Breckenridge

All of my company left me to return to the real world, but I didn't have to join them quite yet. Before I left Steamboat to continue the journey south, I took in the USA Pro Challenge bike race. Steamboat was host to both a stage start and finish. Because of time constraints (ahem, taking Rachel to the airport, heh) I missed the finish, but was able to see the start the next day. The peloton was there and gone in about 10 seconds, but still exciting. American Tejay Van Garderen ended up winning the race.

Sooo much money in those bikes

I didn't get out of town until 1pm, but it ended up not mattering as my legs didn't have anything left by the top of Lynx Pass anyway. A week off the bike will do that to you. Steamboat, Ski Town USA, is also trying out a new name, Bike Town USA, and I believe it. I've never seen so many cyclists out on the road as I did leaving town. It also probably had something to do with the race coming through town and everyone getting amped up about bikes. 

Coming off of Lynx Pass I rode an old stage coach road towards Kremmling. I also faced my first real creek crossing. I ended up wussing out and carrying all of my stuff across but I'm glad I did. The beavers had done some real work here and the water rose past my knees.

Creek ford

About midday I reached the Colorado River Valley. Coming in on the west side, I had an amazing view of the entire valley including the road I would climb out on way in the background on the east side. Sometimes it can be a bit demoralizing being able to see your destination literally tens of miles in the distance. It was a hard climb out, but at the halfway point I got to enjoy Inspiration Point (seems to be a popular name out here) which looks down on Gore Canyon. The walls were sheer rock and dropped 3000 vertical feet. I was lucky enough to catch a train rolling through, which gives the landscape some scale.

See that tiny road in the distance, that's where I'm headed

 

It looks like a toy train

The daily thunderstorm chased me into Kremmling where I stayed for the night. I put up at the Eastin Hotel circa 1901. A very nice couple ran the place and made me feel right at home. The building also had plenty of character which modern accommodations sorely lack. I felt like I was truly a guest in someones own establishment. Though I didn't see them, I could imagine each room being a bit unique in some way and I thoroughly enjoyed the squeaky wood floors.

The next day I climbed Ute Pass and rode into one of the most urbanized areas on the whole route. The towns of Silverthorne, Frisco, and Breckenridge are all within 10 miles of each other and are all classic western ski towns (read expensive and touristy). Not that I minded, I'm always up for good food and ski hills. I ended up pitching the tent in the rain and didn't get a chance to dry out until the next afternoon. Really the first serious rainstorm, so not really much to complain about. 

 

Climbing Ute Pass

That's a Colorado skyline

 

 

Denver

Finally the Denver update that I'm sure you've been on the edge of your seats waiting for. Rachel and Kali anyway.

I got to Steamboat with a day to spare before my Virginia rendezvous, so I tried my hand at some downhill mountain biking on the ski hill. Rolling up to the gondola, all I saw were full suspension downhill bombers and people in full pads and motocross helmets... so I knew I was in for some fun. It was a strange feeling being hauled up the mountain by something other than my own two feet. 

Up she goes!

It also took me a bit to even keep the bike in a straight line without all of the usual gear. Light as a feather. The view from the top was of course spectacular. So was the riding. I'd never ridden down a big mountain on a pure downhill track and it was AWESOME! Huge banked turns and plenty of tabletop features to get off the ground. I found I had to stay on the intermediate runs although I tried one black, but only long enough to get to the first rock drop and turn my ass around. My bike was definitely a limitation having no rear suspension. I ended up getting 5 or 6 runs in before my body couldn't take the vibration anymore.

View from the top

Rachel and Kali got in around 1am and met me at the Steamboat Hotel. The next morning we spent some time perusing downtown and found a great breakfast at the Creekside Cafe (my second there in two days) and plenty of cute tourist shops. 

Kali's Boutique

!

I then got my first car ride in quite some time as we headed to Rocky Mountain National Park. We ended up hiking The Crater trail after local tip. It was only a mile long but did gain close to 1000 ft. of elevation. We were supposed to see Bighorn Sheep, which is one of the only animals I haven't seen out here yet (still no bears), but all we ended up seeing were some elk (yeah, now I'm jaded). 

Nearing the crater

Picturesque

I haven't even gotten past the first day of the auto tour, but my library time is running out and I need to try and beat the rain headed over Boreas Pass (11,000+ ft.). The next update will probably be from Salida, CO in a few days time. 

