I don't have the slightest idea what I dreamed about. Not even sketchy remembrances. I woke by the neighbors who pulled in just before it started howling wind and pelting rain. I made myself get up around 7:30am, ate a tart for breakfast and circulated in my head and the bike. Plan was Montrose, then on to Telluride. Once in Montrose which was only a 8 mile run, I find a Ronald House and take advantage of the wi-fi and treat myself to a coffee, which reminds me, I need to just crack it and get me some instant coffee.
Leaving Montrose, I felt it sinking in, that groove, that riding groove you can only imagine while riding a bike. I hit the famed US550 for a bout 20 miles, climbing in elevation and if anyone going faster than my 50MPH, I rode the berm and let them pass, which I did numerously, I'm in no rush and these suckers are totally blazing through some extremely gorgeous land to get wherever they think is more important than this. This is living, that is not, that living is sheltered from the truth of what we should be doing, discovering our Home and seeing what's out there.
I hang a right on 62 in Richland where I bypassed the pay hot springs for the freebie in Rico. Watch it not be free, some rich dude probably bought the rights and makes it ridiculously expensive or you have to stay at the resort. Indians have been enjoying these treats and think it's good for the spirit, these proprietors only see good for the wallet, their wallet. Never know till I get there.
I make Telluride, CO after Desert Dave said a music festival was going on, extremely out of my budget, but being a festival, I'll hang outside the gates. Telluride seems a cozy little village, a cozy little village definitely outside my budget. I coast through town and find the festival going on at the end of town, where I find an easy enough spot to park and enjoy the few tunes I hung around and took in and watched the building clouds cresting the rocky peaks the surround the village. Somebody Lemley was the musician, only remembered that cos of Paul's last name. Decent chill singing accompanied by gitter. He ended after of my 20 minutes being there, I topped off Bike's oil and went to look for an electric outlet for the comp. This damn thing sucking, the comp, sucking it's electric fuel and me needing to replenish it. I wish I could ditch the thing but it's handy to keep pix, journal and fleeting designs in order and one spot. I should get one of those thingymagigs to charge the machine off the power outlet I installed on Bike's battery. Till then, and that would probably cost $80, seeing that's what the wall adapter costs. New that is.
I found a source in the visitor center of Telluride where I hung out inside on a bench, plugged in the comp and picked up on some of the DeMille book I'm reading. While exercising my brain, I notice Sky outside and keep a mental check. A few minutes later I hear small slaps of rain and see it's mark outside. I step out, grab my gear off the back and toss it inside just incase it pours and the dry bags decide to do the opposite. I get them under the overhang and man does it start pouring, just in time to get the gear in shelter. While grabbing the stuff, a guy pulls up on a newer Beemer GS, I say you got here just in time, him being kind of smirk, asking if I had more gear than I had on, my bibs, jacket being inside. Whatever, didn't want to talk to you anyway, jackass.
The rain subsides and Sky begins to look a bit more inviting, I take it as my cue to hit the road towards Rico and find the first Forest Road I find. About 8 miles out of town, there it is on the left, I pass it, making a louie in a scenic overlook and head back to the road, where a sign mentions a lake at the top, somewhere in these jagged juts of rock. I start climbing thinking to myself, this sure is a better scenic overlook than down there where I looped around. I climb and climb, the dirt road pretty decent and steady, a bit greasy from the rain but nothing we couldn't handle. I make it to a spot where the dirt pretty much ends and turns to rock, I look for my lines and head up the side of the mountain, making a turn and there in from of me is another deserted gold mine camp, looked pretty solid for it's time, the handful of buildings not totally crumbling in on themselves and still holding up pretty well to Time.
A bicyclist is heading my way and stop to ask him how much farther the road went, as I've been on it for a good 3-5 miles. He really didn't know, leaving me to wonder where he actually just came from, though it could have been trails, but he wasn't muddy from the recent rain. Oh well, we say our goodbyes, I see a sign for Alta Lake and the sign answered my question to the bicyclist. Run off is covering the road, the holes in the road look like I could sink in them, I scope out a side run and save myself from possible deep ditch and the exhaust from going under. Meanwhile, Sun has totally come out by now and we're greeted by big happy fluffy clouds, telling me, 'Keep climbing, it's totally worth it!'
I go another mile, a truck in front is parked in the middle of the road where there are 3 dudes taking pix. One of the guys points to the outside of the road, gesturing me to go that route which I creep up to and make sure I won't slip off the hillside, all good I dart around and a 100 yards I come to Alta Lake Campground which happens to be a free developed campground, meaning they have a pit toilet. ha.
I find a spot right on Alta Lake and I am pleased. I set up camp, eat a can of food with a handful of crackers, enjoy a smoke and decide to take a walk around the lake where I take some pix and enjoy the walk in the Highlands. I feel at home up here, total serenity, beauty abundance and just at ease being. THere's maybe 5 other parties here, 2 with kids on a family outing, me thinking if I had kids, this is where I would bring them. This is the real deal. It's a mellow evening, catching up on writing, going to have another smoke and kick back, read and like I said, just BE.
The weather feels great, wearing my 24/7 swimming trunks and a hoodie which I had to dry a shoulder on Bike's cylinder from a leaky camel back. Last night was mild, milder than what I've been dealing with the past few days, getting downright cold at night. This evening feels like it's going to be inviting and I look forward to bedding down here tonight, enveloped by the lake, peaks and peacefulness.
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