Today is Monday, a day and a half after finishing my latest bicycle ride. I've had a little time to reflect and will put my thoughts down before I forget them. This will include a few trip statistics, answers to questions people asked along the way and some random thoughts of my own. Nothing that follows is in any particular order.
Let me start by saying that I had a terrific time and look forward to when I can tour again - though Susi says this will not be for a while.
The people I met, both fellow cyclists and locals, were terrific and I enjoyed every conversation I had with them.
The scenery along the Mississippi River, especially from Nauvoo to Hamilton, IL was spectacular and the riding safe and easy. Crossing the Mississippi River from Illinois into Missouri at Hannibal on the I72 bridge was special. I've crossed this bridge by car so many times over the years traveling back and forth from Iowa to my home town of Winchester, IL.
The 34 mile ride from Hannibal to Louisiana, MO was one of the more difficult days of riding. There were three large hills and the last two were "killer" steep. This was my first real day of riding hills like this and my quads were trashed by the time I arrived in Louisiana. That said, the views of the Mississippi River from the top of these bluffs was spectacular (but probably look the same if viewed from a car or motorcycle rather than a bicycle!)
The Katy Trail was also spectacular. The Missouri River on one side and high limestone bluffs on the other while riding in solitude on a trail with a tree canopy nearly the whole way - this was special. The locals were also very friendly in all the small towns along the Katy. I would definitely do some sections of the Katy Trail again.
The people I met in Kansas were also very friendly. The Flint Hills of eastern Kansas were very pretty. These things said, I would never choose to ride across Kansas by bicycle again. There just is very little of interest while pedaling eight hours, day after day. If I am correct, I said the same thing the last time Susi and drove across Kansas (that I'd never do it again). I apologize to anyone with ties to Kansas that may be offended by these comments.
Eastern Colorado - ditto the comments about Kansas but times two. There is just absolutely nothing to see here for miles and miles!
Colorado Rocky Mountains. The last week of this trip was sheer joy all the way from Pueblo to Laramie, WY (with the following exceptions ; (1) CO9 between Green Mountain Reservoir and Kremmling which has no shoulder and a high volume of traffic with very inconsiderate drivers - at least the day I rode it - but confirmed by at least one other fellow cyclist I met and (2) between Rand and three miles up Co127 towards Laramie - these were miserable miles primarily because of the headwind - maybe nice riding otherwise). The scenery of the Rocky Mountains was absolutely spectacular. The people were very friendly. Guffey, CO is something to see if you are ever in the area and have time to visit. I still highly recommend the Guffey Burger (definitely the best burger of the trip) at the Bull Moose Restaurant and Bar. Climbing the mountain passes, including Hoosier Pass, was challenging but very, very rewarding! I'd do the mountain section (except for the parts described above) again - and likely will do some sections again. The section from the turnoff of US40 near Granby up and over Willow Creek Pass may be the highlight of the entire ride - serene and simply spectacular bicycling.
All in all, this was a very nice trip that I'm glad I was able to take. Thanks to my family and friends for their support and encouragement on this latest adventure. I hope everyone enjoyed the daily updates and photos. Susi, I promise this is it for a while!
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Other stats and thoughts;
1. Trip duration - 28 days total with 27 days of riding and one rest day in Pueblo, CO.
2. Trip length - 1,587 miles.
3. Bicycle issues:
a. Really none; the exception being the rear tire fender rub noise that I finally figured out in Pueblo, CO with the help of an excellent bicycle shop. My Co-Motion Americano has been an excellent bike for nearly 8,000 miles now. The only real problem I've had with it was with the indexing feature of the rear shift lever and the bike shop replaced this component after the Southern Tier trip at no cost. The replacement shifter has performed flawlessly ever since. As part of helping me figure out the noise, the Pueblo bike shop looked at all the components including the crank and wheel bearings and found everything in very good condition. I highly recommend Co-Motion bikes to anyone wanting a high-quality touring bike.
b. Zero flat tires. I put new tires on the front and back just before leaving on the trip. The front was the same brand/model of tire that came on the bike when purchased (Vittoria Randoneur Pro) but the back was a new Schwalbe Marathon Plus. I had mixed feelings about purchasing the Marathon Plus because I've read, and seen first hand (thanks to Adrian on the last day of the Southern Tier trip), how difficult they can be to get on and off to fix a flat tire. But they are said by many to be the ultimate touring tire with long tread life. The long tread life is why I purchased this one. My experience is that the rear tire wears about twice as fast as the front. This tire installed very easily right off and other than a slight fender rub that I finally figured out and fixed in Pueblo performed flawlessly. After 1,600 miles, the tread looks like new - although the tread on the Vittoria front tire also looks like new. These are both 700 x 35 tires and I had to ride three miles of regular gravel road and about 200 miles of crushed limestone trail (Katy in Missouri) so I was glad to have the wider tire.
4. Gear issues. None. All my camping gear (Big Agnes Seedhouse 2 tent, Thermarest ProLite pad, Lafuma 40 degree down sleeping bag) is very well used and still kept me comfortable and dry during some cool nights and intense evening thunderstorms. My Ortlieb panniers also continue to perform perfectly. I've seen far more of this brand of panniers during my two long tours than any other and I highly recommend them to anyone serious about long duration touring.
5. Camping/Lodging - 27 nights (final night was at Jenn and Mike's); 12 camping, 15 motels. I had anticipated camping 6 nights then staying in a motel the 7th and 8th nights taking a rest day about every 7 days. However, there really was nothing of particular interest along the way that made me want to take a rest day and as long as the cycling was relatively flat each day, I felt fine. I took one rest day in Pueblo to get ready to ride in the Rocky Mountains and I will say that this was nice. I did pretty good with the camping plans for the first half of the trip, but really wimped out in the last week or so. It was so nice to sleep in a bed rather than on the ground! I was able to sleep better and enjoy the next day's riding so much more than if I'd been camping. Two nights early on were in a motel because Susi was able to join me. A couple of others early on were to avoid camping in strong thunderstorms and possible hail. The night in Guffey, CO when I got practically no sleep really pushed me over the edge with the camping vs. motel stays. Riding in the Rocky Mountains is pretty tough and one needs to be fresh and alert while doing so. That is harder to do at my age than it is for a 20-something which is mostly who I came across. The exception being Ed Devlin who is probably a little older than me but is in another class entirely (175 mile days!?).
6. Traveling solo vs. traveling with a companion or group. I have mixed feelings about this as there are advantages and disadvantages of each. I really enjoyed the companionship on last fall's ACA Southern Tier trip. It is fun to share the adventure while it is happening with others who are like minded touring cyclists. I've had this same group experience with RAGBRAI and with one supported mountain bike tour of the north rim of the Grand Canyon. However, what was nice about traveling solo is the independence and ability to do what you want; stop when and where you want, eat what you want, rest when you want, ride at whatever pace feels comfortable to you at the time. With the ACA trip last year, I felt like I was "racing" nearly the whole time; trying to keep up or not be the last rider. On this trip, there were times when I just "putzed" along and times when I rode hard, but the pace was always my choice. Traveling solo also requires one to be thinking ahead and planning for any contingency because there is no one there to do the thinking for you. Thanks to Ray, our group leader on last year's Southern Tier trip, for doing all that for us. I now have a better appreciation for what he did. Final analysis, I'd do either a solo or a group tour again in the future and am probably equally comfortable with either.
7. Cooking meals or eating out. After last year's Southern Tier ride, I told myself I would not cook again. I did not take any cooking gear on this trip except for a plastic knife, fork and spoon - not even a plate or cup. I don't regret that. I'm sure I could have saved a few dollars by cooking but, to me, that is offset by having to carry the gear, take the time to cook and clean up afterwards, etc.. Of the touring cyclists I came across during this trip, most did not cook, some started out cooking but quickly sent the cooking gear back home and a few continued to mostly cook - but very few. I cannot see myself ever electing to cook on a future trip. I did always carry a supply of food/snacks/drink just in case. These included peanut butter and jelly (which I don't particularly mind once in a while) along with a supply of trail mix, granola bars, raisins and fruit when I could get it. I also took along a few packets of GU but only used two at the base of a couple of substantial climbs when my legs already felt tired. GU always works for me, but has an unpleasant after-affect for anyone around me a few hours after I've eaten it (I know, TMI - just a warning to my fellow cyclists)!
8. Following ACA routes vs. picking your own route. On this trip I had the opportunity to do both. The ACA route maps are very, very good. They are accurate and easy to follow traveling in either direction. The only real problem, and this has nothing to do with ACA, is that services may or may not exist in locations where the maps show they do. From my experience on last year's Southern Tier ride and this years Great Rivers North/TransAmerica ride, the rural American economy is really down and out. There are many small towns one rides through which at one time had stores, gas stations and/or other forms of service that would have aided the touring bicyclist but are now practically ghost towns. It helped me to have my laptop computer and smartphone with me so that I could constantly be looking ahead at the next couple of days to see what services would be available to me. The only real route finding I had to do for this trip was to get from the western end of the Katy Trail in Missouri to the TransAmerica route. I searched the Internet for information from previous riders and any other sources I could find. I finally settled on a two-day route that went almost straight south from Clinton, MO to the town of Golden City, MO which is north of Joplin. I was showing this to Susi the last night we spent together in Sedalia, MO and she commented that it looked awfully hilly. I decided maybe she was right and did a little more research and came up with a different two-day route that took me east into Kansas then south to Yates Center, KS. This was much flatter than the route I'd originally chosen. Kansas and many other states now have bicycle road maps that show road traffic volume. This along with MapMyRide, which can provide an elevation profile for a route, are a very useful combination of tools for putting together do-it-yourself routes.
9. Traveling on US highways. I found this to be a mixed bag. Most US highways have a relatively nice, safe shoulder to ride on including a couple that I rode on on my two-day do-it-yourself route. However, US54 in eastern Kansas (which is included in the ACA TransAM route) is one to avoid if at all possible. It does have a 2' shoulder, but the traffic can be intense at times. Mostly though, if you can stand the high-speed traffic, most US highways have a very wide shoulder and I found them very safe to travel on. Just do some research before hand so you know what you are getting in to.
