Out with a bang

Today was my last day on the TAT, for now. I was out of the motel early and hit a local steak joint for breakfast. Then it was off for the ~20 mile ride to the trail. The GPS route was a little off and it told me to turn into a private ranch. I saw people getting into a truck, so I rode it and talked to the guy. He said that everything (including Google) has the wrong road and directed me to the right entrance to the trail. When I got there I found two guys on BMW GS' that were riding to Lake City. I took off before them but they soon caught up and passed me.
Today was some of the best, most fun, roads yet. The first part was a meandering road that hugged a river to one side. It was cold today, like yesterday. I had to stop and zip up my vents to avoid shivering.

Eventually I came to the really fun stuff. Cinnamon Pass, Engineers Pass, and some road I don't know the name of. These were, by far, the roughest roads I've riden so far. Everything I've done on the trail so far has been building up to this. Steep climbs. Rocky roads. Water crossings. Everything. The up hill parts weren't a problem. Envy has enough torque to pull me and all my gear up some insane hills. The Shinkos I got in Oklahoma provided enough grip for all of Envy's grunt. Things were going great and I was flying over the road (well as fast as first gear anyway). Jeeps were pulling to the side to let me pass.  Things were going great. I stopped after a few miles at a rest area and one of the Jeeps I passed pulled in. Turns out it was a women's poker group from Texas out for a little offroading. One of them recommended I take a five minute detour to check out the basin in the valley. So totally worth it.

I took some group pictures for them and chatted with a guy who liked stopping in the middle of the road a bit. Then I was off for more. And more there was. I hadn't even hit Cinnamon yet. The road kept being rough and it kept going up. And the rocks. Oh my, the rocks. I'm very glad I got the Happy Trails skid plate. It now has a very large dent in it. The rock that put the dent there would have definitely cracked the cases.
And more up. Very steeply up. I was getting worried because what goes up, must come down. But the roads kept going up, and up, and up. For a while there was a white Jeep for an offroad tour company that I kept swapping places with. At one point I had to stop for a break and they checked to make sure I was OK. I thanked them and passed them again a while later.
And then I started down hill. Just as steep, if not more so, than going up. Envy is so heavily loaded that engine breaking in first isn't enough to slow her down. Engine breaking and rear brake isn't enough. No choice but to go to the front break. Everything was going OK for a while. I kept the front brake for straights where I didn't have to worry about the front wheel washing out. But then came the switchbacks. These are insanely tight 180 degree turns on the side of the hill. Invariably they are also covered with loose gravel. Thankfully most have a runoff area. My usual MO  was to ease down the hill and use the runoff to turn around and take the next one.
Unfortunately I miscalculated on one and down Envy goes. Now, I've had to pick her up a couple of times. The first time I had someone to help me at the gas station. The second time was the water crossing in Tennessee which although slick was level. This time Envy was on a slope with her top lower than her bottom. I tried to pick her up and she wasn't budging. I tried again with the same result. I waited a bit thinking maybe someone will come by and help. Then I realize, where she was laying, she would get run over first. I got everything off her that I could and gave it another try. It felt like forever, but was probably only a coulpe of minutes until I got her upright and to the runoff. Then, as I was catching my breath, the white tour Jeep comes rolling by and asks if everything is OK. I tell them that the bike and I are fine and they move on. Eventually I gather the courage to continue creeping down the hill.
Of course no sooner do I start moving than the thunder and lightning started. I stop and look behind me and see some horrible storm clouds. No rush. If it started raining while I was going down the hill I'd be screwed. I tried not to hurry for fear of dropping Envy again. Slowly I crept on. I was caught by a guy on a Yamaha that asked if I was alright. I was OK and just easing her down the mountain and he took off. A short while later I was at the 550 highway. I stopped at the staging area to fix the mirror that came loose and check my GPS. Ouray was a few miles away and is GFL on the GPS (Gas, Food, Lodging). It took me a fraction on a second to decide to head to Ouray and get a hotel. The ride into town was amazing. I think I'm leaving town the same way and will have to time-lapse it tomorrow. After the first hotel I tried was full, I landed in the Antlers Motel and limped down to the Ouray Brewery for dinner. Best beer I've had on the trip by far.
So, that's it. I've done all of the Trans America Trail that I'll be doing (for now). I had considered getting on highways today to start heading home. That would have been the biggest mistake ever. The scenery today was the most beautiful. The roads were the most fun. I was faced with the biggest challenges. And I am, so undoubtably, the most sore I've been on this trip.  The TAT has been amazing. Someday I have to do Utah to Oregon. Definitely with a lighter load on the bike.
For tomorrow, I think I'll head to Flagstaff, then Jerome, then Prescott. Or something else. We'll see.
BTW, I have pictures to go with this post but the motel's WiFi sucks and I have crappy cell reception. So they'll be uploaded later. I'll post when I add the pictures.