Day 23-Gunning For Gunnison

Miles Completed Today: 66
Total Miles Completed: 1472
Miles To Go: 2228

Sleeping in can be dangerous, but thanks to Sean's Dad getting us a really nice hotel room last night, it was hard not to do so this morning. Anyway, the guys got underway at 10:45 AM and are heading toward Gunnison, CO about 66 miles east on Highway 50. We'll pass one of the newest National Parks in the country, Black Canyon National Park, just outside Montrose, famous for its steep and close canyon walls.

Update: After passing Black Canyon early in the ride, the road wound through the Curecant National Recreation Area, which is home to three lakes that are part of the Colorado River Storage Project. Before the dams for the lakes were built and old "narrow gauge" railroad used to meander through the river valley. Eventually it connected to the continental rail systems in Denver and Salt Lake, and it was used mainly for moving livestock back and forth between the high country and the plains, or to the stockyards in Denver. By the 1940's it was past its prime and was no longer in use.

Rubber ducks and gasoline spills go hand in hand

Its been about a week so I thought I'd give another update. My legs are feeling really strong, today Pat and I kept a constant pace of 30mph on flat ground and were out running cars. Before the trip I was only able to reach that speed on flat ground for a few seconds but I felt fine after keeping it up through the entire town.

Colorado is beautiful, Utah was also but I got tired of the state and the riding was very difficult (record breaking heat and 14% inclines) in Utah. Telluride was a nifty little town, they put on an amazing fireworks show for the Fourth of July. Unfortunately I think the show actually ended earlier than planned due to a huge firework igniting very low to the ground and actually spraying the crowd in sparks. Most of the crowd laughed and I thought it was awesome, but latter I learned it started 3 small forest fires. Apparently they got two of them put out before we left in the morning but I havent heard any word on the third.

Before we entered Telluride we climbed up to Lizard Head Pass which was at an elevation of 10,222 feet. On the way we entered a tiny mountain town called Rico. After stopping at a gas station in town for snacks we got to watch a gasoline spill, they called the fire department but I offered to take care of the problem if they gave me a match. From what we learned or could guess it was a local tradition to have a rubber duck race on the Fourth of July. When we were told about this duck race I envisioned rubber duckies with sails or little motors, but instead they really were regular rubber ducks. They released them into the Dolores River and all the locals gathered on a bridge which was the end of the race. Having nothing better to do the firefighters were the ones in the river catching all the ducks and determined who won. The winner got $1000! The race wasnt actually exciting but it was fun to see how pumped up the locals were about the race.

We rode through our first rain storm. It was cold and there was even a little bit of hail. Alot of the cars that passed us while it was raining honked, waved, yelled, or just looked plain surprised that we were crazy enough to ride up a mountain in the rain. An old couple gave us a bunch of plastic grocery bags to put over our bike bags (panniers), so while it rained we looked ridiculously ghetto with plasic bags over our bikes but it worked, unfortunately we didnt get a picture of it.

Live Free or Die Hard was released I want to see that and Sicko, but I havent seen a theatre in a long time. New Harry Potter movie and book coming out soon too. Pat and I were joking about how we would mount the book on our handlebars and switch off reading out loud to each other.

Day 22-Do We Have To Leave Telluride?

Miles Completed Today: 69
Total Miles Completed: 1406
Miles To Go: 2294

It's tough to leave Telluride given it's magnificent location tucked in the mountains and small town atmosphere, and the guys certainly didn't want to leave, but they rolled out of town at noon after some more bike repairs in the morning. We'll be heading north on Route 145 and then make a couple of turns before reaching Montrose, CO, where we plan to stay tonight. If they're feeling strong, they may ride a few extra miles ahead, but given the late start and 60 miles to Montrose, it's probably not likely.

Update: Montrose it is. Tough headwinds on the way turned into a tail wind in Montrose and let them accelerate past cars after stop lights and cruise at 35 mph. The guys lunched at "True Grit" restaurant in Ridgway, a John Wayne themed eatery.

Day 21-Telluride. Anyone For Skiing?

