Rangely to Meeker, Colorado. Thursday, July 4, 2024
Today was a quiet journey up the White River, with rolling hills that could’ve been Vermont, except for the sparsity of trees. No stops or particular points of interest along the way, another day in the glare of the hot sun, but this is Colorado, so I knew it would be bike friendly. Even with fairly minimal shoulders, the occasional passing cars were unfailingly considerate and gave me wide berth. This too was like Vermont. With cycling culture so prominent in both states, there is a tolerance and acceptance that is palpable.
To fill the time, I had downloaded two of my favorite Fourth of July movies, 1776 and The Music Man. I listened to the audio track of both, the sun was way too bright to see the screen, but I knew the movies so well I could picture the action in my mind as I rode.
Meeker is a quiet town with a violent past. It was the site of another massacre, depressingly similar to the Whitman massacre near Walla Walla. This time it was the Ute nation that bridled against the forced conversion to western religion and agriculture. 11 people were killed, and the Utes were effectively expelled from Colorado.
I missed the town’s reenactment of the other violent episode in Meeker’s past, a bank robbery that was foiled by citizens on the street, all of whom were packing heat. All three robbers were killed, with only minor injuries amongst the populace.
Meeker is also the permanent residence of Michael Bloomberg.
A tiring day, tried to get to bed early, but was kept up by the town’s fireworks, lasting almost an hour. That’s much longer than the displays I’ve seen in bigger cities.
Distance 58 miles, 2,773 total. Time 8 hours with stops. Elevation gain 2,279 feet
©️ 2024 Scott Luria
The Ends of the Earth 