31 Aug, Sat: Ride with Mark V. from Hesperus to Mesa Verde, on to Cortez, Rico headed to Telluride when it started to rain and we turned back. They made it to Ouray with only a shower.
30 Aug, Fri: Ouray to Hesperus CO... The views on the million dollar highway south from are indescribable. Lunch at Grumpy's Saloon in Silverton was most enjoyable, Cynthia likes the old-time pianonplayer. Bikers, everywhere, are headed to Durango for a big rally weekend. by the time we arrived in Durango, the traffic was heavy with bikers. For the next four days we are ensconced 9 miles west of Durango at the Blue Lake Ranch. Each casita is totally private in the midst of a wilderness brimming with wildlife, including bears. The casitas have large, airy rooms, a fireplace, with high beamed ceilings, large screened windows all facing magnificent views of the Plat Mountains. Cynthia needed one more stay at a Select Registry B&B to receive the 100.00 reward following 12 stays. She is indeed thrifty: it only costs a small fortune per night but we WILL get that reward! Tomorrow, we ride on a day trip with Mark and his friends to Ouray and return.
29 Aug, Thurs: Departed Grand Junction at noon-thirty - arrived Ouray after breathtaking views right and left; cooler temperatures and the blessings of no rain until arrival at the Twin Peaks Lodge once again with a good return rate. Pam, the cook, is a delightful, jolly woman!
28 Aug, Wed:
Grand Junction, CO the Rocky Raiders and Tangerine Tambourines rode off into the sunrise at 9AM on 131 to I-70 where we waved good bye to Jim and Joni, Walt and Pam; we rode with John and Holly to Glenwood Springs; they drove onto Carbondale while we stopped at the GS Brewery for lunch in time to reconnect with Pam, Walt, Jim and Joni. Pam and Walt gave us lots of big hugs before they rode on to Carbondale and eventually to Calgary. Ron made some new highly questionable best friends at a gas station. Jim scolded him for talking to a few members of the worst criminal motorcycle gang in the world. Here we are in Grand Junction on the last night of our Raid on the Rockies with our gang. A good time was had by all of the survivors!!!
 |
| Vista en route to Cripple Creek |
 |
| Pat A and Ron in Georgetown |
27 Aug, Tues:
Steamboat Springs, CO Happy Birthday Jim. What a fun surprise birthday party at the Ore House. Jim was indeed surprised with the decorated key lime pie complete with a motorcycle, arranged by the Smooches; Walt provided the candles. Hilarious gag gifts followed the birthday song.
26 Aug,Mon:
Steamboat Springs, CO Awesome views.
 |
| Ron Works |
 |
| Pam Works |
 |
| Carbondale |
25 Aug, Sun:
Georgetown, CO - delightful European hotel - arrived about 1 PM backtracking yesterday's ride to CrippleCreek. Joni, Jim, Walt and Pam took the scenic route over Pikes Peak. Visiting with Pat Ashmore.
24 Aug, Sat:
CrippleCreek, CO: breakfast at 7:00 Arrived CC by 2:PM staying at the Carr Manor B&B, a charming refurbished schoolhouse.
23 Aug, Fri:
Carbondale, CO Day 2: Hiked the town with Pam, Joni, Cynthia. Dinner at Russett's good, but noisy and very challenging for Cynthia to hear conversation with background noise. Did not sleep well - do not do schedules well. Here are photos but out of time sequence - and I am out of computer time to correct.
 |
| Deer ... Ouray, CO |
 |
| Ouray, CO Main Street |
 |
| Departing Ouray |
 |
| Rocky Raiders |
 |
| Jim on Rocky Mountain High |
 |
| Joni |
 |
| Black Canyon |
 |
| Joni Photographer |
 |
| Black Canyon |
 |
| Curecanti Needle |
 |
| Black Canyon |
 |
| Smooch Smooch Riding High |
 |
| Black Canyon |
 |
| Black Canyon in CO |
 |
| Ride Like Ron |
 |
| John, Jim, Ron, Gordon, Walt |
 |
| Carbondale: John H, Jim, Ron, Gordon, Walt, Pam |
22 Aug: Thurs:
Carbondale, CO - and the Comfort Inn - what a ride! Incredible vistas! dinner at El Karike's Mexican Restaurant.
21 Aug, Wed:
Lake City, CO: Joni's bike fell Immediately at take off this AM in Ouray and later on the road followed by Pam's bike. Long, hot day even digressing from the normal route using a short cut to Lake City with biting rain the last thirty miles. Our lodging in Lake City left a lot to be desired. Poker Alice's Restaurant was fine.
20 Aug: Tues:
Hiking Ouray at 11,000 feet made for heavy breathing. Holly became lost on the Perimeter Trail for two hours. Lovely dinner at the Garden Restaurant.
19Aug:
Mon: Ouray, CO - first destination of the Raid on the Rockies - arrival at the Twin Peaks Lodge with threatening rain overhead all the while with a deluge hitting just as we pulled the beamer under the porte cochere of the hotel. How great to see the Tappan Tangerines and the Rocky Raiders! Dinner at the Outlaw Saloon - with a wobbly Cynthia returning home; Ron poured wine and she who is not used to alcohol was hit by the experience in the high altitude.
18 Aug: Sun: Packing and preparing. We are up all night ...
17 Aug: Our stay in Pagosa Springs is scheduled to end when we relocate to Ouray to meet up with the Rocky Raiders and the Tappan Tangerines.
