Thursday, Friday, and Saturday August 26-28
Thursday was a light day, left the Dutch Creek Guest Ranch late, around 10:30am for a mostly downhill run to Steamboat Springs. A little less than 30 miles and almost all on paved roads. We stopped at a section of County Road 62, John had done some research to determine roughly where David Blumenthal had his accident. This young man from Vermont, a racer in the Great Divide race this year, a husband and father of a young daughter died from running into a slow moving truck. We said a prayer for him, for his family that they will recover from this tragedy and that God will help them adjust to their new world on earth.
We made it into Steamboat Springs in time to get our bikes serviced at the Orange Peel, one of the bike shops that many of the Divide racers use. Picked up a few supplies and got ready for the next day of riding.
Friday left the hotel around 9am, stopped to get some freeze-dried dinners and me a stocking cap and some wool socks to combat my low weight, low cost sleeping bag situation. Our initial objective was to camp somewhere near French Creek, about 45 miles down the trail. Encountered our first obstacle as there was construction on the Stagecoach Reservoir dam and we had to go around the lake, adding about 5 miles to our journey. There was at least 5 miles of steady climbing to reach Lynx Pass, which after summiting provided a good ride down to meadows and a restored stagecoach inn. Had to ford Rock Creek which up to our thighs and cold. There were a lot of bow hunters getting ready for the opening of elk season the next day. These hunters sure do go to great lengths to get an elk, with a bow you have to get really close in order to have a reason chance of bagging one. Still haven't seen an elk in the wild the entire trip! It was starting to get late and we took a shot at reaching Radium, CO, which is nothing but a railroad crossing with several tracks next to the Colorado River but with a good campsite. We just barely made it down the steep descent before dark, got into the public campsite just after 8pm registering 62 miles on our "light day" and around 4600 vertical feet of climbing. Some nice folks from Winter Park gave us enough water to cook with for the evening, as the park did not provide fresh water (but did a toilet and even electricity!). That evening I felt like a hobo of yesteryear, camping next to the tracks, many trains coming through all night, waiting for my next ride. I actually slept great with my wool hat and socks!
Saturday was the normal routine of packing up, mooched a little more water from the young folks camping next to us (enough to get us to Kremmling). We said the morning prayer and hit the road. I passed by a huge boulder and thought of my oldest son Robert, he would really like to have "bouldered" that rock. As we started a gentle climb before a bigger one, I looked up at the cars passing me and saw a Jeep that looked like ours in Colorado, red, roof open, etc. I looked again and it was my son Robert driving it! He very casually say hi as he passed. I jumped off my bike disregarding the traffic and ran across the dirt road to hug him, couldn't stop hugging, tearing up, the usual emotions. Robert went to great lengths to keep his surprise uncompromised, didn't tell anyone in the family, he only let his fellow workers know the plan. Couldn't ask for a more loving, wonderful son, I just get teary-eyed thinking of all the effort he put in to meeting up with me. Oh yea, Robert brought still hot breakfast bagels with bacon, cheese and eggs that we devoured them standing on the road, never had one that tasted that good. Joe Wall, a friend from college, was with Robert so that there would be a shuttle and both of them could join us riding segments of the route the next couple of days. We met up again in Kremmling for lunch and to organize a meeting point and a campsite for the night. There was a 30 mile ride to summit Ute Pass (9,524 feet) and get down before dark so we had to get moving from Kremmling. Robert also got Alex Brandt to come up from Denver to join in, another friend from high school. Got to see him but he had to get back to Denver and couldn't join us for the ride despite bringing his bike along. Joe and Robert jumped on just before the steep climb up Ute Pass. The four of us went by the biggest mining operation I have ever seen, the Henderson mine with a massive refuse lake that has an stench to it. The lake looks like something from another planet, stagnant, surface glimmering with multicolored sludge. Sure hope the EPA has their act together on this one!
Made it to the top of Ute Pass just as a storm was coming and evening was setting in. Had to get off the pass quickly as thunder was starting to rumble. We got to the bottom of a steep, but paved run completely drenched. The campsite we had hoped to stay at was closed and would have been hard to pitch a dry tent anyway. So we took off for Silverthorn with our headlamps on riding on the wide shoulder of Highway 9, with rain and night engulfing us. After a long 10 miles we made it to the city limits, found a hotel and got a much needed hot shower. Robert and Joe showed up after going back to get the truck while John and I rode into Silverthorn. There are 6 maps of the 2,493 mile Great Mountain Bike Route, 50% of the maps done and 58% of the route ridden, we all headed out for beer, pasta and pizza right next to the hotel. I couldn't have dreamt of a better day, being so touched by my son and his thoughtfulness.
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