Blog update, July11m 2008

July 11, 2008    Jack writes: 

 

Today was a short ride and I have internet access so will take this opportunity to update our blog. 

 

 On July 9, 2008, my 66th birthday, I left Keystone, CO heading off to face the challenge of Hoosier Pass.  Riding out of Dillon I rode on the "Dam Road"  a road over a dam that was created to produce a source of water for Denver.  We had driven on the day before when the Leichnetzs drove us over to Frisco.   But on the 9th the road was closed to traffic.  It turned out that the Denver Water Board had closed the road for unspecified National Security reasons.  I read about it in the morning paper when I stopped in Breckenridge for coffee.  They had not closed it to bicyclists though, since it is quite obvious that we could not pose a security risk.  So I rode up to the pass with no real difficulty and wanted to have my picture taken at the top, 11542'.  Philp had a doc appointment in Boulder that morning so was not with me and at that time I arrived at the pass no one was around ask to snap the pic.  What to do?  So I took one of my bags off the bike and set it in the road to use as a tripod for the camera to take a delayed exposure, and then aimed the camera up toward the sign marking the pass.   To make sure the sign with me potentially in it was aimed properly I had to lie down on the road.  Of course I made sure I could not hear any cars approaching from either direction before getting comfortable in the road.  To my surprise another cyclist who I could not hear approaching appeared just at that moment.  He of course thought I was either injured or crazy.   Chris turned out to be a really nice fellow and graciouly took the picture for me.  As I was about to leave a group of 4 or 5 mostly young college age cyclist reached the peak so we stopped an chatted about where they were from and where they were going.  They had started in Yorktown.  One older fellow wondered how old I was since he was 50 something and, for some reason wanted to determine if he was the senior member of our little gathering.  So I told them that in fact it was my b-day THAT very day.   After all of the appropriate "you sure don't look that ancient" kind of comments they all gave me high fives.  I gave all of the stickynotes with our web site,  RIDEFORJIM.ORG  and rode on to Fairplay to a great Mexican resturant, for lunch.  Philip and I were supposed to meet up  in Harsel, CO but I determined that the planner who had designed Jeffrey City had also done some work in Hartsel so rode on toward Guffey.   What I had not counted on were the strong head winds and very significant climbs.   The afternoon turned out to be harder than the morning going over the pass.  So a 88.4 mile ride marked my birthday.  We stayed at a very primitive hostel (I wish you could see some of the places we have stayed on this trip).  It was a rustic cabin called "Badger Hole"  so that gives you some idea about the amenities.  The beds were quite comfortable and I slept like a baby, appropriate for my birthday I think. 

 

July 10, 2008

 

There was no breakfast available at "Badger Hole"  so we had some instant b-fast and beef jerky.   There were some  dining spots noted on the map within 20 or so miles where I thought I could fuel up.  All of the resturants were closed until we reach Canon City, CO, 40 miles into the ride, and found Big Daddy's truck stop.  They had the real deal,  Chicken Fried steak over scram. eggs, hash browns all smothered with gravey.  We even ordered a huge cinnamon bun to go with it.  One of the pleasures of this ride is being able to eat EVERYTHING I  see.  I was planning to make it to Pueblo, CO that day which was going to be a long ride and it was getting hot so I tried to keep my water bottles full.  Got water in Florence and planned to fill up again in Wetmore.  Wetmore is just a crossroads kind of place and when I got there the resturant was closed until 5:00.  I knew that in the town of Wetmore I needed "More-Wet" so when I saw a lady out behind Barb's Saloon and Resturant with her dog I asked if I could get some water.  The lady, Barb, graciously opened the resturant for me and filled the water bottles with ice and water.  It was going to be 28 miles to Pueblo so she decided I needed more water and gave me a plastic gallon jug half full that I cramed into one of my my panniers.  It was a good thing.  There was a lot of climbing with a head wind.  Thank you, Barb, for your generosity and hospitality.   Reaching Pueblo I headed to the great park they have in the middle of town and cooled down in the public pool.   Later I learned that the temperature yesterday was 99 F and I had gone 91 miles. 

 

July11, 2008

 

We stayed in a modest motel last night since the city park no longer permits camping, even though the maps from Adventure Cycling all say cyclist can camp there. The diner next to the motel served up a very adequate breakfast so I rode out of town before 7:00 with, for one of the first times in recent weeks, the wind to my back.  Boy did that feel good.   I as going 20 mph up gentle grades.  I planned to ride only 50 miles today to Ordway, CO since the temperature is forecast to reach 100 F.  In Olney Springs I met up with Emerson and Copper, two college age kids, who are also riding east.  They had similar stories about their stay in Pueblo.   Just after that I had my first flat tire, in fact I had just bragged to Emerson and Copper that I had not had a single flat so far, but it still is not a bad record. I have  gone 1921 miles in 28 days of actual riding with only one flat.  Still, I hope it is my last one.   

 

Riding down from the Rockies after Hoosier Pass I had mixed feelings.  It seemed sad to see the great Rockies disappear into my mirror as I rode east and I realized that all of the anxiety and some fear that I had in the first part of the ride was now behind me.  But it also gave me a feeling of confidence that I had accomplished going over all of those climbs and possibly could also face the Ozarks of Missouri and the Alleganies.  

 

Tomorrow the temperature is supposed to only reach 85.  I hope the wind is still to my back.