Got home last night (Thursday) at 18:30.
Sunday I left Montrose about 10:00 and took 50 to 149 and at Lake City pulled in for lunch. As I was getting off the FJR, lightning struck the mountain above me. I put my protective cover over my Russell, grabbed my tank bag, jacket and helmet and went into the outdoor seating area of the Cannibal Grill & Saloon and sat at a table under a lean-to just as the downpour started. It didn't rain too long and the waitress came and took my order. Just after my sandwich was delivered, it started raining again and lasted longer this time. After it stopped raining I tried to get a radar view of the storm on my phone but the data signal wasn't strong enough to give me any definitive idea of which way things were headed. After waiting a bit, I decided not to continue down 149 and instead go back the way I came and just check into The Western Motel in Gunnison where I had a reservation for the night. I was sure it wouldn't rain if I headed north so I didn't dig out my rainproof gloves or close the vent zippers on my Klim gear. Within two miles of leaving Lake City, the downpour started again and the temp continued to drop down to the low 50s. I turned my grip heaters on and the bottom side of my hands started to fry while the topsides and fingertips hurt from the wet and cold. My arthritis just loves wet and cold. After an hour the rain stopped a few miles before I reached US-50. The ride into Gunnison on 50 mostly dried me off before I reached the motel. That night I tried to plan a route to Greeley for the next day. Wanted to go back down 149 again but the forecast was for more rain in the morning. Looked at taking 92 and 133 north but again rain was in the forecast for late in the morning. If I'm riding when the rain starts, I'm one not to stop, but if before I start I know it's going to rain, I'm not likely to ride into it. So I chose to take 285 to 470 and I hate 285.
Monday's ride was cool at higher elevations. The one lane construction delays meant passing a mile of traffic each time. When finally reaching the sweepers of 285 the slow traffic blocked the fun. By the time I reached the Denver area it was a scorcher in the high 90s and finally reaching 101 degrees on US-85. Made it all the way from Gunnison to Greeley on one tank of gas and no rest stops. Tuesday was a day of getting clothes washed at the laundromat and a chimichanga for lunch at Alberto's. I took Mr. & Mrs. Linc plus daughters to dinner at Pho Duy (Vietnamese Resturant) to end a day of rest.
Wednesday I left headed for Lincoln, Nebraska which is the 1/2 way point to home in rural north central Illinois. The dry heat in the desert hadn't been that bad. The humid heat in Nebraska and Iowa on Wednesday and Thursday nearly did me in and I wasn't even riding 500 miles either day. I'm beginning to think as I get close to my 70th birthday and twenty years of osteoarthritis getting worse and worse, the pain on the one side of the scale is starting to outweigh the pleasure on the other side. This year, a hot shower at the end of the day isn't bouncing me back like it used to.
Even with those complaints, I still enjoyed the companionship of the FJR riders (and their families) at both Red Lodge and NAFO this year. Thanks to Big John, AJ, Marty and the rest of the hard workers for making these events possible this year. Even if I give up the FJR, I would still come in the car to see all you clowns. The body may be getting old, but as Jack said, we all are still just a bunch of kids.
P.S. FYB, for not drawing my number in the swag raffle.