Great weekend for riding

We went on a really wonderful ride Saturday. It was a perfect day: temperatures that were just right and a clear sky. We took off with Pat, a friend of Alan's from work, at 9:30. We headed up the Poudre River Canyon and over Cameron Pass, stopping in Walden for lunch. From Walden, we rode on to Granby, home of the beautiful Lake Granby and, next to it, Grand Lake. From there, we headed north into Rocky Mountain National Park and over Trail Ridge Road to Estes Park, where we stopped for dinner. Then we came home via the Big Thompson River Canyon, Masonville, and Horsetooth. We got home just a little before 7:00. A long day, but some wonderful riding and fabulous scenery.

The traffic from Fort Collins to Granby was very light. There were long stretches where we never saw another vehicle. But it was a different story after we left Granby. It's tourist season, and some of the people who drive over Trail Ridge Road should stay on the flatlands from which they come. We followed five cars over Trail Ridge; four of them had no concept of how to drive up a hill, let along a mountain. The guy in the lead, driving a massive SUV, rode his brakes, not just going back down the mountain, but on the way UP the mountain. Unbelievable. Where the speed limit was 40mph, he was a brisk 15-20mph. And three of the cars behind him drove exactly the same way. It made the ride very tense for me because you never know what that kind of idiot is going to do--slam on the brakes for no reason, slow down to a crawl for no reason, stop... Alan was in the lead, and I left a LOT of room between us. I don't feel comfortable following that type of driver (in the cars, not Alan) very closely. By the time we got down to the other entrance to the park, I was sore and cranky. Fortunately, stopping in Estes Park for an early dinner relaxed me and improved my mood significantly. We happened to be there for the first of the summer outdoor concerts. We sat on the restaurant's patio--directly in front of the singer. He was quite good.

Yesterday, some friends from Greeley came to visit and for a short ride. She is a new passenger and is still a bit leery of riding on the back. (Can't say I blame her, even if her boyfriend is a very experienced rider.) So we just took a short trip over the Horsetooth hogback, through Bellview, and back home. It's so pretty up there at the reservoir. Lots of boats on the lake yesterday.

All in all a very nice weekend, although we got absolutely nothing done around the house. We still have a pile of bark in the driveway waiting to be put on the flower beds. I'm going to make Alan work on that tonight. :D