July 15, 2014
Day 47 - Buena Vista to Cotopaxi: It's All Down Hill From Here......
Well fed and rested we headed out from Anne and David's wonderful cabin on the Arkansas River. They are about 28 miles south of Leadville and 9 miles north of Buena Vista in a perfect little spot. Thanks again- Anne, David and Martha for the great company and restful oasis....it was wonderful.
We were both a little excited and nervous. Seemed like way more than two and a half days since we were on our bikes. Once we pulled out of the driveway and onto Hwy 24 South the comfortable feeling came right back. For the last week or two we have been feeling so comfortable on the bikes that it almost seems abnormal off of them.
We have been hearing from so many folks (all non riders..just folks we talk to about our trip) " it's all down hill from here". Well today it nearly was. We had a few mild climbs today with a mix of headwind, tailwind and no wind. We were to Salida before noon and went to Absolute Cycles to get local knowledge on Hwy 50 and camping options. We intended to get to Canon (Canyon) City but when we reached Salida we discovered it would be another 56 miles. We were rested but still that would have been a 90+ mile day.
We learned Hwy 50 would be the most direct and least hilly way to Canon City and Pueblo. However, it would have lots of traffic and at times no shoulder. In other words kinda like a lot of Montana. We decided to take that way. It has been a really pretty ride so far. It follows the Arkansas River and has been mostly downhill. We heard there is a climb just before Canon City tomorrow and then down to Pueblo.
The daily storm started building around 1:30pm today. We again had rain gear drill....seems the best way to stop the rain is to get your gear on. The rain/thunder came and went the rest of the afternoon. We heard about this KOA and decided to head hear. This is our first Kabin of this trip. Since it was starting to storm when we pulled in we decided not to tent. Wet pack ups are just no fun. This is also the first KOA we have experienced with little to no WiFi. I will post this tomorrow or as soon as I get good service. We have had NO Sprint service since Eugene and most places we don't even get roaming.
Well, as Jack said, this was a good beginning to phase two today! We don't know what to expect from Eastern Colorado and Western Kansas. Wind and heat could be key on a daily basis.
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Today's ride: 61 miles (98 km)
Total: 1,738 miles (2,797 km)
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