Day 10 - Denver, CO to Delta, UT

Today we began our ride home which would also snag us our dams and cafes.  But first we got up early and watched the start of the 2010 Iron Butt 5000 Rally. It was a good time to wish our friends a safe and enjoyable ride and then see them off.  They had received their rally bonus packets the previous evening and all had plotted routes that would lead them on essentially a long scavenger hunt that would bring them back to Denver by 10pm on Tuesday night.  They then would have a few hours to rest before receiving their next bonus packet which would give them scavenger locations to find and end up in Spartenburg, NC on Saturday.  Here are a few pictures of the pre-ride activity, but I have none of the start as my camera battery discharged just as the start began.

There are many more pictures of the rally start at the Smugmug link. 

We finished packing our bike and had a nice long chat with another couple from Seattle who were also heading home.We then departed around 10am on a route that would take us west on I-70 to Salina, UT and then a short jog up to Delta, UT where we ended up spending the night.

It was a nice ride up and over the Rocky Mountains through Vail (lunch break)

At Palisade, CO we experienced a severe electrical storm, so we elected to get off the bike and wait out the storm in the local park.  It was a wise choice as the storm was quite powerful.  When a clearing in the clouds occurred, we continued our ride west.

The scenery on I-70 was terrific and we enjoyed it immensely.

 Pulling into Salina, we stopped for a milk shake to combat the temperatures.

Continuing on we arrived in Delta, UT and found a motel (Diamond D - Family owned and clean and neat).  A terriyaki dinner from the restaurant across the street was then was consumed.  (Sorry, Mr. Cow was left at the motel).

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Trip Statistics:
Mileage for the Day:  533
Game Spotted:  Lots of Pronghorns