Day 15 - July 28

Today was a maintenance day. For the bikes, and for us.

This past Tuesday we had booked the bikes in for oil service at Mile High HD - Aurora, and so we headed there after breakfast. The staff at the dealership was very accommodating and took us in right away.

Manny's bike was serviced first, and just as it was being finished, Everywhere Joe showed up at the dealership. That was great news, because now Manny and Joe can ride back to Florida together.

The rest of the bikes were finished by 11:15, so after fighting through Denver traffic to go across to the west, we jumped off in Avaria and picked up US6, which took us through the beautiful Clear Creek Canyon. After a brief rest stop in Evergreen, we hopped onto Squaw Pass Rd (Hwy 103) for the climb up Echo Mountain.

After passing the entrance to the Mt Evans Rd (to be done tomorrow), we came back down 103 towards Idaho Springs. We wound up getting wet, as a dark cloud continued to stay over us as we zigged and zagged down the mountain.

The city of Idaho Springs is undergoing a lot of construction, and as a result of road closures, we wound up having to travel about a mile or so on unpaved roads - just enough to dirty the bikes back up again.

Our destination for the night was the Argo Inn and Suites, which has

some rustic old rooms that back onto Clear Creek and we can sit on the back patio and watch the rafters go by. Dinner was at Smokin Yards, just a short walk away from the hotel. It was the shortest riding day for us yet.