado had the features that I appreciate the most:

It has trees
It has mountains
It has long sweeping roads

I'm in love.

At the same time, I don't quite 'grok' the places I've been. I'm for the most part a product of a major metro area (San Francisco). Suddenly being in small towns or whatnot that aren't too much more than a church or a gas station confuses me. I just don't know how to process it. My brain doesn't work that way.

It sounds terrible, I know. I don't understand the socio-economics of it all. I don't understand what people do for their day to day, though I suspect it's different than what I do. How, I almost don't know that I can even opine.

This is good for me, though - to see it. I might not get it, but it helps to see that this is life, and to get outside of what is typical and comfortable.

Life moves at different paces depending on where you are. I feel this to be a fair and reasonable statement anyone can agree with, and also one that is devoid of value judgments.

There's a lot more to see. I hear a good chunk of of might involve corn though. Oh well.

For the points, as of day 4 I'm in third. I've gotten best time on 2 legs, first of the day for day 2 and 4.

My weakness will always be my gas range. Always. Others do not slow down or stop for gas as they have fuel cells. I do not.

These ate things that I might not be able to work out but at the very least I can work around.

Life. That's what it is, I'd say.