I rolled out of Blanding after a small hotel breakfast, and I made sure to stuff every available pocket with fresh apples from the breakfast bar. The morning pedaling was easy, with a cool breeze and gentle grades as I made my way north. Twenty miles later, I reached Monticello and stopped for lunch at Gustavo's Mexican Restaurant. The enchilada special was delicious, hot, flavorful, and just what I needed to power the rest of the day. After lunch, I turned east and started heading toward the Colorado border. The scenery opened up into long rolling hills and farmland, with the faintest outlines of the San Juan Mountains off in the distance. I could just barely make out the snowy tops above the horizon. Slowly, those distant peaks began to take shape—first as pale silhouettes, then more defined as the day went on. I started to pick out the treeline and individual ridgelines as I crept closer. At the Colorado border, I pulled into the State Line Bar and Grill and treated myself to a cold beer. When I started this trip, Colorado felt like an impossibly distant goal. It feels a little surreal being back in my home state on the bike. From there, I kept pedaling east toward Dolores. The approaching mountains continued to tease me, slowly revealing themselves in the late afternoon light as I inched closer. By the time I neared the reservoir, the San Juans had fully come into view in all their grandeur, snowy peaks, ridge lines, and the first hints of true high country riding. Before I knew it, I reached McPhee Campground just outside of Dolores and settled in for the night with a full heart and tired legs. Taking a rest day in the town of Dolores tomorrow.