Sept. 29 – Loving the Mountains!

The campground was only a few miles out of Dolores, so I cycled into town for breakfast. I got advice from a local and ended up at Kelly’s Diner, which was excellent. It was hopping with tourists and locals alike and the employees were nice and helpful. Sort of reminded me of La Reforma if we served breakfast!

Dolores is a nice little town and a took a tour up and down the main drag, stopping at the local market for a few snacks. Then I headed out of town along the Dolores River – it looked like a great place for some fly fishing – but only saw a couple of anglers all day. It was a great day for cycling as it was cooler up here in the mountains, some of trees were already turning colors and even though I was climbing, the road was graded easy so it wasn’t too tough.

I had hoped to find a Warmshowers host in the little town of Rico, which was right before the climb to Lizard Head Pass, but no response. I would be camping again.

In Rico I stopped to get a few provisions and drinks (and an ice cream sandwich) before riding another 7 miles or where I found an awesome campsite at the edge of a meadow by the Dolores River. It was so nice to be able to go down and rinse off in the cold, clear water. There was still a couple of hours of light left, so I set up my chair, cracked an IPA, and finished reading my book (Kon-Tiki). What a great way to finish a long day of cycling!

I even made a new friend who kept coming around!