Help! I've lost the plot...

It’s a bit of a funny old trip  his one! I’m used to not knowing that day it is, but what with hoping back and forth between time zones and States, I’m in danger of losing that illusive plot altogether!!! Matters weren’t helped yesterday when I stood straddling 4 States all at the same time, quite a feat eh? Wel nol, not really, it was at the Four Corners National Monument. The only place in the US where 4 State corners coincide. Other than a round plate on the floor and a load of Navajo stalls selling tourist tat, it really wasn’t much to get excited about, but as I was only 5 miles north of it, I thought I might as well tick the box. The weather was quite funny too, as I rode east towards the monument after coming through Monument Valley I could see really black rain clouds to my right, then as I got closer I could see the rain heading my way like a wall of mist! I kept hoping the road would swing away from it, but no it turned south and straight into it. I’d already taken the time to stop and put on my rain jacket and heavy waterproof gloves so I just ploughed on. The monument was only 5 miles down the road and by the time I arrived the rain had passed and blue sky could once more be seen.

After the 4 Corners, I had to back track North over the same 5 miles to put me on the right road once more for Mesa Verde, but by the time I reached Cortez I’d had enough. My gouty ankle was killing me, and both the heat and the pills were starting to wear me down, so I started looking for a camp ground. The first RV site I tried didn’t take tents, but phoned another site just up the road for me. Bingo, I had a pitch and it was on a nice little bit of grass, right by the shower block. A result! I’m sure the camp host must have wondered what had happened to me as no sooner had I got the tent up, I was in bed. I think the combination of heat, pain and pills had just about done for me. I didn’t even bother with any dinner; it was ear plugs in and spark out till daylight dawned. I can’t say it was the most restful sleep I’ve ever had but both I and my ankle felt a little better for it. Eggs and bacon went down a treat for breakfast with a couple of cups of coffee and I was ready to take to the road once more.

It was another of those camps where I had stopped just short of where I really wanted to be; in this case Mesa Verde. As I ran into the park I spotted a camp ground just inside the entrance and though I might book in early and even stay two nights if the Park was as good as I had been told. I nearly fell over when I was told the price was $29 per night, I’d thought my RV site back up the road bad enough at $21, so thought I would try my luck elsewhere later in the day, depending on what I found, not knowing at this stage that this was just a precursor for yet another Random Act of Kindness!  The road in was surprising busy as not only was it Saturday but it was Labour day weekend; a three day holiday and also effectively the end of the holiday season in the US. At a branch in the road I opted for the right branch as not only were there few vehicles heading that way, according to the squiggle on the map I’d been given, it looked like it might be a right good ride; the map didn’t lie!  The 12 mile long road wound it’s way through some great scenery as it climbed the views over the flat adjacent land really were magnificent.

There were two different options at Wetherill Mesa, a short self-guided tour and a much longer one with a guide. I really wasn’t sure whether my ankle was up to either, but I popped a couple more pain killers and headed off on the short one to Step House first. It was only about a 1.5 mile loop but involved quite a steep gradient plus a lot of steps. I made it down OK, only to take 1 photograph and my camera battery go flat! Damn, that would mean I’d have to do it all over again as there was no way I was leaving without some photos. Back at the top, battery changed, a bottle of ice coffee and the most peculiar packed lunch-in-a-box I’ve ever eaten and off I go again. Meanwhile I’ve been talking to Jan, the guide who would lead the next tour to the Long House, seeing me hobbling around she was understandably a little reluctant to take me along on what was in total actually not a lot longer than the Step house loop. But then I didn’t have a ticket either, so unless their was a small group I would be able to go anyway. I almost ran around the the Step House loop the second time, determined to show that I was plenty fit enough for the tour, but it was all in vain as the assembled group was huge. So sadly I didn’t make the cut in spite of setting a near record for the Step House loop…  In conversation with one of the young rangers on duty at the visitor centre, he told me of another monument which was in his opinion even better than Mesa Verde; Chimney Rocks, which just happened to be on my route for the following day. Time was getting on and as I hadn’t a clue where I was staying (not that that was unusual) I thought I’d better head off, but not before I taken in another site he had mentioned at Mesa Verde; Far View.

I headed back down the twisty road to the entrance , turned right and headed on towards Chimney Rock and ultimately Taos, in New Mexico, yet another new state (other than putting a foot into it at Four Corners!). Before  I found a camp site though I really needed to go shopping for groceries as my supplies were to say the least low; in fact without shopping I would be down to my emergency rations of tinned sardines and rice. As I arrived at Mancos I spotted the requisite store and pulled over. Amazingly, right next door to the small supermarket was an independent BMW workshop with, of all things, an airhead parked on the roof as a sign! As I parked up, and headed for the store the owner approached me and introduced himself, asking if there was anything that I needed. Now s it happens I’d been thinking of replacing my front tyre, as whilst there was a reasonable amount of tread left it had got to that point where at slow speeds if I lifted one hand from the bars the bike started shaking it’s head; not nice! He confirmed that he had a front Heidenau K60 in stock so after buying my dinner I rode the bike next door for the tyre to be fitted. Harry specialized in airheads, so it really was my lucky day! In his workshop were 4 airheads in various stages of restoration, and very nice they were all looking too.

Tyre fitted, bill paid, and just as I was about to set off the heavens opened and the biggest downpour I’ve yet witnessed this side of the pond hit Mancos. We pushed my bike into the workshop to sit it out for a bit. Harry asked where I was staying, I didn’t know. After a slight pause he said “ well we’ve got futon if you don’t mind sleeping on that” I laughed, mind? It would be luxury and the rain was till not showing any signs of stopping. A quick call home to Kathleen, his wife, and all was set for my nights accommodation. By the time we left the shop the rain had more or less stopped, so the short ride back to their home was all but dry. It turned out that they had only moved into the house 2 weeks earlier and yet here they were welcoming a complete stranger into their home. As it happened there was a huge American Camping Trailer parked adjacent to the house and Harry suggested “of course you could always sleep in there” Perfect, what more could I have possibly asked. I dined in style with Harry and Kathleen, bored them with videos of the Scoots trips and retired to write and sleep in the caravan. Although to be fair “caravan” really doesn’t do it justice! From the outside it was certainly not new, but inside it was a little palace on wheels, and I slept very soundly in my sleeping bag laid out on the very comfortable queen sized bed. The following day was Sunday and Harry was working at home. So after a couple of superb coffees, I said my goodbyes and left them to enjoy their day together. A lovely couple whom I feel privileged to have spent time with. As I said earlier, another Random Act of Kindness, a feature of this trip that is going to be long remembered.