First off, if you haven’t read Part 1- Arizona and New Mexico yet, you should go back and check it out.

ColoRADo, it’s the state we were looking forward to the most, and after dragging our bikes through the mud along Brazos Ridge, we were glad to finally arrive. With food supplies low we were also glad to arrive in the town of Horca, but that happiness didn’t last long. The one “food store” in town was closed for remodeling, so we scraped up what we could from the restaurant and gift shop, then rode on.

Like last time, this post is more photos then text, but I do have a few notes for those who travel through.

• Ignore the bad stories about the town of Platoro, most people just go to the wrong place. The Gold Nugget Cafe has the best, but still limited, grocery selection, great food, and a bread pudding with Jack Daniels sauce you won’t forget. Michael and Debbie go out of their way to make you feel at home and they also have a cabin for rent to cyclists, hikers and motorcyclists.
• If you’ve been waiting for that Rocky Mountain High, you’re going to have to wait a bit longer. The first dispensary is not until Salida.
• Food doesn’t come fast in rural Colorado. Waiting almost an hour for something to go is not uncommon.
• The only official signs we saw marking the GDMBR were north of Del Norte.
• Colorado has some unrelenting climbs, but some of the longest are at a railroad grade. Climbing a 2% grade for 15 miles isn’t so bad when you have a 15 mile descent as  a reward.
• There is free camping just outside town at the Salida East riverfront camping area.
• If your bike needs work, Salida and Steamboat have some of the best shops on the GDMBR
• The baseball dugouts in Steamboat Springs may have good camping, just don’t get caught and watch out for the sprinklers.

With that, I hope you enjoy the photos.

Thanks for visiting and stay tuned for Part 3 – Wyoming and Idaho