Day 289: Buena Vista to Fairplay

Time: 3:54:45
Distance: 37.05 miles
Avg Speed: 9.4 mph
Terrain: hillier than expected

We got up early in Buena Vista this morning. Our goal was to get rolling early so we could load up on calories at the local café on the way out of town. Bongo Billy’s café didn’t disappoint with a good breakfast burrito, great scone and strong coffee. We slowly got out of town and decided to stop right by the prison for a photo op of Mt. Princeton. We then got on the road for the 14 mile climb up Trout Creek Pass. The climb went by quite smoothly and it was only disrupted by some conversion van that decided to buzz us. If I had written the plate numbers down they would be getting a visit from the Highway Patrol (yes it was that bad). I don’t think that people realize what would happen if they actually made contact with a cyclist (picture bug on a windshield). Leslie and I both have a deal with each other that if either one of us get hit, the other is to sue, sue, sue.
On a happier note, we finished up our Colorado tour today and Leslie’s dad was kind enough to meet us in Fairplay for a celebratory Subway sandwich before hauling our sore butts back down to Denver. It was nice to not have to run the gauntlet on Hwy. 285 any further. Leslie and I were both a little melancholy as we rolled the last mile to the meeting place. We were both excited to have done a tour like we did, but were sad that we had to move on to other things. We all piled in the truck after mowing down a couple of $5 foot longs. The ride to Denver went quickly since there wasn’t any traffic to speak of. We even made a pit stop at Coney Island for an ice cream on our way through Bailey. If you haven’t seen Coney Island, it is the giant hot dog shaped stand on the side of the road. It had resided in Aspen Park for 40 years before being loaded on a truck and hauled to its existing resting place further up the road. It was a nice way to cap off the trip with a little bit of old school Colorado.
We can now unwind our bodies and dry and unpack our camping gear before wrapping our minds around the next step.
Did I mention that Colorado is the best place out there? It is.
CK

Interview with a Guest Cyclist

Day 288
San Isabel NF camp to Buena Vista
Time: 1:01:00
Distance: 17.3 miles
Avg Speed: 16.9 mph
Terrain: Downhill
Location: N 38 50' 33.3", W 106 7' 56.8"

We finished the last part of our tour in less than an hour today. A 15 mile downhill will help with that. There was no “wet tent put away” this morning as we woke to a brilliant blue sky and were able to pack up camp in a timely fashion. After some oatmeal and coffee we bombed our way down to the Cottonwood Hot Springs. Scott knew the place well and we really enjoyed a good soak to sooth our tired legs.
The rest of the ride to “Buenie” was a breeze and we arrived in town around lunch. Food was the first order of business (as usual). Scott has been pretty amazed at the amount of groceries consumed on a bicycle tour. After lunch we found ourselves a nice, local motel and got cleaned up. We’ve been without a shower for over a week…
The afternoon was spent relaxing and reliving different parts of the last three days. We thoroughly enjoyed having Scott tour with us. To get a feel for what he thought of traveling by bicycle, we asked him a few questions over a very tasty steak dinner. Here’s what we found out:

LK&CK: What were your most favorite and least favorite parts of the tour?
SF:
Most Favorite: - Cottonwood Pass, Larry and Darian and their hospitality
Least favorite: the rain

LK&CK: What was the most exciting experience?
SF: The hail storm after descending the pass (luckily we were sitting under a tarp)

LK&CK: What gear did you find yourself wishing you had? What gear could you have done without?
SF:
Gear needed: heavier coat
Gear not needed: 75% of the rest of my clothes

LK&CK: What was your favorite thing to eat in the last three days?
SF: Huevos Rancheros ala Darien

SF on the Cottonwood Pass Experience: “it is like climbing a 14er – you have to put your mind in that far away place and just decide to go to the top”

LK&CK: What song got stuck on your head on the 14 mile climb?
SF: The Flobots – “Handlebars”

LK&CK: Now that you’ve done your first bicycle tour, where would you go on your own tour?
SF: Grand Tetons and Yellowstone

Here’s to sharing life experiences with good friends,
LK