Colorado Motorcycle Trip: Day Five Part Two

I’m glad I did catch up with the group in Gunnison since I had so little information to where our accommodations for the night. I was not really worried about it; Pitkin has a population of about 300 people during the summer and 60 in the winter. Yeah, it’s a happening place!! I’d have just looked for a group of motorcycles and voila! I found my group!!

Our digs for the night: The Pitkin Hotel

City Hall in our "parking lot" next to the Pitkin Hotel

Pitkin: Looking up the street

Pitkin: DOWN the street!

I ended up riding with Ed. Tim went with the ladies to do the grocery shopping for the dinner and breakfast. I would have helped, but I figured between the very capable other ladies I would just be in the way!!

I pull in and park my bike in the line of bikes. I take a hard look at my Harley and shake my head—boy what a dirty Fatboy! At this point, it’s a badge of passage that I wear proudly…I earned every one of those muddy spots! Besides, we still have more dirt to ride on the following day.

Pretty maids...errr...bikes all in a row at the Pitkin Hotel

Mr. Chubbs is a very dirty boy!!

Yuk!

The Pitkin Hotel is an interesting place. Everyone has chosen their rooms and there is one more left or I can bunk in the main bunk room. Even though I’m a girl I have no problem bunking with the guys. I dig my blankets out of the stack and choose my bunk. I’ll be unconscious before my head hits the pillow!!!

But dinner first! No, the Pitkin Hotel does not have a full-service kitchen. Well, it does, but the guests (that means US) have to cook and clean. The grocery shopper returned with a treasure trove of steaks, potatoes, salad and cookies are on the menu for the night. Along with Fat Tire, Moose Drool, and various bottles of wine! It was determined that the ladies would cook and the guys would do clean up…works for me!!

I don’t know how it was determined that Rob would be the grill master, but I suspect that it was due to his preference in steak “done-ness”….he, his wife and I were the only ones that wanted our steaks medium-rare, the others were medium and one was requested burnt. Of course, the only way to determine if your steak is perfect is to cook it yourself and I knew I was in good hands…so yes, I agreed…Rob was the designated grill master.

The live in resident, Jake, is quite nice and starts a fire in the stove for us. Sigh, it’s June and we need a fire! For the record, the Gunnison area is the coldest part of Colorado! The night before recorded 30 degree temps. Yes, we NEED a fire!! He started the one inside the older than dirt cast iron stove and was kind enough to start a bonfire up outside.

Inside, we girls open up the beers and wine and set to the task of cooking. Okay, well, nuking the potatoes to half done and then finishing up in the oven. That and throw together salad, cut up cheese for the crackers and get the dip and chips out. I was way full on cheese and crackers even before I got my dinner!! The guys meander in and out and mostly park by the campfire outside and/or loaded up an old movie in the VCR and watched it. This place has an amazing amount of VCR tapes for entertainment.

I wandered out with the steak cooking and visited with everyone. We were talking about the ride and the next ride….everyone was teasing me about riding in with the group and how they were glad that I had ridden in. I thanked them and told them I was having a great time as well….and hoped that they enjoyed my company. I also put in the “little” statement “I guess I know you guys really enjoyed my company if I get invited to ride in again”….LOL….

For the record, they did invite me back…the “official” ride for the year (hmmmm….this was an “unofficial” official ride) is in September and will be the coast of California. Not only did I get invited to that ride, but I was also clued in on their “five year ride”—the ride that they had said in five years they were going to do…and ’07 is year five. I know it involves rented bikes and Europe. I would love to do that ride!!! It just depends on my plans for Run For the Wall.

Dinner gets served and we all sit down and eat and continue to visit. I set up the laptop and we all look at the photos taken so far in the trip. I snag Donna’s and John’s photos and we look at them. The views are just terrific and we laugh and talk about our previous days.



Well, dinner is done and the guys get busy. What starts off with teasing the guys in the kitchen turns into a joke fest with Steve leading the way. That man kept us in stitches. Not only were the jokes hilarious, but watching Donna and Gloria’s reactions made it funnier!! Who let this man out of his cage *smiles*.

After the dishes are done, we all wander outside to sit around the bonfire and chit chat more. The sky is clear and the view of the stars is just unbelievable. With the exception of the view from the Kilauea Military Camp on the Big Island of Hawaii, I don’t think I’ve seen a clearer carpet of stars.

We visited for a bit then called it a night…what a full day. I think my head hit the pillow around 10:00 PM and I was exhausted. I don’t think I even had an ending thought for the day.

Until tomorrow….

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine