63 miles (102 km) – Total so far: 1,754 miles (2,822 km)
Good pasta at the Peace Tree last night, and the threat of the storm passed with some thunder rumbles and a few spots of rain only.
Jim, the exhibition shooting camp owner, came over and chatted as I broke camp this morning. He is a really friendly and helpful guy, and was for many years in the police in Blandings, just south. It’s only his second year owning the campground. The roads around these parts are busy, so although there is plenty of shoulder, cycling isn’t quiet. Jim reckoned 1,200 trucks a day use the 491 between Cortez and Monticello, most likely heading between Salt Lake City and Albuquerque. Though vegetation returns as you ride towards Colorado, first some trees, then dairy farms, the riding was tough today and it is consistently rolling up and down, 30 to 50 metres at a time, and gradients of 5 and 6%. The amount of climbing creeps up on you. Also it was 30C at 11 am in Dove Creek, but fortunately did t get much higher as the storm clouds gathered later in the afternoon.
Just before the descent to Cortez there is a left turn that goes up over a hill on highway 491 for Dolores. It’s a smaller road, and has some beautiful properties on it. The wind associated with the thunder clouds hit me straight on for the last 5 miles and was blowing dust and sand also. So I’m in Dolores tonight, with a population of only 1,000 people. It’s setting is scenic, by the river, and between the mountains. Good skiing is not far away. I headed for the campground but was told that thee are ‘bears in town at present’, so they were not selling any tent sites. Apparently it’s because there is so little food for them at the moment. As a compromise she dropped the price of a room by $20 for cash, to $50, which seems like a deal, and really I didn’t have a lot of choice.
Heading south east out of Monticello this morning, a two mile downhill to start with
And not long, and its into Colorado
5th puncture of the tour. I had been repairing it and Andy from Germany turned up, riding the opposite was, from New York to San Francisco in the ACA route, the Weatern Express.
I couldn’t find the cause of the puncture, but assumed something like yesterday’s. Later on I found that was the case, but also that the valve was damaged.
After about 25 miles, the small town of Dicve Creek. It goes through Cahine and Pleasnt View also, but these places are almost ghost towns these days, no businesses left open, and very few homes.
These are the sort of rolling hills that were really the whole day. 30 – 50 metres and 5 – 6% gradients, so tough going. The passing lane on the ups helps, the trucks give lots of space.
Coming over on the 491 to Dolores and trying to beat the storm.
| ⏮ | ◀ | ▶ | ⏭ | 42/51 |  | Rating: (0) |
Down the USA – from Canada to Mexico
By Andy Weston
Day 31 – Monticello to Dolores
Thursday August 31, 2017, 63 miles (102 km) – Total so far: 1,754 miles (2,822 km)
Good pasta at the Peace Tree last night, and the threat of the storm passed with some thunder rumbles and a few spots of rain only.
Jim, the exhibition shooting camp owner, came over and chatted as I broke camp this morning. He is a really friendly and helpful guy, and was for many years in the police in Blandings, just south. It’s only his second year owning the campground. The roads around these parts are busy, so although there is plenty of shoulder, cycling isn’t quiet. Jim reckoned 1,200 trucks a day use the 491 between Cortez and Monticello, most likely heading between Salt Lake City and Albuquerque. Though vegetation returns as you ride towards Colorado, first some trees, then dairy farms, the riding was tough today and it is consistently rolling up and down, 30 to 50 metres at a time, and gradients of 5 and 6%. The amount of climbing creeps up on you. Also it was 30C at 11 am in Dove Creek, but fortunately did t get much higher as the storm clouds gathered later in the afternoon.
Just before the descent to Cortez there is a left turn that goes up over a hill on highway 491 for Dolores. It’s a smaller road, and has some beautiful properties on it. The wind associated with the thunder clouds hit me straight on for the last 5 miles and was blowing dust and sand also. So I’m in Dolores tonight, with a population of only 1,000 people. It’s setting is scenic, by the river, and between the mountains. Good skiing is not far away. I headed for the campground but was told that thee are ‘bears in town at present’, so they were not selling any tent sites. Apparently it’s because there is so little food for them at the moment. As a compromise she dropped the price of a room by $20 for cash, to $50, which seems like a deal, and really I didn’t have a lot of choice.
| Rating: (0)Heading south east out of Monticello this morning, a two mile downhill to start with |
| Rating: (0)And not long, and its into Colorado |
| Rating: (0)5th puncture of the tour. I had been repairing it and Andy from Germany turned up, riding the opposite was, from New York to San Francisco in the ACA route, the Weatern Express.I couldn’t find the cause of the puncture, but assumed something like yesterday’s. Later on I found that was the case, but also that the valve was damaged. |
| Rating: (0)After about 25 miles, the small town of Dicve Creek. It goes through Cahine and Pleasnt View also, but these places are almost ghost towns these days, no businesses left open, and very few homes. |
| Rating: (0)These are the sort of rolling hills that were really the whole day. 30 – 50 metres and 5 – 6% gradients, so tough going. The passing lane on the ups helps, the trucks give lots of space. |
| Rating: (0)Coming over on the 491 to Dolores and trying to beat the storm. |
Storytime:
A Trip to Paris
A Trip to Paris
As a Christmas present one year that Nigel was at University I got him a ticket for the France England rugby international in Paris. By the time the game came round we had more friends who wanted to go also, and before we knew it there was a car full. Jimmy and Steve began the trip with me, in my old Toyota Celica, leaving from the Wirral. We travelled to Sheffield to pick Nigel and Christian up, and stayed overnight for a celebration ahead of the trip, and made our way down the M1 early the following morning. It was necessary to take quiet frequent breaks however as Nigel was suffering from ‘car sickness’, but we were on time for the ferry at Dover.
Christian had forgotten his passport, so though he boarded with us, he came off the boat as a foot passenger, and ran across the disembarking area from a Sheffield University minibus to join us. The second problem of the weekend was that we had booked a room in a down-market hotel quite close to the centre of Paris, but for 2 people, and 5 of us, with 5 bags, needed to squash into it. Fortunately it was busy and the concierge didn’t notice, or wasn’t bothered. We were in time to sample the nightlife in Paris, and not back at the hotel until late.
The next problem was that we only had two tickets for the match. Times of changed a lot since then of course, but even in 1990 there was a cordon around the ground through which only ticket-holders were supposed to enter. But that was no problem to get through. There were touts and many of the ticket collectors on the gates were dodgy also, it was just a question of which ones, and having the bottle to do it. We all got in quite easily, and as I recall, were also all in the same area of the ground. England’s big victory, 26 – 7, helped the celebrations in the evening considerably.
On the way to the packed metro straight after the game, Christian spotted a very large French guy who had managed to get a free rugby ball kicked into the crowd for children at the start of the game. In a manoeuvre that he would recreate in later years on the pitch for Ireland, he ran to the back of the guy, tapped the ball, and circumvented his large frame to recover the ball, and was away into the distance.
While waiting for the train we had an impromptu game against the London School of Economics.
The journey home passed with only a few incidents. Most significantly, we had no money left, which I suppose is hardly surprising, and we were on the autoroute which was a toll road we discovered to our dismay. We had to run the tolls, getting through the barrier straight after the car that had just paid. 5 of us in a Celica was never very practical or comfortable, but it did make for an extremely funny and memorable weekend.
Safe Return Doubtful 
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