After an awesome stay in the Coyote Cabin, we enjoyed breakfast with Tom and Deb before setting off. 

We started a bit later than planned, but we set a goal of doing 40 miles by lunch. We needed to make it to Monticello to pick up some business cards that we had made. We rode on Route 491, which apparently used to be Route 666. No wonder they changed the number! 

We found ourselves in rolling hills and farmland, with some mountains off in the distance. The weather was great; finally, there were no storms in the forecast, and the temperature was comfortable.

We joined up with Adventure Cycling’s Western Express route, and it wasn’t long before we began seeing other touring cyclists again. First, we met Bruno and Isabelle from France. Get this: they have biked over 64,000 miles in 55 countries since 2006! When I asked them how much longer they planned to bike, they said 4 or 5 years! They had to get new frames because their old ones rusted out, and they have been through three sets of wheels.

  
Next, we met Robin, who has toured all over but is now returning home to Durango for the first time in a few years.

  
  
We made it to Monticello before the post office closed. We got our cards and hung out at the visitor center across the street, where we found free coffee and cookies.

  
In the evening hours, we rode to Recapture Lake, swam, and had dinner before crawling into our sleeping bags.

Trip stats, to date (Day 67)

Cortez, CO to Blanding, UT
Daily mileage: 76.7mi ;  Trip total to date: 3,949.6mi
Daily riding time: 6hr 15min;  Trip total time: 342hr 11min
Daily ascent: 3,758 ft;  Trip total ascent: 194, 021 ft
Flat tires: Rachel – 3; Chris – 2