Despite my best efforts, I've fallen quite a bit behind on the ol' blog. So, I figure I'll concentrate on the biking portion of the trip and cut this side trip business a bit short. Pictures with captions only (sorry R & K).

That's a pile of beets! At the Boulder market.

Mark puts on a light show

Yee Haw at the Rodeo Hall of Fame

Hike to Blue Lake

Aww, siblings

Making sure that Frost Brew Liner is up to snuff at the Coors plant

Kali says easy there now

Steamboat

Today I get back on the bike to continue the journey south, but before I do, an adventure update is in order. First, the riding portion from Pinedale, WY to here in Steamboat, CO. I'll do a separate post for my time in the Denver area. 

Riding out of Pinedale towards the Wind River Mountains was boring for the first 20 miles or so as I was on pavement, but it soon turned to dirt. At this point a strong headwind also greeted me, making for tough progress. The night before I had setup a meeting with a friend from back home who happened to be doing some ranching near the trail (actually, the trail runs right through the ranch). Colin rides for this outfit 2 or 3 days a week moving cattle from horseback. With little cell service throughout the day, we had to setup a time and place beforehand. We decided to meet at the crossing of Lander Cutoff Road and Little Sandy Creek at 7pm. It was nice to arrange a meetup the old fashioned way, a time and geographic location, as opposed to a cell phone call 10 minutes beforehand. Just goes to show that the world probably would keep spinning even if we didn't all have cell phones and internet. 

 Everything went according to plan, and I met Colin on the road. He pulled up with his truck and trailer and we only had a short wait until Kyle, Lauren, Mike, and Amy showed up. He drove us back to the ranch house and we had a great time relaxing and cooking a nice dinner. 

Horse, meet bicycle

Our trusty mounts

The top picture features the Wind River Range in the background. If there's a place on the route so far that I can see myself going back and spending more time in, it's here. The terrain just seems to match my idea of The West and the route mainly skirted the mountains, leaving lots of opportunities for further exploration. 

 We left Colin's place headed for the Great Basin. This is a desert in central Wyoming and an anomaly along the Continental Divide. Water that falls here doesn't ever make it to any ocean. Instead it is held captive in the Basin until it eventually evaporates. My map and guidebook both suggested carrying large quantities of water in case usual sources were found dry. This was also a potentially 3 day stretch of flat riding into strong headwinds and brutal sun. My experience was different than most I suspect. I did face sections of strong winds, but mainly from the thunderstorms that followed me for two afternoons. The first day in, a very strong storm stopped my progress and I actually setup my tent to take shelter. The lightning thankfully stayed away, but the hail didn't. I was pelted for about 15 minutes. The storms did keep the sun off my back for the most part, but they also obscured the night sky. I'd been looking forward to some epic stargazing, but it wasn't to be. For the majority of the ride I'd avoided rain, but then I get to the desert and it follows me everyday, go figure.

 

Quick shutter finger

The Basin is home to a large population of wild horses which I was lucky enough to see some of. I think I ended up seeing about 9 or 10 of them. The Basin also encompasses the intersection of the Oregon Trail and Pony Express route. Riding these trails was interesting because the landscape is virtually unchanged from those days. The pace of a bicycle also closely matches that of the pioneers, so I could easily imagine myself on a wagon creeping along through the sage (though I was headed east).

I spent the night in Rawlins after climbing out of the Basin and got my chores done. Out of Rawlins, the first big climb in quite a few days greeted me. Yet again, a thunderstorm boiled up near the summit, but blew by with no rain. Soon after cresting, I got my first flat of the trip. Somewhere I had run over a thorn and it was more than the BOB could handle. A sense of cautious optimism was beginning to creep in that I might make Mexico with no punctures, but no more.

Approaching the Colorado border, the groves of Aspen started to dominate the landscape. I rode through well known 'Aspen Alley', but honestly wasn't that impressed. I'm sure it would have been better in the fall when everything was gold, but there are plenty of roads back in Virginia with a better tree canopy, especially in the fall. 

Aspen Alley

My entry into Colorado was the least impressive yet. If there hadn't been a 'Leaving Wyoming' sign, I wouldn't have even known it happened. I had to settle for the next post office sign for my Colorado self portrait. Again a thunderstorm chased me into the evening, but just as it hit I happened to make Brush Mountain Outpost, and ducked in to avoid the rain. 

