I left the motorcycle rally after muscling in on the group pancake breakfast and headed towards La Garita on paved Rt. 285 – an easy 23 miles with no headwind. I had a 2nd breakfast at the small restaurant – a very tasty egg and sausage breakfast burrito with green chile. There was an eerie church and cemetery on the outskirts of town, I walked around and got some good pics (check the PHOTOS tab).
Next stop was Penitente Canyon, a climber’s paradise! My Blackberry photos don’t do the place justice – Google for some better photos, and if you’re into climbing here are the details about what you can do: http://www.rockclimbing.com/cgi-bin/photos/search.cgi?AreaID=2499&AreaID-opt==
On the way towards Del Norte I was chased by afternoon thunderstorms…and made it to the café in Del Norte minutes ahead of a massive downpour! I stayed with Patti Kelley and Gary Blakley from the services section on the Great Divide Route map, enjoying their beautiful restored home, warm bed, and cycle touring hospitality!
