Rain Delay

Day 319
Still in Krakow
Time: Less Than 10 Minutes
Distance: Less Than a Mile
Avg Speed: Slow
Terrain: Wet Pavé

We woke up to pouring rain, promptly went back to sleep, and stayed another day in Krakow. We did move our accommodations a few blocks to the main square. Our day wasn’t completely shot – we did a lot of people watching while we waited for our room. Then, a bit later while walking around, we were soaked when a passing golf cart (giving a city tour) purposely found a couple of big puddles to race through. Good thing we have quick-dry pants. Finally, we found some good, greasy Polish food. Nothing like pierogi, kielbasa, and vegetables cooking in heavy oil to make you feel like you’re in Europe.

Here’s to clearing skies,
LK

Auschwitz

Day: 318
Krakow to Oswiecem
Time: All Morning and most of the afternoon

Getting our luggage yesterday really helped us out keeping a schedule. Today we had wanted to get out to the town of Oswiecem and visit a pretty grim museum. Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum is a dark reminder of this area’s history during the occupation of Nazi forces in WWII. Leslie and I spent several hours guiding ourselves around the grounds and the restored blocks of Auschwitz. We viewed what atrocities occurred under the names of science, and genocide. For 5 years the camps murdered and cremated around 1.5 million people. These included Soviet POW’s, Gypsies, Poles, Czechs, Yugoslavs, French, Austrians, and Germans. The majority of the deaths were Jews. The actual tally is up for debate since most Jewish people who came in to Auschwitz never were registered; they were taken directly to the gas chamber and then cremated. I can’t even begin to describe what we saw today. One of the most haunting images was a room full of hair that had been cut off of dead women. The hair was then sold to a German textile mill to be used in the manufacturing of cloth. The hair on display weighed a disturbing 1950 kg. The prison block of personal effects was also disturbing containing thousands of pairs of eyeglasses, shoes, toothbrushes, hair and clothing brushes and artificial limbs. One of the quotes around the grounds is by the philosopher George Santayana: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."If you are ever able to go see Auschwitz or read a book or watch a movie about the atrocities that occurred at these concentration camps please do. The hollow feeling that you get inside when you actually see what a human being is capable of doing to another human drives you to make sure that the world, your space, is a better and safer place for those around you.

CK

Only the Bags Know

Day 317
Krakow, Poland

Location: N 50˚ 03' 58.4'', E˚ 19 55' 46.3"

It’s happened to most travelers at one time – lost luggage. I’m not sure you ever really think it’s going to happen to you. When you arrive at the airport and watch your bags float off down the belt into the underworld, you just turn around and head to your gate. As you sit in your seat during the flight you’re thinking more about what drink to order than how your luggage is getting along in the cargo hold below. It isn’t until you’re the last person standing at baggage claim that you realize something went wrong.

Day 2 started without out our bags as they did not arrive last evening. We called first thing and got one of several different stories. I’m sure it must be frustrating to work in the lost luggage department at the airport. It wasn’t until later in the day that we remembered that Lufthansa employees are on strike. Maybe it’s just the baggage handlers.
We decided to stick around for awhile this morning just in case our luggage arrived. We read our books and took a few catnaps. We are still trying to catch up from lack of sleep during our flights. In between the shut-eye, I managed to start and finish The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I would definitely recommend it to everyone – it’s about following your dreams.
After lunch and a few more phone calls we were no closer to seeing our bags so we ventured out. Krakow has been pretty close to my mental map – interesting history, beautiful architecture, and vibrant people. Our goal for the afternoon was Wawel (pronounced vavel) Hill. Set on the banks of the Vistula (pronounced wisla) River, the hill is essentially a fortress with several structures inside. The most commanding building was the cathedral. Built in the 14th century, the copper and gold domed building was the coronation and burial place for Polish royalty for 400 years.
Upon our return we found no bags. Many things started to run through my mind, but before I got too far there was a knock on the door. Three bags had arrived and maybe the fourth bag would come today or tomorrow. Unfortunately, it was my gear bag that was still missing. Chris made a trip to the kitchen to get a beer and when he came back he had the last bag in hand. Apparently, it came with a different driver. At least we had something to drink to.
And so we ended the day on a very positive note and wondered where in the world those bags had been. I guess only the bags know…

LK

Nothing to Declare

Day: 316
Denver, Colorado USA to Krakow, Poland
Time: Too long
Distance: Too far

We left Denver yesterday at 10:30 am. Leslie’s family put together the going away caravan and shuttled us out to the airport. DIA was a breeze except for the liquids I forgot I had in my bag. The TSA people were nice and just took a look at them and let me on through security. You would think I had never done that before. We got to the ticket counter early and the United clerk was kind enough to bump us up to economy plus for free all the way to Munich. I always can use an extra couple of inches for my legs. We switched planes in Washington DC and flew through the night to Munich. I couldn’t sleep so I caught up on my movies. We landed in Munich 7:30 am local time and tracked down a little breakfast and coffee. Those thoughtful Germans had free coffee stations all over the place to help us get a little more caffeinated. After a three hour layover we boarded our last leg to Krakow. The flight was a little rough and the landing was a two hopper. It didn’t seem that windy, but if I were flying it I would have crashed and burned so I can’t complain. After landing and waiting for our luggage I learned my first Polish phrase: Moj bagaz zostal zagubiony. It translates to ‘my luggage has been lost’. Yes, for the first time on our trip we became detached from our luggage. The office for lost baggage had a very helpful lady working who took our information and promptly figured out where our luggage was. Our bags zigged when we zagged in Washington DC. They are supposed to be on a flight to Frankfurt and then on to Krakow tonight. We are keeping our fingers crossed. We did luck out and arrived in Krakow with a change of clothes, a desire for a little adventure and just in time to catch a professional bicycle race in the town square. We hung out there most of the evening watching a crit around the cobbles. We caught three wrecks in the corner we were in. One guy took a little while to get up and get moving. The others bounced up and headed back to the vans. I can’t imagine sliding across cobbles at 30 kph feels too good. I think I would have bailed as well.
We are looking forward to seeing our bikes and bags soon. Hopefully the airlines share our feelings.
CK

Europe Tour: The Final Clue

Day 315
Home Base to the Airport

Our summer break is over and it’s time to go back to work. Today we’re headed for Europe and the final leg of our ‘round the world journey. We’re pretty excited and anxious to get back on the road. There is a lot of history and culture waiting for us.
So finally we get down to the last clue. We didn’t pick our arrival city for a special reason. It was more about economics than a place on someone’s wish list. We knew we wanted to start in Eastern Europe and when this city in Poland popped up on the United Airlines route map, we said “why not?” If we’ve learned anything on this journey, it’s knowing that you can ride your bike just about anywhere and have a good time.
Ok, here we go…
Geography: in southern Poland on the Vistula River
History: was once the capital of Poland and attracted great scientists and artists from around the world; 50 km east of Auschwitz
Population: 800,000

If you know the answer (I’m guessing you do), click here to see more info on where we will start our European adventure.

