I started off West on Monday afternoon. I headed over to Denver, which is around 500 miles and stayed with Vincent in Arvada. Vincent had downloaded all Trudi’s information off the cloud and set up a new computer for her. I shipped it off to Mike Sayers, USAC U-23 Team Director, to get transported over to Belgium. She should have it by this weekend. I was hoping to ride, but it was snowing in Arvada, so I just headed out.
I’m not sure that was such a great move. It was really snowing up in the mountains. I can’t believe how little they had done plowing the passes. There were a lot of people skiing in Copper and Vail. It is almost easy to forget that it is really still the dead of winter there.
After getting down from Vail, the drive became less stressful. The roads dried out and the scenery just improved and improved.
If you’ve never driven from Vail into Utah, you’re missing something great. The drive is unforgettable. Utah is so scenic, barren, beautiful, that if you haven’t driven through it, you need to sometime.
Vincent works in St. George, Utah some, and has a friend that has a hotel there, so he got me set up with a room. Bromont needed a run and I needed to get out for just a bit and spin. We both felt better.
Today I’m heading to Southern California. I have a long list of stuff I need to get done there. First, I’d like to get a few hours on my bike and get feeling back to normal. I love the drive, but it is a long haul. But, having both my bikes, plus Bromont along, it is worth it.
Bromont and Vincent’s dog, Jack, are best buddies.
Driving up towards Vail was ugly.
The Interstate highway before Glenwood Springs is one of the most amazing roads in the world.
I assume this are for the deer and other animals trying to get over the fence by the highway.
Utah is dramatic.
Bromont couldn’t believe how big the canyons are.
I ate this bag of chocolate nut things on the drive. I’m not sure what they were trying to sell with the packaging. Probiotic? I doubt they were very healthy.
Bromont ended up on the floor sleeping between the seats. He had the whole back seat and front seat too.
I often find myself envious of your adventures.
I have done this drive many times. everytime I do it I see something new and beautiful. Once we parked our truck at the bottom of one of the hills in Utah, rode up the dirt roads on one side and coasted down the highway on the other. total distance was almost 30 miles.
I come here mostly to check up on Trudi and Bromont, the stars of this blog … great post today!
Your drive looks nice too.
More Bromont, please!
I70 through Glenwood Canyon is beautiful and an engineering marvel. Two years ago we drove up over Grand Mesa and stayed the night in Glenwood Springs. The next day we rented bikes and they hauled us out through the canyon to the far side. We then rode the trail through the canyon (it basically follows along the river/interstate) back into Glenwood Springs. We stopped at the halfway point, locked up the bikes, and took the trail up a 1200 foot climb to Hanging Lake. It was a beautiful day and if you get a chance to do it, I highly recommend it.
We visit my sister in Avon (Vail) every summer and I always find a reason to drive through Glenwood Canyon (i.e., the canyon east of (before) Glenwood Springs). Hanging Lake is a great hike – not too brutal and with a prize at the top!
As a civil engineer (geotechnical: soil and rock), Glenwood Canyon is pornography. You’ve got a river, train tracks, a 4-lane interstate highway, and a bike path all running through this (at times) very narrow canyon. Beautiful human engineering and nature/god engineering all crammed together.