Day 19: Crossing the Rockies at 7mph

Gunnison to Salida, CO
Miles:  64  Climb:  4080
Total Miles:  1,340

Today was incredible.  It will be hard to top the events of today.

We are now riding on U.S. Route 50, which is much more enjoyable than riding the Interstate.  The first 30 miles we rode were the best ride of the trip yet, and will be hard to beat.  For 30 miles we rode along the base of a mountain range through a beautiful, green valley dotted with nice ranches and grazing cattle. Mountains on the left, a stream and pastures on the right.  No wind.  Sixty-eight degrees.  Sunny.  Smooth road surface and little traffic. It was idyllic.

The first SAG stop was at mile 31 at the Tomichi Creek Trading Post, a small general store in the middle of pretty much nowhere.  Then we immediately started a nine mile climb to Monarch Pass.  The grade was consistently at 6.5 - 7 %.  It was a long hard climb on Route 50 that curved back and forth up the mountain to the pass.  The mountains were beautiful and rugged.  The weather was perfect and the scent of the pine trees was fresh. The ride was hard.  I tried to maintain 7 - 8 mph and to control my breathing, relying again on Row, Row, Row your boat to keep a steady cadence.  By the time I reached the top I was breathing hard and my legs were weak. The faster riders gathered at the top and cheered as each following rider reached the pass.  It was a marvelous and emotional experience.

At the pass, which is at 11,000 feet, there was a small gondola, built in the 1960s, that went up the mountain another 1,000 feet.  A group of us took the gondola up to the top to take in the full view of the mountain ranges on each side of the continental divide.  Our summit achievement was rewarded by an 18 mile descent down the mountain into the town of Salida.  It was an incredible day.

It is hard to believe we are now over the Rocky Mountains and a third of the way through our trip.  We are in Salida, which is at 7,000 feet.  We ride 100 miles tomorrow to lower elevations and toward the plains, bringing different terrains, weather, and new challenges.  Thus far my body is holding up well and my bike is working well.  I hope my good fortune continues.