GDMBR Day 39
Start: Informal roadside campsite in the shadow of the Wind River Mountain Range
Finish: Pinedale, Wyoming
Miles: 45.2 miles
Odometer: 1,575.3 miles
Ascent: 1,000 feet
Descent: 1,800 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today was another easy ride with beautiful views of the Wind River mountain range and a fox sighting. I crossed paths with Jesse, a bikepacker living in Jackson, WY who just left Jackson southbound on the GDMBR heading to Mexico. We instantly bonded because we have the same Salsa Fargo titanium bike frame. So we compared bikes, components, and gear. He is traveling very light attempting to ride 80 to 100 miles daily to get to Mexico in 3 weeks. He has aerobars mounted on his handlebars and gave me the idea that I should probably be using them as well. I have been having some numbness, tingling, and weakness in my hands and fingers since starting this adventure. The hand and wrist positions as well as the vibration from the riding causes some mild ulnar nerve neuropathy and maybe even carpal tunnel syndrome. He suggested I go to Fitzgerald’s Bicycles in Jackson and see if they could hook me up with the same aerobar set up.
A couple of days ago my bed-and-breakfast host, Wild Bill, asked me to look out for an “older” CDT hiker with the trail name of “Day”. I found her snacking at a gas station convenience store and introduced myself. We arranged to have dinner together in Pinedale, 13 miles down the road. She is 60 years old from Colorado and hiked the Appalachian Trail over 30 years ago. This is her first serious long-distance backpacking trip since then. She started down at the Mexican border and “flipped” up to Wyoming like many others. She has had some harsh conditions and very difficult miles on the trail and last night camped in very windy, fully exposed, tick-infested cow pasture. While neither of us has the advantages of a 20 year-old body, Day and I share a very determined attitude and positive outlook. And that makes all the difference on a challenging adventure. We dined together at the local smokehouse restaurant, drank a couple pints, talked gear, and swapped stories.
Back at the hotel I pulled all the bags off of my bike and brought the bike over to the carwash and gave her a thorough cleaning. I’m pretty sure some of the dirt that came off was from New Mexico.
In my hotel room I pulled every piece of clothing and gear out of every bag and laid it out on the floor. I started separating all redundant gear (Aquamira backup to my water filter) and everything that I have not used and is not absolutely essential (flip flops, extra water bottle, beloved tarp, extra clothing). I threw it all in a plastic garbage bag, went to the post office, and shipped it home. I even shipped my MSR Reactor stove and will be using my new stainless steel Vargo Bot pot for cooking and cold soaking. This necessitated going to the outdoor gear shop and buying a small, lightweight MSR PocketRocket stove that nests inside the Vargo. After the changes, my bike + gear = much lighter load. I’m excited about the changes.
GDMBR Day 38
Start: Atlantic City, Wyoming
Finish: Informal campsite
Miles: 41.8 miles
Odometer: 1,530.1 miles
Ascent: 3,200 feet
Descent: 2,900 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Last night I stayed at Wild Bill’s Bed and Breakfast (and gun shop). The proprietors, Wild Bill and Carmela, built three cabins that they devote to hikers and bikers. Bill is a gunsmith and runs a gun shop as well. He and I sat down and visited over an amazing breakfast prepared by Wild Bill himself.
Today was an awesome day of riding with snowcapped Wind River Range mountain views and practically no wind. I listened to the audiobook “Bel Canto” by Ann Patchett and just pedaled my legs while gawking at the mountains and breathing in the cool crisp day.
Lowlights:
I found a grassy area off the route that had beautiful views of the mountains. So I set up my tent. The first tick I noticed was crawling on my helmet. Thereafter, I began looking for them and found ticks everywhere. I hate ticks worse than I hate New Mexico peanut butter mud. At least peanut butter mode won’t kill you. After checking myself for ticks, I dove into my tent, zipped it up, and spent 12 hours peeking out the mesh door at the mountains while listening to my audiobook (and steering clear of all the ticks). In my opinion, Lyme disease is much more prevalent than reported and causes many non-specific medical conditions. I would later feel a bump (like an insect bite) on the back of my scalp and took prophylactic doxycycline as a precaution. I brought some doxycycline on the trip in case I ran into ticks. I may be overly cautious but I’m OK with that.
