Day 8

View Larger Map

Miles: 95 (Not a mistake... read on)
Total Riding Time: ~2 hours
Durango -> Pagosa Springs -> Home

Today is the day. We were going to push it and see how far we could go. We've been on the road long enough and we miss the dogs. Up to this point, our neighbors were looking after them. However, they are going on vacation today and will no longer be able to take care of them. Thought of them needing to spend a night at the kennel made us sad. Hardest part should be from Durango to Walsenburg which is a one lane road. After that, it should be easier on I-25.

We woke up bright and early and were all packed and ready to go by 7 AM. Route 160 from Durango was filled with twisties but nothing aggressive. Anne looked really sharp on the bike today. She began to do body lean as she negotiated the turns.

All was great until we hit Nurtria, CO. After that town, I began to notice the change in elevation. Change in elevation means change in temperature. Low temperature and precipitation means snow.

When we got to Pagosa Springs, oncoming traffic with snow on their windows caused some concern. I finally decided to pull over shortly after Pagosa Springs next to few truck drivers when I saw them putting on chains on their tires. According to them, Wolf Creek Pass condition has deteriorated and they were required to put on chains. Still in denial, I waved down an oncoming car and asked them how it was up there. The driver told me that it was REALLY bad and that 2 motorcyclists were pulled over by the cops.

Anne and I discussed the situation and decided to head back to Pagosa Springs and figure out our next move. As we pulled up to the first gas station, 2 bikes followed us in. Turns out these folks were the ones pulled over by the cops. They were told that the other side of the mountain was even worse and had about 3 inches of packed snow on the ground.

Our options at this time was to 1) Wait it out and see if things get any better; 2) Head south into New Mexico and come back around; 3) Rent a truck or trailer and drive back. We were on the tail end of our trip and had enough riding. We wanted to get back home and not spend another day on the road.

After finding the local U-haul, we reserved ourselves a 14' truck and began loading up our equipment. Owner of U-haul was kind enough to help me get the bikes up into the truck! As much as Anne hated me doing track days, she was really glad that I had that experience to learn how to tie down the bikes.

We were on our way up Wolf Creek Pass after 2 hours of loading up, tying down and making sure everything was nice and tight. At first, the road was foggy, but not severe enough to justify not riding. However, road condition quickly turned south. Slush and snow was on the road (see pic). When we saw snow plows driving past, we were satisfied that we made the right decision. This was compounded by the massive number of idiots we saw who were too eager to be on vacation. Lesson learned here - try not to travel on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend. People drive way too fast and become a-holes when you don't drive as fast.

Rest of the trip was quite easy in the car. We were flying home at 75 mph (speed limit), which we would not hit if we were riding - Anne's comfort level is at 65. It was nice to get out of our riding gear and wear "normal" clothes for the rest of the day. We felt weird at first to be able to communicate for the first time while in motion during this entire trip. That quickly passed as we recalled all the events that have occurred during the past few days. By 6 PM, we were home and by 7 PM, we were fully unloaded.

As much as we loved what we saw and experienced during this trip, it was just as nice to be back home. We are in love with motorcycle camping, tho. We're planning on doing another trip sometime this summer. Nothing of this magnitude, but maybe over a weekend or so. This will definitely be one experience we will never forget!

Miles Ridden: ~1630 (x2)
Gallons Consumed: 52.03
Number of Fast Food Restaurants: 0



七點鐘, 我們的屁股已經坐在摩托車上. 路上一切都很順利. 一個多小時之後, 我們已經到達Pagosa Springs (大約70 miles). 之後開始上山, 這時候我們開始發現對方來車都有積雪, 心想大事不妙. 之後發現大卡車都停在路邊上雪鏈. 還不死心, 我們攔下一輛對方來車想了解前方的路況, 司機跟我們說路況非常糟, 有三吋的積雪, 還有兩台摩托車卡在山上. 討論之後我們決定回到山下再做打算.

此時有三個選擇 (1) 等一兩個小時看情況會不會變好 (2) 騎回Durango然後從南方新墨西哥州回家 (3) 租一台卡車把摩托車運回去. 由於我們也玩夠了, 而且我們也下定決心今天一定要到家, 所以租了台14呎的卡車, 把兩台摩托車綁好之後 (花了兩個小時), 我們終於準備上路回家了! 雖然遭遇很悲慘 (租一台不原地歸還的卡車很傷荷包), 但我們還不忘記苦中作樂的拍照, 當作紀念嘛. 上路之後, 我們突然很不習慣在旅行的時候說話, 因為一路上騎摩托車溝通完全靠手勢. 不過過了一會兒我們就開始談起一路上發生的新鮮事. 開車旅行舒服多了, 我們一路開75 miles, 六點鐘就回到家了.
經過這次的經驗., 我們愛上了騎摩托車露營, 今年夏天打算會去很多兩三天的行程. 誰說度假一定要躺在沙灘上喝瑪格利特? 人生只有一回, 要多做一些大冒險.