Day 14: Cortez to Durango

It keeps getting better! On today's leisurely 44 mile ride we were blessed with beautiful weather and the splendid fall colors of the Rocky Mountains. As we left Cortez heading east on Highway 160 we passed the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park and continued on to the little town of Mancos where most of us stopped at a quaint cafe/coffee shop for an excellent cup of coffee.

As we headed east out of Mancos the mountains ahead were covered with the yellow of the aspens mixed with the orange and red of the underbrush. Added to this were fluffy cumulus clouds and cattle grazing in the grasslands - a truly beautiful setting to be cycling through.

I would strongly recommend to any of you cyclists that you pedal this stretch of 160. Traffic is fairly heavy, but the shoulder is very good and the scenery is magnificent.

We arrived in Durango shortly after noon and checked into the General Palmer Hotel in the heart of the historic downtown. Durango is another of the great little Southwest Colorado towns - made even better by today's splendid weather. Speaking of weather, it looks like we may get this great weather all of the way to Taos - clear skies, highs in the low 70's and lows in the upper 30's. We've asked Bruce, the Catholic priest in our group, to speak to his boss about the weather - and so far he has really delivered.

Just after publishing this the first time, the Durango & Silverton train pulled into the station directly behind my hotel. I've added a picture of the steam engine.

Tomorrow we should have another beautiful day of riding through the mountains as we cover the 61 miles to Pagosa Springs. We may even be able to do a post-ride soak in what's called the "Lobster Pot" at the Springs resort where we will be staying. As a part-time "Mainer" I'm not sure the image of the lobster pot works for me - so I may pass on tomorrow's cooking opportunity.

Steve