Day 18: Today was Amazing!

Montrose to Gunnison, CO (elev. 7681)
Miles:  66  Climb:  5,050
Total Miles:  1,288

Big climbing day with awesome descents.

We started earlier than usual to try to beat the wind and to give more time for the long climbs ahead.  There was strong headwind, again, when we left the hotel.  We started climbing immediately and the wind was 15 - 20 mph.  Tough going.  My legs were tired from the previous two days of wind and I started to worry about getting through the climbs.  The first climb was a 12 mile climb, straight into a headwind and steeper than climbs we'd done the past week.  We crawled, on the drops to be more aerodynamic, heads down.  The following descent made the climb fully worth it.  Even those of us not yet confident on mountain descents were able to let go and enjoy the ride. The wind on the other side of the pass was light, the road surface smooth, and the shoulder wide.

At the bottom we came upon a little store that advertised homemade pie, so we stopped for pie, even though it was only 8:00 a.m.  I opted for pecan, rationalizing that the pecans were a good source of protein and the crust carbohydrates.  I added a cup of coffee justifying that the caffeine from the coffee and the sugar from the pie filling were about the same that I'd have from a Bonk Breaker I was carrying in my jersey pocket.

After leaving the pie shop, we started climbing again. Nine and a half miles at a 6 - 8 % grade.   It was a long, hard climb, but the scenery was fantastic, the wind light, and the descent lasted for miles and miles.  It was an unbelievable, perfect combination of physical challenge followed by sheer fun.  I was laughing out loud as we rode down the mountain.

At the end of the descent we came upon road construction and the road was down to one lane.  The road crew held up the oncoming traffic as we started the next climb, 2 miles and rather steep.  There were about eight of us together at that point.  As we passed the stopped oncoming traffic on our way up the mountain, people rolled down their windows and cheered for us.  You would have expected them to be annoyed by the wait, but I guess in Colorado they but cheer for bikers on climbs.  It was truly awesome.

It is interesting that the body adapts to this long endurance, day after day effort.  The cumulative fatigue in my legs is growing, but every day I start with light spinning at the start to warm them up, and eventually, the strength returns.  I have a mounting general fatigue, and the past few days I've gotten so drowsy for a brief period during the ride that I had to fight the urge to pull over for a quick nap in the ditch.

We have a shorter day tomorrow with a very steep climb (9 miles and 10% grade) to get over Monarch pass, followed by an 18 mile descent.  Looks like it could be another amazing day.