Chama, NM to Hopewell Lake Camp 8/12 48 miles

After a night in Chama, New Mexico, Sarah drove Jody and I back into Colorado so we could pick up the route near La Manga Pass.  Jody was not happy to be backtracking but it was another cool beautiful morning and we were both smiling as we started our ride on a fun descent into a tree lined valley.  The down hill was short-lived but the rough roads lived on as we reentered New Mexico and started a series of steep rocky climbs to a high plateau with views that seemed to go on forever.  Although the scenery was magnificent, the rough roads (including a 1/2 mile scramble on loose softball size rocks) slowed our pace to less than 4 mph for several hours and had me worrying whether our headlights were fully charged.  Our pace started to pick up as we passed the high point of the days ride (11,000 ft) and we were both smiling again as we made up time on a series of fun/treacherous technical downhills. 

The road conditions started to improve after lunch as the weather started to deteriorate.  We were seeing some lightning in the distance and getting hit with a few sprinkles but were still making good time when we came around a corner to find Joe and Rhea resting on the side of the road.  They seemed happy to have some company as Rhea had taken a bad spill earlier in the day and was still feeling the effects with sore ribs, a bandaged ear, cracked hemet and a bent wheel.  We traveled together making good time other than frequent stops to take our rain gear on/off as the rain came and went. The thunderstorms continued to build and were putting out some serious lightning on the ridges around us as we sped across a few miles of open terrain to get back into the trees at which point it started to pour.  We hid out under the trees for about 15 minutes until the rain let up and got back on our bikes only to find the road had turned to peanut butter.  The goop quickly built up on our wheels to the point that we could not push the bikes much less ride.  We were only about 5 miles from the pick-up point so we scraped off enough mud to allow the wheels to roll and started walking the bikes through the rocky grass fields along the road.  After a mile the road conditions improved enough that we were able to get on our bikes and coast the rest of the way downhill to the highway where Sarah and Silas were waiting to rescue us.  We were all a muddy mess and Rhea was hurting so she and Jody hopped in the RV for the short trip to the campground while Joe and I rode.  By the time we got to the campground, they had both showered and were lounging in the RV drinking deraillers while Sarah worked on dinner.  It took Joe and I another hour to clean the mud off the bikes and get cleaned up enough to join them for a spaghetti dinner in the warmth and comfort of the RV. 

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Platoro to Chama, NM 8/11 52 miles

Silas, Sarah and I started the ride this morning through the beautiful
valley along the Conejos River.  We saw lots of flyfisherman as we made our way down the rocky road to Hospah, where Daren was waiting to pick up Silas, and Sarah and I were to continue on pavement to Chama, NM.  There were lots of ups and downs and lots of vehicles to contend with.  Silas was pretty worn out by the end of his 23 miles segment.  We had seen Joe and Rhea along the way, and found them at this meeting point eating lunch.  After we ate, we headed up the road, a steep climb to Manga Pass, 1200ft in 5 miles, a real leg burner!  Soon after the pass, we parted ways, Joe and Rhea continuing on the divide trail and Sarah and I headed for Chama NM, where we had a campsite.  We had a tough ride, battling head and side winds, but through a beautiful canyon that crisscrossed the Cumbrec and Toltec Narrow gauge railroad.  This is a historic steam train passing through the Rio Grande.  It was used to run silver for the mines back in the day, but is now a tourist attraction.  We made our way into Chama, where unbeknownst to us, Chama Days was happening.  During Chama Days, they have a rodeo, softball tournament etc. and we found a lot of drunken people singing Mariaci music until 3 am!

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Del Norte to Platoro 8/10 52 miles

After a day of laundry, grocery shopping and getting the camp ready, Daren and I set out bright and early, 6:10 am, to tackle the biggest climb of the trip.  We had a 4000ft  climb over 23 miles to reach an elevation of 11,910, the highest I've ever been without an airplane!