Miles Completed Today: 68
Total Miles Completed: 1337
Miles To Go: 2363

As of yesterday, the guys have now completed one third of the total trip with a good ride of 82 miles. Mother Nature cooperated, it was a nice smooth road, and there were no equipment issues. The days have been blending together now and we are sometimes having to remember what day of the week it is. So much transpires each day that when we recall something that happened just the day before, it seems like so long ago. Today, they took off for the ski town of Telluride about 78 miles away, a good, steady, uphill ride, but the conditions are perfect; 60 degrees, sixty-five hundred feet elevation, and a path through the pines and along the Dolores River. Coming across the high plateau from Utah yesterday snow was still visible on peaks of the Rockies, so we expect to see some patches near the summit today at ten thousand feet just before Telluride.

Happy 4th of July!

Update: The ride from Dolores, CO to Telluride, CO was quite interesting. Starting with the first real clouds we have seen on the trip to a rain shower that hit the guys briefly and even dropped a little hail. It was a quick shower, but the clouds lingered through the ride as they reached the summit at Lizard pass and until 6 PM when they rolled into Telluride. Everyone really likes this place; an old mining town turned ski town that has a maximum speed limit of 15 mph everywhere. That's right, 15 mph. We even saw someone on a bicycle get pulled over as we rolled in to town. Pizza at the local bakery follwed by Fourth of July fireworks that boomed and echoed off the tight mountian walls made for a memorable evening. Rather than fight the traffic jam after the fireworks, we snuck the van into a new, exclusive housing development that only had two unfinished homes in it, and fell asleep.

Day 20-Goodbye Utah

Miles Completed Today: 82
Total Miles Completed: 1269
Miles To Go: 2431

The guys left at 8:30AM today after a good night's sleep and showers at the motel in Blanding, UT. Today's goal is to ride east on Route 191 toward the Colorado border and to cross it by noon or one o'clock. Dolores, CO is the destination, about eighty miles away. If we arrive early enough, we will try to make a quick run down to Four Corners, the only point in the U.S. where you can stand in four states at once: Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, & Utah.

Update: We're in Colorado! Chris, Sean, & Pat met in Dove Creek, CO for lunch and Chris headed on to Dolores, CO to scout out the area and find a camping spot.

The guys rolled in to Dolores, CO around six PM and we poked around town for a little while befoe driving over to Cortez, CO to hit Wal-Mart for some food re-stocking shopping.

Day 19-Landing In Blanding (Utah)

Miles Completed Today: 78
Total Miles Completed: 1187
Miles To Go: 2513

With very little sleep due to the heat, a tired duo hit the road at 6:50 AM today hungry, tired, and listless. They ground out the first forty or so miles from the Hite Recreation Area on Lake Powell toward Blanding, UT by 1:00 PM, but were so tired, we pulled in to Natural Arches National Monument and took a four hour rest to get out of the heat. Resuming riding again at 5:30 made the remaining 34 miles to Blanding that much easier. After two hot, rough days, we decided it was time to stay in a hotel and get a good rest and showers, so we're doing that tonight for the fist time in eighteen days.

Today's Internet courtesy of the Four Corners Inn in Blanding, UT.

Day 18-Not The Hite (UT) Of Luxury

Miles Completed Today: 58
Total Miles Completed: 1109
Miles To Go: 2591

A late start around 10:50 AM today made for a rough day riding the road from Hanksville, UT to the Hite Recreation Area at the upper most reaches of Lake Powell. The temperature topped 100 again and rough head winds blowing through Glen Canyon on the ride into Lake Powell zapped their energy, and then Sean's bike broke down before the final two miles into camp. Fortunately, they brought along a spare part (a dropout?), and it worked. The Hite Recreation Area, however, was very primitive and the only store there closed at 2:00 PM, so we could not buy ice or anything else. At one point four cycling teams were there: the "California" team, the "Swedes", Pat & Sean, and a newcomer from New Hampshire. Part of the "Connecticut" team drove ahead from Hanksville to scout out the next day's ride and was kind enough to bring food for everyone to snack on, and then they gave Pat & Sean refills on their way back. Still, the other teams were banking on getting food at the store so they were hurting, but we made spaghetti for everyone after a sunset swim in Lake Powell. Despite the limited facilities, the area was very scenic with sheer canyon cliffs surrounding the area and mesas in the distance. Sleeping was very difficult since it was still 96 degrees at 10:00 PM.