Day Ten : Salida, CO - Hot Sulphur Springs

Uneventful day, but beautiful through and through...

The next day I ride to a town called Hot Sulphur Springs. Today I was not only heading North but North west which is a psychological oxymoron when your next main goal (Tennessee) is another 1,600miles in a south easterly direction. Hot Sulphur Springs is closer to the epicentre of the Rockies. As I had been told in advance, this journey was even more beautiful again than Poncha Pass. Valleys, trees, rivers, waterfalls and more photos of Brodericks bars travelling across America. The trees varied so widely depending on altitude, 1000, 2000, 3000 feet +. Waterfalls fell straight into the natural gutters on the side of the road as the highway meandered up between the peaks. 

I ride 82 west passed Twin Lakes and passed Mt. Albert, through Aspen and down the other side into Hot Sulphur Springs. This is ultimate beauty. Again I find myself in tears as I turned the last bend that revealed Twin Lakes with the backdrop of the Rockies in all their glory, snow capped and proud, artificial in a way, like a postcard. It was hard to take it all in, unbelievable. A few other people I discussed the area with, had described it as 'hard to take in' and 'postcard' like. There is a rusty old 'Coors' sign hanging outside one of the convenient stores with the Rockies in the background. Twin Lakes and the ride up to Aspen is heaven. Refreshing oxygenated air, the odd elk on the side of the road, mostly female but every so often you'd be lucky to see a male hiding amongst the trees with huge antlers. Their antlers appear to be spongy, like ginger-shaped loofahs, the texture was really strange looking but I'd say they could do some damage. 

Aspen was explained to me as being famous for Dumb and Dumber which of course I remembered, knowing straight away, ski town, which it was. I almost stopped for lunch here but settled for Reeses Peanutbutter Cups, a banana and some coke. I continued on and passed through Glenwood Springs, I was on Interstate heading East again for about a half hour which was nice for a change. Being on the highway is slightly less meditative because there is so much more to take in and occupy your mind. The highways and byways are their own little cinemas in a way. The interstate was nice because I was making ground and heading east....then I headed north again. I joined the Colorado river, which was a deja vu moment because I had crossed it on Day 2 when riding from California to Arizona (which now feels like weeks ago).

Hot Sulphur Springs a tiny town of about 20 or thirty buildings. After a day of riding through more of the beautiful rockies, I initially overshot Hot Sulphur Springs about by about 20 miles. Another moment of ultimate freedom, riding towards the rockies as the sun is setting behind me, I pass through this town and although I am getting tired and considering bed, in a split decision I decide another 30miles to the next town of Granby would suffice a good day's riding. I stopped in Granby which seemed much bigger than Hot Sulphur Springs. A lady in a gas station in Granby made some phonecalls and books me into a motel.....back in Hot Sulphur Springs. She tells me I should head back that direction if I wanted to get the last affordable bed in the county. I backtracked just as it was getting dark and I had mostly avoided night driving so far which is always a safer option. When I got back to the Ute Motel which I had remembered passing, I pull into the park way and see the big neon 'No Vacancy' sign lit up, last bed in town, as promised! Knowing the sign had only been turned on 10 minutes previous assured me I had somewhere cozy to stay.

There was a small hexagonal hut where one could purchase fast food and where I got me some shrimp. Shrimp seemed to be so common in this neck of the woods. I had always thought shrimp came from the sea, now we are in the mountains and the people are all about it. I fell in love a little bit with the girl working on the till, she had a peculiar accent with a Southern lilt, something like Penny from Forrest Gump, maybe it was becuase I was buying shrimp. She was absolutely stunning, a soft face and complimentary voice. I went back there for breakfast but someone else was working the next day. It's unlikely I would have whisked this girl away for the rest of my trip. Lying in my motel I felt both exhausted but so rewarded by the day I had had coming through the Rockies. I am still super happy. Again I had WiFi and updated my facebook status saying, 'My trip is complete'. What I actually meant was, 'My trip is completely and utterly justified. If I die now, I'll die happy'. 

Off-roading the Rocky Mountains

Hot Sulphur Springs was a dry town which I was grateful for. I needed a night off the booze. I felt really tired. I WhatsApped  my sister and sent her an image of me chilling on my bed with socks off, red feet, tv on, a big pink lemonade and a bag of fried prawn. I stayed in a typical wood-framed mountain motel with bike parked right outside my front door. The owner was friendly and the next morning would oil my chain for free. A nearby small-town mechanic also introduced me to SwisherSweets cigarettes and sent me off with an extra 4 or 5 for the road. I would sample a huge variety of cigarettes while trecking through America, some where awful, some where not bad at all, some were nice but none were great. Smoking is BAD! 

Lessons:
TBD

'Closed'