The morning started out cool, 47 degrees, but soon we were shedding the layers.  We had 12 miles on pavement, followed by 11 steep dirt miles.  The scenery was beautiful, and for the first time that we noticed, we saw huge softball size red mushrooms in the grass.  We topped Indiana Pass around 11am, then headed down the other side towards Summitville Mine, a Superfund Site.  The whole side of the mountain was removed for gold mining, all the creeks leading away from the site are now contaminated all the way to Platoro, 25 miles away.

Just past this modern mine, many remnants of old mining shacks were evident.  We passed these and entered a beautiful landscape of meadows and streams.  It reminded me of the landscape in Bonanza, I could just picture Little Joe and Hoss riding along the valley.

We headed toward Stunner Pass at 10,541ft, another 1000ft climb, passing by Lookout Mountain, an amazing steep mountain,  bright red with iron.  We made it to Platoro just before an incredible thunderstorm. 

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Buffalo Pass Campground to Del Norte, 8/9

If we were to divine the fate of our day from Daren's peanut butter and jelly sandwich... I'd be afraid, very afraid.  But-- we're not superstitious!! and it turns out we didn't need to be.  Jody gave us a lift to the start of this ride, cutting off a bunch of highway miles.  We enjoyed 4 miles of flats through a beautiful canyon before beginning a 2,000 ft. climb to Carnero Pass.  Early on Daren and I spied cyclists ahead and I suggested we try to catch them.  We sped up and caught Joe and Rhea-- a young couple from Madison, Wisconsin who are doing the ride entirely unsupported.  They started a few days ahead of us at the Canadian border and have ridden straight through to arrive at the same point we did on this glorious day.  We rode with them the rest of the day-- they seemed glad for the company.  Joe was impressively hard core-- he regaled us with details of his hikes along the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and most recently the Continental Divide Trail.  He's only 26!  He and Rhea had never mountain biked before, and Rhea had only done 2 long rides before embarking on the Continental Divide mountain biking trip (she's a mere 21 years!).  Their cycling and camping gear was condensed to less than what Jody and Daren ride with on an average day (and they're not carrying a tent, sleeping pads, sleeping bag, days of food, all the water they'll need, etc.).  Impressive youth.  

We were riding in some pretty intense heat after the climb and encountered some sand that nearly killed me (to avoid certain death I planted my calf onto my large front chain ring) and by the time we were ready for lunch, we could only find about 12 inches of shade on the side of the trail where a National Forest sign was posted.  



The end of the ride was along flat highway and we found Jody and Silas staying in a charming campground near the Rio Grande in Del Norte, CO.  Joe was having some mechanical difficulties that Daren had the tools to address, so we bid our friends adieu while they ran errands and settled into their camp-- knowing they'd drop by our camp to get help with Joe's bike after dinner.  You'll hear more about our new friends in future posts...

Sargents to Buffalo Camp 8/8 42 miles

Well, we dragged Silas out for another ride of 18 miles, and I have to admit, it wasn't one of anyone's favorites.  Lots of rolling grazing land over 1000ft of climbing.  Pretty but not exciting enough for sure. With several talks along the way about how not everything in life is going to be great, there are always going to tough spots to get through, keep your spirits up, it's bound to get better and so on and so forth, we happily dropped him off with Sarah and Rocky, and continued our ride along some similar landscape and past a few reservoirs, before we started our climb up to Cochetopa Pass and the 17th Continental Divide crossing.  We were a little nervous at the start of this part of the climb because there was a sign stating that the road was closed ahead.  I figured we could get through almost anything at this point, but Daren remained extremely nervous.  We continued our 3 mile climb up to the pass, Daren so quiet the whole time.  No signs of road closure, although there was only one car track on the dirt and it was otherwise flawless.  Usually the roads are well tracked by 4 wheelers etc. but not this one.  I wasn't worried.  And then we reached the pass at 10,067ft.  There were some people camped at the top, Daren asked if they knew of any closures, they hadn't, so we continued on.  And then it happened, a MOOSE!! was crossing the road in front of us as we started our descent.  We skidded to a halt as the moose was walking across the road to get to a small pond in a meadow.  He/she stopped just before some trees past the road and just stood there not moving for 10 minutes.  Daren got out both bear sprays and warned me to get out of sight.  He told me a story about a moose that had chased him while he was driving his car past it on a dirt road in Montana, literally chasing him.  I sensed that this was a gentle moose, which Daren thought was a load of you know what!  For some reason, the moose went back across the road, away from the pond.  We decided to ride down, "as fast as you can", Daren said past the moose, but as soon as we got close, he wondered back out.  Another skid stop and we turned right back around and headed up to where we started this fun.  I thought it would be a good idea to cut a bee line through the woods/meadow with our bikes, 90 degrees away from where the moose was.  We did this, all the while, my legs felt like lead while we were running.  We passed the pond worried that the moose might chase us, but he never did.  I knew he was gentle!
We rode down a beautiful canyon of huge rock formations and aspens down to the pick up point with Sarah.  We drove a short way to a forest service campground in the Rio Grande Forest, and had a relaxing night with deraillers to calm us.







