biking and building, mostly biking: Rocky Mountain High, Take II

Our second day in the mountains was from Buena Vista to Gunnison. The high point (pun intended) of the day was Monarch Pass. We reached 11,312 feet at the summit which was also where we crossed the continental divide! The expectation was that the rest of the day would be downhill. And it was mostly downhill and flat, but the wind was out of this world. We were pedaling our hearts out, riding downhill and only going 8mph. It was probably the most frustrating stretch I have ever ridden.

Some pics:

We rode along this range to get to a manageable pass through them!

If this isn’t an intimidating sight when you’re climbing, I don’t know what is.

But we make our way steadily up the pass!

Whoo hoo!!!

Molly and Andy at the top!

The crew at the top!

Our third day in the Rockies was a jerk. It was my personal hardest day of the trip, for sure. The first ten miles went smoothly, riding up a beautiful canyon, enjoying great company. But then we regrouped for the terrible news that our 85-mile day was going to be rerouted and we would be riding 105 miles. The rest of the morning was tear-filled and stressful, but I was blessed to be riding with Eric because he helped me keep my head up - AND pushed me to keep a good pace of 18mph... uphill. The middle of the day was more enjoyable as I rode out my frustration on some killer climbs. After lunch we took shelter in a gas station for about 2.5 hours as we waited for a hail storm to pass. Ah, the unpredictable mountain weather. The delay wore on our patience a bit, so the rest of the ride was more about endurance than enjoyment. Especially as we struggled through exhausted riders, a flat tire, and a three-rider pile up (no one was hurt!). But as we approached Ouray, our hearts were calmed by the beauty. The vibrant red rocks and deep, river-cut canyon that was host to the small town was breathtaking. We finished the day with an 8-mile climb into Ouray, ate some grub, and crashed.