The number of riders was a bit on the short side for this ride to Dove Creek.  Those who mustered, bright
and early on Saturday morning, were treated to a great ride, perfect riding weather and some of the most
beautiful scenery in Colorado.  

We rode to Gateway and had a yummy breakfast and coffee to get the juices flowing.  Gateway Canyons Resort
was hosting a bicycle race between Gateway and Naturita and as a result we encountered lots of bicycles on
the roadway but fortunately most of them were coming back to Gateway.  They too were enjoying the beautiful
day, good competition, and the great red rock Unaweep Canyon scenery.

We stopped for fuel in Naturita and were treated to a small town parade.  After a brief pause to watch the
parade pass in review and the road to clear we made our way down through Disappointment Valley and into bean
country.  The new crop making its debut this year in and around the “Bean Capital” is the sunflower. 
We rode past some colorful, bright yellow fields of sunflowers that took on the appearance of a sea of yellow
waves blowing in the wind.  

We stopped briefly in Dove Creek so Jesus could change hats and turned off just this side of Cortez and headed
to Dolores, Rico, and over Lizard Head pass.  We were blessed with perfect riding weather and pretty much
skirted all the severe thunderstorm activity that was all around us.  We actually endured a few drops of rain on
top of the pass as we were taking some pictures. 

We stopped in Telluride to take on fuel and then headed back home over Dallas Divide. Some of the group stopped
in Delta for dinner and the rest of us headed for Grand Junction.

It was a great ride.  My odometer showed that we rode 400 miles.