Rawlins, WY to Pueblo, CO

I am getting caught up with writing these blogs. I think I finally have a system down that will allow me to post more punctually. Of course, I have a 2-year old daughter, so that adds an interesting mix to when I think I will get something done to when I actually get it done.

Anyway, my dad met some interesting cyclist on his way to Riverside, Colorado (63 mile day). One meeting was during his morning pastry break. He talked to this guy who rides 100 to 130 miles per day for 3 days and then rests on the 4th day. Even with that 4th day being a rest day, he completes a lot of miles. He met two guys after lunch. They were touring for a year and they had rode across China and Russia. Quite impressive! My dad's observation for the day: he can sleep about 10 hours in a tent, and only about 7 hours in a hotel. If he wants to sleep, he should camp.

The next day, my dad rode 50 miles to Walden, Colorado. He had lunch on the side of the road. Afterwards, as he was in North Park, Colorado, he saw an SUV up ahead with its lights flashing and a motorcycle stopped behind it. As he approached the vehicles, a lady from the SUV asked him for a map and directions. Apparently, their On-Star system and the GPS on their cell phones weren't working. My dad pulled out his old-school, paper map and assisted them with directions. My dad was tickled that he, someone on a self-powered bike, was able to help these people with their big, powerful motor vehicles, with his paper map since their modern mapping technology systems weren't working.

Just finished lunch at the Wyoming/Colorado border.

On the 11th, Bill stopped at Hot Sulfur Springs, 62 miles from where he started that morning. He had lunch at the Continental Divide, and was in a hurry to get to the springs to soak in some of their 22 hot, natural pools. He soaked for a couple hours and enjoyed some tourist-time before heading to his motel.

A perfect place for lunch.

August 12th is my parents' anniversary. My dad cycled 60 miles to Silverthorne. Before he left the motel, he heard thunder, so he took his time and had some coffee to avoid the storm. He was told it was going to rain all day, but he only got caught in one, big thunderstorm in the afternoon. He did put on his jacket several times, but luckily didn't really need it except that one time. Bill ended his day by taking some time to speak to my mom.

On Friday, my dad arrived at Breckenridge, a famous ski resort, which is at the base of a dam. On the other side of the dam, there were steep switchbacks to the top, the steepest climbs he experienced so far. He enjoyed a beautiful 20 mile ride which included going around Lake Dylan. He noticed there were hundreds of cyclists of all types and many bike trails. Bill got lost at one of the train intersections because he didn't know which way to go. He was on his way to a bike store to ask for help when he met a guy who rode 4 or 5 miles with him and pointed him in the right direction. He stayed a delightful and cozy place called Riverside Inn. It was the first place where he actually got to chat with his roommates. He met two hikers and one runner who was there doing high elevation training. When he checked in, the lady gave my dad a set of loaner clothes and did all his laundry. He thought that was so cool. His back tire was showing some wear, so he also took some time to rotate his tires there.

Downtown River Walk in Breckenridge, Colorado

Skiing Anyone? Breckenridge, Colorado

Breckenridge Friday Night Street Entertainment

The next stop was Current Creek Backpackers Hostel, a place from the 70s with a retro vibe. On his way there, my dad climbed Hoosier Pass, the highest point on the trip at 11,542 feet. It was a big climb where he had to stand in some sections while in his lowest gear. He couldn't swing out because there was traffic, so he just kept pedaling. 63 miles later, my dad found the hostel, which had a Route 76 (the original Transamerica Trail) sign on a post stuck on the side of the road leading to the hostel. The hostel consisted of one 14 x 12 cabin and campsites. It was heated with a wood burning stove, the water came from a pump 50 yards away from the cabin, and it had an outhouse and outdoor shower. The shower was neat because it consisted of 20-gallon and 5-gallon plastic buckets. A hole was drilled in the bottom of the 20-gallon bucket and a spicket with a long shower head was attached. He had to fill up the 20-gallon bucket, put it on a shelf above his head, and turn on the water to shower. The water was sitting in the sun, so it wasn't freezing cold, and that is how he got cleaned up. At night, there were solar-powered lights leading the way to the outhouse. This place was an interested combination of high- and low-tech features.

"I must be high; or I am at the high point of the tour: Hoosier Pass."

Notice the Bicycle Route 76 road sign to the right of the State and US road signs. This the first day Bill had seen this sign.

Bill finished his week by completing 86 miles to Pueblo, Colorado. He woke up at 9,000 feet, and 34 miles later was at 5,500 feet. There were step climbs, but glorious descents. After lunch, he climbed 1,000 feet and thought he would go the next 27 miles downhill, but there was a lot of up and down action and strong headwinds, so he decided to stop worrying about his speed and just keep cycling. He was rewarded in Pueblo with smooth roads, trees blocking the wind, and nice residential sites.