Here’s to good drink, good food, old buildings, and a lot of cool history,
LK

Colorado Route Info: Crested Butte to Fairplay

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Colorado Route Info: Cedaredge to Crested Butte

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Colorado Route Info: Glenwood to Cedaredge

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Colorado Route Info: Glenwood to Vail

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Europe Tour: Clue #3

Day 308

We have just about a week to go until we leave for Europe. It’s probably time for another clue. I think we should narrow it down to the country.

Geography: largest country in Central (Eastern) Europe, bordered by 7 countries, the Baltic Sea and the Carpathian Mountains
Population\Culture: over 38 million, very few minorities
History: land and population severely affected by WWII, became Eastern Europe’s first free-trade union, assisted the US military in the Middle East by taking control of south central Iraq in September 2003.
Currency: Zloty

Follow this link to the answer (if you want to know):

Tour de France: Stage 17

Day 303


They’ve been calling it the “Queen Stage” of Le Tour. Over a distance of 210 kilometers, it has 15,000 feet of climbing and three historic cols; the Galibier, the Col de la Croix Fer, and the Alpe d’Huez. Each climb is rated HC, beyond category. It is THE day in the Tour de France.





Chris and I have been up since 4:30am watching today’s stage. As the riders approach each climb, the commentators review the grade. We’ve seen numbers like 5.9%, 5.2% and 8.6% and we sit and watch in amazement as these cyclists dance on the pedals like they’re floating.
In a few months we hope to ride some of these same climbs over a few days. We’ve been trying to get our minds around the steepness of the hills. I broke out some maps and we did a little simple math to compare a few Colorado passes to the ones in France. We’re in for it, that’s for sure. Our grind up Cottonwood Pass (2,700+ feet over 14 miles) is about ½ the steepness of what we’ll pedal in the Alps.

Here’s to granny gear,
LK

Colorado Route Info: Meeker to Glenwood Springs

Other Colorado Maps:
Overall Colorado Route
Fort Collins to Steamboat Springs

Europa Tour: Clue #2

Day 298

We’re in the midst of getting ready for Europe. Today we drug out the panniers and did a “practice pack”. Somehow, I didn’t fill all the bags up like I usually do. I must be getting good at this or I forgot a lot of things. We’ll soon find out soon.

I ran across a quote yesterday that I saved as part of our trip preparation. I’d like to share it because I think it fits some of the reflections I have toward our tour so far:
“The more you fail, the more you succeed. It is only when everything is lost
and – instead of giving up – you go on, that you experience the momentary
prospect of some slight progress. Suddenly you have the feeling – be it an
illusion or not – thatsomething new has opened up.” – Alberto Giacometti (1901- 1966)
And now for clue #2

I’ve been told that the first clue we gave about our European tour was pretty lame. I guess I’ll make the second one a little more interesting.

Let’s narrow it down to the region. We’ll be starting “behind the Iron Curtain”, an area where the boundaries were historically defined by the Cold War. The region has changed dramatically since 1989 and always challenges us to keep up with our geography.

If you think you know, follow this link to find out more.



Take care,
LK

All Over the Map

Day 294
Time: An Hour or So
Avg Speed: Single
Terrain: Dry Plains of Denver

About two months ago we published a blog entitled, “Ready or Not China, Here We Come”. Now after protests, an earthquake, major flooding, and the Olympics, we’ve decided that China is ready and we’re not. We can give you the list of reasons, but it basically boils down to one thing; we just didn’t have a good feeling about it.

So, where does that leave us? Well, it gives us more time in Europe. We have new tickets booked and we leave on August 5th. Where are we going? Well, we decided to have a little fun with you all on that one. In the spirit of the Today Show and their “Where in the World is Matt Lauer” segment, we will be keeping our destination a secret until we arrive. We’ll be sure to drop some hints and clues in upcoming blogs.
Here’s the first clue: we plan to ride from east to west.

Happy Monday,
LK

Colorado Tour: The Map

Here's the cartographic version of the Colorado Tour...

The Colorado Tour in Review

Day 291
Location: Littleton Homestead

We’ve returned to our home base in Littleton. We’ve got most of the laundry done and we’re getting ready to detail the bikes. The Colorado Tour was awesome and we’re so thankful to all of our friends and family who helped us along the way. A home-cooked meal, a bed, a shuttle, or a honk and wave can make all the difference.

Here are the numbers for the last seven weeks:

Days on the Bike/Road: 42/49
Total Bicycle Miles: 960 (includes singletrack days)
Total Bicycle Time: 100 hours, 10 minutes
Average Speed: 9.6 mph

Biggest Day: No Name to Paonia Reservoir (over McClure Pass), 6 hours, 59 miles
Highest Elevation: Cottonwood Pass (12,126 ft/Continental Divide)

Counties: 14
Mountain Passes: 7
Continental Divide Crossings: 2

Stay tuned for maps…

LK

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

Roof of the Rockies

Day 287
Lottis Creek Campground to San Isabel National Forest
Time: 3:51:00
Distance:26.8 miles
Avg Speed: 6.9 mph
Terrain: High Mountain Pass
Location: N 38 48 28.3, W 106 23 33.1

Today we climbed the highest pass yet on our trip. In fact, it’s the highest we’ve toured over. It was extra special since we have our latest guest cyclist, Scott, with us. We always enjoy having someone along for the ride.

The day started out with rain and we were a little worried about our chances of getting over Cottonwood Pass. We had a breakfast date with our campsite neighbors around 8:30 and decided to wait and see what the weather had in store. We soon forgot about the rain as hot plates of huevos rancheros came out rv door. We enjoyed more time with our new friends as we filled our bellies with the delicious meal. After the third cup of coffee, the sun started to poke through the clouds and we headed back to our tents to start packing.
By 10:30 we said goodbye to Larry and Darian and started the ride towards Taylor Reservoir. We gave them hugs and felt so thankful for the quality time we had spent with them.
After thirty minutes in the cool, crisp air we had made our way to the dam at Taylor Reservoir. The Sawatch Range and the Colligiate Peaks lay before us. Man, I love Colorado!
After a quick stop to refill our water, we made our way to the bottom of Cottonwood Pass – 14 miles to the top. Scott sprinted ahead and after the first couple of miles we figured he was already having lunch on top. A little bit later we caught up with him as he was having a gel. We all needed that kind of “go juice” today as we climbed to over 12,000 ft. A few more miles through the pine forest brought us to a much needed lunch break. I’m sure all of us were looking at our cycle computers trying to calculate how much time it would take to make the pass. We probably should have been thinking of other things. The mozzies kept lunch to the bare minimum and we started out again at the 4 mph pace. As the calories kicked in, I started to feel really good. The views of the pass opened up and I felt like I was dancing on the pedals. I stopped below the pass to wait for Chris and Scott. The big guy rolled up first and we discussed our options. We’d leave it up to Scott as to whether we’d stop for the day or continue on. When we posed the question he said – “ No way, we’re going to the top!”
The final 30 minutes of the long haul brought us to the roof of the Rockies. I was so excited for Scott and rode behind him to get as many pictures as possible. I wanted to have some good documentation of his first ascent to the Continental Divide.
The clouds held off for some family photos at the pass. We lingered just long enough to soak in the accomplishment and then donned rain gear for the descent. We found a great bush camp about 1,500 ft below the summit and quickly configured the bikes so that we could set up the tarp. Hail started to pelt down and we rushed to huddle under the shelter. The hail lasted for almost an hour and when it was all said and done it looked like Christmas in July. Chris and I had the pleasure of setting our tent up on two inches of frozen rain pebbles.
We are now snuggled down in our bags with thoughts of hot springs and steaks tomorrow…

Here’s to crossing the Divide,
LK

Three for the Road

Day 286
Lake Irwin CG to Lottis Creek CG
Time: 3:23:00
Distance: 37.0 miles
Avg Speed: 10.9 mph
Terrain: Flat/Rolling
Location: N 38 46 28.5, W 106 37 39.8

Guest cyclist #3 has joined us for the last few days of our Colorado tour. He probably picked the hardest part of the trip. Luckily, he probably also picked the most scenic.

