June 24, 2005
Day 38: Kebler Pass to Glenwood Springs
The morning dawned cold, but clear. So I packed up quickly and said goodbye to James. The ride down from Kebler Pass was great at first. Blue sky, snow-capped mountains, wildflowers, and flying down the road.
Then I hit a long stretch where they had just put down caliche - magnesium chloride. It seals in the dust on major forest roads, but yesterday's rains had made it a slick, soupy mess. It was all over me and my bike. Salty mud. Ughhh! Then at Lost Lake Junction, there was the most spectacular field of lupines. The deep purple meadow demanded a stop. The Colorado Rockies at their best.
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It was an exhilerating ride down - mostly open with magnificent vistas. I had planned to refill my water at Erickson Campground, but discovered to my shock that the water there was more chlorinated than a swimming pool. Between the caliche and the chlorine I was beginning to get a bit aggravated with the forest service. They sure don't know how to leave well enough alone. There wasn't any water at Paonia State Park either, so I filtered some from the stream.
The ride up to McClure Pass was long and brutal. I was surprised how steep it was, but I guess all that downhill riding had to be made up somehow. It was hot and humid and no breeze. It almost felt like Alabama, not Colorado. Plus there wasn't much shade. I pulled off into a campground near the pass, put all my wet stuff out to dry, and took a nap in the shade.
After so much climbing, the elevation gained was lost in one big switchback coming down. A chocolate milkshake in Redstone helped improve my spirits. The rest of the ride to Carbondale was along the banks of the Crystal River. In past years I had had a killer tailwind. This year it was only a light breeze, but it was a fine ride, none-the-less.
I stopped by the post office and grocery store in Carbondale. It's funny, after you've been biking nearly 100 miles, you can buy everything in sight you are so hungry. I got into Glenwood Springs around 7:00 and there was Itty on the porch at the hostel. I unloaded all my stuff, took a shower, and walked downtown for a great Chinese dinner.
Today's ride: 82 miles (132 km)
Total: 1,919 miles (3,088 km)
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