Day 16 - Monday

We wake to a solid rain. Very grey out and it's coming straight down. Our string of flawless days has come to an end. I think we jinxed ourselves. The night before after unloading the bikes we were discussing putting the covers on and Jamie remarked about all the stars that were out and how there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I got suckered in and left the cover off. The next morning the bike was soaked, but it did get a little of the dust knocked off it.

We took our time getting around and by 10 am or so the rain had stopped. It was still very grey and menacing looking out there so I opted to put the rain gear on. Jamie went without.

I put the rain gear on to head to the Black Canyon

When you're riding in this type of weather it's easier to put the gear on and keep it on. I think Jamie learned this the hard way. I poured a couple of times and we had to stop on the side of the road so she could get her rain gear on.

It had quit raining before we got to the Black Canyon National Park. Yet another National Park I have not heard of. We were rewarded for our trip here! Very few people in an extremely rugged and beautiful place. The canyon is remarkable.

Here is a link to the park info:http://www.nps.gov/blca/index.htm


There is a 7 mile drive along the rim that we explored. There are scenic overlooks everywhere and we were fortunate that it did not rain while we were there.

Heading into the Black Canyon we got to see some wildlife.

One of the locals.

It's hard to describe the vertical drop with a picture.

Jamie enjoying the view.

You can see the Black River way down there.

Another stretch of the canyon.

This was called Sunset Overlook. Very nice.

We said goodbye to the Black Canyon and headed towards the town of Gunnison (still on 50). Gunnison as it turns out is an excellent little resort town with lots of activity going on. We stop for gas and pick out a quaint looking place for lunch....

Salmon Salad with a Balsamic reduction. They gave Mom's a run for her money!

We continue on and find the weather turning a little nasty. It's blowing and windy and we are facing one the passes that we must cross. Monarch Pass is at 11,300 feet where we cross at the summit. The way up is via very tight switchbacks and steep inclines. The ascent is slow going. Still manage to enjoy the views despite the weather. The descent was much gentler and it was enjoyable. The rain was contained on the other side of the mountain.

At these altitudes through the temps had dropped considerably. Temp gauge was reading around 50.

We ran into some bikers while getting gas in the little town of Buena Vista. There were 3 couples, all on Harleys pulling trailers. They were from Little Rock, Arkansas and were heading for Keystone. They had all of their clothing on and were freezing their a**s's off. Also, they were a bit lost. I told them Jamie lived in Breckenridge and they practically sprinted over to where she was at to get directions from her. She told them the way and they gave us some Road Trip 2009 stickers for our help. Cool.


We were getting close to Blue River now. We had s couple of passes to go through on our way (we are back in the heart of the Rockies now) and the views and ride were great.

We arrive back at Blue River without incident, but sadly the road is over for Jamie.

Arriving back at Jamie's place in Blue River.

We get cleaned up a bit and call a cab out so we can go into Breckenridge for a nice dinner and a bit of celebration. Jamie wants to go to Motis, a somewhat upscale restaurant in Breck. The servers there are all friends of hers and we have a very enjoyable time. Wine was good, food was good and a great time was had by all.


Day 16 = 230 miles