Thursday May 27, Cortez CO to Moab UT
Left Cortez on US 491, a very big road, with the objective road being CO 90 / UT 46, and Moab Utah. The only part of the route to look forward to being West of Paradox CO. Even the thin-line roads around these parts are mostly straight and flat. And windy. Very straight, very flat, very windy. Check your maps to find the straight sections.
Not much to note except to say that the immense depression in which Bedrock and Paradox are located is a sight to behold. It’s a valley that seems to be closed in all round, but somehow the Dolores River manages to flow across the valley. In fact, I have not yet figured out the Dolores River and how it makes its way among these high mesas and mountains. This is the same river that flows through the valley on CO 141, where Gateway is located, and down to the town of Dolores in CO.
I stopped in Dove Creek UT for brunch at Deb’s Diner The first two road cafe rules were true, but the food didn’t make the cut. Can’t win them all, I guess.
After finally getting to the good road past Paradox, at which the road leaves the valley and starts to climb over the ridges and into the next valley, I ran into The Big Wind. Mighty Big. You don’t want to be hit with a Big Wind from the left when you’re leaned way over into a tight right-hand curve. The wind is especially bad at the tops of the canyons just as you start down the over side of a ridge. It’s been funneled up the canyon and is really hard.
As I’m putt-putting along, I can see the high peaks of a small mountain group in Utah. I noticed that only a very few clumps of Aspen have just started to get a few small leaves. Not long thereafter I was up at that altitude on UT 46, and it’s nice and cool up here. The Springline is still kind of low in these parts.
Soon enough, the roads starts to move down to the altitude of Maob, and it starts to get very hot, and it is still windy. I cruise through town eyeballing the motels and finally settled for the place that Mary and I stayed in 2004. This weekend is the official start for Summer and all the rooms in all the motels at the well-known destinations will have already been taken. It’s a problem for those who accept the journey to be the destination. No destinations, no reservations. The place is still well run and clean, with a grill and a covered space with tables. I’ll have my dinner out here.
Not one of the better days in Biker Trash Paradise. But then, any day on a moto is a very good day. The good tiny-line roads only make it a perfect day.
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