August 20, 2022
On the Great Divide
Moffat to Salida
It's still cold in the morning, so I'm still wearing my thermal top as my flat ride north continues. Honestly it's just repetitive, especially with the regular traffic, which is becoming busier.
When I finally start climbing it's at a gradual gradient and I imagine on a sunny day it would be an enjoyable ride. As I stop to check where I am on Maps.me, suddenly someone says hello to me. As I look up, I see a touring cyclists coming towards me. my first since Leadville but he doesn't stop to chat.
All the way up to Poncha Pass, at times, the remains of the rail formation is visible until it takes a longer route to the actual pass.
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Once over Poncha Pass, which divides the Rio Grande and Arkansas water basins, it's all steeply downhill. As I descend quickly, suddenly a couple of touring cyclists appear. As I see another cyclist, I cross the road to meet him.
He explains that the Great Divide Trail, pass through here. This mountain bike route tries to follow the continental divide all the way from Banff in Canada to the Mexican border.
As I finish a burrito in Poncha Springs, suddenly the rain arrives. After waiting half an hour in the Ponch Market, it doesn't look like stopping anytime soon, do I will continue in the heavy rain towards nearby Salida.
With my glasses fogging up, I can't see much until suddenly the rain stops on the edge of Salida. Allowing me time to join a short rail trail which takes me all the way to the Arkansas River.
Since last leaving the Arkansas at Nathrop, I have essentially nearly done a full loop, as I'm only 17 miles downstream of Nathrop.
Unlike Buena Vista, downtown Salida is right beside the scenic river. Therefore it's busy around the river, with restaurants, parks and people swimming and tubing in the river. While across the bridge over the Arkansas, other than a caboose on display, there is nothing left of the old railroad depot beside the fenced of abandoned rails.
The rain holds off for a bit but returns as I make my way to my Warmshower host's Brandi's home. She has raced the Great Divide route doing it in under 25 days. As she explains about cycling in the dark and only sleeping a few hours each day, clearly her motivation for cycling is very different to me.
Helpful she has a guide book on the Great Divide. Allowing me to learn that my up coming climb over Boreas Pass is part of this route, while I may cross paths with the route again in Wyoming. While looking at the overall route, I see that Hagerman Pass is in fact higher passes than the Great Divide route does.
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