Day 19 Gunnison to Salida, CO
We were all psyched for this ride fro some time--the crossing of Monarch Pass, 11,112 ft. This 66 mile ride was called a 43 mile ride by many--43 miles to the summit and then down hill to Salida.
The first 30 miles were slightly uphill with a little headwind. I started near the end of our group and caught the leaders by the rest stop. I grabbed a banana, some breakfast bars and water and moved out with Tim Trelfa, a newly retired school teacher from Elizabeth, CO. We ambled about three more miles before "the climb" of 4000 vertical ft over 10 miles began. The road was well paved and the traffic flow was lift. With 3 lanes divided periodically between 2 up/1 down and 2 down/1 up, plus an occasional shoulder, I never flet exceedingly crowded. My pace stayed almost constant at 9 mph with spurts to 12 and lags to 8-8.5 mph. Climbing continuously for an hour is both physically and mentally taxing. I'd try to stay on my saddle (sitting) for one mile and then I'd shift to a much tougher gear where I stood for 60-100 pedal rotations. Since the climb was from 7000-11,000 ft above sea level, I tried to breathe deep and stay aerobic. I also had to grab a quick gulp of water every mile to stay hydrated--I've always been a sweat hog!
It took me almost an hour to make the climb and I still managed to take 3-4 photos of this magnificent country. I made it to the summit with a sense of euphoria I've not felt in a long time. I pulled into the summit commemoration point just as our SAG wagon arrived. After taking a few pictures, one of our leaders persuaded me to take the gondola ride up the hill next to the pass. From the hill (~800 ft above the pass). I could see over 50 miles in all direction. However, the highlight of my trip up the hill was my introduction to "Harley," an 85 lb golden retriever. Harley seemed a little out of breath, but happy to be outside. I took Harley's photo on the viewing stand and when he went to sit in the snow laying in patches on the hill.
After my trip up the hill, I cheered and congratulated my teammates as they completed their climb. Almost two hours after making to the top, I descended down the other side of Monarch pass at about 40 mph for 10 miles. At that point, we (5 of us) pulled into an RV park to avoid nearby lightening from an approaching storm. After a 30 minute respite, we continued into Salida. As we approached the town, we saw many fellow bikers participating in the "Ride the Rockies" Tour, attended by 2000 cyclists.
Another tremendous day on the adventure of a lifetime.
The first 30 miles were slightly uphill with a little headwind. I started near the end of our group and caught the leaders by the rest stop. I grabbed a banana, some breakfast bars and water and moved out with Tim Trelfa, a newly retired school teacher from Elizabeth, CO. We ambled about three more miles before "the climb" of 4000 vertical ft over 10 miles began. The road was well paved and the traffic flow was lift. With 3 lanes divided periodically between 2 up/1 down and 2 down/1 up, plus an occasional shoulder, I never flet exceedingly crowded. My pace stayed almost constant at 9 mph with spurts to 12 and lags to 8-8.5 mph. Climbing continuously for an hour is both physically and mentally taxing. I'd try to stay on my saddle (sitting) for one mile and then I'd shift to a much tougher gear where I stood for 60-100 pedal rotations. Since the climb was from 7000-11,000 ft above sea level, I tried to breathe deep and stay aerobic. I also had to grab a quick gulp of water every mile to stay hydrated--I've always been a sweat hog!
It took me almost an hour to make the climb and I still managed to take 3-4 photos of this magnificent country. I made it to the summit with a sense of euphoria I've not felt in a long time. I pulled into the summit commemoration point just as our SAG wagon arrived. After taking a few pictures, one of our leaders persuaded me to take the gondola ride up the hill next to the pass. From the hill (~800 ft above the pass). I could see over 50 miles in all direction. However, the highlight of my trip up the hill was my introduction to "Harley," an 85 lb golden retriever. Harley seemed a little out of breath, but happy to be outside. I took Harley's photo on the viewing stand and when he went to sit in the snow laying in patches on the hill.
After my trip up the hill, I cheered and congratulated my teammates as they completed their climb. Almost two hours after making to the top, I descended down the other side of Monarch pass at about 40 mph for 10 miles. At that point, we (5 of us) pulled into an RV park to avoid nearby lightening from an approaching storm. After a 30 minute respite, we continued into Salida. As we approached the town, we saw many fellow bikers participating in the "Ride the Rockies" Tour, attended by 2000 cyclists.
Another tremendous day on the adventure of a lifetime.
posted by Steve King at 7:13 PM
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