10. Drivers. I found drivers on the more rural roads to be the most courteous, nearly always giving a good distance when passing. I was also a little surprised that long-haul truckers did the same. Short haul truckers (grain and livestock trucks) on the other hand, are to be watched out for because they are nuts. On the busier roads, most drivers will give plenty of room when passing if there is no one coming in the opposite direction - not so much if there is some sort of inconvenience to them so far as having to slow down for you. Some will (and did) run you off the road - though this was rare and only happened to me four times in 1,600 miles. You always have to be aware of not only what is coming from behind, but what is coming towards you. When the two coincide, you need to have a escape route. This sort of thinking probably saved my life on CO9 between Green Mountain Reservoir and Kremmling, CO. If in double, just get off. There are a select few drivers that honestly did not seem to care if they hit you or not. I'm sure that if they did, somehow it would be your fault. I overheard a couple of gentlemen talking about bicyclers at a gas station and I can tell you they had nothing but contempt in their hearts for them (I'll run 'em off the road every chance I get!). I'm sure that otherwise, these are fine upstanding folks (NOT!) - but they are out there - so ALWAYS be on your guard. I practiced "own the road" on a few occasions with good success - but you still have to be watching and ready to abort if it doesn't look like it is going to work.
11. Gear List. Having toured before and sent items home that I didn't really need, I thought I had a pretty good handle on what to take. I learned even more this trip. Hauling a heavy load across Kansas is one thing because the terrain is flat and once you get the bike rolling, you don't really notice the weight. Hauling a heavy load over 9,000 and 10,000 foot Rocky Mountain passes is quite another thing. You really don't want any more gear than absolutely necessary. In Pueblo, I shipped nearly 15 pounds of excess "stuff" ahead to Ft. Collins to lighten the load. This included my 5 pound laptop computer, an extra folding-bead spare tire, miscellaneous bicycle parts, excess clothing and a pair of casual shoes. I have an Excel spreadsheet that is my gear checklist. There will be some modifications made to the spreadsheet after this trip. Of course, prior to the trip I also did not lose the 30 pounds of body weight I promised myself I would. That did not help, but was compensated for with lower gearing and slower speed up the mountains (faster on the descents though!).
Monday, June 18, 2012
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Day 29 - Sunday June 17; Father's Day in Ft. Collins, CO
Today is Father's Day, so Happy Father's Day, as appropriate, to any who may read this. It has been a great day for me. The ride is over and today has been a day of relaxation and spending time with my daughter, Jenny, and her family; husband Mike, children Christopher and Josephine. I also received a Happy Father's Day phone call this morning from my daughter, Jessica, who lives in North Liberty, IA. The one big thing missing is being with the love of my life, my wife Susi. I've talked to her once today from downtown Ft. Collins when the grandchildren were playing in the fountain and will talk to her again later today.
It appears the decision to end the trip in Laramie, WY yesterday was a good one after all. The smoke in Ft. Collins this afternoon is very heavy and I'm glad I'm not breathing it while biking. You can see from the photo that follows how heavy it is.
I'll have tomorrow to myself when I will write one last blog entry for this terrific trip.
A few photos from today follow.
It appears the decision to end the trip in Laramie, WY yesterday was a good one after all. The smoke in Ft. Collins this afternoon is very heavy and I'm glad I'm not breathing it while biking. You can see from the photo that follows how heavy it is.
I'll have tomorrow to myself when I will write one last blog entry for this terrific trip.
A few photos from today follow.
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| Christopher and Jo |
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| Mike and Jo, Jenny and Christopher enjoying Indonesian music in downtown Ft. Collins on Father's Day 2012 |
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| Smoke from the High Park Wildfire. It's actually worse than this photo shows. |
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| Smoke from the fire later in the day. The dot is the sun! |
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Day 28 - Saturday June 16; Walden, CO to Laramie, WY (64 miles)
I woke up at about 4:30 AM this morning and couldn't go back to sleep; thinking about today being the last day of this trip. The gas/convenience store opened at 5:30 AM and since there were no services for the entire ride today, I stocked up then headed to a local cafe where I ate a hearty breakfast of stuffed french toast. A number of local men were having coffee and breakfast and were ribbing each other - pretty funny. One would rib another then look at me and wink.
Anyway, I was on the road before 6:30 AM and rode north to Cowdrey then to the intersection of CO125 and CO127. CO125 continues the TransAmerica route NW to Rawlins and CO127 NE to Laramie. The last half-dozen miles of CO125 were pretty windy but with only a slight headwind component. I could tell from the map that this would change to a full-on headwind when I turned onto CO127 - and boy was I right! The first three miles of CO127 were tough, tough, tough! I was still out in the open but heading into a mountain valley. I was thinking that if the wind continued like this, I would likely never make it to Laramie under my own power. Luckily, once I entered the mountain valley the wind wasn't too bad; lots of climbing, but not so much wind. Also, there had not been a shoulder on CO127 until I started to really climb, then there was at least a two foot shoulder the rest of the way to the Wyoming state line - then it was a six foot shoulder. Way to go Wyoming! Riding roads with a wide shoulder make a tremendous difference mentally knowing that if you stay to the right, you're going to be safe.
I didn't have a map once I left CO125 so I was only vaguely familiar with the terrain. I'd seen it when I did a "mapmyride" a while back. I knew I had to climb from around 7,000 feet to 9,100 feet and that this was in the first half of the ride. But I didn't really know where the climbing would occur or when I could expect to start descending to Laramie which is at around 7,000 feet. Anyway, some of the climbing happened as soon as I turned onto CO127. Then I rode probably 10 miles at what I figured was 9,000 feet. There were excellent views back where I came from and the high alpine scenery was very nice. This section was pretty flat. This was followed by a few miles more of climbing before the six mile decent out of the mountains and to Laramie. Once out of the mountains it was still 27 miles to Laramie but this was all at a gentle downhill grade with only occasional wind. I stopped for a brief rest at the entrance to a ranch when the owner pulled up to get his mail. We had a nice chat. He said I80 was 18 miles further. He also said that normally I would have a very nice tailwind but that the wind in that area had been very unpredictable lately. We said goodbye and I headed the remaining 18 miles to a McDs next to an I80 exit in Laramie where I had arranged for my son-in-law, Mike, to pick me up.
I arrived just before 1:00 PM so I made better time than I thought I might (way better than what I thought when I turned onto CO127!). I'd told my daughter, Jenny, not to be there before 3:00 PM so I would have plenty of time to get there from Walden. Once there, they were still very busy with the lunch crowd. I checked in with Susi and just occupied space for about a half an hour. I was pretty bushed as I had pushed it pretty hard trying to get there early. Then I ate, cleaned up and took the front rack and fender off of my bike so it would fit on the car-top bike carrier. Then I just relaxed and waited for my ride to Ft. Collins.
Mike showed up around 3:30 PM. We loaded the bags and front wheel inside the car and Mike put the bike on the carrier and we were off to Ft. Collins. On the drive, Mike pointed out some of the places the North Park Fire had already burned and the smoke from areas where it continues to burn.
I arrived to Jenny and Mike's to hugs and kisses from my grandchildren and from my daughter Jenny. Life is good! I took a shower while Jenny prepared a dish for their supper club that was tonight. I got to take the grandchildren out to dinner then to REI so I could buy a t-shirt for tomorrow.
I'll make another post in a day or so with trip statistics, lessons learned and other miscellaneous thoughts.
Photos from today follow.
Anyway, I was on the road before 6:30 AM and rode north to Cowdrey then to the intersection of CO125 and CO127. CO125 continues the TransAmerica route NW to Rawlins and CO127 NE to Laramie. The last half-dozen miles of CO125 were pretty windy but with only a slight headwind component. I could tell from the map that this would change to a full-on headwind when I turned onto CO127 - and boy was I right! The first three miles of CO127 were tough, tough, tough! I was still out in the open but heading into a mountain valley. I was thinking that if the wind continued like this, I would likely never make it to Laramie under my own power. Luckily, once I entered the mountain valley the wind wasn't too bad; lots of climbing, but not so much wind. Also, there had not been a shoulder on CO127 until I started to really climb, then there was at least a two foot shoulder the rest of the way to the Wyoming state line - then it was a six foot shoulder. Way to go Wyoming! Riding roads with a wide shoulder make a tremendous difference mentally knowing that if you stay to the right, you're going to be safe.
I didn't have a map once I left CO125 so I was only vaguely familiar with the terrain. I'd seen it when I did a "mapmyride" a while back. I knew I had to climb from around 7,000 feet to 9,100 feet and that this was in the first half of the ride. But I didn't really know where the climbing would occur or when I could expect to start descending to Laramie which is at around 7,000 feet. Anyway, some of the climbing happened as soon as I turned onto CO127. Then I rode probably 10 miles at what I figured was 9,000 feet. There were excellent views back where I came from and the high alpine scenery was very nice. This section was pretty flat. This was followed by a few miles more of climbing before the six mile decent out of the mountains and to Laramie. Once out of the mountains it was still 27 miles to Laramie but this was all at a gentle downhill grade with only occasional wind. I stopped for a brief rest at the entrance to a ranch when the owner pulled up to get his mail. We had a nice chat. He said I80 was 18 miles further. He also said that normally I would have a very nice tailwind but that the wind in that area had been very unpredictable lately. We said goodbye and I headed the remaining 18 miles to a McDs next to an I80 exit in Laramie where I had arranged for my son-in-law, Mike, to pick me up.
I arrived just before 1:00 PM so I made better time than I thought I might (way better than what I thought when I turned onto CO127!). I'd told my daughter, Jenny, not to be there before 3:00 PM so I would have plenty of time to get there from Walden. Once there, they were still very busy with the lunch crowd. I checked in with Susi and just occupied space for about a half an hour. I was pretty bushed as I had pushed it pretty hard trying to get there early. Then I ate, cleaned up and took the front rack and fender off of my bike so it would fit on the car-top bike carrier. Then I just relaxed and waited for my ride to Ft. Collins.
