June 18, 2018 - Pattie arrives

I packed up and it was still drizzling so I left a little early for the Airport.  Pattie arrived about 30 minutes early.  I had left all my excess road gear with Ryan so I would have room for Pattie’s Gear.  She changed into her riding clothes and we were off to lunch at Ruby Tuesday on Pena Blvd.  The ride to Alamosa was planned to go down a fast 2 lane but I lost the route on the GPS so the leisurely ride turned into a hot, gusting windy ride down I-25.  This would be our longest day ride at 250 miles.  We stopped every 60 miles for air conditioning and water, being afraid of dehydration at this altitude and Temperature.  We got to Alamosa around 5:00 and changed.  We found this town to be really active.  There was a college and we had a great dinner in a local brew pub.  My dear lovely wife then pointed out that we were the oldest people in town😬  information I could live without.  It was very pretty countryside very different from anything we had seen before.

Ryan called at 7:30 leading off the conversation with “we are alright!”  Now I know this is bad news. I suspected a car wreck or a climbing accident.  It was a good thing we bolted from Denver!  A significant storm moved in after we left and did damage all around his apartment complex.

Both cars damaged, windows broken and bodies dimpled.  Luckily they were inside when it happened.  I can’t tell you how bad that would have been on the motorcycle.  There are very few overpasses out here where you can seek shelter..  We were very fortunate to have been a few hours ahead of this, riding in heat and wind.  Ryan and Alex are in the middle of buying a house and now both cars are damaged.
Pattie has spent 20 days on the bike all around the Canadian Maritimes and has never had to ride in rain...unbelievable.  When she arrived at the airport the clouds lifted and the sun came out.  Now in Alamosa and the forecast for our 5 days in the mountains is crystal clear with cool mornings and high 70’s in the afternoon.  The day will come but maybe not this time.