May 20, 2005

The Cortez Communique

We departed Salt Lake City reluctantly on a bright and promising day for the ride to Cortez.  We had had such a great visit in Salt Lake City that it was quite difficult to pull ourselves together for the ride.  Our host, Judith Hooper, and her daughters and friends and boss and wife treated  us to a splendid evening of fun and food and fun and fun.  Beehive Telephone Companies is in good hands when you know who is running it...Judith being a prime participant.  Don and I shared a bunk bed (me on top with fear of edges and Don on the bottom with fear of me falling on him...quite a night) and we both slept soundly.  The road weary and wine ending day helped us to sleep quicker than a heron's beak grabs a minnow.

Cortez is in Colorado and located between the high desert and the mountains. It was our target for this day's ride.  And, if you're going to be a rider, you get on with the ride. In the words of Sean Connery in the movie The Untouchables, thus endeth the lesson. We saddled up.

The grandeur of our nation continues to amaze and intrigue me.  We have so much promise in this country and yet we seem hell bent on changing the opportunity to enjoy it.  But I won't go political on you here.  It's just that I don't think you can really appreciate the beauty of the far west until you spend time there on a motorcycle and, perhaps even better, a bicycle.  You don't just look out the window at this splendor, you are immersed in it.  The smells, the winds, the unpredictable nuances of the openness are all around you and you become one with where you are.  Ask Jake.  He'll tell you.

Leaving Salt Lake City behind us we motored south on IH 15 for a spell then broke away from the ribbon of high speed concrete onto US  6 and on to US 191 to Moab and eventually Cortez, Colorado. This expanse of land with its Spanish influence and endless mystery is almost too much to describe.  We had seen wonders already, but this area abounds in even more.  Our highest point at Soldier Summit (7477 ft) brought us welcome coolness from the growing heat that was now beginning to invade the southwest and, as we worked our way down to the Green River area, we could not help to be in awe of the country's artwork and countless vistas.  Had we stopped to shoot a picture of every sight we wanted, we would not return home for many weeks.  There is far too much for a two week journey, let alone the two days we had in this area.

Throughout  this entire travel in Utah we were never out of sight of snow-clad mountains...nor flooding rivers from the rapid snow-melt in the growing heat.  And although we wanted to spend time in the Moab area with its natural bridges, Devils Garden, Needles, and such, we were compelled to say "We'll be back" such as the California Governor once famously said. And, as far as I'm concerned, I will be back.  I need more of this wonderful experience.

At Monticello (doesn't seem like a western or spanish name) we joined US 491 (once called Route 666 but changed when the inference of that number dawned on some of the locals) for a twistees shot over to Cortez.  We arrived both tired and refreshed from the long ride and welcomed the stop.  We checked in and tried to collect our thoughts and feelings.  Mine were reeling.  I know Jake was in wonderment.  Don was laughing from the comfort of the truck..but he has a terrific laugh that always brings me back from the edge.  We were alive and we would ride again tomorrow.

Here's some pictures (Full Album HERE):