Mike showed up around 3:30 PM. We loaded the bags and front wheel inside the car and Mike put the bike on the carrier and we were off to Ft. Collins. On the drive, Mike pointed out some of the places the North Park Fire had already burned and the smoke from areas where it continues to burn.
I arrived to Jenny and Mike's to hugs and kisses from my grandchildren and from my daughter Jenny. Life is good! I took a shower while Jenny prepared a dish for their supper club that was tonight. I got to take the grandchildren out to dinner then to REI so I could buy a t-shirt for tomorrow.
I'll make another post in a day or so with trip statistics, lessons learned and other miscellaneous thoughts.
Photos from today follow.
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| From Cowdrey looking west towards Steamboat Springs |
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| Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and the final state - Wyoming |
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| View looking SW from near the top of todays climb |
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| Laramie, WY - The ride ends; 28 days, 1,587 miles |
Friday, June 15, 2012
Day 27 - Friday June 15; Hot Sulphur Springs, CO to Walden, CO (63 miles)
It was another chilly start with a temperature of 37 degrees at 6:30 AM. I hit the newly opened gas/convenience store and purchased a few things for breakfast and a few for the road. There were not supposed to be any services for the entire day.
The first leg of today's ride was 7.5 miles east along US40. US40 continued to have a nice 8' paved shoulder and was slightly uphill along the headwaters of the Colorado River. It continued to be very scenic and the early morning traffic did not bother me (I was too cold!).
At 7.5 miles I turned onto CO125 and climbed hard for the first 3 miles, then as RJ says, "I gave it all up" on a nice down hill. Just down the hill I met Jack from Virginia who started in Tacoma, WA and is riding home to Virginia. He said his goal for today is Estes Park where he will meet up with his brother and some friends. That's a hefty goal from Walden to Granby to Estes Park in one day but he was young and fit and will probably make it with little sweat. I wasn't real sure all day what the terrain was going to be, only that I had to climb to Willow Creek Pass at 9,600'. I was surprised that the next 17 miles were a very gentle uphill following Willow Creek upstream. I stopped at a USFS campground to rest for a bit then continued at a slightly higher grade.
I was passed by a woman in a car with a bike on the back. She slowed like she wanted to say something - but kept on going. Not long afterwards I was passed by a woman on a road bike. We exchanged brief pleasantries and she continued on. Later I was passed by two more women on road bikes and struck up a conversation. The driver of the car, these two and first woman that passed me on a bike are all from Ft. Collins and are out for a three day ride. They take turns sagging so that everyone gets to bike. They started yesterday morning in Estes Park and rode up Trail Ridge Road and down to Grand Lake where they stayed the night. Ride The Rockies went over the opposite direction yesterday and the women said it was great because there were many officials making sure the biking was safe. This morning they shuttled forward to CO125 and were riding over Willow Creek Pass to Walden then on towards Steamboat Springs. They are staying tonight at some type of cabin not far from Walden. Tomorrow they will ride to Steamboat then jump in the car for the ride back to Ft. Collins. They asked my daughter's and son-in-law's names but did not recognize either of them. We passed each other a number of times through the rest of the day.
When I was first talking to the ladies on road bikes, a group of about nine guys and one woman on road bikes passed us. They didn't have much to say as they were riding in a group trying to keep up with the leader. I saw them again in Rand where they had stopped at a gift shop that also had soft drinks. They were off shortly after I arrived. I purchased a DC and a Snickers and sat out front watching the rain clouds all around me wondering if I would get rained on before I reached Walden which was still 22 miles away.
The road from Rand was down hill most of the way to Walden but the wind kicked up out of the WNW which gave it a pretty good headwind component for me for about 13 miles until the road turned more true north. This was some tough, tough going. I hate it when you have to pedal hard to go downhill! Anyway, just before the turn in the road, I passed the four women who were eating lunch behind their vehicle. Not long afterwards they passed me with all four bikes on the vehicle. I assume they gave it up because of the wind and I don't blame them. At the time I only wished they had room for me and one more bike! The scenery was not that terrific and storm clouds were all around so there wasn't much blue sky - plus the wind! Once the road turned, the headwind sort of went away and it was mostly downhill the rest of the way to Walden except for a number of gentle rollers.
I have to say that CO125, at least today, was an excellent ride if anyone is ever out this way. In stark contrast to CO9 yesterday, the traffic was very, very light and what traffic there was was very courteous.
As I was riding into town at 1:30 PM, two of the women were riding west towards Steamboat Springs and two were in the car leaving the gas/convenience store.
I checked into a motel for tonight and am at the library posting to this blog. My legs are feeling the effects of a fairly tough day. I'll go get cleaned up and have an early dinner at one of the local restaurants.
Tomorrow will be my last day of riding. I'll ride from Walden, CO to Laramie, WY which is about 65 miles and will take me back over a 9,100' pass before descending into Laramie. It will be Saturday so the traffic should be light and I'm told by the woman at the motel that once I reach the Wyoming state line the road is very nice. I hope for no rain and a tailwind. [it didn't rain, but there definitely was no tailwind!!!]
A few photos from today follow.
The first leg of today's ride was 7.5 miles east along US40. US40 continued to have a nice 8' paved shoulder and was slightly uphill along the headwaters of the Colorado River. It continued to be very scenic and the early morning traffic did not bother me (I was too cold!).
At 7.5 miles I turned onto CO125 and climbed hard for the first 3 miles, then as RJ says, "I gave it all up" on a nice down hill. Just down the hill I met Jack from Virginia who started in Tacoma, WA and is riding home to Virginia. He said his goal for today is Estes Park where he will meet up with his brother and some friends. That's a hefty goal from Walden to Granby to Estes Park in one day but he was young and fit and will probably make it with little sweat. I wasn't real sure all day what the terrain was going to be, only that I had to climb to Willow Creek Pass at 9,600'. I was surprised that the next 17 miles were a very gentle uphill following Willow Creek upstream. I stopped at a USFS campground to rest for a bit then continued at a slightly higher grade.
I was passed by a woman in a car with a bike on the back. She slowed like she wanted to say something - but kept on going. Not long afterwards I was passed by a woman on a road bike. We exchanged brief pleasantries and she continued on. Later I was passed by two more women on road bikes and struck up a conversation. The driver of the car, these two and first woman that passed me on a bike are all from Ft. Collins and are out for a three day ride. They take turns sagging so that everyone gets to bike. They started yesterday morning in Estes Park and rode up Trail Ridge Road and down to Grand Lake where they stayed the night. Ride The Rockies went over the opposite direction yesterday and the women said it was great because there were many officials making sure the biking was safe. This morning they shuttled forward to CO125 and were riding over Willow Creek Pass to Walden then on towards Steamboat Springs. They are staying tonight at some type of cabin not far from Walden. Tomorrow they will ride to Steamboat then jump in the car for the ride back to Ft. Collins. They asked my daughter's and son-in-law's names but did not recognize either of them. We passed each other a number of times through the rest of the day.
When I was first talking to the ladies on road bikes, a group of about nine guys and one woman on road bikes passed us. They didn't have much to say as they were riding in a group trying to keep up with the leader. I saw them again in Rand where they had stopped at a gift shop that also had soft drinks. They were off shortly after I arrived. I purchased a DC and a Snickers and sat out front watching the rain clouds all around me wondering if I would get rained on before I reached Walden which was still 22 miles away.
The road from Rand was down hill most of the way to Walden but the wind kicked up out of the WNW which gave it a pretty good headwind component for me for about 13 miles until the road turned more true north. This was some tough, tough going. I hate it when you have to pedal hard to go downhill! Anyway, just before the turn in the road, I passed the four women who were eating lunch behind their vehicle. Not long afterwards they passed me with all four bikes on the vehicle. I assume they gave it up because of the wind and I don't blame them. At the time I only wished they had room for me and one more bike! The scenery was not that terrific and storm clouds were all around so there wasn't much blue sky - plus the wind! Once the road turned, the headwind sort of went away and it was mostly downhill the rest of the way to Walden except for a number of gentle rollers.
I have to say that CO125, at least today, was an excellent ride if anyone is ever out this way. In stark contrast to CO9 yesterday, the traffic was very, very light and what traffic there was was very courteous.
As I was riding into town at 1:30 PM, two of the women were riding west towards Steamboat Springs and two were in the car leaving the gas/convenience store.
I checked into a motel for tonight and am at the library posting to this blog. My legs are feeling the effects of a fairly tough day. I'll go get cleaned up and have an early dinner at one of the local restaurants.
Tomorrow will be my last day of riding. I'll ride from Walden, CO to Laramie, WY which is about 65 miles and will take me back over a 9,100' pass before descending into Laramie. It will be Saturday so the traffic should be light and I'm told by the woman at the motel that once I reach the Wyoming state line the road is very nice. I hope for no rain and a tailwind. [it didn't rain, but there definitely was no tailwind!!!]
A few photos from today follow.
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| Early part of climb on CO125 |
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| A few miles from Willow Creek Pass |
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| Interesting geological formation a few miles from Willow Creek Pass |
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| Willow Creek Pass; 9,683' |
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| Storm clouds over Walden, CO as I entered town. I rode hard from Rand into the wind to beat the rain - and it never did rain. |
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Day 26 - Thursday June 14; Silverthorne, CO to Hot Sulphur Springs, CO (60 miles)
It was a chilly start from Silverthorne but beautiful blue skies and no wind. In fact it was cool enough that I left my jacket on until I reached Kremmling at about 10:30 AM. There was a lot of down hill today with only a few places where I had to pedal very hard. The first section of CO9 heading north out of Silverthorne was on the Ride The Rockies route that came through yesterday. There was a wide shoulder and it seemed as if maybe they ran a street sweeper over it in preparation for yesterday's event. This road follows the Blue River to the Green Mountain Reservoir. It was a very scenic and pleasant ride.
