October 10, 2003
Friday Oct 10: Cuneo to Isola, France: Wow, are these mountains high or what!
When I got up this morning, I was very quiet indeed. I tiptoed downstairs to the front office, gave back my key, got the bike ready, and quietly headed out imperceptibly into the clear-skied twilight. I was trying to leave behind whatever bug I had and did not want to wake it.
Though I was not terribly strong, I was able to comfortably cycle, so cycle I did. I made sure I ate enough, and drank enough. I did not push too hard. And before I knew it, I was well on my way up the Colle della Lombarde, at 2351 m.
The going was fine until I had about 8 km to go, then the combination of my weakness, the height, the steepness, and the day's distance made the last bit rather strenuous. But, as always, I took my time and made it.
The views all day were stupendous - the sun washing down over the jagged peaks, the forests changing from dense deciduous, to pine, to straggly shrubs and finally to simple alpine grasses as I approached the summit.
At the summit I really enjoyed my ham and cheese sandwich that I had cleverly packed in the morning, not really expecting restaurants at the peak of a mountain.
The ride down was like the others - hairy and scary. What was really neat was that this side (France) was absolutely covered with ski slopes... ideas for later on!!
I raced over innumerable switchbacks until I came to Isola, a tiny village of about 200 perched in the French Alps, and immediately went to a restaurant to order a croque monsieur. Finally, after having heard about them for some years now.
Today's ride: 74 km (46 miles)
Total: 2,456 km (1,525 miles)
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