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.