Fort Collins, CO - Raton, NM Motorcycling

Typical scenery south of Denver on I-25 southbound. A lot greener than in Wyoming.

21. By the fourth day, Wednesday June 22, we know that the gasoline cost is about US$20 for about 600 km distance. I won't have to mention it again, I guess. I notice an rpm lowering when a 91 octane fuel is used instead of 89, so I stick with 91. On the fourth day we rode from Fort Collins, CO to Raton, New Mexico. It is about 450 km, shorter than each distance in the previous three days. It serves the purpose of a more relaxed riding; I thought I would need a break every fourth day.

22. Colorado gives a welcome change of scenery after a big prairie sky of Montana and Wyoming. The landscape south of Denver on I-25, especially near Colorado Springs and Castle Rock, was green. It was soothing for my eyes. The Colorado highway speed limit is mostly 65 miles per hour, so the slower speed also helps me relax. The road quality of Colorado highway isn't as good as that in Montana and Wyoming; a lot of crack lines and bumps litter the highway, especially within the Denver section of I-25.

23. We zipped through Denver. There was no traffic jam around 10 am when we snaked through the I-25 section in the city. A truck cut us off when it moved to my lane, but I anticipated that by glancing to my right quickly. I almost made a wrong turn also, but luckily I could still change lane to stay in the I-25 southbound.

24. The green farmland landscape changes into a semi desert once we rode past Pueblo, CO on I-25 southbound. It continued to Trinidad, CO, about 40 km north of the Colorado - New Mexico border. Big winds are hitting us again near Walsenburg, CO.

25. The Raton pass at the state border gives a green scenery again. The elevation from sea level on I-25 was consistently at about 2000 m throughout the I-25 in Colorado. It's no wonder Denver is called a mile-high city.

26. By the end of fourth day, we have covered about 2300 km from Calgary to Raton, NM. To get to New Orleans, we have to cover additional 1700 km through Texas and Louisiana.

At a rest area in Trinidad, CO, about 40 km from the Colorado - New Mexico border.