At the inlet to Green Mountain Reservoir, the map routef me on a county road on the opposite side of the reservoir from CO9. It was peaceful, but a more difficult ride with many short ups and downs at each of the inlets to the reservoir. I stopped at the dam on the north side and looked at a display and plaque. The dam was built in 1943 as part of the Big Thompson project. It appeared to me that it still generates electricity. I saw several mountain bikers along this part of the ride. At the junction where the road rejoined CO9 I met Laurel who is originally from Wisconsin but now lives just a few miles from the dam. She was getting ready for a mid-morning bicycle ride along the reservoir. We had a nice short chat while I ate a breakfast bar - the amenities the map identified in Heeney were all closed.
The ride on CO9 from the reservoir to Kremmling was a little terrifying. Traffic was fairly heavy and there was no shoulder. To make things worse, there must be some sort of Ford Mustang gathering somewhere west of Kremmling on US40. Drivers would come up on me in packs of four or five with a support truck/trailer as the last vehicle. Things were fine if no one was coming at me when they passed, but it got pretty hairy if there was oncoming traffic. They had no concern for my life! I tried a couple of times to "own the road", but that could have been fatal. It only works if they care whether they kill you or not - and these folks did not seem to care one bit. Scarrrrrrry.
I finally arrived in Kremmling, a little shaken but all in one piece. It was only 17 more miles on US40 going east to Hot Sulphur Springs, which was my planned destination for today, so I took a long break (for me anyway) at a very nice Kum and Go. It appeared that US40 had a decent shoulder, and it did to the east edge of town when it disappeared completely. Fortunately for the next five miles, traffic was not as heavy as it had been on CO9. Then all of a sudden there was an eight foot shoulder all the way to Hot Sulphur Springs except for a couple of miles through a canyon. The part of the ride before the canyon was very pleasant and along the headwaters of the Colorado River. Through the canyon I got off the road a couple of times just to make things easier for motorized traffic. No big deal - my goal was to get here in one piece.
I arrived in Hot Sulphur Springs around 12:45 PM and found a cheap motel room. It's not very large, but it will suit my needs. I ate lunch at the Glory Hole cafe and drank a milk shake at the local outdoor hamburger/ice cream place. I'm at the library now getting writing this blog post.
Tomorrow I'm off for a 60 mile ride to Walden, CO. This ride will include one last pass at 9,600' and will be my last full day on the TransAmerica route. Saturday I'll go 65 miles from Walden, CO to Laramie, WY for what will likely be my last day of riding. Someone from my daughter's family will pick me up in Laramie Saturday afternoon and we'll load the bike and gear and drive to Ft. Collins.
A few photos from today follow.
At the inlet to Green Mountain Reservoir, the map routef me on a county road on the opposite side of the reservoir from CO9. It was peaceful, but a more difficult ride with many short ups and downs at each of the inlets to the reservoir. I stopped at the dam on the north side and looked at a display and plaque. The dam was built in 1943 as part of the Big Thompson project. It appeared to me that it still generates electricity. I saw several mountain bikers along this part of the ride. At the junction where the road rejoined CO9 I met Laurel who is originally from Wisconsin but now lives just a few miles from the dam. She was getting ready for a mid-morning bicycle ride along the reservoir. We had a nice short chat while I ate a breakfast bar - the amenities the map identified in Heeney were all closed.
The ride on CO9 from the reservoir to Kremmling was a little terrifying. Traffic was fairly heavy and there was no shoulder. To make things worse, there must be some sort of Ford Mustang gathering somewhere west of Kremmling on US40. Drivers would come up on me in packs of four or five with a support truck/trailer as the last vehicle. Things were fine if no one was coming at me when they passed, but it got pretty hairy if there was oncoming traffic. They had no concern for my life! I tried a couple of times to "own the road", but that could have been fatal. It only works if they care whether they kill you or not - and these folks did not seem to care one bit. Scarrrrrrry.
I finally arrived in Kremmling, a little shaken but all in one piece. It was only 17 more miles on US40 going east to Hot Sulphur Springs, which was my planned destination for today, so I took a long break (for me anyway) at a very nice Kum and Go. It appeared that US40 had a decent shoulder, and it did to the east edge of town when it disappeared completely. Fortunately for the next five miles, traffic was not as heavy as it had been on CO9. Then all of a sudden there was an eight foot shoulder all the way to Hot Sulphur Springs except for a couple of miles through a canyon. The part of the ride before the canyon was very pleasant and along the headwaters of the Colorado River. Through the canyon I got off the road a couple of times just to make things easier for motorized traffic. No big deal - my goal was to get here in one piece.
I arrived in Hot Sulphur Springs around 12:45 PM and found a cheap motel room. It's not very large, but it will suit my needs. I ate lunch at the Glory Hole cafe and drank a milk shake at the local outdoor hamburger/ice cream place. I'm at the library now getting writing this blog post.
Tomorrow I'm off for a 60 mile ride to Walden, CO. This ride will include one last pass at 9,600' and will be my last full day on the TransAmerica route. Saturday I'll go 65 miles from Walden, CO to Laramie, WY for what will likely be my last day of riding. Someone from my daughter's family will pick me up in Laramie Saturday afternoon and we'll load the bike and gear and drive to Ft. Collins.
A few photos from today follow.
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| Early morning view leaving Silverthorne |
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| Blue River - beautiful photo, even more beautiful live |
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| Dream home? |
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| Green Mountain Reservoir Spillway - Dam build in 1943 as part of the Big Thompson project |
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| Story time at the Hot Sulphur Springs public library |
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Day 25 - Wednesday June 13; Fairplay, CO to Silverthorne, CO (43 miles)
I got a good night's sleep last night which I felt I needed to get up Hoosier Pass today, especially given that I hardly slept the night before in Guffey and the ride to Fairplay was exhausting in the afternoon headwind. After a continental breakfast at the motel, I was off at about 7:30 AM. I started a little later today hoping it would be warmer at the start. I think it was about 40 degrees when I left but I still didn't wear any cold weather gear because I knew the climbing started right out of the parking lot.
At the north end of Fairplay there is a paved bicycle path that goes all the way to Alma, six miles away and the only stop before the pass. I rode on it for about three miles but got tired of the small ups and downs. I rode on CO9 the rest of the way. I got honked at by a man I assume to be a local. I believe he thought I should be riding on the path. There was no oncoming traffic, so I don't know why he cared. Alma is at 10,505 feet and is the highest incorporated inhabited community in the US. I stopped for a short break at the general store then proceeded on to the pass.
The road out of Alma was either flat or had a gentle uphill grade for the first two miles to the base of the pass. The last four miles were tough but manageable in granny gear having a steady and moderately steep grade. I stopped a couple of times to take pictures. About a half a mile from the pass I was passed by Max from London who I'd met a couple of days ago. We met at the pass and took each others pictures.
The ride down to Breckenridge was fun. It is steeper on that side than the side I came up - glad of that! I stopped and took a picture of the ski area then hit the first convenience store for a short break. There is a bike path from Breckenridge to Frisco and on the Silverthorne. It is really, really nice and gets cyclists off of busy CO9. The ride to Frisco was especially nice. I noticed as I approached Frisco that there were a lot of cyclists and flag people directing some in certain locations. It turns out that Ride The Rockies is passing through this area today on their way to Rocky Mountain National Park and eventually Ft. Collins. There were also very many others, couples and families, just enjoying the path.
I got lost in Frisco. I followed the map instructions to where it crossed Main Street but there are so many intertwining bike paths after that that I could not tell which one I was supposed to be on. This added several miles to my trip today. I finally had to back track to Main Street and ask for directions to Dillon Dam Road. A convenience store clerk gave great directions and I soon found my way to the path along this road. I also saw where the path I was supposed to be on joined in, but I'll be darned if I know how it got there. The bike path along the Dillon reservoir was also spectacular. In fact the whole area bicycle path system is very, very nice.
Once down from the dam into Silverthorne I found a Wendy's where Susi and I had eaten lunch another time we were passing through the area. I checkout out the hostel in Silverthorne, which has some really bad reviews (alcohol and drug use) and it appeared to me that the reviews were accurate. I found a good rate at the Days Inn.
Tomorrow I'm off for Hot Sulphur Springs, 53 miles away and what appears to be a pretty gently ride. My legs need a gently ride after the last three days. My quads are getting sore. Hopefully the temperature and winds will be favorable tomorrow.
A few photos from the day follow.
At the north end of Fairplay there is a paved bicycle path that goes all the way to Alma, six miles away and the only stop before the pass. I rode on it for about three miles but got tired of the small ups and downs. I rode on CO9 the rest of the way. I got honked at by a man I assume to be a local. I believe he thought I should be riding on the path. There was no oncoming traffic, so I don't know why he cared. Alma is at 10,505 feet and is the highest incorporated inhabited community in the US. I stopped for a short break at the general store then proceeded on to the pass.
The road out of Alma was either flat or had a gentle uphill grade for the first two miles to the base of the pass. The last four miles were tough but manageable in granny gear having a steady and moderately steep grade. I stopped a couple of times to take pictures. About a half a mile from the pass I was passed by Max from London who I'd met a couple of days ago. We met at the pass and took each others pictures.
The ride down to Breckenridge was fun. It is steeper on that side than the side I came up - glad of that! I stopped and took a picture of the ski area then hit the first convenience store for a short break. There is a bike path from Breckenridge to Frisco and on the Silverthorne. It is really, really nice and gets cyclists off of busy CO9. The ride to Frisco was especially nice. I noticed as I approached Frisco that there were a lot of cyclists and flag people directing some in certain locations. It turns out that Ride The Rockies is passing through this area today on their way to Rocky Mountain National Park and eventually Ft. Collins. There were also very many others, couples and families, just enjoying the path.
