It was hard to leave this morning… we woke up and went out to the balcony this morning where we had bagels and juice, and watched the people on the Durango to Silverton trains depart for their ride. We waved as they rode by us, then set about packing and getting out of Colorado. Booo! Unfortunately, we were pretty clear now that we were headed home, and the riding would for the most part be long, hot and boring till we got there. The destination for the day was the Grand Canyon North Rim, a long 350-400 miles through nothingness. The morning 100 miles or so went well, through southern Colorado and by Grand Mesa, we actually went to Four Corners. It was right on the way, so why not. We decided that we would pay up to $3 to get in, any more and we skip it. Of course, it was exactly $3 to get in. We got the obligatory photo of us standing on the four states, looked at the jewelry, and got out of there. It was really hot, and we were starting to suffer a little. Fortunately, the roads were fast and open, so we could make good time.
About half an hour after that, we stopped for lunch in (?? I'll have to look this one up). It was on a Navajo reservation, yet there were fast food restaurants there. That seemed odd to me. We went to a local diner (the Blue Coffee Pot) and had yet another deep fried meal…
Shortly after that, we headed up Hwy (again, I cant remember right now), and it started to rain ?!? within minutes, the clear, 100+ degree day became a monsoon. I guess it’s a monsoon anyway, being from California, we don’t much get weather like this. I'll describe it though. Lightning striking all around, heavy localized rain, serious wind gusts, and black skies. The hardest part (as the rider, anyway) was the wind. It was for the most part a severe cross wind, but it was completely gusty. It took all my concentration, and a good deal of strength (my shoulders were so sore) to keep it in my lane. The rain was coming from the side, as such, the fairing did not do a very good job of protecting us. Within minutes, we were both pretty soaked, right through the riding suits. I don't think it's so much a problem with the suits, as it is an indication of how hard it was raining!
Anyway, we pulled into a gas station in Page Arizona, and were spent. I could hardly get off the bike, and Janet was clearly not having fun anymore. It was about 7pm, and we had hit the wall. Right next to the gas station was a brand new Days Inn (we were really close to Lake Powell, so there were a number of motels around) with a sign saying rooms starting from $69. We wobbled over, and asked for a room. After some negotiating, we got a $69 room, and called it home for the night. Of course, by now the skies had totally cleared up and it was sunny again, but it didn't matter. Those 100 miles of rain and wind really took it out of us.
We rode into town to a Taco Bell (I know, it’s a chain… but we were having cravings, and it was right there…), went back to the room and fell right asleep. zzzzzzzzzzzz.
david.
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