Grand Junction- Independence Pass and The National Monument

6/23

Alex and I left Breckenridge refreshed (It is good to stay in one spot for a whole day every week or two.) We took Tony’s advice and went west towards Grand Junction taking Independence Pass over the Continental Divide. This was a beautiful ride and we snapped a few pictures at the top. The guys that took the below picture for us were getting ready to hike up to the summit of a nearby peak and ski down the snow that remained at the top. Keep in mind it is late June, definitely not a possibility on the Michigan slopes.

Also, after taking this picture, a couple from the Ukraine wanted the same picture in front of the sign. I asked them if they wanted us to move the bikes, assuming they wanted them clear from the picture. “No, no, no,” they said. We want the American’s bikes in the picture. I asked them which one they liked better… the yellow one of course!

Emerging from Aspen back onto interstate 70, the scenery and landscape began to undergo drastic changes. The temperature began to rise, the lush forests turned to desert, and the mountains became tall mesas: a nice change signaling that we were leaving Colorado soon.

We arrived at our hosts’ home just before 5:00pm, with the trip odometer reading 5814 miles, and stood in the road examining Alex’s bike, which had been acting funny. We were soon met in the driveway with warm greetings and invited in for some cold limeade, a wonderful hot weather remedy. Thom and Shari live with their four children and Thom runs a company that assists universities like Taylor with recruiting fresh meat. I wonder if their tactics helped reel me in?

They took us to the nearby Colorado National Monument, where we got our first taste of canyon land. This was my first canyon experience stateside as I had the opportunity to hike the Fish River Canyon in Namibia a few summers ago. The natural carvings form beautiful spires and like spotting shapes in the clouds, their youngest, Gannon, had fun pointing out animals he spotted in the canyon walls.

We returned to the house and enjoyed time with the family and some other guests that had just returned from a trip to Kenya. Thom and Shari fund an orphanage there and a team had just returned from a three week visit. It was great to trade stories from our various travels.