We arrived at The Cottage a few days ago after spending a couple of months down on Galveston Bay. Spring was here waiting for us, but the Spring in Colorado is not the same as the Spring in Texas. The day we got home, Pike’s Pike just west of here was slammed by a freak Spring blizzard that left over two and half feet of snow in its wake.
It’s been in the 40ºs in the mornings, which is significantly cooler than the 70ºs that greeted us on Texas mornings. We still need a sweater for the sunrise walks. I’ve been wanting to get Double Cross out on the dirt roads and score some miles, but there were plenty of chores and Spring cleaning to get done in the bus and around the cottage, so it took a few days to work through the backlog.
But this morning, after our walk, Vickie said, “My gosh, what a beautiful day, you should go for a ride.” I looked deep into her eyes and, being the always thoughtful and considerate husband, said, “What a great idea!” It took some time to get the kit ready as the last time I played in the dirt with Double Cross was the middle of Winter before we left for Texas.
By 10:00, I was headed west into a moderate 68º breeze and it felt good to be spinning the peddles. As I crossed highway 40 and rolled from the asphalt onto the crunchy, sandy gravel my heart began to sing – harmonizing with the Mourning Doves and Meadowlarks, who were singing sweetly on this glorious morning. Lark Buntings, Colorado’s state bird paced me down the dirt road, flitting from one fence post to the next, twittering in the quietude of the morning.
The solitude was jarring compared to the vast suburban sprawl of the Houston Metroplex, where the population density is approximately 1000 people per square mile. Here on the High Plains, the density barely registers; a hair over 1 person per square mile. City life was fun for the short time we were there, but we relish the quiet solitude that resonates here.
There are things we will miss, like our kids, grandkids, sunrise walks on the beach, and playing bumper carts with thousands of shoppers at the huge HEB store (they’re only in Texas and they’re awesome), but a couple of months is enough to keep us satisfied for a long time. I took Double Cross to Texas, hoping to score a few miles on some Coastal dirt, but it didn’t happen.
With a billion acres of concrete, screaming sirens, honking horns and thousands of cars spewing exhaust, bike riding wasn’t that appealing. They are working diligently to build out bike lanes and infrastructure but city biking is not what my heart yearns for. I love dirt and there are miles and miles of it to explore on the High Plains. I am looking forward to another awesome season of two-wheeled exploration.
As I turned a corner and headed towards Pikes Peak and the western edge of the High Plains, I considered how many miles to ride on this beautiful morning, “so much dirt, so little time.” I crested a hill, upshifted and increased my speed, soaring effortlessly down the other side. At the bottom of the hill I came upon a regal Ferruginous Hawk slicing and dicing his rodent breakfast in the roadside ditch.
Ferruginous Hawks are the largest hawks in North America. They love to hunt the same country I love to ride in, so I see quite a few of them soaring with their sixty-inch wingspan in the vast blue sky or tearing prairie dogs and ground squirrels limb from limb with their sharp, scimitar-shaped beaks. They have less fear of humans than most raptors and allow me to get quite close, which always makes my day.
“I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.” ~ William Shakespeare
I decided 20 miles would be just about the right distance on this splendid Spring morning. It was more of a welcome-home ride than a cardio workout anyway. Reconnecting with the endless sky and sparse beauty in this enchanting region of high grassy plains. As I pedaled down the road towards home gazing out to the horizon across the emerald green prairie grass I imagined what it might have been like a few centuries ago when thundering herds of bison roamed the same plains I roam now.
