Sitting @ Oskar Blues Liquids and Solids after a solid Left Hand treatment

Cozad, NE.  Picturesque in the AM light but doomed due to backwards county alcohol policy.

When I arrived in Longmont I was still recovering from the injustices of spending a Sunday night in "dry on Sunday" (Bullshit America please wake up) Cozad, Nebraska one day after losing and replacing my belongings.

 
I was completely shot, but so happy to see the Rockies for the first time I hardly noticed. I was also in need of a beer and some real rest. I hadn't been able to sleep right the previous two days as a result of losing my belongings. Having quickly processed that and moved on I was ready to do some laundry, hit a brewpub and get some dinner.

I got my first Colorado beers at The Pump House in downtown Longmont. I really loved their Alt bier. It paired perfectly with my Portobello mushroom sandwich, which was one of the best I have ever had. When my time to leave arrived a growler followed me back to my room. After consuming the majority of that growler, reaching a near perfect food coma/beer buzz I let sleep do it's work. When I woke up I felt like a new person. I was energized by the prospect of riding in the Rockies. Sadly I was not really into going to a brewery. Luckily Left Hand wasn't 100% ready for me. This was ideal for me, I now had ample time to get my bike serviced at the local dealership and source a new topcase from Fort Collins, Co.

With a new front tire, a new chain, and menacing rain clouds looming on the horizon I headed west into the mountains. I had full intentions of making the 45 minute trip to Fort Collins last an hour and a half. I wasn't about to take the straight roads in any direction with such perfect motorcycle roads nearby, especially after the Mid-west had done it's damage on my rear tire and my peace of mind.

I arrived in Fort Collins with a rear tire that was back to a nice rounded profile after tearing through the twisties. I expected trouble from my new front tire when the rain came so before it did I did some tight cornering exercises in a flat parking lot before hitting the mountains. The exercises served to properly heat, and break in my new tire. I was rewarded for my troubles by not crashing in the mountains. Hooray for me.



After hitting Beemers and More Motorcycle Works and buying more replacements for my lost gear I headed off to meet generous friends for beers, dinner, repair, and bed space. After a much needed night of socialization and easily the most comfortable bed I've slept in since leaving home I awoke to a heavy rain. I decided to sleep longer in hopes that the rain would relent, but my will is weaker than the weather and I finally went outside to work on my bike before I would head to Left Hand to enjoy their company for the day.