We said goodbye to Scott’s fiancé after breakfast. Heather was a bit emotional and it was almost like he was going off to war. Hopefully, riding with us isn’t like doing battle. We had a downhill, but very bumpy ride into Crested Butte. The Kebler Pass road is notorious for washboards and this year is no different. It was such a rough ride for Scott that his little yellow B.O.B flag wiggled out and is lost somewhere on the side of the road.
As we hit town we took a right and headed down Highway 135. It was a beautiful morning and Mt Crested Butte was awash in the early sunlight. The gradient was in our favor as we headed down towards the Jacks Cabin Cutoff, a short cut to the Taylor River Valley. The bonanza of wildflowers kept us occupied as we pedaled the hardest climb of the day.
By taking the Jacks cutoff we found ourselves 8 miles up the Taylor River. We saved ourselves a few miles and more time on a busy highway. I had never been up this valley and really enjoyed riding along the river. The granite rock formations reminded me of being in the Poudre Canyon. It’s amazing how diverse the landscapes can be in such a small area. Just an hour before, we were gawking at the volcanic peaks around Crested Butte.
Around hour three we decided to wrap it up for the day. We wanted to save our legs for the big grind up Cottonwood Pass tomorrow. We cruised into Lottis Creek CG about 1:30. We must have sensed something about the weather because it started to rain about ten minutes after we had camp set up. As we crawled into our tents, the woman from the next camp over offered up the awning on their RV. They were headed out for a few hours and didn’t mind if we hung out on their “porch”. It was a really kind gesture and little did we know that it was just the beginning of the generosity to come.
After a short nap, Chris and I headed over to the RV. Chris cooked up the usual post-ride meal while a light rain sifted down. We roused Scott out of the “biv” and warmed ourselves with soup and hot tea. We lingered on into the afternoon and the hosts returned to find us still occupying their chairs. They were more than happy to share their campsite and we talked for quite awhile. As we thanked them and started to go back to our camp, they insisted that we cook dinner with their equipment and stay for s’mores. It was so easy to be around Larry and Darian, they had wonderful stories and were really interested in our travels.
After we ate our dinner, Larry built a fire and the weather allowed us to enjoy the evening. The stories lasted well past dark and it was hard for Chris to tear himself away. I can’t blame him, our little campsite just didn’t have the same atmosphere. Before we left, Darian invited us for huevos rancheros in the morning. I stuttered a little, but Chris said “we’ll be over between 8:15 and 8:30…”.
As we walked to our tent I was just overwhelmed with the hospitality of our camp neighbors. I think our new friend Larry was right – people are basically good, you just have to give them the opportunity.

Thankful for the charmed life we lead,
LK

Rest in the High Alpine Air

Days 283-285
Lake Irwin CG


Recap:
Day 283 – A day of soaking up the sun and watching the clouds go by. Chris summed up the mood of the day by wishing that we could have gathered all of our friends and family and shared the beauty of our surroundings. We ended the day sharing bicycle touring stories with Dennis and Karen – very wonderful people.


Day 284 – We fulfilled our singletrack goal by riding the Snodgrass loop from camp. We stopped in town to enjoy the 4th of July Parade. Our favorite group was the crew from Gothic. Who else can make clothes out of skunk cabbage leaves?


Day 285 – Shared the day with our good friends, Scott and Heather. We loved having them join us for the holiday weekend. Good food and lots of laughs.

O-High-O

Day 282
Gunnison to Lake Irwin CG (Above Crested Butte)
Time: 4:32:00
Distance: 33.2 miles
Avg Speed: 7.3 mph
Terrain: Rolling with a pass
Location: N 38 52 51.7, W 107 06 28.3

Recap: Today we made our way up to Crested Butte. We decide to go the way of the Ohio Creek Valley and Ohio Pass. The views were absolutely gorgeous. The traffic was light and I’m guessing that most people bypass this route for the direct shot on Hwy 135.
The pass was pretty steep and I felt very humbled as our speed dropped below 3 mph at various points. We were rolling a bit heavy with a few days worth of food.
We made it to camp before the rain and while we set up the tent we chatted with a couple who had passed us on the road. Interestingly, they had racked up over 50,000 miles over several years of bicycle touring!

LK

Chain Break

Day 281
Hartman Rocks
Time: 3:08:00
Distance: 29.97 miles
Avg Speed: 9.5 mph
Terrain: Crushed granite and sagebrush

Recap: We started out to ride Hartman Rocks and Chris’ chain broke with five minutes on the first climb. After a quick trip to town to get a new chain and cassette (at Tune-Up), we enjoyed a multi-hour ride in one of the most unique mountain biking areas in the state.

LK

Gunny

Day 280
Blue Mesa Lake (west end) to Gunnison
Time: 2:52:00
Distance: 31.2 miles
Avg Speed: 11.0 mph
Terrain: Rolling Along a Large Body of Water
Location: 38˚ 31’ 45.67” N, 106˚ 56’ 47.33” W

The ride to Gunnison today gave me cause for celebration. In honor of Colorado Bike Month, I have ridden my bicycle everyday in June. Yehaw – it was definitely a challenge.