The next day I woke up to a steep 4 mile climb with Steamboat waiting on the other side. The last 2 miles were STEEP and I had to push my bike over the top. I'd obviously been looking forward to the descent, but the road was in terrible shape and the ride down was almost as rigorous as the ride up. I was surprised to find my trailer still attached at the bottom the vibration was so bad.

View from the top

I'd never seen Beavers so close before

Yet another fortunate trail coincidence greeted me in Steamboat. I met Sarah on the bike path as I was trying to figure out where to stay for the night. I gladly accepted her invitation to stay with her and Rich. They are touring cyclists themselves and provided a great meal to end the day as well as a soft bed. They also let me store my bicycle in their shed while I was in Denver. Thanks again!

Here's the post office schedule for the second half of the trip should you desire:

Salida, CO 81201          August 29th
Abiquiu, NM 87510        September 8th
Pie Town, NM 87827     September 15th
Silver City, NM 88061    September 19th

Homebaked goods are always appreciated as well as protein bars. Thanks in advance!

Out of time for today. SPOT back in action!

Boulder

I've pedaled as far as Steamboat Springs, CO where I was picked up by Rachel and Kali for off bike adventures. Today we're in Boulder, after visiting Rocky Mountain National Park yesterday. I plan to put up a full post sometime in the next few days when I have a spare hour. I also won't be providing SPOT updates until I'm back on the bike next week.

Pinedale

Coming to you today from Pinedale, WY, a little (well, decent sized by Wyoming standards) cowtown beside the Wind River Mountains. I've even gotten a hotel for the night to wash off a week's worth of dust and sunscreen. I'm actually sharing the room with 4 other cyclists on the Divide, all of whom have appeared elsewhere in the blog.

I had been riding solo for about three days before I ran into Kyle and Lauren again at the Jenny Lake campground in Grand Teton NP. I thought they would be well ahead of me, but some bad pizza in Macks Inn set them back two days. The next day I rode north from Jenny Lake to Colter Bay campground to relax for a day before getting back on the route. If you follow the SPOT coordinates you may have wondered if it got screwed up, but no, I did in fact ride 50 miles south to Jackson Hole, then another 50 back to where I started at the top of Teton NP. Almost to the campground, I happened to run into Mike and Amy at a gas station getting supplies. We have paced and camped with each other for the past four nights since then. Good company makes the miles easy. I feel like I could write an entire post about the crazy coincidences that happen out on the route. Maybe next time.

The day hike from Jennys Lake in Teton was amazing! Very, very tiring, but very rewarding. To avoid the crowds all you really have to do is walk a mile past the parking lot. I hiked up to Lake Solitude which sits to the west of the Tetons, up Cascade Canyon. Saw two bull moose at close range (~50ft.) and they didn't seem to even notice me. Nearing the lake, the canyon opened up into a spectacular alpine valley. I've never been to the Alps, but from all the pictures I've seen, this come pretty close.

 

All three Teton's framed

 

 



The climb up Togwatee (say Toe-guh-tee) Pass was the first big one in a while but conveniently there was a bar halfway up to get a cold one. That really pushed me over the top (actually I probably should have chugged more water). This was also the most exciting CD crossing. A random minivan of people stopped at the summit, piled out, and fashioned a finish line for us! They all cheered as we finally got to the top. Their adventure was just getting started. They had driven 22 hours from Cincinnatti and were going to look for 2 million in buried gold. Supposedly they had some clues to its whereabouts, and even if they strike out, I'm sure they'll have a damn good time doing it.

 

Amy breaking the tape



 

Yesterday we crested Union Pass, an ancient route used to traverse the CD in the Wind River Mountains. The last four miles were seemingly endless, and very steep at times. Atop the pass, there were no less than three wildfires visible. The largest of the three was behind us and downwind, but the other two were on ridges we would skirt later in the day. Luckily, these were also downwind of us, so we didn't have much to worry about. Still, a wildfire is a wildfire, and it did add a bit of an edge to the day, which I quite enjoyed. Much like a good thunderstorm, potentially dangerous weather events are exciting to me.

 

Large fire to our north. That's not a cloud.



Smaller but closer fire to our east

 

Now for the random image portion of our show:

 

 

Yeah Wyoming!

 

Not sure I've ever seen a grey cow, but there she is