A downhill day

Saturday, August 12. Dillon, CO, to Kremmling, CO.

The vast majority of the ride today was downhill; the few climbs were manageable and helped to keep us on our toes. It was also cold, cold enough for us to each be wearing additional layers AND our jackets. The sky was overcast and we rode through a light rain much of the day, eventually deploying our new Camelbak rain covers (and finally figuring out how to attach them).

We started late, after 10, so the outlet mall was open as we went through Silverthorne; we stopped at a few places to see if they had the right kind of clasp for the BOB dry sack (we would like to lengthen the bottom rear clasp connector because it is so difficult to access), but no luck. So we rolled on out along route 9 towards Kremmling.

Our riding companion for much of the day was the Blue River, winding along the valley out of the Dillon Reservoir and down to the Green Mountain Lake. The outlet from the Green Mountain Lake presents a striking view down a breathtaking chasm, but just as we stopped to take a picture there, a security guard was on us and told us to keep moving. We were not allowed to stop on the dam that holds back the lake. He told us we could stop at the far end of the dam, but by that point the view was obscured by, what else, a mountain (Green Mountain, to be specific). So we kept moving. I suppose he was just doing his job, but I really can't imagine a less threatening pair than us; if we were bent on blowing up the dam, would we show up on bicycles? The day we look like a legitimate security threat is the day we have lost all reason.

In any event, we stopped in Heeney for lunch, on the shore of Green Mountain Lake. The two or three dogs wandering around the dining room occasionally stopped by our table to beg, but we resisted. Once again, we beat the lunch rush; we have had uncanny luck in this regard for virtually all of this trip. It is as though we go in, sit down, place our order, and then the rest of the town shows up. Today, when we went in, there was one other couple in the place; but within a few minutes after we had placed our order, two large groups came in and took over the room. A few minutes later, and lunch might have taken MUCH longer.

We crossed the Colorado River shortly before Kremmling; in fact, there was a marker indicating the "Colorado River Headwaters Scenic Trail", dirt roads that run alongside the river on both sides of the road we were on. It was fun to see the Colorado River in a place so far removed from where we kayaked it two Junes ago, while we were in Las Vegas on a company-sponsored trip. Then, we were on the river with Kurt and Holly (whom we saw in Burlington earlier in the trip), John (Gunnar), Ryan and Mike. Here, the conditions did not look conducive to good paddling - too shallow, many rapids, and lots of debris.

Tonight, when we arrived in Kremmling, we went first to the bike shop so Nancy could get her derailleurs adjusted (turned out she really needed a new chain). While she was there, I went to investigate the accommodations available for us. There were four motels in town: two that I wouldn't stay in at ANY price, one that was full, and one that was too pricey for what was offered. So, we decided to camp behind the volunteer fire department, hoping that there would not be any fires overnight. There are restrooms available with running water, a nice level grassy place for our tent (although I suspect it is a septic drainfield . . .), and a picnic table under a covered porch. The view beyond the outskirts of town is straight out of a western movie; chiseled sandstone bluffs and sagebrush. I took a few pictures and will post them when we can.

With our crossing of Hoosier Pass two days ago, we officially crossed the Continental Divide for the first of (at last count) seven times. We will cross it again the day after tomorrow at Willow Creek Pass; I'll make sure to mention every other crossing as they happen.

Nancy mentioned yesterday that we had reevaluated our route for the remainder of the trip, and had come up with a date for our arrival in Lincoln City of September 27. After coming to an understanding of what we were capable of doing in the mountains, our new projected daily average mileage from here on out is about 37 instead of 55. Part of that is dictated by what places are available for us to stop in, and where we can get water and other necessities; and as we proceed up through northern Colorado and southern Wyoming, we may encounter areas where we have no signal for our phone and will thus not be able to post every day.

Tomorrow we are heading uphill again towards (but not yet over) Willow Creek Pass. Our proposed destination is the Denver Creek Campground, a US Forestry Service facility, more than halfway up the climb. That way we will start the next morning with the worst of the climbing first, followed by a pleasant descent into Walden.