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Friday Sept 6         Cycling Day 54

 

           Rangely (Colorado) to Fruita (Colorado)

Distance:  (Km). 125

Time:  6:00

Average Speed: (Km/ hr). 21.0

Ascent:  (m). 1103

Heart Rate: (beats / min). 113

Cumulative Distance:   (km). 5958

Cumulative Ascent :  (m). 49,259

Punctures so far : 4

Another day of climbing and finishing in big heat.

Calm night last night but a bit of rain around 2am and a few loud slaps of thunder. But ground dry as I arose and the tent dry.

At breakfast it was very mild and I decided to just use the lightest jacket I have for the start of the day. By 8am that was off and at the end of the day I’d have liked to shed more, except decency prohibited.

Pipeline

For the first 55 km it was a steady pull with average of 1% as we moved up along Pintado Canyon, a wide valley that once had a river along its course. The road was interesting on both sides. I had the ruggedness of the rock formations once at the bottom of a tropical sea and also the many oil and gas plants all feeding into a pipeline running along by the highway. 

We were advised to look out for the Waving Hands, carvings on the soft stone from way back indicating habitations along here. I spotted some and others were signposted from the road.

Generally the road surface was good but frost cracks running across did have its effect on the saddle area. Just that little clunk, clunk every 10 metres becomes annoying especially on a road with a constant gradient. It becomes noticeable after a while.

The start

From Riders Meeting last evening we were aware that todays profile was an inverted V. All was gradual from start to 55km and then the serious stuff kicked in. For the next 5km as the road twisted around corners it varied from 7 to 11%. At least it wasn’t extremely warm and we were in the shade most of the time. 

I made good steady progress up along here and had the opportunity to take out the camera and shoot off a few images as I cycled along. Once around one corner a further lift appeared again and again. The only thing I trusted was the Garmin giving me the altitude. Top was at 2510m and I held no positive hopes till I neared that figure. 

In time it (Douglas Pass)  appeared but the climb punished till the bitter end. Just 100 m from the top my Garmin was registering a gradient of 8.5%. Reaching the top is a high and all the pain is so soon forgotten. Just a moment to salivate over that road sign indicating a steep descent. Breathing returns to normal very quickly at this stage.

Lunch ahead.

Lunch wasn’t at the very top as it was too windy but about 500 m on the descent before we lost the run of ourselves. A welcome break to replenish calories and compare reactions to that climb. Some thought it the toughest yet, but I reckon that Teton Pass was tougher and more demanding. And a nice view of the valley that lay ahead of us.

Lunch stop above.

The start of the descent was very steep over open ground and I just like to take my time along here   and enjoy the views above and below. Later on the drop was more gradual and then I just let her go.

Geoff and I cycled along in close proximity along the lower part of the descent. That descent lasted for 29 km. At the top of that climb (i.e  at 60 km ) my Garmin read 938m climbed. At 89 km it still read 938m climbed.

From 89 till the end there were a few up and downs but nothing major. Once we came out of that valley it was back onto flat open countryside and the temperature increasing. 

In Loma there were a few irrigation canals and an amount of tillage in operation. Up in BC I thought  I had seen the ultimate with 101 Road, but just between Loma and Fruita I came across one more bizarre....15 1/2 Road.

I arrived close to the campground just at 2 but dropped into Burger King for the air conditioning as much as the coke. It was grand till I started to feel a bit cold. Out I go and I’m met with this blast of heat. Never happy!

Tonight is my last camping night. I have a nice spot with a shaded picnic table by the lake looking westwards.

At Riders Meeting I asked to say a few words as it’s the last time we’ll all be together. I spoke of my enjoyment of the trip, wished them well to Panama and assured them my bike won’t be idle when I get home.

Behind me after dinner were some dark clouds shedding rain and showing a beautiful rainbow dropping right down to my tent. Isn’t that nice!

As I’m finishing printing this the sun is shedding its last light straight ahead of me as I look out from my office in Fruita.

So tomorrow I face into my last cycling day, a long one but not too much ascending. Only worry is the direction of the wind. 

Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy.