From Farmington we headed to Durango to meet Larry, who would ride with us for the day. John had peeled off from our group during the previous night’s deluge, so after Larry joined us, our group again numbered four. Randy and Larry were on Guzzi big twins, and Pete was astride a BMW RT1150, so your author’s overloaded 650 single was the rolling roadblock, setting the pace at a blistering 60-62 MPH.
From Durango we rode under cloudy and spitting skies through Cortez and Mancos, stopping for a butt rest in Monticello. We picked up highway 191 and chased it all the way to Price, Utah.
In the morning, Larry said “Good Luck” and headed back home to Durango, leaving Randy, Pete and me to enjoy the sweeping and scenic road to Duchesne. This was the point where Randy was to begin his return to Silver City. At the gas pumps we shared a manly abrazo, and at that moment, some dust kicked up by a passing ore truck went right into my face, so I had to rub my eye a bit.
Pete and I continued up highway 40 to Heber City, and onward to the junction of I-80. Pete said his farewells and pointed his front wheel at Salt Lake, while I started toward Cheyenne, ticking off the first solo miles of my ride, feeling lonely and excited and ready, missing the companionship of my motorcycling amigos.