GDMBR Day 37
Start: Abandoned meth ranch, Nowhere, WY
Finish: Wild Bill’s B&B, Atlantic City, WY
Miles: 46.2 miles
Odometer: 1,488.3 miles
Ascent: 2,900 feet
Descent: 2,100 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Lowlights:
Today’s headwinds were fierce but inspiring. They inspired me to come up with a list of things I hate (from most hated to less hated):
New Mexico “peanut butter” mud
Colorado “peanut butter” mud
Wyoming headwinds
A rectal exam
Steep climb up a washboard gravel road
A dental cleaning
Last night the high winds rattled my tent all night long. The weather forecast foretold of 18 knot winds today so I packed up from meth camp at 4:30 AM to ride in the morning “calm”. Yeah, that didn’t happen. I rode 46 miles staring at the ground (the only way to ride in the wind) and trying to stay upright. Did I mention it was in the mid-40s all day and I wore all my layers, including my rain jacket. It was brutal.
Highlights:
After limping into Atlantic City, WY on fumes, I stopped at the local saloon, drank two hot coffees, and ate a double bacon cheeseburger with fries. Later, I returned for a steak and potato and beer. Every day since leaving Mexico I pass hundreds and hundreds of cattle grazing in fields, and weave around leftover patties on the dirt road. So today I honored these grass fed beeves with my palate.
These past two days I’ve seen an explosion in the number of pronghorn, usually grouped in 1-4 in number. When facing fierce winds or climbs, listening to an audiobook or podcast just doesn’t cut it; I need music. Well, those pronghorn have bionic hearing. They will turn and look for me from a long, long way off, but they only seem to see me as I approach…and then they’re off to the races. I feel a little guilty for spooking them because they won’t stop running until they’re in the next county.
I’ve seen quite a few wild horses usually in groups of 4-7 horses. They don’t often run at the sight of me, but when they do they could easily run down those pronghorn.
Momma cows and calves are often spooked at the sight of my approach; the bulls – never. They just hang there like their big ball sacks. I know that seems gross, but I can’t help but peep their ball sacks. Impressive. And you too can lose your mind, just take a long, solo bicycling trip.
GDMBR Day 36
Start: Rawlins, WY
Finish: Abandoned ranch somewhere
Miles: 90.2 miles
Odometer: 1,442 miles
Ascent: 3,100 feet
Descent: 2,900 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
I rode 90 miles today through Wyoming’s Red Desert (Continental Divide Basin)! Not by choice. The wind was fierce. There was no place to stop without being exposed to high winds. It was either sit in the wind (which is pure misery) or try to make miles by riding through the wind (only slightly less miserable). Around 6 PM I came across an abandoned travel trailer with a missing wheel and the axle sitting on an old stump. I considered spending the night in it, but I was afraid that it would come crashing down. Five or 10 miles down the road I discovered what appeared to be an abandoned old ranch. It was a number of dilapidated wood buildings with tin roofs interspersed with a few abandoned travel trailers. I set up my tent between two of the old buildings to get some reprieve from the high winds. I looked inside one of the buildings and saw barrels of what looked like industrial chemicals (but it could have been anything). The winds were rattling the roofs and making all kinds of noise. Just as I was finishing setting up my tent when the skies opened and spewed down rain. I cooked my dinner and ate inside my tent. Throughout the night the wind whipped and tugged at my tent while the metal roofs banged their chorus. I thought the wind was gonna blow us away. I did not get much sleep. And then my imagination ran away and I thought, what if I’ve stumbled across a methamphetamine lab. So then I started calling the place “meth camp”. I imagined being shot dead in the middle of the night right in my tent. That did not help bring on sleep. On the positive side, meth camp had an excellent, clean outhouse.
Today, I ran across a CDT thruhiker that I breakfasted with down near Pie Town, NM on May 12. Remember the three Canadian military veterans from Nova Scotia? All three “flipped” up to Wyoming to hike the desert since the snow in northern New Mexico and Colorado has rendered their trail impassable for most. I am riding down this old dirt road through the desert and here is one of the these guys. We both laughed and caught up a little. He told me that his two buddies are a day or so behind him.
I am used to carrying more water than I need, except today. I left Rawlins with about 2 ½ L of water and would discover that was not nearly enough. The Red Desert was completely dry. I ran out of water at about mile 60 and began thinking that I had another hundred miles before I got out of the desert. I road a mile off the route looking for the CDT trail in hopes that there might be a water cashe nearby. I came over a little rise and down below was a large reservoir. I didn’t see that on the map. The sight of water made me very happy.