We arrived in “Gunny” around noon today and it was h-o-t-t. It was quite a contrast from the average January temperatures of -7. The town is known for very cold winters and it’s never surprising to see -40 on the news. Western State College has nickname of “Wasted State” for a reason.
After setting up camp at the KOA we pedaled into town for some lunch. To our surprise we spotted a few streets with dedicated bike lanes! I guess it just caught us off guard. Cycling is very much part of the culture in this part of Colorado. The town boasts three awesome bike shops – we visited two of them after lunch. Rock and Roll had a decent section dedicated to climbing – I’m guessing it was Chris’ personal favorite.
Gunnison is the county seat for its namesake county and is located 200 miles from Denver. It lies at the confluence of the Gunnison and Tomichi Rivers and sits at an elevation of 7,700 ft. Sagebrush covered hills surround the town and you can’t miss the big white “W” to the southeast. Gunnison is the largest town in a county that is comprised of 78% federal land. Tourism, education, and ranching provide the economic bases for the area. Crested Butte is next in line according to population and provides a whole pile of snow in the winter for skiers and snowboarders. The resort also provides a lot of tax revenue in terms of real estate with a (2005) median home price of $830,000 – wow! As in most resort towns in Colorado, Gunnison is at or above the national average when it comes to cost of living. As we know, it’s usually more about quality of life than dollars and cents.
Tomorrow we’re off to Hartman Rocks and another round of sweet singletrack. We’re looking forward to crossing another great place to ride off the list. Stay tuned for details.
Hope everything is well and good in your part of the world,
LK

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know

Day: 279
Cedaredge to Blue Mesa Reservoir
Time: 3:21
Distance: 33.8 miles
Avg Speed: 10.1 mph
Terrain: Rolling
Location: 38 27' 16.26" N, 107 19' 40.25" W

We left Cedaredge early this morning. Leslie and I had been staying at my grandmother’s for a few days and had a great visit. We had very nice stay with her. She is always such an inspiration to me since she doesn’t get around very well any more. Does she let that stop her? No way, in fact she surprised Leslie and I with rice krispie treats and made us spaghetti and sauce one night. She always would get after me if I would try and help her with something while she was doing it.
I ran to the store before we left to get Leslie and I some groceries. I offered to get grandma some donuts while I was there (she loves donuts) so I grabbed some for Leslie and I as well (I love donuts too). After our donut break and few photos we rolled on down to my brother’s, a whole 5 blocks away. We loaded our bikes into his car and piled the whole family in so he could run us on the gauntlet of a highway to Hotchkiss. He actually dropped us off past Crawford which cut out a lot of boring highway riding. After a quick goodbye we pedaled off towards Blue Mesa Reservoir. I thought the road we were on would be a lot busier since it is the biggest body of water in the state of Colorado, but we had very few cars to interrupt our rubber necking of the nice scenery. After a couple of hours riding we rode past the view point for the Curecanti Needle. It is a large rock pyramid that rises up from the middle of the Black Canyon. One of my favorite pictures is of my Grandpa Jack climbing the needle while he was a student at Western State in Gunnison. After snapping a few photos we headed on to our campsite for the night near the western dam of the reservoir. We were supposed to call Leslie’s cousin to come and meet us when we got here. He and his wife live in Montrose which is nearby, and he has been a real positive force for us while we have been traveling. He regularly emails us, so we were looking forward to seeing him. I had never met him and when a red car pulled up not too long after we arrived, I asked Leslie if that was him. Sure enough he timed it perfect and we had a nice chat with him and his wife. A little bit later their son and his girlfriend showed up and our little campsite became the place to be. After an hour or so of talking I asked if it would be alright if I made some soup for Leslie and me. Why make soup when there is a cooler full of fruit, cookies and hot dogs in the car? I couldn’t argue with that so we set up our picnic table and built a fire to roast some weenies. We had a nice meal and great chat with everyone before they left to get back to the city.
I love the touring in Colorado. It has been more about riding from friend to friend and family to family rather than the actual touring. Don’t get me wrong, we love the touring, but seeing all of our people has been an added bonus that makes us feel at home on the road.
CK

A Bike Ride

Day 278
Cedaredge
Time: 10 minutes
Distance: 5 laps
Avg Speed: Kid speed


There are many ways to go on a bike ride. It can be with skinny tires on the blacktop or knobby tires on the dirt. It can vary in length. Some go quickly after work while others set off for hours. A ride can be solitary or a group affair. It can be a chance to escape or a time to catch up.
My life has been full of bike rides. My first adventures were done by linking driveways in the cul-de-sac where my house sat. My sister and I would ride for hours back and forth, and somehow, we never got bored. As the years have passed my legs have gotten longer, but my love for bicycles has always remained.
Tonight I went for a bike ride with my niece. We decided on five laps in a counter-clockwise direction around the block. We cruised for about ten minutes and enjoyed the quietness of the evening; me in my red shoes and she with her purple tassels. As we parked the bikes and headed inside, I smiled as I remembered those days when I was young. One thing hasn’t changed – it always feels good to go for a bike ride.
LK

Little Ropeguns

Day: 275
Cedaredge to GJ and back
Time: Most of the day

In climbing circles a ropegun is a climber who always gets the hardest pitches and always climbs them in style, without falls, flaws, or faults.

After shaking off the concert from last night Leslie and I rose early to go hang out with our nieces for the day. Leslie went down early while I hung out a little with my grandma for breakfast. I went down a little later and found Leslie and the girls finishing up the breakfast dishes. We hung out a little bit longer and then headed on over to the big city of Grand Junction. Our oldest niece had some birthday money burning a hole in her pocket and had her eye on a new iPod Nano. I guess that is the new walkman, so I can’t argue since I had a walkman her age. After her big purchase we headed over for a little lunch so the girls could get loaded up for our date at the climbing gym. After letting our lunches settle a little bit we made our way over to the climbing gym so the girls could get their climbing on. Leslie and I both became belay slaves as the girls hammered out lap after lap on the climbing walls. The real excitement came when they both ended up in the bouldering cave and strutted their stuff. The younger niece was working on a problem which required her to dyno up to a hold she couldn’t quite reach. A dyno is where a climber throws their body upwards propelling themselves with their arms and legs while balanced on holds. She would just reach her hold which got her to the bottom of the roof. After that it involved her climbing up under the corner of the roof and making a long exposed reach to the finishing hold in the middle. Needless to say Leslie and I were very impressed. The older niece took a little bit to figure out the problem, but after a try or two put the moves together and grabbed the finishing jug only to slip off with a belly flop on to the mat. Her moment of grace was a long sustained overhanging climb on small holds. The first time she attempted it she made it half way up before slipping off and doing a giant pendulum out into space. Her second attempt I told her I wanted her to focus and tag the top. She replied “Oh, I’m tagging the top!” She did, without a slip and without a rest. I think Leslie and I have our little ropeguns.
CK

Are You Derek’s Brother?

Day 274
Paonia Reservoir to Cedaredge
Time: 4:49:00
Distance: 52.9
Avg Speed: 11.0
Terrain: Reservoirs, River Valleys, and Mesas
Location: 38°53'47.5"N, 107°55'34.08"W

It’s the classic question when you get to the land of the Kehmeiers; “are you Derek’s brother?” Yesterday we were on the homestretch coming over Cedar Mesa, we were out of water and not looking forward to the last few miles of pedaling. After climbing the last hill, we rode around the corner and a woman walked out into the road. I was out of earshot, but Chris gave me the recap of the inquiry, “are you Derek’s brother?” Turns out that Heather is a friend of our sister-in-law (Derek’s wife Dasha) and had been looking for us all morning. She was really excited to see us and was kind enough to make us each a very refreshing glass of ice water. If only she knew how much that H20 made our day. Our arrival in Cedaredge at 1pm wasn’t the end of three days of hard riding, it was only the beginning.
And now, here’s the rest of the story…
About ten days ago we found out that Joe Cocker was giving a benefit concert in Hotchkiss on the same day we arrived in Cedaredge. We had to ride through Hotchkiss anyway but couldn’t figure out how to get our destination after dark on the bikes. Oh well, we thought, perhaps the stars would align another time. Fast forward to last weekend and an exciting voicemail from our sister-in-law. Sure enough, Chris’ brother had scored VIP tickets to the concert and wondered if we could join them. They weren’t particularly excited, but I was downloading the greatest hits while Chris worked out the details on the phone. We lead a charmed life, that’s for sure.

