Sept 11/08 - Mountain splendour...

Thursday, Sept 11th/08

We note that all the flags are at half mast today in memory of 9-11. It surely brings to mind that sad day in 2001 when terrorism reigned the world. Rod & I were in Fort Bragg, California at a little B & B on the coast. During the breakfast hour our host came in to tell us about the first plane crash. I recall it feeling so surreal and denial, being a very strong thing I felt angry that he would make such an obviously inappropriate joke. We were headed to our cousin’s in Walnut Creek and had to re-route as both the Golden Gate and the Bay Bridges were closed due to concerns re further attacks. Everywhere people were stunned, angry and connected. We attended a candle-light vigil on the beach at San Simeon, people of all nationalities, colour and creed came together and prayed together. Today, as we remember the events of that earlier tragic time, let us also remember the heroes and the ways the country came together to stand strong in their beliefs.

We stopped in Placerville, Colorado an old mining town from the late 1800’s to mail a post card. Looks mostly like an old ghost town. The Post Office is ‘For Sale’ and they are advertising for a new Postmaster – starting wage $12.00/hour.

We stop for a coffee in the picturesque town of Telluride, a former silver mining camp on the San Miguel River. Telluride sits in a box canyon. Steep forested mountains and cliffs surround it. Numerous weathered ruins of old mining operations dot the hillsides. Telluride is also known for its ski resort and slopes during the winter as well as an extensive festival schedule during the summer. We wait out a rain storm as we sit warming up with our coffee and set out again under blue skies.

Our route takes us into the Lizard Head Pass climbing rapidly to an elevation over 10,000. The mountainous scenery is spectacular and Rod is busy shooting photo after photo. It is amazing the difference in landscape and mountain types as when we saw Trail Ridge/Milner Pass in NE Colorado. The peaks are more rugged and tend to have glacial areas and more evidence of early and late season snowfall. There are peaks that have full snow cover year round. It is cold – again and windy – again. Have I mentioned I don’t care for the cold??? We experience localized showers under ominous black clouds, however not sufficient for us to don rain gear (so we thought). The descent from Lizard Head Pass seemed to go downhill for about EVER. I coasted in neutral for 20 miles – great fuel economy here. A disadvantage I perceived in the cold of this day is that it makes me mentally tired and I am struggling for quite some time to stay awake on my bike. I am singing LOUDLY to myself (good thing you can’t hear) and Rod tells me he always knows when I am ‘snoozy’ as I tend to travel MUCH faster.

We arrived in Cortez just after 5:00 P.M. only to find that accommodations here were quite limited with many hotels being sold out for the weekend. We were able to secure the last room at the Best Western for which we were extremely grateful as another and quite major storm erupted bringing lightening, thunder and heavy rain – again. We relaxed in the in-door hot tub watching the outdoor ‘light show’. We were both overtired and called it an early night.