Denver to Gunnison, and then Some

First day riding my rented Harley Street Glide FLHX, and what a big day it was.  Three hundred fifty miles from Denver, past Gunnison, all the way to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, then 70 miles backtracking to Gunnison.  Riding companions John and Beth did a superb job guiding me on their BMW R1200 in hot, sunny weather under blue skies. Rode over the Cotinental Divide at Monarch Pass, 11,312 feet, after gliding over Kenosha Pass, 10,000 ft, and Red Hill Pass, 9,993 ft.  The came Black Sage Pass at 9,475 ft.   A day full of winding roads, craggy pinnacles, countless mesas, and looming green mountains that have already lost most of their snow

Along the way we took in miles of pasture land populated with the requisite sheep, cows and horses, while turkey vultures, darting wrens, and red tailed hawks soared above.  Closer to the highway were six deer carcasses and one smoking frame of a motor home that had been fully engulfed in flames. Talk about vacation gone wrong.

Moving on, Black Canyon of the Gunnison became a National Park in 1999, and is spectacular for is bottomless depth and dramatic rock cliffs.  Well, it's not bottomless, but at 2,700 ft straight down, it's far.  A curvy road skirts its south rim, and the visitor center, with requisite National Park Service film, souvenirs, and a terrific view, sits on the edge of the canyon. 

Tomorrow it's breakfast then heading south over Wolf Creek Pass, made famous in the CW McCall song of the same name.  "Me an' Earl was haulin' chickens On a flatbed outa Wiggins And we had spent all night on the uphill side Of thirty seven miles of hell called Wolf Crick Pass..."  Wish me luck!