August 11-12, 2005

Today is gonna be another long day into Steamboat Springs, and it will be a dogleg route of interstates and highways leading south and then east on US40. The day starts with a sunrise and warming temperatures all the way to Heber City in Utah, most all of it boring interstate riding.

It’s hot again today too, but it’s riding the way it should be — no rain, blue sky, endless miles. I’m actually becoming accustomed to the heat now, and it’s not so much of a problem as it was when I first started on this trip. Neither is the fatigue that first plagued me because I hadn’t been taking any long bike trips. I’m finally getting in the groove.

It’s getting dark up ahead – black is more like it. Lightning is striking too. It’s time for gas and a mileage check into Steamboat Springs, and if I’m lucky I’ll be able to ride the tail of this storm into Colorado.

After checking the map I’m disappointed. And the rain is traveling due east along my route. Finally I pull over in Roosevelt for the night.

The next morning it’s a short hop into Steamboat Springs. It’s very similar to Bend — tending to trendy, but much smaller in size. All in all, I prefer Bend, but here I am.

I missed all the rain too.

It’s just another sunny day in the early afternoon, so I park at the far end of the main drag, sit back and watch the show. There’s a ton of people walking both sides of the street – young, old, singles, couples. When they hit the end of the street, they cross over and walk back in the opposite direction. I wonder if that’s the end of it for them. After all that, do they get in their cars and drive off to the next destination?

Come to think of it, that’s what I do sometimes.