I have a pretty eclectic taste in music. Many years ago when the iPod was in its infancy, I was given a hard drive with some 30,000 songs on it. They were MP3 tracks. Over several years I went through that long list of music and rated each song in iTunes from one to five stars. And then I deleted all the one and two star tracks. The four and five-star tracks are downloaded and available off-line on my iPhone. So I have a lot of music from all different genres ranging from country music to showtunes to rap to R&B to alternative to jazz to blues and everything in between. It’s just so happens the Tom Jones song entitled “It’s Not Unusual (To Be Loved By Anyone)” started playing while I’m climbing a hill. What can I say I like Tom Jones. So I’m climbing over this hill and I have a strong headwind. This combination (hill and headwind) always puts me in a good mood. Just as I get to the top of the hill I see a bull mounted on one of the cows. The scene with the sexy background music made my day. Or at least help me get through another few minutes of hard riding.
GDMBR Day 35
Start: Ladder Ranch
Finish: Backyard Inn, Rawlins, WY
Miles: 73.1 miles
Odometer: 1351.9 miles
Ascent: 5,800 feet
Descent: 5,800 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today started with a climb over Battle Pass (around 10,000 feet) and onto the scenic byway. The weather was beautiful all day long. The riding was a lot of ups and downs with slow steep climbs slow followed by fast steep descents.
I met a CDT thruhiker who after being stopped by the snow in southern Colorado “flipped” up to Wyoming to cover some ground. We visited on the side of the road and swapped stories.
Today was the longest riding day in terms of mileage. I was happy to get into Rawlins and eat at a Thai restaurant’s all you can eat buffet followed by a pint of Cherry Garcia ice cream.
GDMBR Day 34
Start: Steamboat Springs,CO
Finish: Ladder Ranch (near the Wyoming border)
Miles: 58.6 miles
Odometer: 1,278.7 miles
Ascent: 5,500 feet
Descent: 5,500 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today was another typical day in the Colorado mountains with a blue sky morning and evening with a dark, rainy sky sandwiched in the afternoon.
The route eventually took me through a beautiful valley carpeted with yellow flowers and the Little Snake River running through it. I passed beautiful ranches with lovely mountain views. The attached photographs speak for themselves.
I settled at the end of the day at the cyclist friendly Ladder Ranch. I camped out in the yard near their bunkhouse and fell asleep listening to the cows mooing nearby.
GDMBR Day 33
Start: Steamboat Springs, CO
Finish: Steamboat Springs, CO
Miles: 0 miles
Odometer: 1,220.2 miles
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Steamboat Springs is known for many things, including their hot springs. Across from the motel is the Old Town Hot Springs facility so I decided on this rest day to treat myself to a soak In the hot springs. Afterwards, I sat in the sauna up in the locker room and who do I meet? Another native of my hometown Lafayette, Louisiana! Brandon is 30 years old and moved to Colorado because “the mountains called me.” I can certainly relate. It is so funny to run into someone from home. The third person in the sauna must’ve thought we were a little nuts. We started talking with Cajun accents about all things Lafayette, especially the good people and food.
In the locker room I weighed myself for the first time since I started this trip. I weighed 167 pounds. Just prior to starting the trip, I weighed 173 pounds which is pretty light for me. I spent most of my adult life around 193 pounds. It’s challenging to consume enough calories to match the calories that I burn riding the bicycle every day.
I thought I would talk a little bit about food on the trail. My food consist of four main groups: breakfast mix, lunch mix, snacks, and town food.
Breakfast mix (in a Ziploc bag): oats or muesli, whey protein, coconut milk powder, nuts and seeds, dried fruit, collagen.
Lunch mix (in a Ziploc bag): dehydrated beans, cous cous or dehydrated potato, flavor packets , olive oil (added while eating)
Snacks: protein bars, trail mix, chocolate, instant coffee
Town food: While I try to eat healthy (veggies) when I get to town, I pretty much eat whatever my body craves. It’s important for me to keep up with my protein so I’ve been seeking local grass fed beef. I’ll also down cans of sardines when I can but otherwise eat a variety of foods and lots of it.
