Day 28: Estes Park,Co to Hot Sulphur Springs,Co
Miles on the road: 69
Starting elevation: 7,500 ft
Elevation after 21 miles of riding: 12,183 ft
Ending elevation: 7,995 ft
Route: Hwy 36 out of Estes Park to Hwy 34 (Trail Ridge Road) to Grand Lake to Hwy 40
Terrain: mountainous with many switchbacks
Wind: headwind, tailwind, and a crosswind......we had it all
Temperature: I would guess that it was in the high 40's or low 50's on top of Trail Ridge
Song Stuck in my head: "Separate Ways" -Journey "It's a great day to be alive" -Travis Tritt
Road Kill: not a whole heck of a lot
THE SKINNY ON DAY 28......
Travis Tritt says it best when he sings, "It's a great day to be alive." This was true of today for sure.
We had a fine start to the day as "The Egg and I" restaurant in Estes Park fed Luke,Tim, and myself a stellar breakfast. And things would only get better after that. I'm pretty sure that today's ride is as good as it gets on a bicycle. Unbelievable. I could not have dreamed of a better ride. Gigantic snow-capped mountains, crisp air, tall pines, being able to see for miles, not to mention a few elk at the top of Trail Ridge. And I saw it all on a bicycle. Praise God for that. The first 21 miles of climbing was a real bear for sure, but with the constant view of the Rockies I often forgot I was climbing. My head was constantly on a swivel with many breathtaking views. With 21 miles of uphill, we had about the same amount of miles going down the mountain which was a fabulous rush. Going down was nuts at times....the wind, leaning into the curves, cars coming at you from the other direction........it was wild......and I loved every minute of it. The park is huge spot for vacationers. Fortunately for us, most cars were very respectful. And with a 35 mph speed limit, we practically rode a cars pace for 21 miles going down the mountain. We ended the day by taking a dip in the Hot Springs here in town. A nice way to end the day. I'm not sure this town has seen a farmer tan quite like the one that I have. It almost looks like I have brown sleeves on when I'm shirtless.
SHOUT OUTS......
-The Canyon Motel for a bed to sleep on
-Susie and Tim Grade for making the drive out to hang with Luke and I
-"The Egg and I" restaurant in Estes Park for some delicious wheat pancakes
1 Comments:
So many great post so fast.
Tom I didn't become a teacher to have to work so hard in the summer.
[ insert witty remark here ]
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