After falling behind 4o miles in our first two days in Colorado due to bike problems and hail storms, we are now back on track after biking 106 miles today to reach Montrose. Today was the perfect ride - we rode the first 43 miles in 2 hours and 7 minutes. Since we spent the night on Monarch's Pass at 11, 312 feet we had about a 9.5 mile descent from the peak. The temperature hovered around 45 degrees and there was little traffic on the road. We averaged about 35mph on the way down the winding mountain pass. The morning mountain air was crisp and almost cut through the layers of my dri-fit bike clothing, but more than anything it woke me up! It was refreshing and exactly what I had needed to start my day off on the right track.
We stopped in Gunnison which seemed like a big ski/golf resort town around 10:30am for a quick restroom stop. We ended up sitting in McDonald's scarfing down a mid-morning snack consisting of a vanilla ice cream cone, hash browns, and an apple pie (or two). We continued on our way to reach Sapinero for lunch on the banks of the Blue Mesa Reservoir. We dined on PB&J sandwiches, some turkey and cheese, all sorts of chips, cookies, fruit, etc and watched some sailboats glide across the crystal clear water.
We were making great time all day long despite the fact that we stopped many times for pictures. We landed in Montrose to find ourselves without a suitable campsite, so we are staying in a hotel for the night. We ate dinner at a local place called Rib City and then grabbed some ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery. I must be packing away about 2-3 times more calories on this bike ride than I normally do. I only hope that I can go back to my old ways once I'm finished!
We have 2 more days of riding in the Rockies. Tomorrow we ride a mere 66 miles to Telluride, which I have been told is a hot spot for celebrities. I will keep you all posted on any sightings.
All is well here, I hope you are all doing fine too!
No comments:
Post a Comment