I got lost in Frisco. I followed the map instructions to where it crossed Main Street but there are so many intertwining bike paths after that that I could not tell which one I was supposed to be on. This added several miles to my trip today. I finally had to back track to Main Street and ask for directions to Dillon Dam Road. A convenience store clerk gave great directions and I soon found my way to the path along this road. I also saw where the path I was supposed to be on joined in, but I'll be darned if I know how it got there. The bike path along the Dillon reservoir was also spectacular. In fact the whole area bicycle path system is very, very nice.
Once down from the dam into Silverthorne I found a Wendy's where Susi and I had eaten lunch another time we were passing through the area. I checkout out the hostel in Silverthorne, which has some really bad reviews (alcohol and drug use) and it appeared to me that the reviews were accurate. I found a good rate at the Days Inn.
Tomorrow I'm off for Hot Sulphur Springs, 53 miles away and what appears to be a pretty gently ride. My legs need a gently ride after the last three days. My quads are getting sore. Hopefully the temperature and winds will be favorable tomorrow.
A few photos from the day follow.
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| Early morning cycling towards Alma, CO |
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| Arriving in Alma, CO; the highest incorporated municipality in the US with permanent residents |
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| Nearing the top of Hoosier Pass |
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| Reaching Hoosier Pass; at an elevation of 11,539', this is the highest point on the ACA TransAmerica route |
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Day 24 - Tuesday June 12; Guffey,CO to Fairplay, CO (48 miles)
It got pretty cold last night in my bunk house. I hardly slept at all - just couldn't get comfortable on the wooden fold down bed. It was just too narrow. This morning I put on most of my cold weather gear and still nearly froze to death the first couple of miles. I left Guffey at 6:45 AM and the first two miles were in the shadows of the adjacent mountains, including the first mile which was back down to the hill to CO9. Once I reached the open meadows where the sun was shining, it warmed quickly and after five miles I took off my cold weather gear. It was still chilly, but bearable.
It was 12 miles of steady climbing to reach Current Creek Pass at 9,404 feet then down about 400 feet then back up almost 400 feet. I'm like RJ from last Falls Southern Tier ride - once you've gained the elevation, you really hate giving it back up knowing you're going to have to gain it back again. From the pass, I could see most of the three miles down and back up on the other side. Anyway, once I reached the top of the second climb, it was a pretty sweet downhill most of the way to Hartsel. There was an abundance of wildlife on this section; elk, antelope, deer and many small critter. There were also a couple of golden eagles.
I had a nice late breakfast in Hartsel. Then it was off for the final 20 miles to Fairplay. This section was a gently climb but by noon there was a 15 mph headwind with gusts to about 25 mph. The scenery was spectacular as I was climbing to the base of the mountains that have Hoosier Pass. It was a tough go though and I was bushed by the time I arrived in Fairplay.
Tomorrow is a 12 mile climb to Hoosier Pass at 11,500 feet.
I spoke with my son-in-law tonight and the wildfire near Ft. Collins continues to rage. The current plan is for me to continue on to Laramie, WY then have someone pick me up there Saturday afternoon and drive back to Ft. Collins. That is fine with me. Leaving the TransAmerica route and going to Laramie then Ft. Collins was only a necessary way to get to Ft. Collins without having too bike down Poudre Canyon which has narrow, windy roads and is not used by many bicyclists.
A few photos from the day follow.
It was 12 miles of steady climbing to reach Current Creek Pass at 9,404 feet then down about 400 feet then back up almost 400 feet. I'm like RJ from last Falls Southern Tier ride - once you've gained the elevation, you really hate giving it back up knowing you're going to have to gain it back again. From the pass, I could see most of the three miles down and back up on the other side. Anyway, once I reached the top of the second climb, it was a pretty sweet downhill most of the way to Hartsel. There was an abundance of wildlife on this section; elk, antelope, deer and many small critter. There were also a couple of golden eagles.
I had a nice late breakfast in Hartsel. Then it was off for the final 20 miles to Fairplay. This section was a gently climb but by noon there was a 15 mph headwind with gusts to about 25 mph. The scenery was spectacular as I was climbing to the base of the mountains that have Hoosier Pass. It was a tough go though and I was bushed by the time I arrived in Fairplay.
Tomorrow is a 12 mile climb to Hoosier Pass at 11,500 feet.
I spoke with my son-in-law tonight and the wildfire near Ft. Collins continues to rage. The current plan is for me to continue on to Laramie, WY then have someone pick me up there Saturday afternoon and drive back to Ft. Collins. That is fine with me. Leaving the TransAmerica route and going to Laramie then Ft. Collins was only a necessary way to get to Ft. Collins without having too bike down Poudre Canyon which has narrow, windy roads and is not used by many bicyclists.
A few photos from the day follow.
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| View looking north from Current Creek Pass |
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| The long, windy!! slog to Fairplay - but spectacular scenery |
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| Pellicans? just west of Hartsel |
Monday, June 11, 2012
Day 23 - Monday June 11; Canon City, CO to Guffey, CO (34 miles)
After yesterday's update, my daughter Jenny called to make sure I knew about the new wildfire in Poudre Canyon. The smoke was so bad yesterday that US287 between Laramie, WY and Ft. Collins, CO was closed due to low visibility from the smoke. US287 is my planned route to Ft. Collins on the last day of this trip which should be Sunday June 17. I'll check on the situation when I get to Silverthorne and make a decision about whether to proceed to Laramie of figure out a Plan B.
I had another good night's rest last night in Canon City. After a hearty breakfast, I was off by 7:00 AM. It was 12 miles to the Royal Gorge recreation area, all on US50 which had a wide shoulder. I decided to skip the Royal Gorge attractions and do that some other time with Susi. At Royal Gorge I turned onto CO9 which I will be on for several days. The first five miles of CO9 were downhill/flat, then the climbing started. Miles six to nine felt nearly straight up! That was some really slow going with a number of short rest breaks. Miles eight to 20 were very nice - high, open meadows with only a slight uphill grade while climbing from 7,000 to 8,000 feet. My destination for today is Guffey, CO which is off-route about one mile. About three miles from the Guffey turnoff I met Laurel Goodman and Jamison Henkle who are on their 41st day of riding the TransAmerica route from west to east. They had good things to say about Guffey and the Rustic Cabins. The one mile road up to Guffey was pretty steep. By about 12:30 PM I found the Guffey Garage and Charlie who set me up in a "bunk house" which, in reality, is a 6' x 8' storage shed with a fold-down bed. I was able to get all my gear and bike inside. All this and a hot, outdoor shower for $10. I'd made much better time getting here than I thought I would.
After unloading my gear in the bunk house, I headed for the only open bar/restaurant in town, the Bull Moose Restaurant and Bar. I highly recommend the Guffey Burger if you are ever in this area. After eating, I hung out drinking free soda refills. About mid-afternoon I headed back to the bunkhouse, took a shower then went over to the garage and talked to Charlie for a while. He works for a man named Bill who apparently owns half of Guffey including the old City Hall building which they have turned into a museum. Charlie gave me the key and I took a self-guided tour. The museum and the inside/outside of the Guffey Garage are a real trip. Around 6:00 PM I went back to the Bull Moose for dinner. After dinner I found the library which, while closed, still had their wifi up and going. I did not have cell phone coverage but was able to make the above blog update and send Susi and e-mail letting here know I'd arrived in Guffey as planned.
Tomorrow I'm off to Fairplay 47 miles away. There is one pass tomorrow at 9,400 feet but there won't be as much climbing as today. I probably did around 4,000 total feet of climbing today when you add all the ups and downs.
A few photos from the day follow.
I had another good night's rest last night in Canon City. After a hearty breakfast, I was off by 7:00 AM. It was 12 miles to the Royal Gorge recreation area, all on US50 which had a wide shoulder. I decided to skip the Royal Gorge attractions and do that some other time with Susi. At Royal Gorge I turned onto CO9 which I will be on for several days. The first five miles of CO9 were downhill/flat, then the climbing started. Miles six to nine felt nearly straight up! That was some really slow going with a number of short rest breaks. Miles eight to 20 were very nice - high, open meadows with only a slight uphill grade while climbing from 7,000 to 8,000 feet. My destination for today is Guffey, CO which is off-route about one mile. About three miles from the Guffey turnoff I met Laurel Goodman and Jamison Henkle who are on their 41st day of riding the TransAmerica route from west to east. They had good things to say about Guffey and the Rustic Cabins. The one mile road up to Guffey was pretty steep. By about 12:30 PM I found the Guffey Garage and Charlie who set me up in a "bunk house" which, in reality, is a 6' x 8' storage shed with a fold-down bed. I was able to get all my gear and bike inside. All this and a hot, outdoor shower for $10. I'd made much better time getting here than I thought I would.
After unloading my gear in the bunk house, I headed for the only open bar/restaurant in town, the Bull Moose Restaurant and Bar. I highly recommend the Guffey Burger if you are ever in this area. After eating, I hung out drinking free soda refills. About mid-afternoon I headed back to the bunkhouse, took a shower then went over to the garage and talked to Charlie for a while. He works for a man named Bill who apparently owns half of Guffey including the old City Hall building which they have turned into a museum. Charlie gave me the key and I took a self-guided tour. The museum and the inside/outside of the Guffey Garage are a real trip. Around 6:00 PM I went back to the Bull Moose for dinner. After dinner I found the library which, while closed, still had their wifi up and going. I did not have cell phone coverage but was able to make the above blog update and send Susi and e-mail letting here know I'd arrived in Guffey as planned.
Tomorrow I'm off to Fairplay 47 miles away. There is one pass tomorrow at 9,400 feet but there won't be as much climbing as today. I probably did around 4,000 total feet of climbing today when you add all the ups and downs.
A few photos from the day follow.
