2003 Bike Trip Across Colorado

Hi folks! All links to the bike trip are below. Scroll down to see Days 8-10 on the Western Slope of Colorado! Here's a couple of nice pictures...

LEFT: Look at the congratulatory cake that awaited me on my first day back at work!
RIGHT: That's an official map of the route that I took, going east to west!

Day 1: 100 Degree Heat on Eastern Plains
Day 2: 85 Miles on Frontage Roads
Day 3: Arrival in Colorado Springs
Day 4: Colorado Springs to Salida (102 Miles)
Day 5-6: Poncha Pass & San Luis Valley
Day 7: Biking Over Wolf Creek Pass
Day 8: Pagosa Springs to Durango
Day 9: ONLY FLAT TIRE! (Durango to Cortez)
Day 10: The Final 40 Miles of Desert to Four Corners

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**Day 8: Pagosa Springs to Durango**
**(70 Semi-Interesting Miles on the Western Slope)**
	Here was the temperature at approximately 6 a.m. when I left Pagosa Springs ... 42 DEGREES! Also, check out the early morning lakeview from the home I stayed at! :)
	That's Chimney Rock, in uh, Chimney Rock, Colorado. (I still think that should be called Middle Finger Mountain!) ;)
	There's were still plenty of mountains throughout.
	Durango ... YIPPEE!
	Honestly, I really didn't do much in Durango, which is supposedly a fun town. All I did was rest in my motel room, lounge at the pool and watch TV. SEINFELD ROCKS!

Day 9: Durango to Cortez
(Steve Gets His First and Only Flat Tire)

More mountains! Definitely by this time I knew the mission was going to be completed!

At Mile Marker 59 on Highway 160, I finally needed to pull over to repair a flat tire!

I was only a couple of miles away from Mancos, so I walked & very gently rode my bike into town.

I did almost all the work really, but I couldn't get the darn tube to pop out of the tire. So that very friendly guy at the gas station helped out!

This guy with the "Indian Grub" stand has great food in Mancos. He's also a very friendly guy!

Tell him ColoradoGuy.com, the cross-Colorado biker sent ya! :)

Just look at that delicious fry bread wrap!

The final mountain landmark is Sleeping Ute Mountain, which is west of Cortez. If you click on the zoom-in, you'll see why it's named that.

Downtown Cortez! Mesa Verde National Park is just outside of town.

Knowing I just had one final 40-mile ride to finish on the next day, I decided to celebrate at Dairy Queen.

Look! I got a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard! YUM! :)