Day 32: Steamboat Springs to Kremmling - 68 miles

In the morning we had a slow start, making the most of sleeping in comfortable beds instead of our small tents. At 08:00 while I was packing we were paid a visit by a couple from Amhurst New York who Sean had spoken with the previous day. They were keen to see our route and had brought an atlas so we could show them.

They were very friendly and interested in all aspects of our trip. As Sean noted later, they seemed to be in no hurry to leave and I commented that it was probably because they were retired and so time is not exactly a major issue. They were in the area to celebrate the Biblical Feast of Tabernacles. I was surprised to find that they were not Jewish but from the Worldwide Church of God. This was founded by Herbert W. Armstrong and at one point was quite large, but since his death seems to have been on the wane. They were pleased to find that I was a Seventh-day Adventist since we also worship on the Biblical Sabbath (Saturday), although we don't celebrate the Jewish feasts since they pointed towards Jesus.

Once I had my bags packed we got them out the door and headed into town for breakfast. It was forgettable. Afterwards, we returned to the room and collected all our gear; Sean to change rooms to a single, myself to head into town. Rather than hit the road quickly, I had decided to wander around Steamboat and Sean joined me.

Steamboat is a neat town and we started at the health food shop where I bought my lunch to eat later. We then went to a gallery of Thomas Magnusson. He takes the most incredible wildlife and nature photographs I have ever seen. They are just stunning and I wondered how he got the shots. There was one of a bear standing in a river with its mouth open as a jumping fish was about to enter. He also had a range of polar bear photographs, some of which Lis bought at Denver airport a few years ago and adorn our walls. I commented to Sean that it is a sign of the patience of the photographer that he must spend many days waiting for that perfect shot. If you think that he has been at it for at least 15 years and there are perhaps 100 photos in his gallery it is a sign of how many 'duds' he has. But the successes are without rival.

We then wandered up one side and down the other without going into too many shops. I could have happily dawdled about for hours but the day was getting on and I had a long ride ahead of me. We collected our bikes and cycled over to Safeway to buy some food. Since Sean is to be here for several days he stocked up on lots of 'indulgent' items like chips, dips, Oreo cookies, etc. while I got the barest minimum to see me on my way. He said that with over 30 TV channels he planned on having a relaxing time. There are also a number of other interesting distractions happening -- like a slide show from a woman who mountain biked the Iditerod snow sled race -- and several live bands playing. I'm sure Sean will have no problems keeping himself busy. After completing our shopping we parted ways, and Sean got the photo of me below about to leave the parking lot.

 

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I got directions and headed south out of town. I followed the excellent bicycle path for a while before it turned the wrong direction so from there on it was the highway which was a bit too busy for my liking. Fortunately, I turned off before too long onto a quieter county road, and then onto an even quieter road. At this point I stopped to put air inmy front tyre which was a bit too flat for comfortable riding. As I did this a towel service van stopped in front of me. I thought he was going to offer to help but he jogged past me to pick up some towel rolls that had fallen out of the vehicle as he turned the corner. I wouldn't have wanted to be the recipient of those!

The road wound past farmland, but much of it was obviously under development into residential properties. There were few farm animals but a number of properties had very expensive looking fences and entrance signs. As I approached a lake my tyre was getting flat again so I parked myself on the grass at the entrance to a resort and took the wheel off. Sure enough I had a puncture. My 'slime' had done its job well and even though the split was farily long, I had still been able to cycle with it. It looked like it happened when crossing a cattle grid -- not surprising given how uneven they sometimes are. With my tube replaced I cycled on. The photo below gives an idea of where I was heading: I needed to cross the mountains in the distance.

 

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The road continued on and eventually it became a narrow and very rough one lane road. There were many large potholes and depressions which made cycling challenging, especially when they were obscured by shadows from the trees whcih lined the road. We were next to a river and the settign was ovely. The land alternated between private and public land, and where it was public land there were ofen people fishing in the stream. It's a strange feature of the west that you can be in a public forest and there are pockets of private land. Then again, we also have that in Abel Tasman national park.

I reached Stagecoach State Park and had my lunch in the parking lot. I could see quite a few fishermen (and women) in the stream below. Fishing really does seem to be very popular here. It was great to be sitting in the sun with this beautiful nature around me. The photo below is an example of the area.

 

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The route called for me to cross the dam and the description was a bit ambiguous: I had two roads to choose from. I asked a group of fishermen if the road on the left, which was downhill, took me to the dam and they said that it did. I should have been more specific. It did take me to the dam, but to the bottom! So I needed to retrace my way uphill to my starting point and then climb the other steep hill. Ho hum.

The reservoir was relatively low, reflecting the drought they've had for the past three years. The trail wound along the edge of the reservoir and provided a couple of miles of single track riding. There was a very strong headwind for much of the way, but fortunately it was from the west and I turned south east after reaching the end of the trail.

I then began one of the long climbs that I have become all too familiar with. It was probably about 10 miles of uphill, but it was intersperced with extended flat sections which made it more bearable. The day was quite warm and I became concerned about my water supply so I stopped at a house and they kindly filled my bottles. They were a retired couple from San Diego who had moved here to escape the fast pace of life. I told them of Sean's negative experience in San Clemente and they could empathise.

From there it was up and up until I reached Lynx pass at 8,937'. Ironically, the guide called this a 'steep climb' but it was a darn sight easier than yesterday's climb to Columbine which didn't have any such comment. That is one of the frustrating aspects to the guide: you can't rely on the descriptions or the elevation profile.

The campground was just after the pass and I was not at all keen on camping out so high up so I continued on. I met some mountain bikers and stopped to ask them about the road ahead. One of them was a keen kayaker and had spent 6 months in NZ kayaking, mainly out of Rotorua but also in the South Island. He loved the place and was pleased to meet someone from there.

After our discussion I decided to go to Kremmling for the night. This was an alternative to going through Radium which would not only save me a day but also a senseless climb of several thousand feet. Another advantage would be that I would have a run along a paved road for the whole way. It's nice to have a break from gravel roads every so often.

I turned east onto Highway 134 and began another climb, this time to Gore Pass which I reached after about 1.5 h. The 9,527' elevation coupled with the fact that it was late evening made it very cold so I put on extra layers for the downhill run. On the way I was blessed to be given the most amazing views as sunset approached, lighting up the apen trees and their golden leaves. The photo below doesn't do them justice.

 

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From Gore Pass I enjoyed an 8 mile downhill run to Highway 40. The first bit was bitterly cold and my eyes were watering with the wind and the temperature; my nose and fingers numb. There was almost no traffic so I was able to take over the road, hitting speeds of just under 40 mph. I had earned this and was determined to make the most of the downhill run. Things warmed up markedly when I got towards the bottom but it took a while for me to get the feeling back in my appendages.

By the time I hit Highway 40 it was dark which was unfortunate as it was a busy route. There was an on again/off again shoulder which I took advantage of but I don't like travelling on busy roads in the dark. However, there was a full moon which gave me extra light and made for beautiful desert scenes and that made the ride more enjoyable.

I reached Kremmling safely and had a Subway sandwich to fill the hole in my stomach. I also refilled my waterbottles -- one learns to do this at every opportunity. One of the other patrons chatted with me about cycle touring. He had tried to do a trans-American trip two years ago with his wife on a tandem but quite half way. I could think of nothing worse than to do a trip such as that on a tandem. He hoped to try again in a few years; I suggested they use their own bikes.

From there I cycled over to the campground and found a tent site. The place was excellent and had delightfully hot showers. Just the thing to end a long day.

On to the next day ...

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