On Sunday, we rode to Frisco, Colorado, where we camped
by Lake Dillon. We had a delightful
dinner with Sue’s cousin Ken and his wife Kate who live in Grand Junction, CO. Ken was one of the pioneers on the
TransAmerica route, doing it in the inaugural
year of 1976. We shared memories of some
of the major climbs like White Bird. The
next day, we did the climb up past Breckenridge (which is a major ski
destination) and over the pass, which was a bit over 11,500 feet and the
highest point on the TransAm route. A
long slow climb especially for me to the top, but then it was down and down and
down. It was an exhilarating descent. I
felt like we could just go on and on forever. We were invincible. We covered a hundred miles and
felt great, finishing the day in a nice RV park that Sue found which had a pool
and laundry and showers and ice cream sandwiches. The next day we headed further down and down
and down, to Pueblo. Another great descent.
We were anxious to get as far
through Pueblo as possible due to the upcoming 4th of July. So we did about 95 miles that day. The next day was mostly flat across the last
stretch of Colorado, and we did about 90 to Sheridan Lake, where we were welcomed
by the church in Sheridan with a great example of unconditional hospitality. Also, lucky for us, being the 4th
of July, they were having a town parade and a pot luck supper. Jack did a dish for us to share, and we
partook of the feast with about 60 townspeople.
It was great to talk to them and
hear about their farms, and how the drought has affected their
lives. Someone said they haven’t
had a really good rain since 1999. But they continue to farm and each year is a
new cycle of hope for enough rain to grow their crops. From there, we did a fairly short day to a
city park, which we got to in the early afternoon, but the way the winds move
in during the afternoon makes it difficult to cycle far into the day. The next day, we did about 75 miles to a rest
area near a small town, and got there about 12:30. After so many days of good distances and
favorable conditions, I felt really enthusiastic and suggested that we should
not stop for the day, but target a town about 42 miles further. Only 12:30, right? Plenty of daylight. Go 10 mph for 4 hours and we would be there
by 5 pm, no problem. Just one problem –
about 18 miles was going directly south.
Into the wind. And the wind picks
up in the afternoon. We did about 10
miles east which went fine, and then…turned south. Jack and Jeff were several miles ahead of
me. The wind was blowing at about 30
mph, with gusts that surely were 40 or 50.
It was brutal. I was slowed to 6
mph, sometimes 5, pedaling as hard as I could.
The temp was about 100 degrees, although the humidity is low. Fortunately, Jack had to presence of mind to
call our Lifeline. Sue brought us water along
the way. Otherwise I don’t know what we
would have done. Finally, I got to the end
of the south run and turned east, and the wind became a crosswind, which was
still tough but a bit more manageable.
I had to stop every mile of so to rest and regroup. I finally made it to
the city park where we were going to camp about 6:30 pm, completely exhausted. So, my advice to all is, never get involved in a
land war in Asia, and never underestimate the power of the winds in Kansas.
Jerry
No comments:
Post a Comment