Category: Touring

I felt like my cold was not getting better so I decided to stay an extra day in Hot Sulphur Springs so I could sleep, hoping to feel better on the 62 miles ride to Walden. Nancy left her campsite a day early, brought cold remedies and food to the motel and stayed with me. We also needed to update and change our next campsites. Today I woke up still not feeling good but decided to try riding to Walden. The first 25 mile are climbing up and over Willow Creek Pass, 9,683 feet elevation. Along this route I pass through an area that was burned in the wildfires two years ago.

Once crossing the Divide back to the Atlantic slope I began the drop into Rand, Co. Still not feeling well, I’ve been struggling all day, stopped at a small gift shop and bought a Dr. Pepper and snack food. I have 30 miles to Walden. Five miles later I begin to feel better and have more energy, my coughing is now productive.

I begin to see the town off in the distance, 5 miles away, it is now 6 PM. I get into town and connect with Nancy at the Granite Corner RV campground. I put my bike away and unload the gear. Then we go into town for a nice dinner.

Yesterday I was hanging around camp so we hiked, laid our next sleeping site, and just relaxed.

I woke up today feeling like I have a chest cold. I will ride to Hot Sulphur Springs and sleep in a motel that I reserved. I’m riding an easy short day because a thunderstorm is coming through late afternoon and being inside a room while it’s raining will be warm and comfortable. After breakfast and packing  I headed out across the dam while Nancy and Moe drove to the parking area below the dam to climb down into the gorge to hike along the Colorado River.

While heading into Kremling I got caught in a short passing rain and hail shower. Once in town I ordered a pizza slice and pint of ice cream, my can of spinach. Four very young men from Delaware walked over to ask about my trip. A young woman, also from Delaware, stopped to listen before coming over to announce that she also was from there. We talked as I finished off the pint before we all went our ways with smiles on our faces.

A few miles out I met a couple riding and doing a short tour of Colorado, they live in Denver. Then maybe five miles later I met another loaded cyclist heading toward me. This cyclist is from Arkansas and is riding to Silver Springs to connect with a friend and then they will head to Montana.

Close to Sulphur Spring I begin to hear thunder in the distance followed by rain. I got wet the last few miles riding to the Ute Trail Motel. This is a very nice and friendly place within a few hundred feet of a small local dairy bar.

I left Breckinridge behind after another lengthy and pleasant conversation with Tim Paynter, the WarmShower host I stayed last night with. I fell asleep after a fabulous home cooked clam chowder bread bowl dinner. Thank you again, Tim.

I rode the bike path out of town to Frisco and then to Silverthorne, a nice alternative to the busy route 9.

Back on route 9 heading to Heeney to a campground Elliot Creek on the Green Mountain Reservoir where I will spend the night with Nancy.

A nice quiet place to be in the Rocky Mountains.

Leaving Guffey was leaving the past.

This early start was cool and wind free so the miles were comfortable and went by quickly. I was beginning the see the mountains in the distance that would be under my wheels later in the day.

The passing rain shower passed right over and dropped rain, I got wet.

I stopped and had breakfast in Hartsel, CO. at a wonderful small town cafe/bar. Dave and D came in and sat next to my table, D is one of a five group of over seventy rider on the TransAM. This is. His rest day so he is in the crew car with Dave bring the gear to their sleep stop in FairPlay.

I am riding to Breckinridge to stay at a Warmshowers hosted by Tim so the next miles would be slow as I climb to 11,542 feet elevation over Hoosier Pass.

Nancy drove me to where I got off route, she brought her propane tank to be topped off. I forgot my cap and coffee cup, so she went back to the campsite with the tank to bring me my items left behind. Upon her return we had breakfast at My Sister’s Place.

Once back on route I dropped into the valley to pick up route 9 that will bring me to the small town of Guffey, CO. This will be where I sleep tonight.

Today is a short mile day, 24 miles. Climbing back out of the valley was most of this day’s ride, but the sun was out, I had no headwind, and the views were wonderful.

Once in Guffey I met Bill, the host and Ken, his assistant on the roadside working on a large carved sign. Bill pointed to the building I would be sleeping in. This is an old gold rush town and I am staying in the building prospectors brought their gold to sell.

Main Street is a museum of the old buildings.

Today Nancy and I took a four hour rafting tour of the Royal Gorge on the Arkansas River. The water was high from all the snow melt off the mountains so we enjoyed class 4 rapids.

Back at our campsite we had visitors, twelve Mule Deer.

Sleeping in Wetmore gave me an easy 32 mile day to Canon City Ridge campground so by noon I was settling in. When I turned off route to the campground I met Nancy at My Sister’s Place restaurant for lunch before riding the 3 miles miles to the site.

The next morning we hike a trail to the ridge above the Arkansas River. We spotted some rafts below and decided to book a river rafting for the next day. The wind here is strong enough to knock us around while walking, 50 mph gusts. I hope this wind ends before leaving in a few days. We have been told that in 30 years the wind has not been this strong for this long, two months now.

I left Fowler early to ride the two miles back to my route and head to Pueblo before the strong afternoon wind. Pueblo is a bit over 30 away and I will need to merge onto the divided highway 50. This road has doubled lanes with an 8 foot shoulder that is riddled with every kind of debris from chunks of retread tires to glass.

I got to Pueblo before noon, still feeling fresh and not wanting to stop for the day I decided to continue west. I knew that options to get food were few and a place to sleep would make this an 80 mile day.

Sixty mile into the day I was struggling to get to Florence, the next city on my map that shows places to sleep. I was tired from pushing into the wind and I had run out of water an hour ago. I used up most of my energy I had left climbing the steep U-turn hill into Wetstone and saw two people outside working on a house. I stopped and asked for water. I began talking with the woman as her son-in-law went inside to get water. She pointed to the bridge 50 feet away and told me that on the small dirt road on the left there was a small park next to a library that had restrooms and outlets for phone charging. She told me to set up camp there for the night.

After removing the panniers I discover that both tires were punctured but didn’t go soft. Tubeless rocks.

I graciously did and some of the 21 people in town came to talk and wish me good luck on my trip. Wetmore, CO. is a warm and welcoming small town. I learned some of its history and got to meets some of its wonder people.

Nancy and I left Eads at the same time after a pancake breakfast and packing our gear. She and the doggies headed for a campsite she booked in Canon City, CO., I was hoping to sleep in Fowler, CO. 78 miles away and 2 miles off route. The scenery would be more of the East Colorado prairie.

Eighteen miles up the road I see a couple heading toward me on a tandem pulling a trailer. Libby and Rex came from New Zealand to ride the TransAM east. Our nice visit revealed that they were heading to Eads to sleep.

Riding out of Sugar City on a slight rise opened up the horizon in the distance to my first view of the Rock Mountain range off in the distance under the cloudy sky.

My plans to pitch a tent in Fowler City Park fell through, the ACA map was in error. I could not camp there and with a bit of searching I found a motel .2 miles down the road. Tonight I sleep inside and I have a shower!

Sheridan Lake is close to the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site and I had been wanting to visit, so this morning we left the camper, bike, and gear at the Sheridan Lake Bible Church hostel and drove to visit the area.

This massacre by the US Calvary of peaceful Cheyenne and Arapahoe was the most despicable act of savagery, killing and desecrating hundreds, mostly women and children. It was a chilling reminder of European Americans’ mistreatment of the original inhabitants of this country.

Back at the camper we made lunch before getting back on the road. The early afternoon start would get us thirty miles west to a small town, Eads, CO. We are staying at the city park that hosts cyclists.