Both the breakfast mix and the lunch mix can be eaten hot or cold. I carry both a stove and a cold soaking container. Cold soaking is when you throw dehydrated food into a container with some water and let it soak for a couple of hours until it turns into a delicious mush. It’s easier than cooking and for me who doesn’t like to stop to cook lunch, I can cold soak food for two hours before lunchtime and the food is ready when it’s time to break. I have been using a plastic ice cream container to cold soak my food. In Steamboat Springs I stopped in at the Big Agnes Factory Store to have a look around. Big Agnes makes great camping gear and I recently bought their two person Copper Spur 2-person bikepacking tent. While in the store the salesman convinced me to switch out my plastic ice cream cold soaking container for the stainless steel Vargo Bot container that doubles as a cook pot or water container. I’ve seen the titanium versions online and always wanted to test one. The Vargo is considerably bigger and heavier than the plastic container. I hate adding extra weight to my load but I just mailed home a few items, including my Apple Watch, so there’s that.
I don’t think that energy bars, including the ones with extra protein, are really all that healthy. I normally don’t eat them. I consider energy bars as fancy candy bars. So many of them are filled with processed carbohydrates and ingredients I cannot pronounce. However, I’m making a special exception because I need the easy calories. I eat at least two energy bars with at least 20 g of protein. I like the chocolate mint versions of both the Pro Bar and Cliff Bar. I also eat an awful lot of nuts and seeds, often in the context of trail mix.
Lastly, I try to keep up with my water intake as much as possible. I carry a gravity water filter system in case I need to filter water from streams or other water sources. I don’t add any extras (like sugary energy powders) into the water. I do take some electrolyte capsules because sometimes my legs get a little crampy and I wonder if it’s not an electrolyte problem.
GDMBR Day 32
Start: Lynx Pass Campground, Routt National Forest
Finish: Rabbit Ears Motel, Steamboat Springs, CO
Miles: 37.6 miles
Odometer: 1,220.2 miles
Ascent: 1,800 feet
Descent: 4,000 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
One of my favorite features of the Garmin InReach Explorer satellite communicator is the ability to check weather via satellite from anywhere. I usually get the “premium” forecast that delineates the weather hour by hour. My forecast for this morning said that it was going to rain early in the morning but be sunny by 7 AM. At 7 AM I was hunkered down in my tent in the middle of a rainstorm. I watched downloaded YouTube videos for a couple of hours and finally got out and packed everything up when there was a break in the weather. The rest of the morning and into the early afternoon was a delightful ride, descending 4,000 feet into Pleasant Valley on the way to Steamboat Springs. As I got closer to Steamboat Springs, I noticed larger and larger houses dotting the landscape usually perched high up on the mountainside with gorgeous views. Sometimes when I am bicycle touring I notice feelings of envy when I see beautiful homes in beautiful places. I also can’t help but wonder how long it takes to vacuum the carpet and dust the countertops in these huge houses. Ever since we sold our 3,300 square-foot home in Louisiana and moved into a 330 square-foot RV back in 2011, I have been pretty satisfied with smaller, more minimalist living. So while it would be nice to have one of those mega million dollar McMansions up on the mountain, I think I might be just as happy with a small cabin or tiny house (with a huge porch), but in the same location with the same beautiful views.
As I approached Steamboat Springs the wind blew the black clouds over my head and the rain began pouring down again. I was happy to make it to a very cool little motel called Rabbit Ears Motel. Despite this being a fairly short and easy day of riding, my legs felt worn out. I think the combination of the mud fest a couple of days ago and yesterday’s serious climbing have taken their toll. So I’ve decided to take a rest day tomorrow.
GDMBR Day 31
Start: Kremmling, CO
Finish: Lynx Pass Campground, Routt National Forest
Miles: 40.8 miles
Odometer: 1182.5 miles
Ascent: 6,000 feet
Decent: 4,600 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
If possible I like to start off my mornings at the local diner. Local diners always tell the story of a place. I sat at the counter and visited with a local retired engineer named Dave. He retired here 10 years ago and spent the first five years building his house. While he loves living here from the late Spring through early Fall, he is pretty much over the winters. He was looking to invest in property down in Mexico for the winters. I listened very carefully since the winters in Oregon can be awfully long and it’s nice to have a place to thaw out.
Today started out as another fine weather day which I needed to take my mind off of the climbing. It felt like I climbed all day. Most of the morning I followed the Colorado River. The rafters and kayakers were all heading in the same direction toward the boat launch. I would later be cycling at a much higher elevation and I could see the rafts on the river down below and they look like small dots.
In the afternoon I had a series of very steep inclines, and as I huffed and puffed to the top of one of them, an adventure motorcyclist parked on the side of the dirt road started applauding. He was a local and he topped off my water bottles, gave me a couple of Cliff bars, and then gave me his telephone number in case I ran into any troubles while I’m in the area. People have been very gracious and generous during this trip.