16 Aug, Fri: The sunrise was lovely. What a surprise for us to see a sunrise!!! After requesting Cynthia's medical records sent to an orthopedist specializing in hands in Houston we hiked the Continental Divide Trail in glorious weather. The brilliant flowers along the trail make it a joyful hike; besides, it is a ridge hike more like the AT with a familiar feeling. The view of the San Juan Mountains from the top of the ski lift made a pleasant stopping point.
 |
| Street Repair by Ron |
15 Aug, Thurs: Chimney Rock was declared a national monument a year ago. Located about 15 miles SW of Pagosa Springs on highway 151 we did not think we could hike to the ruins which are off a washboard gravel road. Surprisingly, a couple at the visitors center planned to drive the 2.5 miles to take the tours and offered us a ride. Very appreciative, we paid their entrance fee, enjoying their presence on the excellent tours. More about this with photos later.
14 Aug, Wesnesday: continental Divide Trail.
13 Aug, Tuesday: Quiet day with trip to see an orthopod who diagnosed the sprained finger as a sagittal band rupture and placed the "hurted" finger in a splint for five weeks. Cynthia's classmate, an Iowa City physician, said it MAY heal to normal function without surgery, but to NOT move the finger; it would be good to gently flex the upper joints when changing bandage wrap to prevent the finger from becoming permanently rigid. Now, wouldn't that be scary to have a pointed finger when doing pulpit supply.
12 Aug: Monday: Ron and Baby Blue are in Santa Fe for 24,000 mile maintenance. Scheduling visits with friends to be arranged. Cynthia inserts: she has a quiet day planned reading the book, "The Zealot" by Reza Aslan, a controversial publication about Jesus by a former Muslim that reads like a seminary class on church history. Nothing new., but those of us that have a passion for history we are not bored. The author is knowledgeable indeed, but makes judgment calls that are clearly biased opinion. The more we think we know the less we know for ultimately we have a cloud of witnesses. The author claims to be unbiased, but he is just that. In addition, he does make errors such as: the Greek word for carpenter can mean stone mason. Yet, I can appreciate his review and insight into the political climate of the first century A.D.
The 12th is another reminder that the anniversaries are now celebrated daily.
11 Aug, Sun: YIKES: 1008 people read our blog last month!!! Do we need to clean up our act???
A second test question: Do you feel like you have lost track of time? Ed K. was quite confused reading the future dates above. That, Ed, is what happens to us all of the time! Cynthia cannot type with her "hurted hand" so the task has fallen to one who will make short shrift of updating this blog. Departure to Santa Fe is imminent camping overnight at Linda and John's house. Ho, ho, ho! she cannot even shop online.
10 Aug, Sat: BMW 4 Corners Rally at the Quality Resort. CK, the manager and desk staff are the nicest folks. Enjoyed meeting a BMW aficionado who is also a newby genealogist researching: Dozier. Today's hike was short since the rains took over our fun. Helped Matt with Rosemary's bedroom furniture re-location. She is a quite delightful 84 year old who moved back to Pagosa Springs from Arkansas assisted by Matthew. Rosemary's computer set-up prompted Cynthia to ask her if she was a "geek" too. "Oh no," she replied and added, "I write. I just write the truth about the Bible, not like those TV people, I just tell the truth." And, no ... she has not published any of the boxes of books she pointed to in the computer room.
9 Aug, Friday: Continental Divide Trail and the Treasure Falls Trail were very exciting. Cynthia declared the trail's mountain flowers as the most beautiful we have seen. See photos of the Continental Divide, Coyote Loop Trails, and Treasure Falls:
 |
| BRRR! |
 |
| Continental Divide |
 |
| Pagosa Springs Overlook |
 |
| The Great Divide |
 |
| Coyote Hill Trail Loop |
 |
| Blooming with Smooch |
 |
| Treasure Falls |
 |
| Continental Divide Trail |
 |
| Continental Divide |
 |
| Fleurs along CD Trail |
8 Aug, Thurs: Hiked Turkey Springs Road for two hours; it rained on the return. Fortunately, we saw three four wheelers being loaded on the trailer of a large suburban with just enough space to fit us in the rear. Nice Texas folks.
7 Aug, Wed: Hiked four hours until the rains came. Awesome experience with two deer while we stood very still watching from a distance. They heard Cynthia's camera: click, click,click and studied Ron while continuing to eat. They must have decided ,"Enough," and leaped high with such a magnificent movement we were spellbound.
 |
| Two Deer |
6 Aug, Tues: Coyote Hill Loop Trail 2.5 hours. Six deer. One gracefully bounded across a meadow while we watched in amazement. Tired feet in heavy boots; knee hurt getting on bike. Post cards written while Cynthia did research for the SCS. Nello's is baking our sweet potato French fries. Yummy.
5 Aug: Two deer; lovely hike on a Coyote Hill Trail that ended in the middle of a pasture. We enjoyed the marvelous weather, lying in the shade a top the mountain peak sharing a diet coke. Dinner at Nello's.
4 August: Nice hike - saw a deer bound into the woods. Stupid restaurant manager spoke to us during dinner to alert us that fine dining meant shirt with a collar. She was very offensive. Stupid woman.
3 Aug 2013: Slept a lot; dining at hotel.
2 Aug 2013: Helped Matthew move Rosemary into her new condo. fine dining at hotel that isn't fine. The chef prepares excellent food but the ambience cannot be considered such.
1 Aug 2013: Poor Cynthia with the hurted hand; she is unable to type on the computer, so Ron is delegated. We moved this morning from the Hilltop Inn at Pagosa Springs to a room with a view at the Quality Resort on the other side of the duckie pond; pictures to follow soon. We've soaked in the springs once (for free), and Cynthia treated herself to a pedicure, manicure, and smoochacure. This morning a rider with passenger on a 2009 blue BMW R1200RT w/ similar luggage stopped to chat. Small world. Matt, the chef here, caters to our needs w/ wonderful egg white veggie omelets and baked sweet potato fries.
 |
| View of Duckies from our room |
 |
| Cynthia with the "hurted hand" |
 |
| View from our room |
