06/17/23 NM/CO border to Durango

June 17, 2023

It was surprisingly easy to do largely nothing yesterday. Moved my tent to a better site, nice shade and closer to power. Hung out by the river, caressed my bike, ate pasta.

I forced myself out of the tent early to ensure I’d get to the post office on time, and was on the road before 7. What wasn’t in the forecast and certainly not in my plans was rain. Twice I got caught in cold showers, but each time I was able to find a place to wait it out before getting too miserable. Fortunately I managed to arrive with just enough time to receive my package, swap the panniers and mail the old ones home with 5 minutes to spare.

Durango seems like a fun town, with an interesting downtown area. But oh so expensive. I spent a very long time sitting at the hip Durango Coffee Company, trying to find a route with the most manageable grades. I’ve decided to take US 160 over Wolf Creek Pass, leading me to Salida in about 3 days. I’m contemplating stopping in Denver to visit a friend and possibly to visit old haunts from my childhood.

US 550 went from 4 lanes with wide shoulders to this soon after crossing the border. It was tense at times.

There’s a fantastic bike path along the Animas River that leads to downtown Durango

Today's ride: 35 miles (56 km)
Total: 1,004 miles (1,616 km)

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