Bicycling Montana, Wyoming,
Colorado and New Mexico - 2006

Alamosa to Cortez, CO

June 30, 2006

Today was a non bicycle day as we were traveling in a rental car. We got up early, ate breakfast at the motel and returned to the car rental place to pick up a paper with some reservation numbers on it. Then we headed out Highway 160 towards Cortez. We made lots of stops along the way to take pictures.

We stopped at a rest area just before South Fork. They had beautiful flowers and even art work in the bathrooms. As we were leaving an elk tried to jump the fence but it was too high and he broke some bones and was unable to stand. A lady that saw it happened reported it, we watched the elk trash around for about 15 minutes but he never was able to get up. We did not wait for the authorities to come and take care of the matter.

We continued on Highway 160 going up and down and finally the long climb to Wolf Creek Pass, elevation 10,850. We were glad that we were driving a car as the road was steep, curvy and no shoulders. Please note Pass Picture - No Bicycle.

The scenery coming down towards Durango was fantastic. The camera does not give you a good idea of the vastness of the area.

We planned on stopping in Durango to do some tourists shopping, but the town was so clogged with shoppers we could not find a parking place so we rode on to Mancos were we had an ate an excellent lunch at an outside café as we watched many bicycles coming into town. They had an organized ride with 2000 cyclists. The police was out stopping traffic so they could enter town. Sure different then the way we travel.

We arrived in Cortez in time to visit one more museum, before it was time to relax and decide what all we want to do for the next several days. It was fun today traveling via car, but one couldn't help but notice the terrain and wonder what it would be like to be riding on the bike.