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Day 44:
Of course, there was an adjustment period. The awkward thing about Colorado is that the mountains are so huge, they overshadow grades in the road. You think that you’re going downhill, when in fact you are steadily climbing. Needless to say, that was a hard lesson to learn.
Rolling out of Pueblo, I thought I would feel great. With two days of rest, I was ready for anything...false. I felt like absolute garbage. It seemed like I couldn’t go anywhere. I must have gotten off my bike ten times in the first two miles to check if my tires were flat or my brakes were rubbling. My legs wouldn’t propel me forward. It seemed my bike was the victim of a faulty motor.
Then I noticed it...my legs, my ankles...swollen. I thought I had come down with a horrible disease. I looked like the Pillsbury Doughboy. Worried, I continued to push onward. Little did I know I was actually climbing slowly with the wind in my face. After a long, tedious ride I finally made it to the small town of Wetmore. 30 miles and I was ready to die. I found two women (who may have been the only two people in the entire town) and popped the only question in my mind:
“When do you start feeling the altitude?”
One women replied...”oh dear, where did you grow up?”
Finding that I lived at sea level my entire life, she quickly led me to the library, explaining that I would have a headache and feel completely exhausted until I adjusted. Swelling is also normal...a very unfortunate side effect.
Wetmore was at 6,000 feet...far above where I started in Pueblo. Well, at least this explained my terrible morning. Lying down on the couch, I passed out for two hours.
When I finally woke up, I ate a small lunch and said my goodbyes. Her parting words:
“Watch out, there’s an eight mile climb up ahead.” Wait...EIGHT MILE CLIMB?
And so I pushed on, immediately regretting my decision to leave. I still felt horrible, and now I had to climb eight miles...
Making matters worse, mid-climb I got hit with an afternoon thunderstorm. Freezing, I pushed on. Surprisingly, I actually started feeling great the more I climbed. I guess I just shocked my body into adjusting to high altitude.
What came next words cannot actually describe. Reaching the top, it was like I could see all of Colorado. Beautiful mountains and a clear blue sky. The entire state opened up, leaving a breath-taking view. It was a truely amazing, once-in-a-lifetime. What’s more, I found a friend.
Vinny was just a few miles down the road, stopped on the side. Riding up to him, we chatted for a bit, and decided to ride down to Westcliffe together for the night. He told me about a women that let cyclists sleep on her porch for free...I was sold.
Now something about these mountain passes should be explained...they’re HUGE. This one (the first of many) took us from 6,000 to 9,000 feet in eight miles. A challenging feat, but very worth it. The views are absolutely spectacular, and the decent down the other side is another experience all together. Picture 10 miles of stunning scenery flying by at 30mph, and the most work you have to do is squeeze a break lever. Not a bad finish to the day.
After out huge decent, Vinny pointed out the Bed and Breakfast that would host me for the night. He rode off to a real hotel, but I met Mo, the very nice and cheerful owner who showed me around. An absolutely stunning setup, in a quaint, quiet town. She gave me a hammock to sleep in for the night, overlooking a grotto. Now that’s my kind of accommodations.
Check it out:
Miles Covered: 58
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Day 45:
Around 8:00 Vinny rode by the hotel and we started off together. He’s an amazing guy, pushing about 100 miles a day. Incredibly nice, and a great riding partner. Did I mention he’s 53? If I’m 53 and able to bike across the country, I certainly did something right.
Here he is:
The downhill kept us rolling for the next 20 miles or so, with small uphills and flatland mixed in. A beautiful morning riding alongside towering mountains and a roaring river...I thought I was in heaven. The day flew by rather quickly, but there was one thing in the back of our minds that left an uneasy feeling. Today was the day...Monarch Pass over the Continental Divide.
At 11,312 feet it would be the highest pass we would ever go over...and we were doing it on the second day. After a long lunch break in Pancha Springs, we started off on the climb. All told...it looked a lot better on paper.
The climb started off as a slow, gradual uphill. Facing a massive headwind, this was a terrible way to start the pass. We rode frustratingly slow while working unnecessarily hard. Finally after miles of crawling, the road turned south. This meant two things:
1. The headwind was lessened
2. We hit the mountain
We said our last prayers, and started climbing. It was over 10 miles of a steep 7% grade, carrying us slowly through one of the most scenic passes in the state. Legs and lungs burning, we pushed on. Just when I thought it was over I would turn turn through a switchback and see the road kept climbing. It was frustrating, monotonous, and incredible; all at the same time.
No words could capture the emotion that I experienced at the top. I had just hauled a fully loaded mountain bike to over 11,000. My reward was incredible views, and the massive downhill to follow. Waiting for Vinny to get to the top, I relished in my victory and took in the inspiring vistas that surrounded me.
Deciding to stick together for the night, we descended down to the very small town of Sargents. We stayed the night in a cozy (in every sense of the word) cabin, got laundry done, and ate dinner at a restaurant close by. Exhausted after the huge climb, sleep came very easy.
Cozy...
Miles Covered: 80
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Day 46:
Meeting Vinny was a blessing. It was great to have someone to express the hardships that each mountain pass presented, and well as satisfaction that comes upon reaching the top. Today we had three more passes to climb, and I was glad to have company along the way.