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Salida to Sargents 8/7 48 miles

Today we headed out for what was supposed to be one of the toughest rides of the journey.   A steady climb from the moment we left for 28 miles and 4000ft of elevation gain, to top out at 10,842ft!  Also, Continental Divide crossing #16.  We started the climb on highway and after 10 miles, we left the pavement for dirt.  Right away there was a welcoming sign stating no stopping or standing on the road.  Huh, real nice.  We couldn't wait to get out of that area.
After several miles, we passed an interpretive sign stating that the road up to the pass was an old railroad route and also a gondola was used to transport ore down the mountain.  At the time, it was one of the longest in the world.

We were going slow enough up the mountain that I could see remnants of the old railroad.  There were many railroad spikes, bolts lying in the road, and ties sticking out of the side of the road.  We wound our way up for 3 hours and at the top found that we had to race down the other side to beat the impending thunder storm.  We met 3 riders on top from Australia.  They were riding from Colorado to Los Angeles.  We could only talk for a few moments because the rumbling from the storm was getting closer.  We had a chilly but fun descent through densely forested woods and past a river that had many beaver dams.  We arrived in Sargents, a one store/gas town with a rv park.  Not a lot happening here, happy to have Rocky to comfort us.


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Hartsel to Salida 8/5 50 miles

        We decided to cut out 30 miles of pure dreary pastureland leaving Como, to do 40 miles of pure dreary pastureland from Hartsel to Salida(pronounced with a long"i") and then 2 miles in the aspens, and 10 screaming fun downhill for a total of 52.  We had a little excitement with a pond crossing.  Daren decided to go through the deepest part which was an interesting decision, rather than follow me through the shallowest part.  Then, another cow herding episode.  There were several cows and one bull who just stood glaring at us.  Most of the cows passed in front of us across the road and the bull did not budge.  And then to our shock, one of the cows mounted another cow right in the middle of the road.  How inappropriate!  Couldn't even wait to get across the road, and the bull never did move!  Sorry no pics of that one.
Eventually we made it to a 2 mile climb up through beautiful aspens and topped out with a view of the "fourteeners" of the Sawatch mountain range.  14,000ft!  Our downhill to follow was one of the best ever.  We got up to 30 mph several times with only gentle braking here and there.  The views spectacular, and only one near miss with a Bronco on a blind corner.  We entered Salida under drizzly skies, and found Silas and Sarah at the rv park on the end of town, right on the Arkansas River.
We decided to take the next day off and float the river with a guided group.  The water level was pretty low, but the guides managed to make it pretty fun, spinning the raft on rocks and in circles, and surfing, which was somewhat terrifying.  By surfing, I mean they end up backwards over a small waterfall and somehow manage to keep the bow of the boat buried in the waterfall.  The back end of the raft raises up as if surfing down a wave, while the two front paddlers madly paddle and brace themselves in chest deep water.  The front two paddlers were Daren and I.  I thought I was going to get ripped out of the boat!  I swallowed about a gallon of water.  I think this was for the guides enjoyment only!  The rest of the paddle was pretty tame, but through a awe inspiring rocky canyon.  That night we rode into town for some great pizza.  Salida is a hub for many outdoor adventures, rafting, hiking, biking.  In fact the one of their residents took 7th place in the Great Divide Mtn. Bike race this year.


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