July 12 Crossing America

Telluride, CO – Delores, CO, distance 63 miles, I rode all of them.
Total miles traveled through today 2,639, on my bike 2,207.

Up at 6:20 and at the Gondola station just as they opened at 7:00 AM.  Ike was there and he and I were the first two riders of the day. The day is starting off cloudy and dreary looking but the views from the Gondola were still beautiful.  After a 15 minute ride we arrived at Mountain Village.

Gondola Telluride with Spirit riding outside

Taking the Gondola saves 600’ of climbing and about 2 ¾ miles of riding or about an hour of strenuous riding for me.  The remaining ride to the summit of Lizard Head Pass, a distance of 11 miles was much easier than climbing Dallas Divide two days ago.  The ride may have been easier as Ike and I stopped many times for fantastic photo opportunities of the majestic Rockies.  The view from the saddle of a bicycle is figuratively and literally breadth taking.

Summit Lizard Pass

My regret of the day and probably of the entire crossing so far was that I didn’t skinny dip
in a hot spring at Ricco, CO.  Ike and I did stop to check it out and had the good fortune to meet a local, Don, there who gave us the history of the hot spring.

Hot tub buried to serve as Hot Spring

The spring is not a natural spring it is the result of a mine exploration drilling a core for I think he said zinc.  Instead of finding the ore the drillers hit a hot spring deep within the earth.  The result was 60’ of hot water spewing from the core which they then had to cap.  After capping the core, it sprung a leak foaming a manmade hot spring.  A local guy decided to make the spring useable so he ran a PVC pipe from the spring to a hot tub he buried in the ground about 20 feet into the woods, put in benches and even a small shack to change clothes.  Yep, I regret not taking the time for a skinny dip here.

Great surprise after summiting Lizard Head Pass the next 52 miles was almost all
downhill.  Even though there was a headwind and the last 10 miles I road in rain, the ride was easy.  Arriving in Delores, about 5 miles from our intended over-night stay in a campground at McPhee Reservoir, decided to stop for lunch at the Depot burger joint.
They had good food and a good place to rest while the rain passed.  Next surprise of the day, Ike decided he didn’t really want to camp in the rain and went to Delores city hall to find out what churches might welcome a group of riders to stay in their church
overnight.  Instead the gal he visited with at city hall turned him onto the local high school as the place to stay.  She even provided him the phone number and contact persons to call.
Bingo!  Ike did it again we are staying in a warm dry gym with showers.  Thank you to you Ike, I appreciate your taking the initiative to make our lives a little more comfortable.

I’ve discovered another unique and good dining experience this evening at the Rio Grande
Southern Hotel here in Delores, Colorado.  The hotel is vintage 1893 and is on the National Register of Historic Places and quite deserving of being there.   Co-owners Douglas King and Sheila Trevitte have done a fantastic job of renovating the hotel.  The dining area has a rustic western look and the walls have numerous pictures of the community circa 1893-1950’s when th the town was a thriving railroad town.  Douglas who also serves as the chef prepares some pretty good vitals or as he calls it “good ole’ comfort food”.  Yep. I’ll agree with you on that Douglas.  Any of you traveling through this part of Colorado need to make Delores one of your overnight or more stays.  It’s a hidden gem to be enjoyed.

Today’s journal I’m posting the most pictures for one day yet as I want to share with
you some of the beauty of the Rockies.

View of Telluride from Gondola

Mountains and lake

Rockies awesome beauty

Rockies awesome beauty

Valley west side of Lizard Head Pass

Wilson Peak used in Coors Beer Ads

Frank just after summitting Lizard Head Pass

Rockies awesome beauty

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