Oh…and I forded a little river with a strong current.
GDMBR Day 30
Start: Dillon, CO
Finish: Eastin Hotel, Kremmling, CO
Miles: 62.7 miles
Odometer: 1141.7 miles
Ascent: 3,200 feet
Descent: 5,000 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Continuing my visit with my friend Steve this morning got me off to a late start on the bicycle. If you are into cycling, this is the place to be. I rode for almost 10 miles around the Dillon reservoir, through Silverthorne, and north along the Blue River all on dedicated walking/bike paths. It was fantastic. Those communities really value recreation and cycling, and on this particular Saturday morning folks were out enjoying them.
As I am headed up Ute Pass I was stopped by a local cyclist who shares that he has twice attempted the Tour Divide Race. Unfortunately had to pull out both times due to injury. We visited for quite a while and swap stories.
The highlight of the day was the outstanding weather. There was virtually no wind. I arrived in Kremmling, CO and checked in to the 115-year-old downtown hotel. The proprietors were colorful. The rooms were decorated in interesting themes, including one room completely dedicated to folk singer John Denver.
I really had not eaten much all day. The hotel owner directed me to The Grand Restaurant next door where I had the most delicious prime rib special, loaded baked potato, salad, peach pie à la mode with whip cream, and a beer. I needed the protein.
Today was outstanding.
GDMBR Day 29
Start: Fairplay, CO
Finish: Peak One NF Campground, Dillon, CO
Miles: 32.5 miles
Odometer: 1,079 miles
Ascent: 1,700 feet
Descent: 2,600 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today was a beautiful morning to ride. Despite the climb over Hoosier Pass, I thoroughly enjoyed the cycling. My legs were a little wonky from yesterday’s mud fest adventure. I stopped in a little town called Alma and stepped into the local mercantile. I love these little places in the small towns that have everything you need. The young couple inside were very friendly and I sat and had a coffee and a protein bar.
On the other side of the pass on my way to Breckenridge, I saw a huge bull moose feeding in a field. This is the first time I’ve ever seen a live moose. Breckenridge is not my favorite place. Very crowded, touristy, and glitzy. I rode over to a local national forest campground where old friend and fellow Bendite Steve met me. He interrupted a family visit in Boulder to drive down to visit. He brought his pup, Tahoe. We had a chance to catch up and dined at a local brewpub. We ended the night with a wee bit of bourbon around the campfire.
GDMBR Day 28
Start: Salida, CO
Finish: Hand Hotel & B&B, Fairplay, Co
Miles: 65.9 miles
Odometer: 1,046.5 miles
Ascent: 5,700 feet
Descent: 2,800 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today was hard. I felt my spirits experiencing hairline fractures. The climb out of Salida through San Isabel National Forest was beautiful with views of the snowcapped mountains encircling the area. I took loads of photographs. Despite sunshine and virtually no wind, the riding conditions deteriorated quickly as I descended in the valley with the snow melt creating the dreaded peanut butter mud glue on the road. At one point my front wheel slid right and I flew off the bike on the left sliding in the mud in that slip and slide rotating 360° kind of way. I was completely covered with mud from head to tail on all sides. That wasn’t the worst part of it, though. That sticky mud adhered to the side walls of my tires (and everything else) so that the wheels would rotate. What a mess! And there was miles and miles of this stuff. Ultimately I had to ride through the somewhat grassy/ snow patchy cow pastures where the grass itself created some traction. I tried to dodge the sloppy, defrosting cow patties but that was difficult. Finally, as I descended to lower drier elevations, the mud was replaced with some of the worse washboards on the route. After a few hours, I finally made it to pavement and experienced tears of joy.
I came to a very small town called Hartsell, CO and the Highline Café and Saloon. I walked in they are completely covered with mud and they were very sympathetic. I drank a beer and ate the best and largest smothered burrito I’ve ever had in my life made from local beef and buffalo meat. A young fella touring on his adventure motorcycle from New York City walked in and sat down next to me. He was very excited about my trip since he raced this route back in 2013 in the formal Tour Divide Race. We swapped stories. He’s touring around the West for three weeks and then heading back to work in New York. He picked up my lunch tab which was very generous. Despite the huge ball of food in my stomach I rode another 18 miles uphill on pavement to Fairplay, CO where I checked into the old Hand Hotel just as a hailstorm began.
