Rain threatened at 8 AM, but after a leisurely breakfast it looked OK.  I really didn't have much choice because I didn't want to lose the extra day I planned to spend in Colorado Springs, so I planned to leave anyway unless the weather was really bad.  First a quick leg south on I-15 to Spanish Fork, where I made a short visit to Zeeman Family Sports for a last "Thank you" for the snowmobile suit.  Heading southeast on US-6 took me through the Uinta National Forest and Utah's high desert to I-70 at Green River.  The canyons of the national forest are an easy ride with good scenery, no traffic, and another two thousand feet elevation (about 7000 feet) at the top.  As I came down to the desert, I met the wind from the southwest blowing very hard up the canyon.  And out on the desert I felt its full force.  The gusts were fierce; I later heard they were up to 45 miles per hour.  I could see a truck ahead of me getting blown about a foot to the side with each blast.  Fortunately, motorcycles react automatically to crosswind gusts, and the XR650L is no exception.  The crosswinds didn't really bother me, but it was a remarkable experience, nonetheless. 

    For a trip like this, the XR650L's gas tank is simply inadequate - it goes on reserve at about 100 miles.  I made the mistake of driving right through a town about 30 miles after getting gas without looking at the map to see where the next town is.  Turned out it was too far.  Soon I was on reserve and nowhere near I-70, certain I was going to run out of gas.  That would ruin my day for sure!  Then I came over a small hill and saw an old desert gas station, just like out of the movies, complete with friendly gentleman attendant watching a black and white TV.  He greeted me, pointed out the rest room, and asked me to make myself at home.  He had a few things for sale inside, but it wasn't quite what you'd call a general store.  I took a picture, but it didn't come out (camera failure).  At this stop I packed the snowmobile jacket in my backpack because the temperature had warmed up to about 70 degrees. 

    There used to be a town here, called Woodside, Utah, but now there is only the gas station.  During a recent visit to Utah I drove to Woodside to get the missing pictures.  The station was closed because there are no turnout lanes for access.  The state is now constructing the turnout lanes, so the owner expects to re-open it soon.  Out in back there is a unique cold water geyser powered by carbon dioxide and helium gases.  The owner says it is the only one known and used to be a popular tourist attraction.  The water is foamy because of the gases and has a temperature of about 72 degrees year round.  You can see it here.  Here is a picture from the Uinta National Forest and  some of the gas station.
 

    I-70 stays on the desert for a while, then heads into the Rocky Mountains.  The whole time we lived in Colorado in the early 1970s, we never went to the west side of the Rocky Mountains, so this was all new to me.  The scenery is just breathtaking.  The road, even though an interstate highway, has enough curves to add 100 miles to the distance from Green River to Denver, compared to a straight line drawn on the map.  The XR650L took advantage of its excellent power-to-weight ratio as it swept gracefully left and right around the climbing turns, making the ride itself as much pleasure as the scenery. 
 

At Vail, Colorado, it was beginning to get cold, so I once again put on the snowmobile jacket and the winter mittens.  At the 10,000 foot high point of I-70 near the Continental Divide the temperature was about 37 degrees, but I was completely comfortable.  The XR650L felt the thin air at 10,000 feet a bit, but it still had plenty of power to pass safely and to move steadily uphill at speed.

    Because of the late start in the morning I didn't get to Denver until about 8:30 PM, and to Colorado Springs at 9:30.  To top it off, it took me 25 minutes to find the military guest quarters at Fort Carson after arriving there.  The odometer read 610 miles.  It was a long day, but an excellent start that boosted my confidence that the trip was going to be a success.