What a difference a day makes.

Let's recap, for those who may have missed an episode. The weather Thursday was bad. Friday worse. Saturday worse yet. And Sunday the weather was horrible. Got the picture? We had been discussing alternative routes west since the Vail pass and I-70 seemed out of the question.

One of the guests last night at the reception was a motorcyclist. Since he owns a BMW and a Ducati, Terry listened to what he had to say. Together, they mapped a route south and then west that would take us across the lowest pass. That turned ot to be North la Vete pass just west of Walsenburg Colorado at about 9,700 feet. From there the plan was to cut due south through Taos and Santa Fe and eventually make our way to Albuquerque.

It was in the 30's in Denver this morning, so again, we waited. By 10:00a.m. the temperture was in the low 40's, so we took off. I think we both had about six layers on, which was just barely enough. It was cold, but the sky was clear and blue. After four days of gloom, it was a welcome sight.

After a lunch of Huevos Rancheros and Burritos, we started the climb. It was glorious. No other word even begins to capture the experience. There was nearly no traffic, and the deepest chill was gone. We just rode.

From there the day just got better. There are days when running makes more sense than anything I've ever done. But today, it was riding that was the key. 2,500 miles in. Off to Flagstaff tomorrow.

Stay tuned..

John