G.A.S.P.

(Great Adventures to Scenic Places)

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ July 1 ] [ July 2 ] [ July 3 ] [ July 4 ] [ July 5 ] [ July 6 ] [ July 7 ] [ July 8 ] [ July 9 ] [ July 10 ] [ July 11 ] [ July 12 ] [ July 13 ] [ July 14 ] [ July 15 ] [ July 16 ] [ July 17 ] [ July 18 ] [ July 19 ] [ July 20 ] [ July 21 ] [ July 22 ] [ July 23 ] [ July 24 ] [ July 25 ] [ July 26 ] [ July 27 ] [ July 28 ] [ July 29 ] [ July 30 ] [ July 31 ]

July 10, 1999

The ride to Craig, however, (7-10) helped a lot. It was a flat as Northwestern Ohio, and I made really good time. I had planned to go no further than Craig (about 42 miles) because this was supposed to be mountain country (Class III stuff). When I got to Craig, I inquired about campgrounds in the next couple of towns and determined there was one in Maybell, about 31 miles further west. I decided to go to Maybell and saved a day on my schedule, since I could then reach Dinosaur National Monument in just one more day instead of the two I had planned. Wow, what a concept – I was actually ahead of schedule.

Somewhere near Craig, I encountered three interesting signs spaced about two hundred feet apart. The first read "Bike Warning Ahead." The second said "Falling Rock Next One Mile." The third read "When Flashing," and came with a yellow light mounted on top. Now, I’m really confused. Do they have a very sophisticated motion detection system that triggers the light? Was there a little watchman that I just didn’t see? Is there a remote TV monitor? Also, why is this just a warning for bikes? Do just little rocks fall from this cliff? What if I had just gone by the light when it started flashing? Does it have a siren too? Does it only flash at certain times of the day like a school crossing light? Well, the cliff did turn out to be right next to the road and it seemed pretty hazardous to me. Fortunately, it was downhill and I hurried on by. Obviously, I have lots of questions about this. Is there anyone out there from the Colorado Department Of Transportation with answers?

Just before I got to Craig, I met an ironworker at a convenience store in Hayden. He was stuck there for a couple of days waiting for the transmission to be fixed on his car. He politely asked me what in the world possessed me to do this (take this trip). I gave him my standard two-part answer, the second part being that people should find a way to accomplish their dreams. He nodded approvingly, then added this bit of philosophy that he said he had heard somewhere: "No one ever said on his death bed that he wished he’d spent more time in the office." I think that’s great, and suggest that everyone give that little gem some thought.

That evening in Maybell, I met Carol, a High School student from Golden, CO. She was very interested in my trip and thought it was "so incredible" that someone would do this. She was so interested and inquisitive, I gathered that our half-hour conversation may have "made her day." Well, Carol, it made my day too. When I have a conversation like ours, especially with a young person, and that person thinks what I’m doing is really neat, then it’s a re-affirmation for me that I’m doing the right thing. Thanks Carol, and don’t forget what I said: No matter what your dreams are in life, there are ways to make them happen.