September 11, 2024
Day 24: Kremmling to Frisco
We were up in the dark at the RV park and packing up with plans for an early breakfast before another big day. The RV park must receive a lot of calls from cyclist because they aren’t really set up for it. They set aside a grassy patch and provided a picnic table. The restrooms had warm showers and easy access to refill water bottles and that’s all we needed.
We peddled 2.5 km to the restaurant and I was happy that I’d have my hands around a warm cup of coffee. Burr! It’s cold in the mornings and we are noticing very noticeable changes in daylight. Currently it’s dark by 7:15 pm and not light until 6:30. It limits our riding time and set up time in the evenings. We need 10 or 11 hours on the road to hit our distances.
On the road again before 8 Peter expertly circumvented the Main Street and we were back on quiet gravel roads in no time. Before this trip if you asked me if I could grind endlessly down gravel roads I’d have said no. Now, I love them. They are so peaceful running through beautiful farmland, valleys, and even mountains.
The riding was easy as we had great views so we made really great time. As we were cycling up a hill a car pulled over on the other side of the road. This was the first car we’d seen for a long while I didn’t think much of it until he came around the front holding 4 water bottles. Sweet! Another trail angel. His name was Steve and his shirt read ‘good vibes’. It was definitely good vibes as I replenished one bottle and drank a full bottle in one go. It wasn’t hot but I am always drinking a lot of water. That was a really nice exchange!
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Here’s a little happiness tip. Interacting with strangers even briefly positively impacts your own happiness. Think sidewalks, grocery stores, anywhere. Most people respond positively to a question about themselves and will engage in a quick conversation.
We kept moving after seeing Steve. The weather was great until we were in a flat spot and I stopped to refill snacks or water. Then suddenly it started pouring unexpectedly. I was in shorts and my light riding hoodie so I frantically freaked out and started yanking stuff out of my bag trying to find my rain coat. Of course it was buried. Then I cursed and thought about my phone on the front so I grabbed that as I was jamming things back in the bag. I went from peace and love to madness is a heartbeat. I got everything in and my coat on without getting too wet. The. We rode for 20 minutes and had to peel it back off because it was full sun.
We kept riding and came upon a Molybdenum mine of all things. It was set right into the side of a mountain with massive conveyors and one huge building, obviously very active but no trucks which was great. Up the hill from the mine we spotted a nice spot for a lunch break so we pushed hard to make that climb. By lunch we already had 55 km done of 100 planned for the day to get to Frisco, Colorado.
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The afternoon started with another small climb and then a massive road descent. It was the perfect grade for me to use no brakes and enjoy all the work we did getting up the hill. Unfortunately, that road ended and dumped us on a highway. The highways really are my nemesis. The road noise is deafening even with ear plugs and my hoodie pulled over my helmet. Try it sometime. Stand beside a highway. The sound levels typically exceed 80 decibels. And it’s not just the noise. The wind from the big vehicles shakes you violently at times. It’s just really, really, unpleasant.
Anyhow, we rode 15 km and got to a town called Silverthorne. This is a ski resort town because there are 5 resorts nearby, including Breckenridge that we will pass through tomorrow. They had bike lanes that were fantastic and took us off the highway and along a meandering and therapeutic river. It was the antidote to the highway. Along the way a huge pack of kids emerged on bikes. It was super cute. They all were wobbling all over the place. One little girl came screaming off a bridge in a big speed wobble. I thought for sure crash was in the cards. Nope! She saved it and kept going.
After winding through town we had a big climb still on a bike path and then followed bike paths for another 10 km in Frisco. We arrived at our motel by 3:30 which is incredibly early for us. We immediately set to showers and laundry. And then we headed for dinner and groceries. We got caught in another sudden rain event so we ducked into the first restaurant that coincidently had happy hour so we enjoyed appetizers and then walked a few kilometres to Walmart.
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At Walmart we met more Continental Divide hikers. They were all early 20s but they looked really haggard. I guess we probably look the same!
Tomorrow we have a huge pass to summit so it will be another big day of climbing. Now that we are into Colorado the scenery is really spectacular. The ski towns are of course over the top scenic with the huge infusion of cash.
Highlights:
-morning gravel ride and trail angel Steve
-road descent that went on forever
-bike lanes in Silverthorn and Frisco
-eating 4 ice cream sandwiches from Walmart
-dinner was delicious
-a bed with a pillow!
Snickers count - 12
Alcohol - 0
Motel count - 2
Distance - 100 km / 1301 m elevation gain
Today's ride: 100 km (62 miles)
Total: 2,767 km (1,718 miles)
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