Week Four: Salt Lake City to Denver Colorado

Monday July 21: 148 km. 77 F cloudy. Salt Lake City Utah to Duchesne Utah

This week brings on crunch time. Much longer mileages and higher elevations are the rule now. Today was absolute perfect weather for cycling, cloudy and cool. These are the first real clouds we have seen in almost two weeks. Another tough day of climbing, a 3700 ft. climb almost immediately, at 8% grade for the last three miles to an elevation of 9,485 ft., the highest of the tour so far. Some cyclists had difficulty with the thinner air, but most adapted well. I fared very well, I have even started to enjoy the climbing aspect of the ride. I may not be the fastest, but my endurance is coming along nicely. I did the last seven miles of today's climb without once getting off my bike. I am using a Camelback hydration pack which works very well on long rides. No stopping for water or reaching for water bottles. The view was spectacular, more like Colorado, than what one typically thinks of Utah. Lots of green mountains with an abundance of wildlife. Deer, badgers, bighorn sheep, and elk, to name a few were all spotted today by cyclists.

Long climb coming out of camp 10 miles south east of Park City UT first thing this morning.

Highest elevation of tour to date.

All kinds of wildlife on today's ride.

Here is a link to Tyler Buitenwerf's blog on which he has a video of his descent on a three mile 8% grade. http://tylerbuitenwerf.blogspot.com/

Tuesday July 22: 156 km. 92 F partly cloudy. Duchesne Utah to Dinosaur Colorado

A relatively difficult day, flat mostly, but two long climbs, one ten kilometres and one of about thirty kilometres. Cool in the morning, but the temps quickly rose to the 90's by early afternoon. The terrain was again bleak and desolate, oil and gas country. We cycled thru Vernal UT, gateway to Dinosaur National Park, where Elaine and I spent a weekend last summer. I had mixed feelings as I passed the hotel where we stayed, the restaurants where we ate, and the streets where I went jogging as Elaine paced me on her bicycle. Many fond memories to be sure, but much more so, the realization of how much I miss her. It has been almost four weeks since I last saw her.

From here on in I am in familiar territory the rest of the tour. I have either driven most of these same routes or even cycled many of the roads we are now riding on.

Cycling down into Roosevelt UT. Notice the snow on the mountains in the background.

Barney, eat your heart out!

One more state to cycle thru. Eight more after this, plus Ontario.

Wednesday July 23: 142 km. 87 F partly cloudy. Dinosaur Colorado to Craig Colorado

Another long day in the saddle, with some moderate climbs. The first 80 km. was thru the middle of nowhere, literally. Some mining and utilities, but other than that, nothing but sagebrush. I'm always amazed that in country like the U.S. with it's population and land area there can still be empty places, hundreds and even thousands of square miles in size. There was even a few sprinkles off and on this morning, the first hint of rain in weeks. We have had our first casualty of the tour. Arnie Issette flew home to Michigan from Salt Lake City after tearing his Achilles tendon and will be operated on this Friday. He will be sorely missed. Arnie, 70 years old, was planning to do the whole route and always had a smile and a pat on the back for everyone.

Sea to Sea train chugging uphill near Dinosaur CO.

Our complete mobile kitchen and generator at a rest stop along the way.

Even bicycles get to rest at night.

Thursday July 25: 155 km. 87 F partly cloudy. Craig Colorado to Kremmling Colorado

Another long tough day. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous as we traveled thru Steamboat Springs CO, over Rabbit Ears Pass, and then back into arid, desert like conditions to Kremmling CO. We had a climb of 3,700 ft. up a 7 % grade on top of the long mileage, making for another exhausting day. The mood in camp is very subdued, the questions being heard are, how long is tomorrow's ride, how high do we have to climb, and how steep is the grade? In spite of all the spectacular vistas throughout the Rockies, most of us "flatlanders" are looking forward to next week when we will be into the Great Plains. We are only kidding ourselves if we think that the plains won't bring their own set of unique problems, but it will be fun with new challenges.

Climbing Rabbit Ears Pass.

Continental Divide. The Atlantic Ocean sure seems like a long way from here.

View descending to Kremmling CO.

Friday July 25: 55 km. 87 F partly cloudy. Kremmling Colorado to Winter Park Colorado.

A nice easy day after four very tough days. We are staying at Snow Mountain Ranch which is operated by the YMCA, just outside Granby CO, a beautiful convention center and family vacation center. All of us sure appreciated the light day thru some magnificent scenery.

Cycling alongside the Colorado River just east of Hot Sulfur Springs CO.

Fly fishing in the Colorado River.

Audrey from Quebec City, cycling solo throughout the west for two months joined us for a few days. She is one of a number of people cycling by themselves who hooked up with us for a short while. The amount of trees being devastated by the mountain pine beetle is astounding. It's not only British Cloumbia and Alberta being affected.

Saturday July 26: 155 km. 87 F partly cloudy. Winter Park Colorado to Denver Colorado.

Well Sea to Sea Riders, we did it! Behold the Granite Behemoth! We came, we saw, we cycled right over it! Final day in the Rockies. Today we climbed to our highest point of the trip, Berthoud Pass at 11,340 ft. It was first thing in the morning with fresh legs and cool morning temperatures of 50 F. Every one's mood was very positive and even some cyclists who had not been able to make other mountain passes on our trip managed to make it to the top of this one. A long descent of 6,000 ft. into Denver followed, except for one nasty little climb up Floyd Hill, a 800 ft. climb at about a 10% grade. Next week begins our highest mileage week across the Great Plains, with 17 new cyclists joining us as we work our way east. It is hard to believe that we have completed four weeks already! Time flies when you're having fun. (I am having a blast, by the way)

What do you mean, we have cycle over that mountain?

View from the top of Berthoud Pass.

Yours truly, having mastered the mountain, a feat that a few short years ago, I would have considered an utter impossibility. I have to thank all those that made this possible. Friends and family who encouraged me and donated so generously, thank you all ever so much. This photo was taken on top of Berthoud Pass at 11,340 ft., the highest point of our tour.

A stop along the descent into Denver in Empire CO. Everyone was in a great mood as the Rockies were now behind us.

Sunday July 26: Sunday off in Denver Colorado

A nice relaxing day in the Denver sunshine. The CRC churches in Denver treated us like royalty, Preparing meals, billeting numerous cyclists, cutting hair, taking us to laundry facilities, and whatever other errands we needed to run. A beautiful celebration service was held at a local high school sports stadium, where we entered en mass on our bicycles and circled the track to applause from the crowd. It is almost embarrassing, the attention we are getting along the way, but the recognition is nice.

Cycling to church Sunday morning.