Epic Bike Ride Day 27 June 23
Thoughts from Mark: I was able to wake up a bit earlier today (thanks bladder!), and began riding at a decent time. I ended up riding 17 miles before needing a break stop, and we passed through a couple of valleys, with beautiful mountain streams/rivers running through the heart of them. One section had one of the biggest homes I have ever seen in my life. There was a main house, along with several smaller houses, and each of them looked like they could house a small army inside. I have no idea what the property (which sat on tens - maybe hundreds - of acres) was worth, but $50 million wouldn’t shock me if that was the price. It was a gorgeous house, and looked like it was dripping with money.
The rest of the day had a mix of dirt/gravel/rutted out roads, as well as some pavement. At one of the intersections, we met a southbound rider, Mark from New Zealand. He was touring, not racing, so I felt comfortable talking to him, and offering him food/beverages. He happily accepted an almond butter and jelly sandwich from Kelly, and we talked about our experiences with the ride. He said he had just been given a beer from a “trail angel,” who had dot-watched him. These are people who live near the route, and watch as riders approach. Some of the riders, myself included, use GPS enabled devices to update their location. Family (as well as strangers), can track the rider, and see where they are down to a few meters. It’s a great way to let family members know they are safe, and it makes for interesting interactions with people in the area.
Once back on the pavement, I was able to ride much faster on the flat, or downhill sections, and climb a bit easier, although some of the sections were still 10-12% grade. On one of the downhill sections I hit 45 mph! This was a bit terrifying, as I started thinking about all of the things that could go wrong at this speed. We eventually found a spot to camp off of the main road, and since Kelly wasn’t feeling too well, called it a night.
Thoughts from Kelly: Today we entered Wyoming, then Colorado again, then Wyoming and Colorado then finally we stayed in Wyoming. This stretch of road kept weaving in between states. One house even had two different addresses for both states on its mailbox! We saw lots of horses and cows today, and some streams and rivers, even snow on some north facing mountains. I have been fighting some congestion related issues lately, so I’ve been more tired than normal and not able to fully enjoy myself. Luckily, Mark has been in good spirits and taking care of me.
Miles for the day: 61.45 Feet climbed today: 5,105
Total miles ridden: 1,232.77 Total feet climbed: 85,965