Westcliff, Colorado

July 17, 2025

Dear Family & Friends

July 14. This was a mega-mile day on the BTAT. I rode 232 miles from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Liberty, Kansas. I have now passed through 8 states-Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Kansas.

July 15. This morning, before I departed Liberty, I met Taylor Reed. Taylor is a Special Education teacher from Vermont. He is riding the TAT on a large BMW motorcycle. His bike is stacked with more gear than I have seen on a bike. Good luck Taylor! The route out of Liberty took me back to Oklahoma. The ride was especially tough because of the heat, humidity and strong headwinds. Remember the great play “Oklahoma,” where the title song begins with these lyrics: “Oklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plain”? I almost got swept off the plain today. At times, the heat, humidity and wind made it hard to breathe. I booked a room at the relatively new Cobblestone Inn & Suites in Boise City, Oklahoma. Tomorrow, I hope to make it to Colorado where I have a lot of fun stops and activities planned.

July 16. I departed early with high hopes to make it to La Veta, Colorado. Thirty miles into the ride, I realized I left my backpack at the Cobblestone Inn. So, I backtracked to the Cobblestone Inn to retrieve my backpack. Sixty wasted miles! Shortly after leaving Boise City, I crossed into New Mexico. Putting aside the backpack fiasco, the ride was fun. The winds abated significantly and the weather cooled a bit.  As I approached Colorado, the terrain changed significantly. Instead of prairies and flatlands, I finally started to climb mountains. This was a  most welcome change. Shortly before arriving at my destination, Trinidad, Colorado, it started to rain. Instead of enduring searing heat, I felt like I needed to put on a rain jacket and long pants. I checked into a really nice hotel in Trinidad. Tomorrow I plan to ride to Westcliff. Add two more states to my list-New Mexico and Colorado.

July 17. As I close in on the finish line, this trip just gets better-and-better. Today was a jeans and jacket day on the BTAT. I departed Trinidad under cloudy skies and chilly weather. My destination was Westcliff, Colorado. My trusty GPS took me off the main highway and gave me a beautiful tour of some of the hilly Colorado backcountry. You can check out my video of the backcountry on my Eight Summits Facebook page. I arrived in Westcliffe at 11:30 am. I liked the look and feel of this little town so I booked a room at a cheap motel. I enjoyed a great bratwurst & sauerkraut sandwich at Chappy’s Bar & Grille on Main Street.

Tomorrow, I ride to Ouray.

Taylor & Bill

Bus left to die on the highway

Abandoned farm

Bird in a Barrel-powerful symbolism

July 16 lunch stop

Downtown Trinidad

The streets in Trinidad are paved with bricks

Downtown Westcliff

Chappy’s Bar & Grill