After a shower and a short nap we found ourselves again in Hotchkiss. The town was a buzz with all walks of life. From the beautiful people, to those who looked like they had been left out in the sun too long, the crowd filtered down to the Delta County Fairgrounds for a chance to spend the evening with one of rock and roll’s greatest legends. The Subdudes opened the show and get everyone loosened up. As they jammed out their mix of blues, rock and funk, I was captivated by the scene. The grandstands, the blue sky, the mountains, and the hometown crowd – it doesn’t get any more Colorado than this.
As night fell, Joe took the stage and electrified the crowd. He played well into the night and I had to pinch myself a few times to believe I was there. My favorite song was well worth the wait. I have to think it would be a great theme song for the last year of my life and I really believe that “I get by with a little help from my friends…”
You are (all) so beautiful to me,
LK

Chains and Chains, Rivers and Passes

Day: 271 to 273
Vail to Paonia Reservoir
Time: Day 272-4:11 Day 273- 6:00
Distance: Day 272-53.23 miles Day 273-59.25 miles
Avg Speed: Day 272-12.7 mph Day 273-9.9 mph
Terrain: Flat and Rolling

I am going to combo a few days on this blog. Day 271 was Saturday for us and we celebrated by volunteering with some friends to help clean up the top of the Vail Bike Path. It is an annual event that brings out about 20 people to help clear the top five miles of the pass from a winter’s worth of garbage. Our group of four got mile #2 and we set out quickly with our orange bags and vests clearing any and all garbage in sight. This year the organizers decided to recycle all the metal that we gathered off the road. Our friend John helped by driving Vail Pass and picking up the little piles we made for him. The biggest contributor of metal this year was the trucking industry. In our section we hauled out at least 20 sets of tire chains. When all was said and done John had around a ton of metal in his truck ready for the recycle man. I would say that 90% of that was tire chains. After the clean up we gathered back in Vail and rallied for a ride on the North Trail. The trail starts right in town on the north side of the valley and switch backs its way up the hills. We had nice cool weather and dry conditions as we wound our way up. Our friends Sean and Scott joined us for the ride. Once at the top we had the decision to either return the way we came or have a rocky descent into the creek bottom. Sean elected to return the way we came and Scott, Leslie and I did the descent. We all survived the descent just fine but on the climb back out Scott caught his rear derailleur on a rock and snapped it off. After fiddling with it for awhile we decided that he was going to have make his bike into a kick bike and walk it on up hills and coast or kick his way down. We survived with flying colors and Scott now is the proud owner of a multi thousand dollar kick bike.
The next day Leslie and I were leaving the comforts of Vail and heading to Glenwood Springs. I guess I should back up here and say that before we could leave town we were scheduled to be on the local TV channel’s Sunday morning show. We weren’t too sure what to expect so we tried to go in with pretty open minds. The interview only lasted a few minutes and all went well until the host asked us if anything funny happened while we were on the road. I couldn’t help but sharing our Laos brothel experience. She didn’t miss a beat and looked right at Leslie and said “I bet you were popular there”. She then added for all the viewers that if you are in Laos and you try to check in a ‘resort’ be careful because you might get more than you bargained for.
After that we got on the road and had our second guest rider of the trip. Our good friend Jennie rode with us for 10 miles or so before she peeled off and headed back home. I think Leslie and her had a good time chatting it up on the bike path the whole time. The ride was great on the way the Glenwood until we got to the canyon and figured out that the bike path was still closed due to high water. Luckily we were able to ride quite a ways and have our friend Andrew come pick us up at a rest stop. It worked out really well since we were staying at he and his wife’s place that night. When we got home we were immediately fed and watered (I guess beered would be a better word) and put in the shade to rest before dinner. Nothing like bouncing from friends to friends to really make a bike tour comfortable.
After a great nights sleep we got on the road towards Paonia Reservoir. The ride took us on a rail trail, through historic Redstone and Marble and up and over McClure Pass.
I even had a run in with a dog in Carbondale while the day was still young. He decided that my foot looked good to bite, so he did. I came out of the altercation a lot better than he did though. We rolled into Redstone around lunch and stopped at the Redstone General Store for a little food before the pass. We had a nice relaxing break and were pleasantly surprised by the small town hospitality. The cook in the store filled up our bottles and decided that they looked a little dingy so she washed them for us. It was a great note to get back out on the road to. We passed Marble at the foot of the pass and settled in for an hour long slog for the three miles up to the top. At the top the rain started so we donned our rain gear for the descent to the reservoir. We had heard that there was a private campground near that dam so we decided that we would stay there. Imagine our surprise when we learned that it had been sold and was now closed to the public! We really didn’t want to ride back the four miles uphill to the campground we passed earlier so we ducked into a picnic area to mull it over. The picnic area happened to be the home of the campground hosts so after researching our options with him, he said that if we wanted to wait an hour he would drive us back up there. He had to go check the campgrounds and would be happy to give us a ride. He and his wife even filled up all of our water containers so we wouldn’t have to filter.
Hospitality is alive and well in Colorado!!
CK

Vail Daily Article

Thanks to Ian Cropp and Dominique Taylor for words and photos in the Vail Daily article published today. We really appreciate their time and effort.
Here's the link to the article:
http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20080619/SPORTS/793509677&parentprofile=search
Be sure to watch the video as well (click link under the photo in the article) - Chris gives the low-down on our summer touring set-up.

Have fun,
LK

(photo courtesy of Dominique Taylor at the Vail Daily)

The Evening Ride

Day 269
Son of Middle Creek
Time: 1:54:00
Distance: 13.10
Avg Speed: 6.8 mph
Terrain: Vail Singletrack
Location: 39˚ 38’ 50.8” N, 106˚ 23’ 44.3” W

We’ve been in Vail for the last couple of days. As usual, we are bunking with friends and enjoying some time catching up on all of the latest in our lives.
We arrived from Eagle on Wednesday after a pleasant ride along the Eagle River. It was fairly uneventful until Edwards when we were waved off the road by a man wielding a camera. No big deal, we just figured it was someone interested in what we were up to. Sure enough, it turned out to be a very well-traveled bicycle touring couple, who maintains the Full Loaded Touring Galley website. They had just moved to Eagle County from Utah and were on their way to Vail to see the sights. We’ll definitely have to look them up the next time we roll through this area. I’m sure their stories from the road can run circles around ours.
Tonight we enjoyed the classic evening ride on the Son of Middle Creek trail. It was the perfect time of day to go; nice temperature and beautiful light. The sun rays were filtering through the trees and highlighting the distant mountain peaks. I had forgotten about the great views of Mt of the Holy Cross and the Gore Range. The route is a favorite of ours and is becoming an annual tradition. Last summer when we stayed in Vail, a group of us went out as part of our farewell weekend. I hope the tradition continues.
Enjoy the alpenglow,
LK

