June 17, 2010
Day 50: Palisade campground to Del Norte
Very early in the morning the temperature was 60F and it was extremely windy for an hour or so. Then the wind died down and the temperature dropped to 40F by sunrise. I got up at 8 when the sun rose above the palisades. On the road at 9:30. Today I plan to go to Del Norte and rest in a motel room.
The road is gentle downstream following the Rio Grande in a gradually widening canyon to the town of South Fork. Highway 149 ends and puts me on US 160 east which has more traffic, but also a wide paved shoulder. South Fork is a very touristy town. Many motels, cabins, restaurants.
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I'm now in the San Luis valley, Colorado's largest valley. It spans 100 miles north to south and 50 miles east to west. The elevation is 7500 feet, but it's a desert climate.
Near Del Norte I met a touring cyclist going the opposite direction. He's pedaling from Fort Collins (his home) to Durango.
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A little before noon I arrived in Del Norte (population 1705, elevation 7884 ft). I got a room at the only motel in town. $49. Del Norte is NOT a tourist town. It's a largely Hispanic farm town that is struggling economically.
In the motel I did various chores, but mostly rested. I need to recover from yesterday's super-long ride. I'm surprised that there is no AT&T phone service. I had still another flat tire today. #4 on this tour. Another tiny wire. The afternoon high temperature was 80F. Very pleasant.
Distance: 29.2 mi. (46.7 km)
Climbing: 332 ft. (100 m)
Average Speed: 14.5 mph (23 km/h)
Maximum Speed: 26 mph (42 km/h)
Today's ride: 29 miles (47 km)
Total: 2,295 miles (3,693 km)
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