Friday September, 26 2008 - Day 12

Friday September, 26 2008 - Day 12

After the past two days of heavy hill climbing our bodies show outward signs of wear. Chet is limping a bit and dipping a shoulder. I am walking very gently on a sore knee and hip. Joe never walks the same way twice so who knows what his body is going through. Bo’s body has thawed and he is awake early and looking for food.
Chet and I agree this morning should be a cross training routine. We stretch, eat breakfast and then hike up a mountain trail in Telluride. The mountains surrounding Telluride are steep and colored with yellow Aspens against deep green pines. The trail is wide and we climb quickly. Joe starts running and I look over to Chet who is shaking his head. He just can’t seem to get Joe to rest or recover for the coming 200 miles he will pedal on Saturday.
I forgot to mention, yesterday while we were in in Silverton Bo ordered rocky mountain oysters. When they arrived I mouthed to Chet, “does he know”. Chet shook his head – no. I smirk and decide get a video of it. I go through the ingredients in each lunch at the table as if I am a gourmet on TV. When I get to Bo I stop and ask him what is within the fried batter. He says Oysters. I say “yea, from the nearby sea”. My clues go unnoticed. Chet finally takes one and eats it. He starts questioning Bo about the ingredients and their origin. When Bo learns where these fried gems come from he is surprisingly calm. After several minutes he says, “then these must be aphrodisiacs “. I add a comment that Joe should be a little worried as he and Bo are rooming together.
The road between Telluride Colorado and Flagstaff Arizona is much different than any road we have ridden. The traffic passes at 55-70 mph and the shoulder is small. The very noticeable difference is that the traffic participates in what could only be called a passfest. It is a two lane highway and the cars never stay in their own lanes. It reminds me of an ant trail. They head directly for each other all along the route. I am told there is some communication takes place when they run into each other. Joe pedals along the road with his head down to avoid being sand blown. When he looks up he is continually looking at two cars coming at him. One vehicle is in the proper lane on the other side of the road and the second vehicle in his lane.
The road passes through Four Corners. Four corners is where Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona meet. It should be called Four shit because there is nothing noteworthy other than the dust storm that envelopes Joe as he cranks along the flat road. Miles and miles of nothing but pucker, scrub brush and a bicycle rider. With any luck one of the three won’t be there tomorrow morning.
We have been trying to charge most our expenses to Joe’s Amex card. It has been a nightmare from the first day, every day and usually at the most critical point of any day. Last night we are between Ouray and Telluride. We come upon the only gas station even slightly open and won’t make Telluride without a refill. We swipe the Amex card at the pump. “See Attendant”. We go in to speak with the attendant and she says the card will require a special authorization.
This card has been cancelled for months but Joe grabbed it by accident. We have been using it with mixed results for the last 11 days. Joe had a new card sent to our hotel in Lamar, CO two nights ago. We have the new card but since we have been on the phone every day with Amex we decide to see how far we can get on the old card. Amex guaranteed Joe the card was null, void, cancelled and will never work again. That is why we go through the trouble of altering the “path of the cow” for a single night and must plan to be in Lamar to pick up the card.
Joe is on the phone again with Amex and the new card is in an envelope which fell behind the back seat in the cab of the truck. We cannot figure out how to drop the back seat. Joe assures us he has done it before but after 5 minutes of pulling, pushing and prying we resort to reaching arms underneath up to our shoulders. Another 5 minutes and we have the envelope. Open it, tell the Amex representative the card number for authorization. She won’t authorize it because Joe isn’t calling from his home phone number. He explains that we are traveling for 3 weeks and had the card sent to a hotel which is why he cannot call from his home phone number to authorize the card. She puts us on hold and says that for security reasons she cannot authorize the card.
Joe has a 10 minute discussion with her explaining that we not only need gas but will also need to use this card for our lodging. She puts us on hold. Amex authorizes us for $400 of spending for the remainder of the night. In the meantime he has had to use Courtney’s card to pay for gas. This attendant who has watched us pull apart the truck now has to reconcile that Joe’s name is Courtney. Joe is asked for identification and then does his best sales pitch in a plea of trust because they have the same last name.
We get to the hotel and use the old card to pay for the room no problem. This is how the days go by.
Other notable events because I hear Bo’s daughter is actually reading the blog. Tonight we stop for gas. We use the old card and $7.00 exactly into the fill the pump shuts off. The text on the pump says “Stopped See Attendant”. We go in to speak to the attendant while Joe calls Amex again. After 20 minutes Bo just uses the old card in the pump behind ours. It authorizes so I back up the truck while Chet is in with the attendant and Joe is on the phone with Amex. Bo fills the truck and just prior to driving away I glance in the side view mirror and the gas door is open with the gas cap flapping in the wind. I stop the truck and ask Bo who’s side he is on.
Here is a link to the kids and cause we are riding for - http://www.lisas810.com/cause_AOR.html
With gratitude,
Chris