Singletrack Bums

Day 266
The Boneyard Trail to the Pool/Ice Rink Trail
Time: 1:17:00
Distance: 10.5
Avg Speed: 8.2
Terrain: Singletrack
Location: East Eagle Trails

We arrived in Eagle last Thursday and we’ve been riding singletrack ever since. The weather is beautiful, the wildflowers are in bloom, and life is good. (And yes, we know how lucky we are…)

When it comes to singletrack, Vail probably gets the most recognition compared to other towns. It’s a world-class destination and it does have a stellar collection of trails. However, I’d have to say that Eagle has the best riding in the County. Given the length of season, the amount of trails, and the variety of routes, “down valley” is tops in my book.
Overall, Eagle County has endless opportunities on a bicycle. From Vail Pass on the east to World’s Greatest on the west, we’ve ridden just about everywhere on pavement and dirt. We’ve also reinvented ourselves many times over with regards to our bicycling personalities. Whether it was riding, racing, commuting or touring, we always found a way to be on a bike. In fact, our first bicycle tour together was a three day push from Gypsum to Leadville and back by way of Crooked Creek, Hagerman, and Tennessee Passes.
After today’s ride we cruised by the shop looking to get our bikes washed. We ran into an old friend, Larry G. He’s one of our favorite “bike people” and is always doing something on two wheels. Larry invited us to his house where he has a nice wash station set up. While we washed the grime away, he got us up to date on all his latest escapades. In addition to his day job, Larry is training and racing; he’s promoting cyclocross events and working (sort of) as rep for a new company called Squirt Lube. Squirt Lube is a new dry lube for bicycles that is wax and water based. It does not have any solvents so it’s pretty environmentally friendly. We like that. Anyway, we had a great time catching up with Larry G and we look forward to testing a new product.
Happy Monday,
LK

Eleven

Day 262
No Name to Eagle
Time: 30 minutes by car, 50 minutes by bike, 1:15 on singletrack
Distance: 24 – 8 – 8
Avg Speed: 50 – 9.8 – 6.4
Terrain: Interstate – New Bike Path - Singletrack
Location: 39˚ 39’ 39.52” N, 106˚ 49’ 3.0” W

Eleven months ago today we were saying farewell to co-workers and packing up the last of our personal items. Eleven months ago today we said goodbye to the structure of an 8-5 job. Eleven months ago today we took the first step in the “journey of a thousand miles”.

Today we caught up with eleven months ago and pedaled our way from Gypsum to Eagle. I definitely felt like we were coming full circle. We’ve made a few trips to Eagle County since we’ve been home, but today was obviously different. I didn’t feel overwhelmed with emotion, I just felt good. I knew the territory and I was looking forward to the familiar faces. Life was good here and this part of central Colorado will always have a special place in my heart.
The ride through Glenwood Canyon was made with a vehicle instead of a bicycle. It was an unplanned shuttle, but necessary since the recreation path is closed due to high water. No matter how many times I’ve traveled through the canyon, I’m always in awe of its dramatic natural beauty. The sedimentary rock walls carved by the Colorado River tell the story of millions of years of uplift and erosion. This unique landscape on the south side of the White River Plateau is one of many special places in Colorado.
The super special part of the route today was my maiden voyage along the new bike trail from Cooley Mesa Rd to Eagle. I had commuted many miles on US Highway 6 for six years from Gypsum to Eagle. Thanks to the ECO Trails committee there is now a safe route between the two communities. I think this group deserves a lot of credit for what they do.
Once in Eagle, we again we found ourselves taken in by friends. We can’t thank all of these good people enough for giving us room and board. We are very humbled by their generosity and compassion.
Now the real riding begins – ha ha. Many miles of singletrack adventures await. It is now day 12 of my attempt to ride every day in June. I’m a little tired but I think it will be easy to stay motivated by all of the great trails in our old neighborhood.
Welcome home, LK

The Scout Trail

Day 261
Boy Scout Trail
Time: 3:15:00
Distance: 23.2 miles
Avg Speed: 7.3 mph
Terrain: Classic Colorado Mountain Bike Ride
Location: 107° 17' 56.353" W, 39° 32' 36.116" N

Our quest to ride singletrack on our days off continued today with the Boy Scout Trail, a classic Colorado ride. Starting on the newly completed Rio Grande Trail, which continues through Carbondale to Aspen, we rode south along Highway 82 to access Red Canyon Rd. A couple hours of stiff climbing lay ahead of us and we settled in for the long haul. Luckily, the spectacular views of Mt Sopris distracted us while we made our way to the radio towers above Glenwood. After two hours of climbing we were rewarded with a fun and challenging singletrack descent into the city. The trail is perched on the side of Lookout Mountains and, at times, I felt as if I might fly off the trail into the canyon below. It was just as spicy as I remember.
LK

I-70 Time Trial

Day 260
Rifle Gap State Park to No Name
Time: 4:04:00
Distance: 38.3 miles
Avg Speed: 9.4
Terrain: Rolling
Location: 39˚ 33’ 34.8” N, 107˚ 17’ 42.6” W

There was just no way around it; we had to go through it. Between exits 109 and 114 on eastbound Interstate 70 we had the BOB Trailer ride of our lives. Chris called it the “I-70 Time Trial”. Nothing like pedaling all out while pulling 40lbs. of gear. “It’s all training”, as we like to say…
Day 260 started out with a pleasant ride up the Rifle Falls. We had never been there and it’s been highly recommended to us. We weren’t disappointed at all. Three huge waterfalls raged and tumbled over limestone cliffs about 60 feet tall. A fine mist from the water sparkled in the morning light. It was awesome and well worth the detour.
After the quick sightseeing trip, we retraced our route down from the falls and pedaled our way southeast toward New Castle. The hay meadows and side roll irrigation gave way to new developments and a golf course. The transition from urban to rural is ever present these days on the western slope.
After a couple of $5 footlong sandwiches at Subway (now you have that song in your head), we did the I-70 time trial and arrived in Glenwood Springs. We’ve been there a thousand times, but it was a first on a bicycle tour. It’s amazing how excited I’ve been to travel through places on my bike that I’ve been before. Simple things can make a huge difference I guess.
Glenwood Springs is probably one of the most recognized mountain towns in Colorado. It has a beautiful setting at the confluence of the Colorado and Roaring Fork Rivers. The area was first inhabited by the Ute Indians and then settled in the late 1800s. Glenwood was developed into a world class resort that catered to the wealthy. The famous Hot Springs Pool was opened in 1888 and the storied Hotel Colorado was opened in 1893, design after the Villa de Medici in Italy. Over the years we grew to love a day trip to Glenwood from Gypsum. We usually found something in the way of good food, interesting history, fascinating geology or just a relaxing atmosphere.
On our way through town, we stopped for some groceries and then finished the ride to No Name. We’ll be staying in Glenwood Canyon with some good friends for a couple of days. We’re looking forward to catching up with each other’s trips, eating, and laughing a lot.
LK

