Toz's Bike Trip

Saturday Sept. 22, 2012

I'm playing catch-up here. The rides from Rapid City SD to Hot Springs and then to Cheyenne WY wer mostly uneventful. The scenery was excellent riding through wide open spaces sometimes not seeing a car for ten or fifteen minutes but the winds were unbelievable blowing the bike all over the road. It was especially bad in Wyoming. For the first time ever I saw signs on the highway saying that when these lights are flashing, the road is closed. A local explained that was because of tje tremendous snow drifts they get with the blowing winds. Also in the fields right along the road you see these really big steel snow fences which help to keep the snow from drifting on the roads.

I left Cheyenne on the 20th heading for Boulder CO. I had called Jill Griffanti Smith daughter of my good buddy and brother Marine Ernie Griffanti who I will be visiting in Payson AZ. Ernie lived in Bozeman MT for many years and I went out there a number of years in the winter and stayed with him and the whole family would go down to Big Sky to ski. Jill and her brother Ben were young kids then but great skiers.

Jill lives in Fort Collins Co which is right on my way to Boulder and we decided to meet for lunch in Loveland, just a few miles south of Fort Collins. Had a real nice time catching up on her family but all too soon it was time to hit the road and head for Boulder and two days staying with Sam Hoaster and family. Sam's dad is my ex brother in law and a good friend. We used to visit the Hoasters in Atlanta when Sam, Mike and Kathy were little kids. The kids used to like me to get on all fours and they would ride me like a horsey. We also did some wrestling and I would throw them around the room, no injuries. Sams brother Mike also lives in Boulder. I got to Sam's place around 1330 and off loaded the bike and settled in. Then Julie, Sams wife and the kids Reba(6) and Lila (3) came home and we had a nice time getting to know each other. Reba is a little unsure of me but Lila has become my sweetheart. She likes to play nosey so we rub noses numerous times.

The next day Mike called. He lives on the outskirts of Boulder in a beautiful home at the 7,500 foot level. He came down to Sams place. Sam was busy doing business so Mike and I went to lunch at a really nice place in the walking mall in Boulder. It was a shock after six days crossing Iowa, SD, and WY and seeing relatively few people to sit at an outside table and see all this humanity. And what a sight it was, there were a few regulars but most that I saw were tatooed from head to foot or had rings through most any place on your body that you could imagine. Boulder is a college town home of the Colorada Univ. I'm wondering if Colorado Univ. actually recruits all these whacko's or they just show up on their own. We had a nice lunch though and then I followed Mike up to his home in the mountains. He has a beautiful home with an unbelievable view of boulder down below. His wife Robin was home. I hadn't seen her since Gina's wedding and that was so long ago, men hadn't started shaving yet. Daughter Carley, a senior in high school wasn't home so I didn't get to see her but we had a nice visit and then I headed down the mountain because I was taking Sam and family to dinner. Before dinner we did some picture taking and I had to assume the position of horsey and let Reba and Lila ride.

Julie, Lila and Reba

Mike and Me

Sat. Sam and Mike were going bike riding so they led me out of Boulder and south to Rt. 285 which takes you through the Rocky Mountains. Again, you can't capture the beauty of the Rockies with a camera. You have to see it in person. I did take a couple of pictures which I will include. I got as high as 11,500 feet and the temperature at the start was 44 degrees so it was time for some warm clothing. I got to Alamosa CO around 1330 and checked into the motel and crashed for about a three hour nap. It felt great and I am now having my Manhattan and trying to complete this portion of my blog.