Tuesday – Denver, Colorado

Hi everyone, I need to clear up some confusion, so I will do it here and now.

I hope the confusion does not stop the offers of meeting fellow riders from coming in, but now I may get the messages before I actually blow through town. After Rapid City, I will be slowing down a lot more, so I will have more chances anyway.

I finished off posting a blog entry, but I was not going far fast, I think that Chinese food caught up with me, so I will wait a while 🙂 I was also emailing with Lesley, of course my phone had no signal, so this was the only way to do it. They had a load change, so the plans may all be upset, but this may change again. The best bet was to get on the road and head to Denver, even a quick G’day in passing is better than nothing. I eventually got away around 10am, with things settling down. More of these fences, so thanks for everyone that responded with a comment from the other day, most of you were close, but no banana as we say down under 🙂

I pulled up at a historic info sign and a grader was coming out of the farm near here and I asked him the question. As his name is Richard as well, of course he would be intelligent and know the answer 🙂

Anyway, we had a bit of a chat and the reason for the fences is, wait for it, yes, to stop the snow! But, not for the reason of stopping the snow blowing on the road. If you look at where these are placed, they are on the slopes, if they were to stop snow getting on the road, they would line the road for miles and miles. No, the reason is for water conservation. Simple really, the snow banks up and when it melts it flows down the slopes into the aquifers and water holes and basically helps out during the dry. They do not get a lot of rain out here, and when it is wet, the wind always blows and dries it out real quick, so this water is needed for the farmers. After the chat I checked out the sign I originally stopped for, thanks for the info by the way Richard, nice to have met you.

That would be painful, yikes! Off I go again, the road was mostly straight, so with nothing better to do I looked around and spotted these orange doovers on the fence line, I thought they might be fly catchers or something like that and decided to check it out a bit closer.

Well, just a boring old telecom cable with a junction box 🙂

I fuelled up in a small place down the road called Lingle and continued down the back country road to Cheyenne where I stopped for lunch.

I then tried to call Tom as he had mentioned about the Indian place, but I could not get through, I found out later he was in the saddle all day and racked up 700 miles in searing texas heat! I also spoke with Lesley and the plans were always changing, but they said they had nearly finished loading and they would meet me at the truck stop in Denver. I looked around the town of Cheyenne for a short while but could see nothing resembling an Indian gift shop, so I headed south to Denver. My stomach complaint was still affecting me so I decided not do the roundabout trip out west and just head straight there. Lucky there was a rest stop before the border, and after for that matter 🙂

The next rest centre just over the border had this great horse statue, neat eh!

I also talked with a chap called Bill riding a BMW with his better half and is also heading to Alaska, so maybe we will meet up on the road again, who knows, safe travels m8, nice talking with you 🙂

The next hour and a half was just a run south on the interstate, the traffic of course got heavier the closer I got to Denver and I think I have to go right into the guts of the town to find my turnoff!

I was supposed to get onto the interstate 70 that runs east/west, but I got so confused with all the signs I ended up going around in circles a few times, not much fun when it is stinking hot either 😦 But after taking yet another cloverleaf to go back the other way, where I happened to have to stop for lights on an overpass and took a multilane highway photo, I finally got onto a quieter piece of highway and headed to exit 266, whew, on my way again!

Once I found the exit I fuelled up as I was really low and rode around the truck stop for a few minutes, but there were hundreds of trucks, all backed in with not much space! I was looking for a white flat bed truck, but in the end I found a shady spot and tried to ring Lesley. The phone was answered but I could hear nothing, in the end I reset my phone and said for them to call me, when they did, it was Jim and he had sent Lesley over to look for me. They were in the pub across the road and Jim was minding the beers 🙂 Lesley found me and I was soon parked at this hotel and in the bar downstairs with my first taste of Coors beer 🙂

The last time I have seen this couple was in their other home in Chinchilla for the watermelon festival, this was in Queensland Australia back in February this year, we tried to hook up in Florida and then Buffalo, New York, but it was not to be. This would be the last chance I think as their job takes them everywhere, like me 🙂

So we had a couple of beers while Jim explained he could get me a corporate rate room here, so I said yes I would take it. We then adjourned to another pub down the road where we had yet more beers and more chit chat, we had heaps to talk about 🙂

And some food of course 🙂

Jim is always on the phone, either family or business 🙂

The beer flowed and the smiles got wider, the sun was hot and never seemed to want to go down!

But, eventually they had to leave, they were sorting another part of the load tomorrow, so I went over with them to see the truck. Great looking snow plough, but in the middle of summer, surely not?

That’s their home away from home, they have not been back to the house in Florida for nearly 10 weeks, notice the roo on the truck door!

I of course, went back to the first bar at the hotel where I had a room and had a few more beers with some other truckers there before crashing out later on. 🙂

Day – 267 miles and 430 km
Trip – 22,419 miles and 36,080 km

Cheers
TravellingStrom

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