Distance: 39.8 mi, Climbed: 4,180 ft
Completed: 2,479.9 mi, 114,196 ft
Joanna and I have slowly gained altitude while riding through the Kansas and Colorado prairies to Florence. The grade has been so slight that it barely felt like we were climbing. Today, the real climbing begins. We stayed last night at an altitude of 5,266 feet. Over the next three days, we will be climbing to Hoosier Pass at 11,542 feet.
Yesterday, was a tough day riding with the strong cross wind, the heavy traffic, and barely any shoulder on the roads. This put quite a bit of stress on Joanna’s hands. She decided that she would skip this heavy climbing section and keep her hands feeling good for next week when the roads even out a bit.
Every riding day is brought with the need for energy drinks and food. This morning, we stopped at the Florence gas station to stock up. Here we met Crowley, who was originally from Louisiana. Crowley was very concerned to make sure that we know about the fires and which way we were headed today. Crowley said that his wife’s Facebook page “had exploded” with fire posts. We assured Crowley that we were heading north, away from the Aspen Acres fire.
Joanna and I began the day riding together for eight miles from Florence to Cañon City to an Enterprise rental car. Joanna is going to provide SAG (support and gear) support for me over the next few days while she rests her hands. That is, she is going to drive along the route with my bags in the car and help ensure that I have the food and water I need. Without my bags, I will have to carry 35 pounds less weight up the mountain, which should make my ascent much easier. While I appreciate the lighter weight and support, I would prefer having Joanna out on the road.
Today will not be easy, I have 4,000+ feet of climbing and a finishing altitude of 8,600 feet. Fortunately, most of the climbing should be gradual and not too steep.
Recently, we have passed several large correctional facilities. Today, we passed the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility. The facility was created in 1871 before Colorado became a state, and it’s still operational. The building is clearly a mix of new and old construction, and it houses the Museum of Colorado Prisons. We would later learn that Florence is home to ADX Florence, a federal supermax prison holding some of the nation’s most notable prisoners.
The climbing began as I left Cañon City. I was on Route 50, a four-lane highway through a popular tourist area. The route passes close to the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, and there were many touring and rafting companies all along the highway. The road was packed with cars, but fortunately there was a big shoulder.
The first climbs were very gentle. I started to wonder if today would be easy, but I also know that lots of easy climbing can add up and produce tired legs. The terrain became rocky with smaller peaks all around. We were clearly entering the mountains.
Our route from New York to Seattle has a number of distinct sections. We began in New York and meandered down to the TransAmerica Trail. We then rode the TransAm almost straight westward to Colorado. After about ten miles on Route 50 today, I turned northwest onto Route 9 towards Hoosier Pass. We will be heading northwest for the next several weeks as we make our way through Colorado to Yellowstone National Park, and then up to Missoula, Montana.
After about twenty miles, I hit a 3.5-mile climb with a 5% grade. The length and grade are very similar to the 3.5-mile, 6%-grade climb that is the final ascent to Hoosier Pass. I was a little nervous to see how I would do, especially at this altitude. I also knew it was a perfect litmus test to see how ready I was for the final climb to Hoosier Pass. I rode today’s climb at a steady pace and did well.
The further I rode, the bigger the mountains and the grander the views. I saw many ranches that looked like they were right out of a western movie. There were even a few bison on the side of the road.
It was very hot. The forecast for Florence was in the low 90s, but the forecast for our destination was just 74 degrees. I assumed that the temperature would cool down as I rode. I was wrong. My bike computer showed close to 100 almost the entire ride. It did not start to cool down until just a few miles outside of Guffey. Joanna would meet me every five miles or so with a snack and a cold drink. I would sit in the car’s air conditioning for a few minutes to cool off. Having Joanna SAG me was a big help in the heat.
I soon reached the hardest climb of the day. A six-mile climb where I would gain over 1,000 feet. The climb started out fairly easy with a gentle grade, but the last third of the climb was steep. I had already climbed 3,000 feet and was tired. I had to stop a few times during the last two miles to get through the climb. I made it, but it was a good reminder that climbing can be cumulative and what is easy with fresh legs can be much harder later in the day.
Our lodging tonight is at the Wild Sprit Mountain Lodge in Guffey. It is about a mile from our route and up a very large hill. I had climbed enough. I wisely accepted Joanna’s gracious offer to ferry me up the hill as it was not part of our route.
To call our lodging tonight a hotel does not do it justice. It was more like staying at an old friend’s house. We were the only guests that night. Our hosts Beth and Wilbur greeted us at the door, helped us unload the car, and then we sat down over some cold water and talked about our day, our trip, and about their journey to living in Guffey and starting the lodge. They made us dinner and joined us for the meal. It is our first home-cooked meal in weeks, and it was delicious. What a great end to a beautiful day out on the road.
