Day 27

Mileage: 93

Total mileage: 2366

This morning I was up and ready to go by 6:30 so I could catch a ride into town with Brock. Before we left, he gave me a quick tour of the family growery. That's right, we're in Colorado now! Suddenly all those hydroponics and grow light shops in Pueblo made a lot more sense.

Brock drove me into town, down a stretch I had now seen three times and am convinced I could never grow bored of. Wetmore is only in the foothills and already I'm falling in love with the mountain scenery. In Florence, he treated me to a very large breakfast at the local diner before sending me on my way. I made good use of the calories today.

I said yesterday that the goal of this day would be to climb. Down in Florence I was at about 5500 feet, but it marked the start of the 95 mile ascent to the highest point on the whole trail: Hoosier Pass, elevation 11,500. And so, as you can imagine, the road today was mostly uphill.

I started by riding into Cañon City (pronounced canyon) and then took US highway 50 for 10 miles. Along the highway, there appeared all sorts of billboards for segway tours, ziplining across royal gorge and various rafting outlets. I don't know what it was about the little area feeling kitchey and touristy, but I was quite happy when I turned off onto hwy 9 and things became barren and remote again. Something about that kind of adventure tourism left a bad taste in my mouth, but I can't quite put a finger on what it is.

After I made that turn, I pretty much climbed constantly for 30 miles until I came across Currant pass at 9000 feet and started going down towards Hartsel. When I crested that pass and started to descend for a while, I entered a region known as the South Park, although I didn't know it at the time. I just looked around, laughing and grinning like an absolute lunatic. The picture I included doesn't quite capture the whole scene. What happens is, after hours and thousands of feet of climbing, you descend about 800 feet into this basin on the top of the mountains. It's like you've climbed over the tall lip of the Rockies and discovered a plateau on the other side, except that plateau is ringed by 10-13,000 foot peaks and covered in mountaintop meadows. The result was, in my humble opinion, absolutely breathtaking, like discovering a hidden valley.

After 15 rolling miles through this meadowy paradise, I was in Hartsel at the saloon for lunch. I had a massive buffalo burger (which tasted much like a beef burger) and ordered apple pie for dessert. I got peach pie, but it was still delicious. Another patron next to me also ordered apple pie and received peach, so we assumed the bartender just didn't know the difference.

From Hartsel, it was only 30 more miles to the top. It was 5p and I figured I could average 10mph and be at the pass as the sun was setting at 8, then descend the 11 miles into Breckenridge before it got too dark. I was in the small city of Alma, 6 miles below the pass, when 7 o'clock rolled around. It was already starting to get very cold and beginning to drizzle rather heavily. I was contemplating the idea of pushing on anyways when a heavy fog rolled into the area. There was no way I could see the sunset through the fog, so I decided to do the smart thing and leave the crest for tomorrow.

I snagged a pizza for dinner at a bar and went to the city 'park' where they had a little covered stage for local performances. I'm sleeping on the stage tonight and the rain is really starting to come down. It's cold too! I'm at 10,500 feet right now and just trying to take it easy so I don't get altitude sickness. All the cold weather gear I've carried across the country is finally being put to use. I'm sleeping in my hat and gloves, wearing arm and leg warmers and nestled as deeply into my sleeping bag as I can be. The one time I got up to look for a phone charger, I was shivering within seconds, so it's tightly bundled up for the night. The rain is starting to come down sideways and onto the stage, so I'm going to cover my bag with my waterproof groundcloth to keep it dry all night. Tomorrow I'll get a late start to let it warm up and then tackle that pass! G'night!

(Last picture is view from where I'm sleeping)