After a hot shower I went next-door to the old western saloon and had another beer and began talking with a gentleman who look like a cross between an old hippie and Wyatt Earp. Turns out he’s the former longtime mayor of the town. He told me how the town has changed over the years with the influx of people looking to escape city life. He likes the way things used to be.
Today I had the good fortune of seeing two large herds of elk each with upwards of 30 elk.
Observations:
As I am riding through this valley out of the mountains I start to see very small cabins and RVs dotting the landscape. They are just sitting out there in the distance in these open fields. The closer I got to civilization the more I saw of these little “outposts”. At the saloon I inquired about them. Apparently some years ago the major landowner subdivided and sold large parcels of land. People planted their trailers and RVs out there and use them for various purposes such as second homes or cabins. There are also a number of shipping containers on some of the properties. I wondered if some of these properties were survivalists big out camps.
GDMBR Day 27
Start: Salida, CO
Finish: Salida, CO
Miles: 0 miles
Odometer: 980.6 miles
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today was a rest and repair day. The mountains around Salida finally revealed themselves but only partially behind cloudy skies. It was just a glimpse of what I’m told is a beautiful landscape in the area. Andrea, my bike mechanic at Absolute Bikes, did a terrific job on my Salsa Fargo. She is ready to roll. With rested legs, I am itching to make some miles.
GDMBR Day 26
Start: Sargents, CO
Finish: Simple Hostel, Salida, CO
Miles: 34.6 miles
Odometer: 980.6 miles
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
This morning started out with a text from Dad, “Looks like more snow between you and Salida this morning… what’s your plan?” And he was right. My 9 mile climb up over Monarch Pass (elevation: 11,312 feet) began with sub-freezing temperatures and ended with heavy snow and sleet. I was layered up pretty well and the exertion kept my body temperature cozy. On the climb up, many people honked their horns and gave me the thumbs up for my effort. The backside of the mountain on the way to Salida was a pretty steep downhill and I was primarily concerned with containing speed + possible ice on the road. As soon as I got closer to Salida (elevation: 7000 feet), the snow stopped falling and the clouds broke open to reveal blue sky. I pedaled into Salida straight to the local bike shop, Absolute Bikes. As I have mentioned before, bike shop people are the best. They ordered a new chainring and tomorrow will install the chainring, a new bottom bracket, and new tires.
A well-known and well-respected bikepacking bag company is located in Salida. Oveja Negra ("black sheep”) is owned by a young entrepreneurial couple. Owner, Lane Willson, emits light and energy reflected in her staff of sewers and admins. I walked in the shop with a few questions. She sent me out to the sidewalk to fetch my bike and bring it inside, and that’s where the fun began. We started tricking out my bike. Frankly, I didn’t “need” new bags though two of my bags’ (frame and handlebar) zippers were driving me bonkers and nearly tripled my daily “muthafucka” output. We started playing around with bags and next thing you know they’re sewing custom straps to accommodate a better set up. Caught up in the enthusiasm and excitement and quality bags (and zippers), I walked out with two new bags, good memories, and a shit-eating grin. The new frame bag gives my rig a splash of color too. The women could tell I was a bit boring and said that the color would give me some trail cred.
Salida, CO is an awesome little town. It reminds me so much of Bend, OR in that it’s located next to the mountains near a ski resort, has a very cool vibe, values recreation with tons of mountain bike trails, and has a river running through downtown. I checked into the downtown hostel and walked a “grid” through the downtown area. Originally a mining town, the railroad came through and prompted much of the growth in the late 1800s. Now the town is known for recreation and tourism. The town is surrounded by a beautiful mountain landscape with many peaks over 14,000 feet. So pretty.
After walking around downtown it was a little too early to head back to the hostel, so I stepped into a nearby tavern. I sat at the bar next to a young gentleman and we begin talking. The rapport was immediate. We visited for almost an hour while drinking beers and then he was telling me a family story which revealed that he was born and raised in Lafayette, LA – my hometown! We couldn’t believe it! What a coincidence! No wonder we hit it off. Sometime during middle school his family left Louisiana for Colorado. He is 30 years old and I can tell he has a bright future.
Lowlights:
Unfortunately because of the bad weather I missed the grandeur of riding through the mountains because the visibility was so poor. Fortunately, there are more mountains on the horizon.