Day 259: Meeker to Rifle Gap Reservoir

Time: 4:46
Distance: 43.04 miles
Avg Speed: 9 mph
Terrain: Rolling
Location: 39˚ 38’ 00.2” N, 107˚ 44’ 45.9” W


We left the comfort of my mom’s place this morning. There was light frost when we got up, but due to us dragging our feet and having that second cup of coffee the frost melted and the sun came out. We only had to dodge oil rigs for a few miles before we turned off of the highway and onto county road 13. We were grateful for a parallel route that kept us away from more oil traffic. The road went from two lane country road to one lane dirt and took us up over a small pass at 8150’. That elevation looks familiar. We crested our last hill and decided that we would just head to Rifle Gap State Park for a campsite rather than bush camp. Leslie wanted a picnic table and I guess I couldn’t argue. We rolled into the camp area and much to my surprise the gal that took our camping info knew our last name. She remarked that her principal in high school had that name. Small world, it turned out to be my uncle. After getting settled in among the fifth wheels and RV’s we made up some soup and took a little nap. While we were eating dinner we had a nice conversation with a fellow camper from Grand Junction. He had just gotten back from a volunteer stint in Louisiana helping with the hurricane repair. He had spent his time working with a local tribe south of New Orleans. The Homa Indians lived way south on the bayou and weren’t even acknowledged by the US government until the mid 1960’s. Evidently they were brushed aside by both the French and the Americans during the Louisiana Purchase. Our camper friend also remarked that he had never eaten so good while doing volunteer work. His menu sounded a lot like the seen in Forrest Gump where Gump’s friend, Bubba, lists all the dishes you can make with shrimp. It sure did sound good while we ate our chicken and rice chili (secret recipe!!).
We are both a little cooked from the day’s effort. I think it is from not really riding for a couple of days. Hopefully tomorrow is a little easier on us.
CK

The World According to Bicycles

Day 258
Meeker

I ran across some really interesting information on Patagonia's blog a few weeks ago. They always follow National Bike to Work Week very closely and published some really cool statistics related to world bicycle production. In an attempt to exercise my brain, I compiled the statistics and information together in a map. It was pretty exciting to see the data behind the hype - there is a whole lotta potential with that two-wheeling machine...
Have fun,
LK

32x16

It's not a picture size - it's the most common gear ratio for a singlespeed bicycle.

We made a run to the dump today. On the way down the road we picked up the paper and I immediately noticed a sports article about singlespeeds. Even the Grand Junction paper is hip with the times. If you haven't noticed (or maybe you have), singlespeeds are all the rage right now. Cruisers, fixed-gears and mountains bikes; one speed is all you need.
It's not like they haven't been around - singlespeeds were the original bicycle. Even the Tour de France cyclists raced with one gear in the early days of the historic stage race. In addition, I just read an article about a Colorado woman named Dora Reinhardt who rode 20 centuries in 20 days back in 1896. She did it wearing a dress AND pedaling only one speed.
Today singlespeeds have an entire culture surrounding them. Hey - if one speed makes you feel cool, go for it. The more bicycles in the mix, the better.
Keeping it real,
LK

Route Info: Fort Collins to Steamboat Springs

Colorado Bike Month

Day 253
Steamboat Springs to Ten Miles East of Craig
Time: 2:47:00
Distance: 34.0 miles
Avg Speed: 12.4 mph
Terrain: Rolling
Location: 40 1 39.2 N, 108 1 13.4 W

As the pink neon sign of the Rabbit Ears Motel gave way to morning, we packed up our bright yellow bags and hit the road. Steamboat was good to us and we’re looking forward to exploring the area more in the future.
Once again we headed west on US Highway 40. The traffic was definitely heavier but a nice wide shoulder provided some good spacing from the dump trucks and long haulers. In this region of Colorado where energy development is at an all time high, it’s no surprise to see these large vehicles. What was unexpected was the variety of signs representing bicycles on the road.
Halfway into the ride we stopped in a cute little town named Hayden. As we took a break in a little town park I noticed the Colorado Bike Month poster on the community billboard. I almost forgot about June being all about bicycles and commuting. A few summers ago a friend of mine wanted to try to ride every day in June. I thought it was a great idea but a reality of work, family and life made the goal difficult. Given our current situation and lack of employment, I’ve decided to give it a try. I will try and ride my bike every day in June. For more info, see this link: http://www.dot.state.co.us/BikePed/COBikeMo.htm
Tonight we’re enjoying our first night in an extended stay with Chris’ mom and husband. We’re looking forward to a few days of relaxing at the ranch.
Happy Tuesday, LK

"I only ski blacks on my birthday"

Day: 252
Steamboat Quasi Rest Day
Time: 1:54
Distance: 17.38 miles
Avg Speed: 9.1 mph
Terrain: Hills and Singletrack

We had a quintessential day of living on the road today. We had wanted to meet with our tent manufacturer, meet with our energy food sponsor and ride some singletrack today. We did so much more.
We started the day off with a little ride up to the Hot Springs Trail north of town. The ride wound us through spectacular country with views of the ski mountain. The actual trail starts out near Strawberry Park Hot Springs. We had thoughts of grandeur and were going to try to time a soak in the middle of the ride. We finally thought better of it and decided to do a soak later in town at the town hot springs. The ride was a great little section of singletrack that kept us near Mad Creek the whole way and eventually spit us out on highway 129. We rolled back into town in time to meet Chris at Big Agnes to thank him for taking care of us on our tent rain fly. He was very down to earth and quite cordial to us even though he was very busy. If you ever have a chance to buy a Big Agnes product, do it. It is a great grass roots company based in Colorado that takes care of the customer. We also ran into Nate, who is the sponsorship director for Honey Stinger Energy Foods. It worked out nice that both these guys work in the same building for the same parent company. Nate hand delivered our latest food order and shot the breeze with us for a little bit as well. It was great to finally put some faces with some names.
We got over to the hot springs in town around 2:00 for a little soak. We ended up in the mineral pool where we got into a conversation with a very interesting guy named Win. He found out we were touring through Colorado for a couple of weeks and added that for his 70th birthday he rode across the U.S. on the southern route (California to Georgia). After about an hour in the pool he invited us to dinner with him and his wife for some Mexican food at the Rio. We met Win and his wife Elaine at 6:00 and headed off to a great dinner at the Rio and they followed it up with a nice little tour of Steamboat Springs. Eventually the conversation steered towards Elaine’s 70th birthday. She had a great day skiing with her five grandkids and her daughter. Evidently her daughter had trouble keeping up with her, because “I only ski blacks on my birthday”. The beauty of it is they only learned to ski at 62. I guess there is hope for Leslie and I.
Backcountry Wilderness Rangers, Skiers, Hikers, Cyclists and married for 51 years. Talk about an inspiration.
How Cool Is That!!!
CK

The ‘Boat

Day 251
Rabbit Ears Pass to Steamboat Springs
Time: 2:25:00
Distance: 25.2 mi
Avg Speed: 10.0 mph
Terrain: Another Mountain Pass
Location: N 40 28 53.3, W 106 49 42.4

