Maps Don’t Tell the Truth.....

I have been getting behind in my blog posts recently and I don’t like that. I like to keep up-to-date as then it seems easier to just write about one day at a time. Therefore I left Gunnison promising myself not to take too many photos on day 85 so I would give myself a chance to catch up.

I failed.

The trouble with having a plan to not take many pictures is when I ride through such wonderful scenery, I just have to stop and record what I am seeing. The map intimated there would not be much to see today, but the map is just lines on paper. It doesn’t really tell you what is out there. Maps don’t tell you the truth.

First of all, a map doesn’t tell you that I would see the beginning of the autumn (US = Fall) and that there would be some wonderful colours to tempt me to stop and try to capture the yellows I was seeing....

A map doesn’t tell you there will be many shades of green....

A map shows you big rivers, but doesn’t tell you about the small ones with wonderfully clear water....

A map doesn’t tell you the reflection from the sky makes rivers shimmer....

And it doesn’t say where you can get your boots wet by wading out into a river to get a picture....

A map certainly doesn’t tell you that there might be an excavator and a truck standing in a river!.... (no, I don’t know what they were doing either).... this was in the south fork of the Gunnison river....

Also, a map just gives the name of a town, but they don’t tell you just how picturesque a place can be, like Silver Street in Lake City....

They give no indication that houses in that city can be charming....

Nor that churches can be small and beautiful at the same time....

Nor that shops can look totally different from their big brothers in large cities....

Maps give no indication that a building, despite being 119 years old, can just draw you to it....

Maps also don’t tell the truth that little streams....

.... can turn into something magnificent, just because of gravity....

Maps don’t give anything away about how stunning the views can be....

Nor do they say you might meet Moo and Mini Moo.....

A map might indicate that a road is maybe not paved, but it won’t say that riding up such a road is challenging, but turning around and then riding back down it, might be very risky and will make you sweat!.... This is next to Creede in Colorado and oh boy, was it hard to ride down again without locking the wheels of my bike.... (Redlegs and Natasha would love this road)....

Yes, this gravel road really is as steep as it looks....

A map will tell you that you will cross the Rio Grande, but fails to mention the scenery....

Some maps tell you the contours of the ground and indicate that you can expect spectacular views from high up. Mine didn’t....

Maps tell you the name of places like Pagosa Springs, but it is really left to you to wonder if the springs will be good.... (they were)....

So you see, maps mainly just get you travelling in the right direction, but they certainly don’t scream out at you that yes, YOU WILL need your camera today!

Despite their shortcomings, I love maps!