GDMBR Day 25
Start: Luders Creek Campground, Rio Grande National Forest
Finish: Tomichi Creek Trading Post, Sargents, CO
Miles: 48.5 miles
Odometer: 946 miles
Ascent: 1,500 ft
Descent: 3,000 ft
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today was all about the downhill. There’s nothing like a 10 mile descent. These are the rewards of yesterday’s climbing. I arrived at Tomichi Creek Trading Post in Sargents, CO in the early afternoon and checked into one of their bare-bones cabins and then went over to the restaurant and had a huge burger and a beer. Today was a pretty easy day.
Lowlights:
The last 10 or 12 miles into Sergents was on Highway 50. The Memorial Day weekend traffic was horrendous. Most people veer closer to the center line when passing bicyclists but there’s always one ass out of every 10 who brush close by. Don’t be that ass.
GDMBR Day 24
Start: Del Norte, CO
Finish: Luders Creek Campground, Rio Grande National Forest
Miles: 62.7 miles
Odometer: 897.5 miles
Ascent: 5,500 ft
Descent: 3,400 ft
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
This part of Colorado is a big playground. I spent the day gently climbing through various recreational areas and up in the Rio Grande National Forest through canyons, along creeks, and down and up valleys. People were out dispersed camping and enjoying themselves. I even ran into a mountain biker who previously attempted the GDMBR starting from Canada with a group of his buddies. They were traveling light and pushing high mileage days. Somewhere in lower Montana he said that “my Achilles tendon just exploded” and his trip ended. He rode with me for a while and we compared notes on bicycles, gear, and Colorado terrain.
Arriving late to the Luders Creek Campground campground at over 10,100 feet of elevation the temperature began to drop and it started to drizzle. I pulled out my new tent and hoped that the instructions were idiot proof since I didn’t have time to read the manual. In a phone conversation with a member of my support team (Dad), he suggested that I pitch the tent before I head into the mountains to make sure that it was not defective and all the parts were there. At the time I was exhausted from the previous couple of days and I told him that I was too tired. He said, “Well you can do what you want but you’re the one who always tests everything beforehand.” He’s right, but fortunately all the parts were present and accounted for. I even managed to get it right after the third attempt.
After about an hour of light rain the sun came back out so I started my first campfire of this trip. There is a natural spring at the back of the campground where I was told you could fill up water without having to filter. I have a pretty bad phobia of Giardiasis so I’ve been filtering water regardless of the source’s reputation. But I decided to give this one a try. I’m crossing my fingers.
Follow up:
I forgot to mention: I had a near death experience! A couple of days ago when I was stuck in the middle of the snowstorm with high winds, I got off my bike and sat on a log in the middle of an aspen grove to snack and consider my options. The winds were whipping up pretty good. Suddenly I heard a loud crack and one of the aspen trees came crashing down about 10 feet away from me. I felt fortunate that it didn’t hit my bicycle. That would’ve been a real disaster.
GDMBR Day 23
Start: Alamosa, CO
Finish: Del Norte, CO
Miles: 30.3 miles
Odometer: 834.8 miles
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Robin shipped a general delivery package to the Del Norte post office that contained my new tent, my old tried and true raingear, and a few other needed items. She also included treats! The package was scheduled to arrive at the post office two days ago but because of the bad weather, it was delayed and we weren’t sure it would make it before the long Memorial Day weekend. Heck, I wasn’t sure I would make it here on time. Because I got kicked out of the mountains by the snow, I was able to make fast tracks toward Del Norte arriving this morning at 10:30 AM with the post office closing on the Saturday schedule at 12 noon. To my glee the package arrived here only this morning. Outside the post office I unloaded all of my goodies, and loaded my old stuff to return to Bend. Yippee!
Coincidentally, I found a local couple who not only have been bicycle touring for many years, they have toured the exact route that I am on, the Great Divide Mountain Bike Ride. I am staying the night in their small cottage. They are great hosts who have provided some technical expertise and information about the trail ahead. It is fun to swap stories and talk about gear. They appeared to always be looking for their next adventure. We spent the afternoon chatting in their backyard while they worked on a landscaping project and I cleaned and organized my bike and gear. I keep running into fantastic people.
