Road Trip Part Deux

So where did we leave off then? Going to the Sun Road I recall.... good old Montana. It all seems such a while ago, now that we're back, and that Mark and Luce have headed back to NZ (eck).

We cruised down past flathead lake making a beeline for Yellowstone, when the deathly speedboat crossed out paths. We'd seen a layby to pull over in on the bend of a road, and as we were about to drive into the layby a lone trailer (perhaps pulled by Thestralls) and boat came whizzing across the bend in the road and ploughed right through the spot where we would have been about 2 seconds later... The trailer detached from its vehicle on the bend and kept on the straight line course into our parking spot.. that would have been one for the obituaries - four roadtripping tourists maimed brutally by unidentified trailer. It was all rather shocking for us and the poor woman driver of the car the trailer came from (apparently it was her hubby who hitched the boat up, and he wasn't there). It was so shocking that Mark decided the best course of action was to leap out with the camera clicking away at the disaster scene like some frenzied paparatzzi (spelt how?). A dip in the lake was much needed after such excitment.. then on to Wyoming.

Here're Brina and Luce at Yellowstone falls... there was so much just in Yellowstone to see with all the geysers, mudpots, canyons etc... we could've spent three weeks there. We picked up Ol' Faithful on the way out south to the Tetons and Jackson - where there was more biking to be had too. Then a wild, remote and "oh shit we're out of gas" drive towards Colorado - we camped very late in the dark in a random place we plucked from the map - which incidentally turned out to be rather spectacular when we awoke - Flaming Gorge, a desolate, deep sandstone canyon (piccie with the tents).

Steamboat Springs was the first destination in Colorado - and a very sleepy, dreary ski resort it turns out to be in summer time. We got to ride our first 10,000ft pass on the bikes - "Rabbit Ears Pass" heads up out of Steamboat, and the up is steep and prolonged - as I only realised after having spent an hour or so staring at our kid's back wheel feeling a serious burn going on in the legs.

Vail and Aspen were to come next, all very nice (and rather poncy). Here's the rub about Aspen's clientel.... Nearly 100 private Lear Jets lined up in the airport to whizz the rich and Lah de Dahs to and from the resort. The local bike shop was stocked with limited edition $10000 (minimum) Livestrong bikes. It's not that I'm jealous, just... jealous.

The excitment brimmed for Crested Butte - we were dispensing with the tents for three nights of luxury in the Three Seasons condo at "the Butte" (whatever happens in the fourth season I don't know). With wonderful coincidence our first time with a t.v on the trip coupled with the first stage of the Tour in the Pyrenees - three full days of watcing the blood doping, testosterone pumping athletic freaks fight it out in the mountains - perfect.

For those of you unaware of Crested Butte, it is one of mountain bike's mecca's -and it certainly was.

We all hired mountain bikes and hit the trails, Brina and Lucy were chirruping away like a couple of hens in the excitment of it all, and me and Mark were squarking a wee bit on some of the single track laid down. Also finding $35 on the trail is alway a bonus - now I normally carry a quarter in case I need to make a phone call, but what people carry (and loose) $35 for on the remote biking trails is beyond me - maybe it was for an elusive cafe we never found.

I don't remeber if on the last post I pointed out we saw a bear in town one night here too - all good fun leaving the garbage bags out at night to feed the local wildlife.Loads went on in Colorado, I've already forgotten to mention we all took roadbikes up to the Maroon Belles in Aspen, and I'm sure my rambling and picture choice isn't doing justice to the trip (we got carried away and have about 1000 piccies to view).
Telluride, Mesa Verde and Moab will feature a wee bit in the next post - but I am now to drag my sorry ass from the computer as the sun is beaming in the window and I've a neglected moutain bike who needs to be taken out in Bragg Creek for some lovin'.

Other news from here is we're still basking in the holiday time bliss. We cruised out to Banff yesterday and kicked about lazing around and finishing reading Harry Potter's last installment (it's not too bad). Will post again imminently.

Keep spinning and smiling,

S&S.

p.s:

"YEAH.. I WISH".