The Old Stomping Grounds

We spent a couple of days wandering around my old stomping grounds. Monday we drove up into some areas I used to ride my motorcycle. I remember the roads, but the towns have changed from what I remember, although it’s been at least twelve years, after all.

In my previous entry I mentioned that the town of Rifle looked buffed. Well, that’s only by the freeway. As we drove north on the two-lane, we went through the old town. It looks much like a lot of towns in this area – dusty, a little old, but doing all right.

We hit road construction and had to wait 20 minutes for our turn through a several-mile one-way section. Then it was north through the fields and forests, winding between the hills and mountains. Much of that area is farms and ranches and other enterprises. There’s not a lot directed toward the tourists coming up from lower elevations, although we did pass some places that looked like they might be dude ranches.

Then it was east through Steamboat Springs, which is very much a tourist town. It is surrounded by hay farms and mountains, but more and more the valley is taken up with second homes and ski condos. We passed over Rabbit Ears Pass and managed a glimpse of the rabbit ears atop the mountain but didn’t stop for pictures.

I have some fond memories of riding to Kremmling and stopping for lunch. We did eat lunch there, but the town has grown since I was through on my bike, or so it seemed.

We wanted to head west again, to catch Edwards on the interstate. Our GPS sent us on a shortcut that turned out to be 25 miles of unpaved road twisting up and over the mountains. We were a little leery when we discovered it wasn’t paved, but it would add almost an hour to go up to the paved connector (a road with beautiful views, if my memory is correct), so we stuck with the GPS route. The road turned out to be in really good condition. 

We passed several motorcycles traveling our direction. I admired their sense of adventure and the careful way they were riding. We gave them a wide berth so that we wouldn’t throw rocks up at them. I was never that good riding on loose surfaces and was glad to have four wheels under us. Then, coming down the other side, we passed a bicycle(!) heading up over the pass. I’ve done a lot of foolish things in my life, but that just seemed crazy to me.

Joining Interstate 70 in Edwards and heading east, we drove up and over the 10,662 foot Vail Pass. As usual, there was road construction. It must be a real challenge to maintain the roads at that elevation with all the traffic and the terrible conditions in winter.

We stayed overnight in Silverthorne, which along with Dillon and Frisco, is nestled tightly into a small valley between mountains with lots of ski areas.

Tuesday we headed down the mountain into Denver. Coming down the hill from Idaho Springs, we used only three miles of charge in the 32 miles of distance. You can’t do that in a gas-powered car.

We spent the day wandering around Denver, had a wonderful lunch on the Pearl Street mall in Boulder, and even went by the house my sister lived in the summer I lived with her while waiting to go into the Army, 56 years ago.

Today, Wednesday, we headed northeast out of Denver into Nebraska. We’ve had beautifully clear air on this trip until we got to Nebraska. And joining Interstate 80, we of course mingled in with a large amount of truck traffic.

Driving across flat Nebraska can be a little boring, but the traffic livens things up and it’s not nearly as boring as crossing the Great Salt Desert in Utah. Tonight we’re in Kearney – another town for which I have fond memories.