Hi Gram,
I was tired and sore when I woke this morning, but I didn’t want to sleep the day away. I did my morning exercises and stretches, got some things done on the computer, then packed my stuff and headed downstairs to hang out with Mark. He offered to cook some eggs and we had a delicious leisurely breakfast while we talked about different suitcase and pack options, what to bring to Bali, how we were going to stage our stuff in locations toward the end of the trip when we’re doing a little island hopping, and got excited about our trip.

I went out to load up the bike, which led us to talking about bike carriers and options. His bike is quite a bit heavier than mine with wider tires, so he went with a motorcycle carrier. It’s not only stronger, but has the added advantage of having a ramp to roll the bike onto. I have a heavy duty bike carrier, but still smaller and lighter than his, as mine is only intended to carry a bicycle. Mine doesn’t have a ramp, so I have to lift it on there, which is awkward but I’ve found a method that works. We probably could have stood around talking about packing, bikes, tools, and travel for quite a while, but we eventually said our goodbyes and I headed down the road.

On Mark’s suggestion, I took a detour off to check out Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. It’s a canyon 3,000 feet deep and about a mile across, carved by the river cutting through hard rock over millions of years. I took some pictures, but they don’t do it justice for the grandiosity, depth, and beauty. I stood in sheer awe looking at the tiny river far below (it’s not tiny – it was just really frickin far away!)

I remember coming around a bend in the road and gasping at the immense size of what was ahead of me, mountain ranges off in the far distance. I hope to come back some day with better shoes and equipment and hike even a small portion of all of this.

I got back on the road and came to Montrose, a cute little town on the western range. When I say “cute little town”, it was probably actually the largest town I’ve seen in a week but still not on the scale of Denver or Chicago. I gassed up and stopped for a sandwich and milkshake at Crash Burger, then headed on my way to Moab.

I learned a little and laughed a little as the podcasts filled the time, then was awe struck as the road dropped down into the orange and red rock valley that Moab is known for. Just along the road, I saw huge rocks probably bigger than my house looking like they were precariously balanced there. I can’t wait to get into the park tomorrow! I found a decent hotel near the entrance and walked into town to get a feel for the area. It was hopping with tourists and locals filling the sidewalks and 10,000 places that would rent you a Jeep or take you on a tour. I didn’t count them, so it may have been more than that.

A store that sells rocks and trinkets had a bunch of old mining equipment out front that was cool to see and there was a sunset cafe perched way up on top of a cliff that must have amazing views, if only I could have figured out how to get up there. There’s probably a driveway or road, but I didn’t go exploring on foot. I made it as far as a sweets shop, proudly bought a fizzy water instead of one of their delectable looking treats, and headed back to the hotel. I set my alarm for 5:30 so I can get up, get ready, and get to the park before 7!