We accomplished the first goal of our Colorado Tour – we made it to Steamboat Springs. We got on the road at our usual time – 8:30. I was expecting a long arduous climb to the top of Rabbit Ears Pass. To my surprise, we reached the East summit in twenty two minutes. Another beautiful bluebird day made the pedaling pretty easy.
The landscape was vibrant green as we descended into the Yampa Valley on Hwy 40. With higher temperatures the snow is melting fast. The rivers are up and all of the water is doing its thing. It’s a little too much at times as the area is part of a two county flood warning. It might be interesting for us as well travel west to Craig on Tuesday.
The ‘Boat was settled in the late 1800s and has a rich history in ranching. The streets of downtown were even built to accommodate longhorn cattle drives from Texas. In the early 1900s skiing came to town by way of a man nicknamed the “Flying Norseman”. The ski area that bears Carl Howelsen’s name is the longest continually operating ski area in the United States. Today Steamboat is a major Colorado resort town that still maintains a strong western heritage.
After four days on the road we were really excited to ride our bicycles into town. In the past we’ve usually arrived via automobile from Eagle. Back in the day (1890-1908) the only way to get to Steamboat was by stagecoach. After taking the train to Wolcott, one could pay $6.50 for the two day trip over Red Dirt and Yellow Jacket Passes. As I read about this journey at the visitor’s center I was amused by the list of “stagecoach etiquette”. It goes something like this:

-Don’t smoke a strong pipe inside, especially early in the morning.
-Spit on the leeward side of the coach.
-If you have anything to take in a bottle, pass it around; a man who drinks by
himself in such a case is lost to all human feeling.
-Don’t swear, nor lop over on your neighbor when sleeping.
-Don’t grease your hair before starting, or dust will stick there in sufficient
quantities to make a respectable ‘tater’ patch.
-Don’t ask how far it is to the next station until you get there.

Perhaps Chris and I can incorporate some of these rules into our own touring etiquette…

Happy June,
LK

Guest Cyclist

Day: 250 (WOW!!)
Gould to Rabbit Ears Pass
Time: 5:10
Distance: 48.3 miles
Avg Speed: 9.4 mph
Terrain: rolling

We had our first guest cyclist of the trip today. Anne came up from Ft. Collins this morning armed with her mountain bike and a bag of food. We had requested more food from her, and she exceeded our expectations (chocolate chip cookies). She left her car in Gould at the good old KOA and we took off on some back dirt roads heading for Rabbit Ears pass. We made good time across the vast openness of North Park and even had time to take some pictures and grab some lunch. Our guest’s departure came only 3 hours into the ride, so Anne missed out on the 15 miles of headwinds to our camp for the night.
The ride through North Park took us from Gould to Rand and over Muddy Pass. The whole time we were either looking ahead at the spectacular Mt Zirkel Wilderness or behind us at the rugged and amazing Rawahs. Most of the ride kept us in cattle country with only the occasional glimpse of antelope. We did have a little concern at one point riding through an open range section with about 10 bulls grazing in a pasture off the road. I think I would have been the sacrificial lamb since both Leslie and Anne would have dropped me. We ate lunch sheltered from the wind near a dump truck parked on the side of the road. Cheddar and jalapeno bagels taste great with peanut butter on them. After lunch our guest cyclist took leave and left Leslie and I the 15 miles to Muddy Pass. At 8300’, Muddy Pass marks our first crossing of the continental divide on this trip. It is also pass #2 for us. We will make #3 tomorrow. We will be enjoying some food that arrived via special delivery for us and having a good sleep parked on the side of the road tonight. Tomorrow…Rabbit Ears!!
CK

Two Dollar Wal-Mart Cokes

Day 249
Poudre Canyon to Gould
Time: 4:02:00
Distance: 34.3 mi
Avg Speed: 8.6
Terrain: High Mountain Pass
Location: N 40˚ 33’ 17.2”, W 106˚ 02’ 11.1”

I believe in karma. In most instances I never had to wait long for bad karma to bite me in the behind. Today something caught up with me that’s been years in the making.

Cameron Pass was our objective today. At 10,276 ft it was no small undertaking and is the highest pass we’ve ridden over yet. The pace was slow – a trailer loaded with 45lbs of gear will do that to you. The weather was very spring like, a mix of sun, clouds, wind and gropple. You can be sure we stopped a few times to take off or put on extra layers as we reached the summit. Earlier, Chris had mentioned a new visitor’s center that one of our friends had told him about. My thoughts immediately turned to hot soup or a nice latte. I pictured tourists parked on the pass, snapping photos of each other while sipping coffee in to-go mugs and enjoying the spectacular views. Apparently, it’s been awhile since I’ve been over Cameron. There is one small sign, no view and a pit toilet - so much for my idyllic setting. We snapped our self-portrait, choked down an energy gel, put on several layers and began the decent.
Luckily, the views opened up and we were treated to a spectacular panorama of Mt Richthofen 12,940 ft, and Thunder Mountain, 12,070. Part of Rocky Mountain National Park, both mountains are in the far northwest corner and can be access by foot from Hwy 14.
We continued our quick downhill path towards Gould and finally spotted the Moose Visitor’s Center. It wasn’t exactly at the top of the pass, or anywhere near it, but a welcome sight nonetheless. Chris fixed up some peanut butter bagels and we enjoyed a life-size moose sculpture made out of barbed wire. After a short discussion, we decided to call it a day and check out the local KOA Kampground.
As we rolled on down the highway we spotted a convenience store/restaurant. I told Chris that a couple of cokes would be nice. He went in and came out five mintues later with sodas in hand. I noticed right away that they didn’t look like Coca-Cola or Pepsi. After further inspection, I saw that they were “Sams Cola”. I wrinkled my brow at Chris and he said “Ya, and they were two bucks each!”
Here’s to my continued boycott of Wal-Mart,
LK

Day 248: Ft. Collins to West of Rustic

Time: 5:38
Distance: 50 miles
Avg Speed: 9.09 mph
Terrain: Uphill/Rolling

We started our bike tour for real today. The ride from Boulder last week was just a ride. We saw our friends off to work this morning, patted the dog goodbye and rolled on out of the garage a little past 8:00. The ride through Ft. Collins was a little hectic this morning with rush hour drivers not really paying too much attention. We also managed to time our ride with a trash truck that we leap frogged a couple times. We finally made it through Laporte and to Ted’s Place before turning off the road and heading up the mighty Poudre River. In the canyon we raced with every rafting company in Northern Colorado. The river is up right now (it was measuring at 3.5’ on an incremented rock) and there were a lot of rafters taking advantage of the high water and warm temperatures.
Our goal was to make it up the river canyon about 20 miles on the east side of Cameron Pass. We found a nice little free camping spot across the highway from the river and set about making ourselves at home. The tent didn’t get any bigger since we slept in it last. We figured the last time we camped in it was in Torquay in Victoria, Australia. Quite a contrast from that campsite and this one. There we had to worry about drunk surfers, here we have to worry about bears getting into our food. I guess it always something. Tomorrow we are heading up and up on our way to Cameron Pass. The scenery is beautiful and the traffic is light. I knew there was a reason I liked Colorado!
CK