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| Early morning climbing on US50 out of Canon City, CO |
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| Mid-morning pedaling along high meadow on CO9 towards Guffey, CO |
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| Guffey's Garage; Guffey, CO (Charlie and Bill are planning to turn the coffin into a BBQ cooker) |
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| Inside of the old City Hall which is now a museam that Bill and Charlie created. Note the stage in the front. Bill is apparently quite the musician. |
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| South side of the museam; Bill and Charlie have a unique perspecive. |
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| My "bunk house" for the night - left side. |
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| Settled in to my bunk house. |
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| Another of Bill and Charlies creations - there are many around town |
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Day 22 - Sunday June 10; Pueblo, CO to Canon City, CO (55 miles)
I had a great night's sleep last night and my body felt rejuvinated. I was off by 6:30AM . After a pleasant ride through the western suburbs of Pueblo under a clear blue sky, I reached the city limit at 7:00 PM. The temperature was a little on the cool side and never did get too warm. Yesterday it was very hot so my rest day paid off double.
There was a nice, moderate climb along the boundary of Pueblo Lake SP. The scenery after that was terrific. I'd finally reached the Rockies. After this initial climb, the ride was a gradual climb for miles followed by one last mile-long gut buster of a climb that topped out at about 6,200 feet and into the small town of Wetmore. Wetmore was 31 miles from today's start and the map showed it as having a grocery store/cafe - but nothing was open. I ate some gorp and headed off to Florence - 11 miles of some SWEET downhill. I hardly had to pedal the whole way. That's the good news. The bad news is that I gave up nearly all of the elevation gain I had achieved!
Near Florence I passed a very nice federal prison. It seems like Colorado has at least it's fair share of these. It looked like there were two sections; one surrounded by a double fence with razor wire at the top and another that might have been minimum-security (no fence at all). During the ride, I saw a number of federal prisons, including an old one leaving Canon City (tomorrow's ride). [It turns out the old one in Canon City is no longer an active prison and is now the Colorado Prison Museum. Also, the on I passed just before Florence is one of four Supermax prisons in the US and houses many notorious prisoners including foreign and domestic terrorists and high profile gang members. These are the worst of the worst.]
There was a Carl's Junior just as I entered Florence and since it was nearly 11:00 AM I decided to stop for lunch. Canon City, my planned stopping point for today, was only nine more miles. While eating, another west-bound cyclist stopped in. Max is from London and touring the US this summer. He started in Charleston, SC and rode north along the Atlantic for a while then turned west and hooked up with the TransAmerica route. He plans to go all the way west on this route then ride south along the Pacific to San Francisco and to Los Angeles where he will fly back to London. [I saw Max later in the week when climbing Hoosier Pass. We took each others photos at the top]. There were several towns between Florence and Canon City and traffic was moderate so I wasn't able to take in much scenery. I reached the Canon City RV Campground around 1:00 PM. In addition to being three miles off the route to the east, the place was pretty much a dump. The tent area didn't look like it had been used by anyone in a long time as it was overgrown with weeds. There were only a few other inhabitants in RVs and a tent trailer, some of which appeared to have been there for a while. Anyway, I decided to seek other accomodations and began checking motel rates. I'm staying at the Budget Host. It's clean and the owner let me wash today's cycling clothes for free in the facility laundry. I should be able to get a good rest for tommorow's ride to Guffey, about 35 miles, but possibly the hardest day of climbing for the whole trip.
A few photos from today follow.
There was a nice, moderate climb along the boundary of Pueblo Lake SP. The scenery after that was terrific. I'd finally reached the Rockies. After this initial climb, the ride was a gradual climb for miles followed by one last mile-long gut buster of a climb that topped out at about 6,200 feet and into the small town of Wetmore. Wetmore was 31 miles from today's start and the map showed it as having a grocery store/cafe - but nothing was open. I ate some gorp and headed off to Florence - 11 miles of some SWEET downhill. I hardly had to pedal the whole way. That's the good news. The bad news is that I gave up nearly all of the elevation gain I had achieved!
Near Florence I passed a very nice federal prison. It seems like Colorado has at least it's fair share of these. It looked like there were two sections; one surrounded by a double fence with razor wire at the top and another that might have been minimum-security (no fence at all). During the ride, I saw a number of federal prisons, including an old one leaving Canon City (tomorrow's ride). [It turns out the old one in Canon City is no longer an active prison and is now the Colorado Prison Museum. Also, the on I passed just before Florence is one of four Supermax prisons in the US and houses many notorious prisoners including foreign and domestic terrorists and high profile gang members. These are the worst of the worst.]
There was a Carl's Junior just as I entered Florence and since it was nearly 11:00 AM I decided to stop for lunch. Canon City, my planned stopping point for today, was only nine more miles. While eating, another west-bound cyclist stopped in. Max is from London and touring the US this summer. He started in Charleston, SC and rode north along the Atlantic for a while then turned west and hooked up with the TransAmerica route. He plans to go all the way west on this route then ride south along the Pacific to San Francisco and to Los Angeles where he will fly back to London. [I saw Max later in the week when climbing Hoosier Pass. We took each others photos at the top]. There were several towns between Florence and Canon City and traffic was moderate so I wasn't able to take in much scenery. I reached the Canon City RV Campground around 1:00 PM. In addition to being three miles off the route to the east, the place was pretty much a dump. The tent area didn't look like it had been used by anyone in a long time as it was overgrown with weeds. There were only a few other inhabitants in RVs and a tent trailer, some of which appeared to have been there for a while. Anyway, I decided to seek other accomodations and began checking motel rates. I'm staying at the Budget Host. It's clean and the owner let me wash today's cycling clothes for free in the facility laundry. I should be able to get a good rest for tommorow's ride to Guffey, about 35 miles, but possibly the hardest day of climbing for the whole trip.
A few photos from today follow.
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| The initial climb out of Pueblo along the boundary of the Pueblo Lake SP. The scenery is much better than in Kansas and Eastern Colorado! |
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| During the descent into Florence, CO. The high mountain on the right side is Pikes Peak. |
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| The Winery at Holy Cross in Canon City. Very picturesque. |
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Day 21 - Saturday June 9; Rest Day In Pueblo, CO (5 miles)
Today is my one and only rest day for this trip. I did laundry early then went to the UPS Store to ship some things ahead to Ft. Collins so I don't have to lug any more over the mountains than absolutely necessary. This included my laptop so I'll be making future posts from either my smart phone or a local library computer. Future posts may be crude but the laptop and its chargre weigh about 5 lbs.. The woman at the UPS Store was very helpful in picking the right-size box. It weighed 15 pounds and was nearly the volume of a large, rear pannier! If I'd thought about it a little longer, maybe I could have shipped both front panniers too and just traveled with the rear ones.
At lunch time I walked down to the riverwalk area which is quite nice. There is a lot of street art. The Pueblo area was hosting a Boat, Band and BBQ festival but you had to pay $3 to get in and food would have been in addition. As much as I was craving BBQ, I decided to eat a spaghetti and meatball lunch at Angelo's on the riverwalk. This restaurant had been recommended by the employees of the bicycle shop and they were right. It was delicious and there was so much I couldn't eat it all.
When I got back from my walk, I adjusted the rear fender of my bike in an attempt to resolve the rubbing noise. I'll know tomorrow if that worked. [It did - never heard that noise or any other for the rest of the trip]. I also relubed my bike chain. Most everything is packed and ready to go. I napped a bit this afternoon and am headed somewhere for a very light dinner. Tomorrow it's off to the mountains. I just checked Accuweather and at least right now, this week's forecast looks pretty good except for some cool nights. [end of trip comment; you can't trust any of the weather service forecasts for wind direction or speed when cycling in the mountains!]
A few photos from today's walk around downtown Pueblo follow.
At lunch time I walked down to the riverwalk area which is quite nice. There is a lot of street art. The Pueblo area was hosting a Boat, Band and BBQ festival but you had to pay $3 to get in and food would have been in addition. As much as I was craving BBQ, I decided to eat a spaghetti and meatball lunch at Angelo's on the riverwalk. This restaurant had been recommended by the employees of the bicycle shop and they were right. It was delicious and there was so much I couldn't eat it all.
When I got back from my walk, I adjusted the rear fender of my bike in an attempt to resolve the rubbing noise. I'll know tomorrow if that worked. [It did - never heard that noise or any other for the rest of the trip]. I also relubed my bike chain. Most everything is packed and ready to go. I napped a bit this afternoon and am headed somewhere for a very light dinner. Tomorrow it's off to the mountains. I just checked Accuweather and at least right now, this week's forecast looks pretty good except for some cool nights. [end of trip comment; you can't trust any of the weather service forecasts for wind direction or speed when cycling in the mountains!]
A few photos from today's walk around downtown Pueblo follow.
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| Solar Roast Coffee. Unique advertising display (not a real person inside). |
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| Street art - cowboy. |
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| Street art - Snoopy? |
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| Pueblo River Walk - includes boat rides. |
Friday, June 8, 2012
Day 20 - Ordway, CO to Pueblo, CO (53 miles)
Well, I made it to the western end of the TransAmerica route Map 7; Pueblo, CO. My bike odometer is at 1,209 miles. This was my 20th day in a row of riding and tomorrow I'm taking a rest day. Sunday, unless I change my strategy, I'll head up the canyon and towards Hoosier Pass. A lot of things crossed my mind today so far as this trip goes and there are several options from Pueblo. I'll mull things over the rest of today and tomorrow before making a final decision tomorrow afternoon. In all likelihood, I'll stay with the original plan of following the TransAmerica route to Walden then either "fly" down Poudre Canyon or ride on to Laramie then down to Ft. Collins.
Last night's stay in Ordway, CO was very nice. The Hotel Ordway is highly recommended to anyone passing through. Carol and Ted were terrific hosts and it was very quiet. I had the best night's sleep since I started on May 20.