GDMBR Day 22
Start: Snow camp, Carson National Forest
Finish: Alamosa, Colorado
Miles: 72.7 miles
Odometer: 804.5 miles
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
I got up early and of course everything was frozen. There was frost on my tent and my shoes and water bottles were frozen. I wanted to take advantage of the freezing temperatures thinking that the sloppy muddy roads would be frozen and easy to ride over. In fact, as it turned out even the snow was frozen so I was able to ride right on out and back to lower elevations to a road that would take me to glorius highway pavement. I backtracked 17 miles before heading north on a dirt road towards civilization. On the way I saw a herd of about 20 elk, five antelope, two hawks, and a coyote. As I headed north I was surrounded by stunning snow capped mountain landscape. The sun was shining. All of last night’s misery was forgotten.
I reached a town called Antonita, NM where I sat down for a large breakfast burrito covered with green chili sauce and a stack of pancakes.. The waitress was doubtful whether I could finish it. But I did. I crossed the border into Colorado. Instead of taking the highway towards my next destination, Del Norte, CO, I let Google route me through the countryside. At first I traveled on beautiful, easy gravel roads but later the route took me through doubletrack cow pasture roads – very scenic but littered with rusty barbed. I had one I watching the ground and the other I watching the beautiful landscape. After several miles of this bumpy, rocky terrain the bolts holding my seat to my seat post decided to give up. The bolts broke off and the only thing holding my seat on the seat post was the pressure of my rear end. I realized then that the seat takes a beating on these trails and country roads. While I am no engineer, I know the value of a good rubber strap, so I used a bungee cord (actually a Voille strap) to keep the nose of the seat down while I hobbled 25 miles to the nearest town with a bike shop.
I love bike shops. More specifically, I love bike mechanics. Bike mechanics love long-distance cycle tourists and bikepackers. If you push your bicycle inside a bike shop fully loaded with gear you will get the royal treatment. And I did. Kristy’s Mountain Sports in Alamosa, CO not only fixed my bike seat but addressed a bunch of other small issues, including replacing my worn out brake pads, replacing my chain, and finally diagnosing the creak in my bottom bracket. I will need to replace my bottom bracket at some point, but because Memorial Day weekend, it would take a while for them to get the parts and I would be stuck in town for 4-5 days. So I will do that down the road. Thanks to everyone at the bike shop, and especially to bike mechanic Jupee (nickname) for the quality work and inspiring conversation.
GDMBR Day 21
Start: Hopewell Lake Campground, Carson National Forest
Finish: Somewhere near Lagunita’s Campground, Carson National Forest
Miles: 34.4 miles
Odometer: 731.8 miles
Ascent: 3,600 feet
Descent: 3,100 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
The day started out as a very beautiful, pleasant ride with a moderate tailwind. The day ended in a sloppy muddy, hike-a-bike snowfest. There were rumors of possible snow on the ground up this way, but I had to see for myself. At around 2 PM it began to sleet, and an hour later heavy snowfall was being blown sideways due to heavy winds. Should I turn around? I started thinking about shelter, warmth, water, and food and mentally began checking those boxes. I tried to (literally) push the last couple miles through the snow to the Lagunitas Campground in hopes that there might be some shelter, but the snow was too deep reaching up to 4 feet in places. I ended up pitching a tent and waiting out the snow, wind, and as the sun set, sub freezing temperatures. I melted snow in my cook pot for water and to make dinner. And then curled up in my sleeping bag with every stitch of clothing I had available. I sent satellite text messages to Robin and Dad to let them know I was OK since they closely track my progress and seem to know the weather forecast before I do. I slept cold but confident that I was safe and prepared.
GDMBR Day 20
Start: Abiquiu, NM
Finish: Hopewell Lake Campground, Carson National Forest
Miles: 57.9 miles
Odometer: 697.4 miles
Ascent: 6,800 feet
Descent: 3,000 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
I spent two lovely days at an Airbnb hosted by fellow long-distance cyclists Erin and Mehedi who rode their bicycles from Peru to Patagonia. Check out their visually stunning trip at their site: http://letsgocarino.com. Their Airbnb was the perfect place to wait out the weather and avoid slopping through the mud yet again. Leaving Abiquiu, I climbed 6,800 feet into the Carson National Forest up to Hopewell Lake Campground. The weather was perfect and the roads were dried out from yesterday’s mud. I would later find out that the Canadian and the European cyclists all bailed on to pavement after riding through yesterday’s mud.
I saw a beautiful white fox running fast fast. It was so surreal I almost didn’t believe that I was seeing.
Observations:
Consider this: I spent nearly 9 hours on the bike pedaling, and most of it was climbing into the mountains. Not bad for someone who was born in raised near a swamp.