Today was a tale of two rides. The first fifteen miles were extremely challenging. It didn't help that I woke up to a flat tire. It was a good, old fashioned "hotel flat." If you ask me, I think Larry slashed my tire in the middle of the night. I am pretty sure he has it out for me, and I might have to start sleeping with one eye open to ensure my safety, and, more importantly, the safety of my bike (just kidding).Anyway, back to the ride. The headwinds, a constant in this area because of Black Canyon, were in full force during the first fifteen miles. This first leg also consisted of a pretty intense climb to Cerro Summit, one of several summits of the Rocky Mountains. After cresting, the wind calmed down, we had a nice descent into the town of Cimarron -- home to one of the greatest pieces of pie I have ever eaten.
During last night's route rap, we were notified of the top quality pies that the Pleasant Valley Store had to offer. And who am I to turn down delicious pie? As you can probably tell from the picture above, I was "proud to partake of their pecan pie!" It truly was worth the pit stop.
Fortunately, after the pie, I was able to burn those calories right off with another climb to the Blue Mesa Summit. Here, I filled up my water bottles and continued to pedal away. I enjoyed another nice descent into the lonely town of Sapinero. The descent gave way to a gradual climb as we approached Gunnison.
Ordinarily, I would not classify myself as a big sightseeing guy -- I am usually not an outdoorsy type. But the ride from Blue Mesa until I reached the hotel in Gunnison was absolutely gorgeous. It sounds corny, but there were points along this stretch where I had goosebumps -- it was that breathtaking.
It made the miserable fifteen miles that began our day seem more than worth it. I tried my best to capture some of the scenes in the photos from the day, but, once again, I am concerned that they are not an accurate portrayal of what I saw today. Enjoy them anyway!
Big day tomorrow: we are climbing to Monarch Pass -- an elevation of 11,312 feet -- and we will reach the continental divide. Bring it on!
Albert Einstein said: "“Creating a new theory is not like destroying an old barn and erecting a skyscraper in its place. It is rather like climbing a mountain, gaining new and wider views, discovering unexpected connections between our starting points and its rich environment. But the point from which we started out still exists and can be seen, although it appears smaller and forms a tiny part of our broad view gained by the mastery of the obstacles on our adventurous way up.”
ReplyDeleteTravel safe. Love ya, D
Did you sing about the pie like you do at Hurley family dinners? ("Pudding pie, pudding pie, pudding pie!")Either way, I am going to pretend you did...
ReplyDeleteLOVEU!
Pecan pie bit is hilarious. Good touch!
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