After updating this blog yesterday afternoon I walked a block to the Bits and Spurs Cafe. It was about 6:30 PM and all the tables were taken. I asked the person at the counter if she thought a table would be open any time soon. She sat me with one of the local men, Bill Kimbll. In addition to a very good meal, I had a terrific conversation with Bill. Bill is retired but is an EMT, fire cheif and get this - the local undertaker. Everyone in town still talks about the April 15, 2008 wildfire. Two firefighters were lost during the fire, one of them a very close friend of Bill. The fire started in Olney Springs and, with 70 mph wind gusts, eventually spread east to Ordway. There is a nice memorial to the two firefighters in Olney Springs and a photo is included below. So many small town firefighters are volunteers who risk their lives helping those in their community. Let's all remember them for a second and say thanks to those you know who volunteer in this capacity.
The past two day's weather in the area has been pretty severe; thunderstorms, large hail and tornadoes. None of this reached Ordway, though the skies last night made it look like it might get pretty exciting. But, not a drop of rain, and these areas really need it - like most of the areas I've pedaled through the past few weeks.
I tried to sleep in this morning, but was up and out of town by 7:00 AM. I only ate a breakfast bar as the ACA map indicated places to eat at six then 11 miles down the road. The first town was Crowley but I didn't see anything open and decided that I would survive another five miles. When I reached Olney Springs there was nothing open there either. I took a couple of photos and found the city maintenance building/fire department garage door open. No one was there, and I really needed to use their restroom - it was seven more miles to Fowler which is two miles off route or 20 miles to Boone. Anyway I'm sure no one would ever know I was there and I greatly appreciated the use of their facility.
I passed the turnoff to Fowler and was about 16 miles from Ordway when my phone rang. It was Tom from the Hotel Ordway telling me they had found my glasses and that he would be bringing them to me. I should have told him to mail them to my home address. I pedaled slowly for another two miles then decided maybe I should stop and wait. While waiting, I finished off two PBJs - which I needed by then. Shortly thereafter, here came Ted with my glasses. I tried as hard as I could to pay him for his fuel and time, but he adamantly refused. How gracious!
I arrived at Boone around 11:00 AM. The grocery store was open and I had a soft drink and Klondike Bar (what would you do-o-o for a Klondike Bar? Fred rode 1,200 miles for one!) The elderly gentleman at the store was very nice and when he noticed me looking at the newspaper clippings on the wall told me about the big train derailment back in 1983 that happened a stones throw from the store.
It was another 21 miles from Boone to the Guest Inn & Suites where I am spending tonight and tomorrow night. I arrived at 12:45 PM and there is nothing too exciting to report for the final section of today's ride. The weather was great today and the wind was not much of a factor. The terrain changed quite a bit from the flat-flat-flat eastern Colorado (see photo below). By early afternoon, the sun was baking hot - a dry heat, but hot on one's skin.
After checking in and cleaning up I went to the Great Divide Ski, Bike & Hike store which is only a few blocks from the motel. They looked at everything on my bike to try and figure out where the noise was coming from. Janet worked on it for about an hour; disassembled the bottom bracket, pedals, seat, wheel bearings, checked wheel true and didn't find anything wrong. The service manager took it for a final ride and, while the noise is still there, we decided that it is the rear wheel rubbing some part of the fender when standing and cranking hard. That is what it sounded like to me too, but I am sure glad I had a good bike mechanic look it over to make sure it was nothing more serious. The night we stayed together in Sedalia, MO, Susi mentioned that the rear tire looked pretty close to the fender - but did I listen? - no-o-o! Tomorrow I'll look at the fenders and try to make an adjustment to get rid of the noise. It was well worth the $20 they charged for my peace of mind.
Blah, blah, blah - a few photos from the day follow.
Last night's stay in Ordway, CO was very nice. The Hotel Ordway is highly recommended to anyone passing through. Carol and Ted were terrific hosts and it was very quiet. I had the best night's sleep since I started on May 20.
After updating this blog yesterday afternoon I walked a block to the Bits and Spurs Cafe. It was about 6:30 PM and all the tables were taken. I asked the person at the counter if she thought a table would be open any time soon. She sat me with one of the local men, Bill Kimbll. In addition to a very good meal, I had a terrific conversation with Bill. Bill is retired but is an EMT, fire cheif and get this - the local undertaker. Everyone in town still talks about the April 15, 2008 wildfire. Two firefighters were lost during the fire, one of them a very close friend of Bill. The fire started in Olney Springs and, with 70 mph wind gusts, eventually spread east to Ordway. There is a nice memorial to the two firefighters in Olney Springs and a photo is included below. So many small town firefighters are volunteers who risk their lives helping those in their community. Let's all remember them for a second and say thanks to those you know who volunteer in this capacity.
The past two day's weather in the area has been pretty severe; thunderstorms, large hail and tornadoes. None of this reached Ordway, though the skies last night made it look like it might get pretty exciting. But, not a drop of rain, and these areas really need it - like most of the areas I've pedaled through the past few weeks.
I tried to sleep in this morning, but was up and out of town by 7:00 AM. I only ate a breakfast bar as the ACA map indicated places to eat at six then 11 miles down the road. The first town was Crowley but I didn't see anything open and decided that I would survive another five miles. When I reached Olney Springs there was nothing open there either. I took a couple of photos and found the city maintenance building/fire department garage door open. No one was there, and I really needed to use their restroom - it was seven more miles to Fowler which is two miles off route or 20 miles to Boone. Anyway I'm sure no one would ever know I was there and I greatly appreciated the use of their facility.
I passed the turnoff to Fowler and was about 16 miles from Ordway when my phone rang. It was Tom from the Hotel Ordway telling me they had found my glasses and that he would be bringing them to me. I should have told him to mail them to my home address. I pedaled slowly for another two miles then decided maybe I should stop and wait. While waiting, I finished off two PBJs - which I needed by then. Shortly thereafter, here came Ted with my glasses. I tried as hard as I could to pay him for his fuel and time, but he adamantly refused. How gracious!
I arrived at Boone around 11:00 AM. The grocery store was open and I had a soft drink and Klondike Bar (what would you do-o-o for a Klondike Bar? Fred rode 1,200 miles for one!) The elderly gentleman at the store was very nice and when he noticed me looking at the newspaper clippings on the wall told me about the big train derailment back in 1983 that happened a stones throw from the store.
It was another 21 miles from Boone to the Guest Inn & Suites where I am spending tonight and tomorrow night. I arrived at 12:45 PM and there is nothing too exciting to report for the final section of today's ride. The weather was great today and the wind was not much of a factor. The terrain changed quite a bit from the flat-flat-flat eastern Colorado (see photo below). By early afternoon, the sun was baking hot - a dry heat, but hot on one's skin.
After checking in and cleaning up I went to the Great Divide Ski, Bike & Hike store which is only a few blocks from the motel. They looked at everything on my bike to try and figure out where the noise was coming from. Janet worked on it for about an hour; disassembled the bottom bracket, pedals, seat, wheel bearings, checked wheel true and didn't find anything wrong. The service manager took it for a final ride and, while the noise is still there, we decided that it is the rear wheel rubbing some part of the fender when standing and cranking hard. That is what it sounded like to me too, but I am sure glad I had a good bike mechanic look it over to make sure it was nothing more serious. The night we stayed together in Sedalia, MO, Susi mentioned that the rear tire looked pretty close to the fender - but did I listen? - no-o-o! Tomorrow I'll look at the fenders and try to make an adjustment to get rid of the noise. It was well worth the $20 they charged for my peace of mind.
Blah, blah, blah - a few photos from the day follow.
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| Memorial in Olney Springs to the the two firefighters who died in the 2008 wildfire |
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| Colorado Buffalo |
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| Terrain change - not flat anymore |
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| This one is for my 2011 Southern Tier companions; It must be Gary's and Fred's turn to cook! |
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Day 19 - Thursday June 7; Eads, CO to Ordway, CO (64 miles)
When setting up my tent at the city park in Eads, CO last night I noticed that the grass was pretty green compared to other places around town. Also, while posting yesterday's blog entry, the lawn sprinklers came on at the far side of the library. So, all the signs were there and sure enough at 4:00 AM the sprinklers where I was camped came on for one hour. No big deal, I was sort of expecting it - just after such a long day on the bike, I really didn't care. With the wind still blowing, things were fairly well dried by the time I climbed out of the tent at 6:30 AM.
There were low clouds and mist to start the day, but it was cool - though still very windy. I loaded the bike and was out of the park by 6:45 AM. I had breakfast, bought a Gatorade and was on the road by 7:30 AM. There wasn't much to see today and I was feeling the effects of both yesterday's long ride and today's wind. The clouds lifted by 9:00 AM and I took off my rain jacket. There were no towns until Haswell 23 miles into the ride. I stopped at the combination gas station, snack store and collectibles for sale and had an Orange Crush and a Snickers. The lady attendant was very nice. Haswell has seen better days. There is still a large grain elevator but most all of the buildings were very run down, including the snack store. It's funny, coming into town I passed a very rundown house - but it had Dish satellite. Go figure?
After Haswell, the road turned southwest then south for nearly 20 miles. With the wind out of the SSE, this was some tough cycling. I didn't see much except pavement - head down and pedaling - just keep the pedals moving. The road finally turned west again and there was a little bit of a tail wind which made the later part of the ride a lot better. I met an east-bound cyclist, Callie, who started in Reno, NV and was cycling to New York. She just found out she has a job in New York and will not be able to finish her trip. She will end it in Hutchinson, KS and take a bus/train to New York. This is the first time I've seen a woman cycling solo and I will say that it is a little unnerving. I mean eastern Colorado, and many other places, are so remote and desolate. A solo bycyclist has to be very self-sufficient because if anything happens, help can be a long way off. Also, cell phone coverage does not exist in these remote areas so you can't call for help. Callie was trying to make it from Ordway to Sheridan Lake. This is a long, long ride. She was only about 20 miles out of Ordway and it was alread after noon. I gave her the pastor's phone number for the church I had planned on staying at in case she needed a place inside to stay.
A little after 1:00 PM I made it to Sugar City which is quite small but had a cafe that was open. I poked my head in and asked if it was too late for lunch. They still had plenty and I enjoyed a burrito and taco before heading out for the last six miles to Ordway. I arrived about 2:00 PM and quickly found the Hotel Ordway where I am staying tonight. After checking in I rode to a truck stop on the other end of town and enjoyed a large chocolate ice cream cone - good stuff as it was turning a bit hot out. All my gear is unpacked and drying out after last night's man-made rain.
