June 19, 2014
Day 11: Poncha Pass
We had our first big pass today, or at least I had MY big pass today. Leo did some climbing in the east, though without that little distraction called "altitude."
Before that we rolled out from our gravel campground early and had a great breakfast in Salida; updated journals, checked email, Leo skyped Steph, then got some work done on his bike at a bike shop right next door...
Then it was time for Poncha Pass. It wasn't horrible. It topped out at 9000-plus feet and was 7-miles long. A good stretch of the legs. Ha!
From there it was down into a large valley. Of course we had a headwind. What else? We made it to Villa Grove around 3:00pm in search of lunch and groceries for the upcoming rest day. And it was there we met Melissa, who started riding in Spain and hasn't stopped yet. She is American and taught school in Spain for 11 years, then just, you know, decided to ride home. Any questions?
We didn't have time to chat long. We were headed to a resort type place for a rest day and a woman offered to give us a lift in her SUV so we didn't have to navigate a gravel road, uphill, into a headwind. Still, it was inspiring to talk to her. It made me dream of bigger and better things, on a bike that is.
(BTW, the last couple of days my pic have had a little splotch right in the middle of them. I think I have the problem solved but that doesnt help the current batch already taken)
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Today's ride: 42 miles (68 km)
Total: 708 miles (1,139 km)
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