If you are one of the potentially disappointed people that have been following my blog then you are aware of my declarations about how wonderful the experiences are each day. There were amazing views I have tried to share in my blog, there were amazing roads that I have taken pictures of, and there were amazing things I have experienced. But dare I say that today was the pinnacle of my trip.
Essentially it all started with a wrong turn. I went from Aspen to Leadville and my intent was to make my next stop Vail. There was a ‘fork’ in the road at Leadville and I guess I took the wrong one. Well, I thought it was the wrong turn at the time. I am heading north from Leadville and get to the I-70 and head east from there expecting that I will see Vail shortly.
The ‘Million Dollar Highway’ was a fabulous ride and I lost track of time. It was a good half hour that went by before I realized that I hadn’t seen the Vail turn off yet. It turns out that the ‘fork in the road’ that I chose took me east of Vail so I never saw the turn off. I decided to just go with it and stopped at several ski resorts off the I-70. All the time I was telling myself “go with it, it is meant to be”.
Just before Denver, I believe it was a place called Evergreen, I pulled over to get an idea of where I was and how to get to where I wanted to be, which was Pagosa Springs. Again, I truly kept saying to myself, “who cares, just go with it”. It didn’t matter that I was somewhat lost and not sure where to go or how to get there.
So I took the ‘back roads’ and worked my way over to Gunnison. By the time I got there I was so ready for a drink and to ask someone directions of how to get to Pagosa Springs from Gunnison. I saw a bar with several Harleys parked out front. Well if you ride you know as well as I do that it is a sign that this bar is where I should stop. It will be friendly and I will have something in common with the people inside.
I go inside and order my Corona. I ask, pretty much out loud to the bar, how do I get to Pagosa springs from here? The bar tender shares his vague opinion and then so do the ‘bikers’ that were in the bar. There were seven of them and they were all friends from Oklahoma. They took the time to share their knowledge of the roads and towns with me and gave me their opinion of what and where I could get to before it night falls.
Our conversation continued and somehow I find out this group is going to Crested Butte. Crested Butte? Is that close to here? They told me it was only 28 miles from Gunnison and that I was welcome to follow them. Remembering my declaration at the beginning of this trip; ‘stay fluid and go with the experience’, and despite the fact it was the opposite direction of where I was going, I said, “OK I’m in”.
Well this group, 4 guys and three of them had their wives with them, were nothing short of a jewel. They were so warm and inclusive to me. It didn’t seem to matter that I was this stranger that they had just met. They led me to Crested Butte and saw that I had a place to stay. They invited me to hang with them and have drinks. And they invited me to have dinner with them as well.
This is where I declined. It wasn’t that I didn’t want this wonderful day to continue. Nor was it that I didn’t want to continue to hang out with ‘my new friends’. It was that the day was perfect and I wanted it to end that way. They insisted that I come with them and yet I still declined. I watched them walk away and I instantly missed them. I had a fleeting moment of regret that I didn’t say yes. But it was the right thing to do. It was the perfect travel day.
A couple of side notes; the guys were so fun to hang with and it was so comfortable to hang out with them. We laughed together like I too was also from Oklahoma. As I was getting to know them and they were sharing little parts of their lives, there was this guy named Cliff. Cliff’s friends told him to go ahead and share his past with me but you could tell the group had heard the story he was about to share a million times before. Cliff pulled off his riding glove and slipped off this amazing ring. It was a (the) Super bowl Championship ring. Cliff played for the Chicago Bears when they won the Super bowl. Although Cliff, and his friends, are so much more than that story, it was certainly a bonus to a guy who remembers the Bears during their rein.
So, if my new Oklahoma friends are reading this blog, THANK YOU. Ya’ all, reminded me that this trip wasn’t about the amazing roads and all the miles I now have under my belt. This trip was about the opportunity to meet amazing people like you. As I sit here in my room at this ‘bed and breakfast’, I can hear the roar of all of your bikes as you are leave town. I hope it is not too long before we connect again.
The ‘gang’ did leave me in Crested Butte with plenty to see. It turns out that this weekend is something called the ‘Fat Tire’ Festival. Crested Butte is teaming with crazy people on bicycles and funky costumes riding around the town. Currently there is a 24 hour ride through town going on past my window (and there is a full moon). Just another unexpected jewel in my ‘perfect’ day