I'm going to take my one, and probably only, rest day in Pueblo and have booked a room for tomorrow night and Saturday night. Sunday I'll head northwest to conquer Hoosier Pass; 11,500'. I'm planning to take it slow both out of Pueblo to enjoy the scenery and to acclimate slowly to the higher elevations.
I didn't take any photos from the road today. There truly wasn't anything to see, as anyone who has driven the plains of eastern Colorado will tell you. There are a couple of photos taken in Ordway.
There were low clouds and mist to start the day, but it was cool - though still very windy. I loaded the bike and was out of the park by 6:45 AM. I had breakfast, bought a Gatorade and was on the road by 7:30 AM. There wasn't much to see today and I was feeling the effects of both yesterday's long ride and today's wind. The clouds lifted by 9:00 AM and I took off my rain jacket. There were no towns until Haswell 23 miles into the ride. I stopped at the combination gas station, snack store and collectibles for sale and had an Orange Crush and a Snickers. The lady attendant was very nice. Haswell has seen better days. There is still a large grain elevator but most all of the buildings were very run down, including the snack store. It's funny, coming into town I passed a very rundown house - but it had Dish satellite. Go figure?
After Haswell, the road turned southwest then south for nearly 20 miles. With the wind out of the SSE, this was some tough cycling. I didn't see much except pavement - head down and pedaling - just keep the pedals moving. The road finally turned west again and there was a little bit of a tail wind which made the later part of the ride a lot better. I met an east-bound cyclist, Callie, who started in Reno, NV and was cycling to New York. She just found out she has a job in New York and will not be able to finish her trip. She will end it in Hutchinson, KS and take a bus/train to New York. This is the first time I've seen a woman cycling solo and I will say that it is a little unnerving. I mean eastern Colorado, and many other places, are so remote and desolate. A solo bycyclist has to be very self-sufficient because if anything happens, help can be a long way off. Also, cell phone coverage does not exist in these remote areas so you can't call for help. Callie was trying to make it from Ordway to Sheridan Lake. This is a long, long ride. She was only about 20 miles out of Ordway and it was alread after noon. I gave her the pastor's phone number for the church I had planned on staying at in case she needed a place inside to stay.
A little after 1:00 PM I made it to Sugar City which is quite small but had a cafe that was open. I poked my head in and asked if it was too late for lunch. They still had plenty and I enjoyed a burrito and taco before heading out for the last six miles to Ordway. I arrived about 2:00 PM and quickly found the Hotel Ordway where I am staying tonight. After checking in I rode to a truck stop on the other end of town and enjoyed a large chocolate ice cream cone - good stuff as it was turning a bit hot out. All my gear is unpacked and drying out after last night's man-made rain.
I'm going to take my one, and probably only, rest day in Pueblo and have booked a room for tomorrow night and Saturday night. Sunday I'll head northwest to conquer Hoosier Pass; 11,500'. I'm planning to take it slow both out of Pueblo to enjoy the scenery and to acclimate slowly to the higher elevations.
I didn't take any photos from the road today. There truly wasn't anything to see, as anyone who has driven the plains of eastern Colorado will tell you. There are a couple of photos taken in Ordway.
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| Hotel Ordway - my home for the night |
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Day 18 - Wednesday June 6; Scott City, KS to Eads, Co (111 miles!!!)
[Updated 6/7/12]
I covered 111 miles today which is two planned days of riding. My original plan was to ride 50 miles to Tribune, KS and camp in the city park. Before Tribune I passed into the Mountain time zone so it was only 11:00 AM local time when I arrived. The wind had been out of the ESE most of the morning and after looking at the city park and eating lunch I decided to go at least as far as Sheridan Lake, CO (another 37 miles) where I had arranged to stay at a church. I reached Sheridan Lake around 3:00 PM and after a quick refreshment left word with the pastor of the church that I was going on to Eads which was to be tomorrow's destination. The wind remained pretty much ESE the rest of the day and at times the gusts pushed me along - along with large trucks. I arrived in Eads about 5:15 PM local time. I found out that the assisted living center no longer offers use of their pool and shower for $4 and that the public pool had already closed for the day. The woman supervising the assisted living center was very kind and let me wash up in their public restroom. That worked out pretty well and I had one of the nurses aids inspect the restroom after I'd cleaned it up. I always try to leave things at least as nice after I'm finished. I was able to wash out my bike shorts and went to the local laundromat for a $0.25 dry so now, thought not clean, my clothes are at least dry for tomorrow. There is one local restaurant where I ate dinner then went to the city park to set up my tent. Setting up a tent in a 20+ mph wind is a bit of a challenge, but I got it up without anything blowing away. The park is next to the public library where I'm sitting on the steps updating this blog.
People I met today;
(1) Alec from England who started in Los Angeles, CA and rode to San Francisco, through Death Valley to Las Vegas, Zion National Park, north rim of the Grand Canyon, through Pueblo and headed east to Washington DC and New York.
(2) I ate lunch in Tribune with Bob, a local cyclist who has been on the road for a few days traveling to the start of the ride across Kansas that starts next weekend. He has cycled about every part of Kansas and knows the roads very well. Bob is quite a character and I enjoyed his company during lunch.
I ran into John O'Leary again as he was leaving the restaurant in Tribune just as I was getting there.
Ed Devlin passed me not far before Sheridan Lake. We chatted a bit then he was off. I caught up to him, and who else but John, at the convenience store in Sheridan Lake. When I arrived in Eads for the night, Ed and another cyclist, Jack Henderson were camping in the city park. I didn't talk to Jack much but he is from Boone, NC. Ed is from Farmville, VA and is riding the TransAmerica route east to west. He is going way faster than me and apparently doesn't stop for much. He rode 175 miles Tuesday and 125 miles today; 300 miles in two days!! This makes my personal record of 111 miles look like child's play. Go Ed! I believe Ed teaches and has to be back home in early August.
Tomorrow I'm off to Ordway, CO; about 61 miles with few services. I'll eat breakfast at the local restaurantin the morning then buy a couple of bottles of Gatorade at the convenience store before leaving town. It is supposed to be super-windy tomorrow with gusts to 40 mph. I think it is supposed to be from the S/SE so as long as I can hold the bike on the road, I'll be fine. I reserved a room at the Ordway Hotel since I doubled up today and tomorrow should be challenging.
Some photos from the day follow.
I covered 111 miles today which is two planned days of riding. My original plan was to ride 50 miles to Tribune, KS and camp in the city park. Before Tribune I passed into the Mountain time zone so it was only 11:00 AM local time when I arrived. The wind had been out of the ESE most of the morning and after looking at the city park and eating lunch I decided to go at least as far as Sheridan Lake, CO (another 37 miles) where I had arranged to stay at a church. I reached Sheridan Lake around 3:00 PM and after a quick refreshment left word with the pastor of the church that I was going on to Eads which was to be tomorrow's destination. The wind remained pretty much ESE the rest of the day and at times the gusts pushed me along - along with large trucks. I arrived in Eads about 5:15 PM local time. I found out that the assisted living center no longer offers use of their pool and shower for $4 and that the public pool had already closed for the day. The woman supervising the assisted living center was very kind and let me wash up in their public restroom. That worked out pretty well and I had one of the nurses aids inspect the restroom after I'd cleaned it up. I always try to leave things at least as nice after I'm finished. I was able to wash out my bike shorts and went to the local laundromat for a $0.25 dry so now, thought not clean, my clothes are at least dry for tomorrow. There is one local restaurant where I ate dinner then went to the city park to set up my tent. Setting up a tent in a 20+ mph wind is a bit of a challenge, but I got it up without anything blowing away. The park is next to the public library where I'm sitting on the steps updating this blog.
People I met today;
(1) Alec from England who started in Los Angeles, CA and rode to San Francisco, through Death Valley to Las Vegas, Zion National Park, north rim of the Grand Canyon, through Pueblo and headed east to Washington DC and New York.
(2) I ate lunch in Tribune with Bob, a local cyclist who has been on the road for a few days traveling to the start of the ride across Kansas that starts next weekend. He has cycled about every part of Kansas and knows the roads very well. Bob is quite a character and I enjoyed his company during lunch.
I ran into John O'Leary again as he was leaving the restaurant in Tribune just as I was getting there.
Ed Devlin passed me not far before Sheridan Lake. We chatted a bit then he was off. I caught up to him, and who else but John, at the convenience store in Sheridan Lake. When I arrived in Eads for the night, Ed and another cyclist, Jack Henderson were camping in the city park. I didn't talk to Jack much but he is from Boone, NC. Ed is from Farmville, VA and is riding the TransAmerica route east to west. He is going way faster than me and apparently doesn't stop for much. He rode 175 miles Tuesday and 125 miles today; 300 miles in two days!! This makes my personal record of 111 miles look like child's play. Go Ed! I believe Ed teaches and has to be back home in early August.
Tomorrow I'm off to Ordway, CO; about 61 miles with few services. I'll eat breakfast at the local restaurantin the morning then buy a couple of bottles of Gatorade at the convenience store before leaving town. It is supposed to be super-windy tomorrow with gusts to 40 mph. I think it is supposed to be from the S/SE so as long as I can hold the bike on the road, I'll be fine. I reserved a room at the Ordway Hotel since I doubled up today and tomorrow should be challenging.
Some photos from the day follow.
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| Western Kansas wheat -and wind turbines. |
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| Cool old truck |
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| The closest I'll get to the Selkirk Loop this year! |
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| Entering Mountain Time Zone in western Kansas |
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| Kansas, it was fun; but come again - not any time soon. |
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| Colorado - at last. |
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| Eastern Colorado to the south - not a tree in sight. |
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| Eastern Colorado to the north - for 360 degrees, not a tree in sight - barren! |
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