I'm like you in that I like to stop and take pictures along a ride, and not hold anyone up. It's nice to take your time. :)

Wow - how odd - the "Shoe tree" that is east of Middlegate. :)

I bet you have great snow views now. Apparently the International Bar and Cafe is closed now. That's too bad.

Wayne, I rode the Carroll Summit alternate 2 days ago (I’m riding the Nevada portion of the Western Express + my own route from Cedar City to finish in St George). I started at Reno airport so took the Geiger Summit climb over to Dayton. I agree the Carroll Summit climb was awesome, and the panorama of the Toyabe range while riding in the basin to Austin was spectacular with the amount of snow this past winter. I camped at Austin RV Park ($10), there’s really nowhere else to camp or even eat other than the gas station. I had mailed myself a USPS general delivery box to the Austin Post Office, but unfortunately they don’t even open until 10am.

Cheers,
Mark

We took the Sapinero cut off. The road surface wasn’t near as nice as what you experienced.

This was my longest tour since I retired. My "practice retirement" tour in 1989 was almost 3 times as long.
Optimal tour length definitely decreases over time for me. Right now optimum is about 10 days. The 19 day Promised Land tour is pushing my limits, but will hopefully be okay because the terrain is relatively gentle.

I couldn't do it now either. I'm glad I did it while I still could, at age 48. In my 40's and early 50's I did many challenging routes that I can't do now. I'm glad I did them while I could...

I love a good conclusion page, such as yours. As much as I enjoy them, I don't write one. ??? I cannot say why.

Is this your longest tour? What would you say is your optimal tour length?

I've looked at this day several times. I don't think I could do it. I'd have to have a rest day before and one after! Four passes in one day. Holy moly!

I wonder if you could visit Ojo Caliente on your way to Taos? They recently had a devastating fire. The soaking pools are surely intact, but the lodge and locker rooms burned down, I think.

I really enjoyed the Blue Mesa route. Big climb but not too big. Good views. Low traffic. The unpaved part was well graded.

I also really liked riding along the Lake Fork Gunnison river to Lake City. I can see why you have pedaled that route several times.

I hope your "60" tour works out. I did the Blue Mesa route when I was still camping. It would be very different as a motel tour.

Right now I'm leaning towards doing an 11 day Willamette Valley covered bridges tour from June 21 thru July 1. Then a 15 day Spokane to Boise route in mid to late September. Both route maps are at the end of my newest journal.

The search engine here took me right to your journal. I think I finally have half a route for my zero birthday trip. I remembered you rode the Cut Off Road. Has it really been 11 years? Horrors!

I believe I have a plan that is sticking - we are leaving when school gets out, heading south to Taos, then making our way back north. We have a few new days in there - mostly it is revisiting old favorites, where we haven't gone in years. 27 riding days. 4 days off.

We would ride from Lake City to the cabins at Sapinero, then to Crawford. That makes the day to Crawford a far easier day.

Then we'll come home for a couple of days and do a loop north - I want a re-do on the trip you came out and rode. I wasn't in a good mental place, with all of my bike trouble that trip.

What are you thinking of for next summer!

I enjoyed this journal a lot Wayne as it took me down memory lane. We've biked most of all of your route during ou various tours.

That’s quite a story about your grandmother. Glad you were able to see the place again.