Luckily all the climbing came at the end of the day, so we had plenty of time to warm-up and soak in the incredible views. Additionally, Vinny was leading me to Montrose, were we would be staying with a friend of his. Nothing keeps you going like knowing you have a shower and a home-cooked meal waiting for you.
There were two small hitches along the way though - flats. But two? So we each must have gotten one, right? NOPE. Both were mine. Wait...aren’t there only two tires on my bike that actually have tubes? You got it...and both went flat. Good thing I’ve gotten really good at fixing flats, so I had the bike up and running in no time.
After a rough afternoon, we finally hit the climbs. Of course we ascended all three like champs, just grateful they weren’t nearly as tall as Monarch (and without the headwind). Finally reaching the final top, we rode the downhill all the way to Montrose.
Reaching Ron’s house, we were greeted by warm showers (actually, quite possibly the best shower I’ve had so far), a huge dinner, and great company. Dinner went something like this: salad, burgers, fresh Colorado sweet corn, and pie. Delicious.
After dinner, Vinny and I left to get ready for bed. A bit later I went downstairs to get a glass of water and was greeted by the most awesome thing anyone has ever done for me. Ron was just getting back from the store with food for breakfast, and he handed me a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream...all for me. YES PLEASE. Fantastic way to end the night.
Here's Ron and his wife, thanks for everthing!
Miles Covered: 105
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Day 47:
Colorado was flying by. I took a second to catch my breath before Vinny and I left Ron’s, and decided to cut the day short and branch off. After talking to Ron and his wife about an upcoming town called Telluride, I decided to stop there for the day. About three miles off route, the town is in a box canyon and situated at the bottom of a huge ski mountain.. I couldn;’t let the entire state pass by without a trek into the woods, and Tellluride seemed like just the place,.
The ride into town was absolutely stunning. We rode the Dallas Divide, a pass at nearly 9,000 feet. Then we turned south to bike on the San Juan Skyway, dubbed one of the most scenic roads in Colorado. The ride was a combination of incredible red rock cliffs, towering mountain peaks, and vistas where we could see for miles. That was by far one of my favorite days of riding.
At mile 70, Vinny and I said our goodbyes, and I turned off-route into Telluride. I was sad to see him go, but the detour was definitely worth it. Telluride is everything that I ever wanted a town to be. It’s cornered on three sides by huge mountains, and is a hub for outdoors enthusiasts. EVERYONE rides a mountain bike, and not just one of those joke Wal-Mart bikes...I’m talking rides that have thousands of dollars invested in them. The streets are lined with bikes...not cars. Everyone lives outdoors - hiking, biking, rock climbing. I don’t think there is one overweight person in this entire town. If I could pick one place to spend a chunk of time, Telluride is it. They even tax you if you need a plastic bag at the grocery store. This place is going to save the world.
Of course I headed straight to the local bike shop and asked what there was to do in town. I got details about a concert that night, the best places to eat, and cool hikes to check out. I headed over to the town park and snagged a spot in the campground (yes, there is a legitimate campground right in town), and took a shower after setting up.
The rest of the day was all mine - I ate dinner at the local brewpub, met my neighbors at the campground, and decided to go to the concert. The band was Deer Tick - I never heard of them but I met two people who drove all the way from Salt Lake City, Utah to see them. Good enough for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed the show.
Turning in for the night, I got a full dose of frigid Colorado nights at altitude. I don’t know how cold it got, but by morning I had put on a ton of layers to stay warm. This did make getting out of bed particularly difficult though...
Miles Covered: 70
Mountains!
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Day 48:
You could call it a day off, but it was anything but. After a little research, I found a 14 mile hike called Sneffels Highline. The route takes you through the Mount Sneffels Wilderness area, part of the San Juan National Forest. Scared of impeding thunderstorms, I got to the trail head nice and early. The hike has a total elevation gain of 3,600 feet, and is rated for 8-9 hours. I wanted it done in 5.
Climbing steep switchbacks right out of the gate, the trail wound through some of the most incredible scenery that I have ever seen. Take what I said about no words or picture being able to express the Colorado vistas, and multiply it by 100. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more amazing than what I saw today in my entire life. Climbing to 13,000 and looking across an endless landscape of beautiful snow covered peaks is an experience that should not be missed.
The weather was perfect, cool mountain air and nearly cloudless skies. I jumped over crystal-clear mountain streams, stepped through patches of snow, and ran through a trail lined with flowers. I ate lunch with my feet dangling over a cliff, looking out on more land than my mind could comprehend. I traversed the land some people deem the most beautiful in Colorado, and saw sights that will forever be imprinted in my mind.
I almost made it back to town before being caught in a massive rainstorm. Luckily I finished as quickly as I did or else I could have easily been caught in the storm above alpine level. It’s definitely scary how fast afternoon storms can move in. One second it was a beautiful day, the next you could hear thunder, which was quickly followed by a downpour. About 20 minutes of descending in the cold rain brought me back to town and under much needed shelter. Pretty good timing if you ask me. Total time for the hike: a leisurely 4 hours, 30 minutes. Not bad, eh?
It’s still raining outside, so I’m taking my time in the library. Apparently it’s one of the main attractions of the town, if I find quite interesting. It is rather packed on a Monday afternoon though...
Anyway, I hit the road again tomorrow. There’s one more 10,000 pass to climb, but I get to kick the day off right - I convinced a local hotel to let me sit in on their deluxe continental breakfast. Booyah.
Scenes from the hike:
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