Days 7 and 8--Durango, Colorado

Saturday, September 7

What a difference a day makes.  The scenery changed dramatically from desert mesas and sagebrush to lush green mountains.  And unlike yesterday, we were all feeling a little sorer and less energetic.  We enjoyed a more relaxed pace over 70 miles.  

Out of Cortez, close to Mancos, CO

 Lunch was in the Mancos Absolute Bakery, and I paid the price of my pasta Florentine immediately afterward as we ascended about 2,000 feet to the top of the 8,000’ pass.  Big lunches and 15-mile hill climbs in 90 degree weather don’t mix well!

Descending the 8,000 foot pass to Durango

The 10 mile steep descent into Durango on new pavement was a delight.  Even more delightful, is the college town of Durango (Population 17,000) and our stay in the Historic Strater Hotel. 

The Historic Strater hotel

Parking Meter Adornmen

It’s nice to have a variety of restaurants (Asian, French, Tibetan, you name it), coffee shops, ATMs cell coverage, bicycle shops, and even traffic lights.  Best of all, it has a music store and a fantastic newsstand with  a huge variety of magazines and newspapers.  It is unbelievably bicycle and pedestrian friendly.  The median age is 30.5, which makes me stand out as an old guy.

I spent an hour in one of four bike shops getting new bike shoes.  My other ones were completely trashed about three years beyond their life expectancy, hence all the painful feet problems I have been experiencing on this ride.   The new ones are so comfortable, I feel like I could sleep in them!

Our two guides and a girlfirend

We enjoyed our first of two last dinners together at a Southwest/Asian fusion restaurant.  Six of the group headed home today, and I already miss them.  Now we are just nine. Our two guides and their spouse/girlfriend joined us.

Some of the gang

Four of the superheroes who did all of Day 5

Today was a vacation within a vacation.  A leisurely breakfast, a pilgrimage to the laundromat, reading the Sunday paper, exploring the shops, a burger at Grassburger, and cool jazz at an outdoor coffee shop as I wrote much of this.  Dinner tonight with Ron, Barb, Liz, and Dan, who have helped make the trip so fun.  In Ron D's words, "The apres ride activities are even more enjoyable than the rides." 

We start at daybreak tomorrow, 69 miles to Pagosa Springs over a 10,000 foot pass with major thunderstorms threatening around noon.  Hopefully we can ride the whole distance.