Day 21…McPhee Lake to Telluride, CO
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What a great night’s sleep overlooking McPhee Lake. We woke up with the sunrise and rode into Delores. It is a nice little town on a fast moving river. My source for bike racing on this trip, Mark Cooney, says it is a mecca for kayaking.
We had a great breakfast at the Ponderosa (not the old steak place!) and I stopped at the library to update the blog while Jerry pushed on.
Just as I was finishing my entry, I hear someone call my name. Mathu from Holland has once again surfaced! Apparently she was sleeping in her travelling home, the Silver Spirit (an old Toyota wagon) behind the building next door to the library. She saw my bike and thought I might be in there.
She told me of her latest adventures and we parted ways in front of the library. Meeting her and experiencing her joy for life has been one of the highlights of this trip. It’s all about the people, isn’t it? I am sure we will meet again during this lifetime when I can listen to more of her stories.
The climb today was long, but the grade was very forgiving. At many point I was climbing at 12-14 mph, not bad for being fully loaded. Watch out Java Jive Double Expresso riders! When I return in September I’ll be faster than ever!
Did you ever put playing cards in your spokes when you were a kid to get that snapping sound that was soooo cool? There are grasshoppers up here that make the same sound when they fly!
The cottonwood seeds were flying like snow, and at times piling up like it too. They tickle your nose when you inhale them too.
About mile 29, the grade increased and I had not caught Jerry yet. I keep seeing these big rodents in the fields…two times the size of a squirell, yet half as big as a woodchuck. Marmots maybe?
I finally found Jerry in Rico, a small town that seems to be experiencing a housing boom and a declining business climate. It was hard to find food, and we had to settle for a Conoco gas station where they charged outrageous sums for stuff. The hot dogs were on the rollers so long they were black…yum!
I pushed on to Telluride, where we anticipating camping at Town Park. What we did not know was that the entire place was being eaten up by the Bluegrass Festival. Sounds like fun, but it would not start for days. I stopped at the Visitor Center and they guided me to a nice condo for only 75 bucks…a great deal.
We rode 77 miles today; I was on the bike 6 hr, 14 min and averaged 12 mph.