USA Tour Day 9 Aspen CO - Winter Park CO

Got up around 7.00am to do some laundry only to be told by the hotel that the laundry didn't open until nine in case the noise woke some guests. I was somewhat pissed off by this as we wanted to do the washing then browse Aspen for a bit to see if it was nicer in the daylight. I'm sometimes amazed at the consideration given to sleepers as opposed to early risers. In many hotels we stayed in facilities were not open until what I'd consider well into the day.

We decided to got to a local laundry instead so I Started my bike and gave it a really good warm up beside the hotel laundry, (made me feel better anyway) then cruised through a sleepy Aspen waking it up with an 88 cubic inch dawn chorus. It was a beautiful morning, clear sky, and warm. As the laundry churned away I sat and read the local free newspaper.

Big news was some property development where a company wanted to provide a couple of hundred cheap houses in return for being allowed to build some huge properties for the rich. Apparently these large properties were about twice the size allowed by local planning regulations. It seems that local people are being forced out by high prices in "Paradise" and opinion was divided on the development which would allow some affordable houses in return for some multi-million dollar houses.

Michelle and I ate breakfast at a bagel bar, where and incredibly large amount of bacon and scrambled egg was levered into a bagel making it so big I got cramp in my jaw trying to get it wide enough. I've always had the impression that coffee in the USA would be among the best in the world, but time and again I got average coffee. In my opinion the Spanish have still to be beaten on that front but I suppose it down to individual preference.

We browsed some shops, designer stores and art mainly. Huge showrooms with a couple of tiny racks of clothes in big empty spaces. There were no prices in most places but the simple arithmetic of overheads divided by available stock gave one and idea what level they would be. Earlier this year I was in St Tropez in France which was awash with designer shops which I liked, small boutiques in narrow streets, the affluence was still visible but seemed to fit with the atmosphere, here in Colorado I felt it was out of place such rugged terrain.

Back at the hotel we bumped into some Canadians we'd chatted with the night before. Fred had exchanged an Alvins T-shirt for one of theirs and they had told us how great Independence Pass was to ride. We waved them farewell as they set of and then waited for the rest of the party to get ready.

We evacuated Aspen around noon heading south west out of Aspen towards Independence Pass, climbing immediately up again through steep roads in the now familiar pine clad mountainsides. A twisting turning narrow road for twenty miles or so, climbing first through the trees which then faded to open brown moorland style hills. The bikes laboured away in the thin air much of the time needing third gear to keep up the pace

Every now and then you could look back on where we'd been to see the bikes now concertina'd into a long line as each found his own pace on the twisty. Cars and trucks had to be passed and this made for an enjoyable run accelerating past then braking for corners. At the summit we stopped and strolled to the vantage point, quickly finding the thin air made us labour as much as the bike.

At 12,000ft I an aircraft need to be pressurised. Here you have to take what you get. John Natrass leaned on a fence which gave way and sliced the top of his thumb off as he fell. Once the rest of us had stopped laughing we realised by the amount of blood this may need attention. The ladies of the team quickly got the first aid kit and patched him up. We took in the sites, photographed the mountains and chatted to other tourist who were interested in the bikes and our tour before we set off down again along the road which we could see way below us.

We turned left onto US 24 and stopped in Leadville for lunch. Leadville took my interest, an old mining town again in an unlikely area. Quaint old western style buildings and some interesting tourist shops selling local jewellery made from "Leadville" gold. Some of the guys quenched their thirst at The Silver Dollar Saloon, the kind of bar where the piano player would stop playing as a stranger walked in. We walked up the street looking for eats and came across another "Mom & Pop" place where I had and excellent meatloaf sandwich. Thick slices of meatloaf on bread covered in brown gravy and served with mash and green beans. Top scoff. Back down the street again wandering into any shops which took our eye and buying souvenirs for the folks back home. 

Back on the road again heading north on US 24 towards Frisco. Climbing again through shrine pass, slightly lower at 11,300 ft but still high enough to make the bikes cough. Down through Frisco then north east through Arapahoe basin to Loveland pass. We stopped slightly before the summit and got some nice people pictures in a car park adjacent to some phenomenally difficult looking ski slopes. As we drank a beer and took in the scenery and then heard a thunderous roar approaching us from above. A large tanker with heavy engine braking struggled down the hill clearly audible for miles. As he passed he blew his horn and waved then proceeded downwards through the twist and we tracked his progress by sound for some time. A wonderful sight.

We mounted up again and after a quick photo shoot at Loveland pass we went down again to empire where we turned on to US 40 heading for our destination of Winter Park. One more mountain pass in the form of Berthoud Pass where we stopped to get the rainsuits on before continuing on to Winter Park. We missed the hotel first time as it was about five miles before the town. The town itself looked interesting enough even in the rain, a broad main street with restaurants and bars to cater for the skiing set. As we got our bearings the rain caused a beautiful rainbow to form picking out a building as the location of the pot of gold, the sun came out and Winter Park looked much brighter

We made our way back to the hotel and checked in only to find that the restaurant and bar were closed for a private function. I always thought that the US was where customer was king but for a hotel to close its only restaurant and bar to paying guests disproved this at least in Winter Park. They were kind enough however to lay on a courtesy bus, after a moan, which took us to a local Irish pub/restaurant. The hungry ate and then drank and the plain thirsty just drank. With a few of the crew giving the bloody marys a real shift.

All too soon the bus returned to collect us and we adjourned once more to our rooms to sleep off another hard day.