Day 21

July 28

Today we left Telluride via gondola. Put the bike on the back and rode up and down about 1700 feet to a neighboring village and then started the ride. We biked up our last mountain pass in Colorado called the lizard head pass. The next 40 miles were supposed to be a downhill piece of cake, but we had a headwind that was strong enough that biking downhill was still quite an effort. Tonight we’re staying in Dolores, a tiny town near the Utah border.

The route we have taken through Colorado has been exceptionally beautiful and an error in areas of the state that I haven’t been. Most of the roads have been relatively empty. The biking has been spectacular. We will see what Utah brings.

The one non-geriatric member of our group is a recent Cornell grad named George. He is taking a couple of gap years and then intends to apply to medical school. It’s interesting to see him interact with this diverse, but all older group. I think it bodes well for him with regard to his potential ability to interact with a diverse patient group should he follow through on his plans.