Only thing better than a 5,000 ft climb is a 5,000 ft descent
Road work ruined descent
Huge headwind killed mileage
It's time. 6:00am and the alarm goes off. I quickly silence it to avoid waking the other guests in my hostel dorm and begin focussing my mind on what could prove to be the single most epic achievement of the trip.
The others remained asleep as I climbed down from my top bunk and collected my things. I made a slient and stealthy exit, taking great care not to forget anything. I changed into my cycling clothes, applied my chamois cream and packed my panniers. I knew that consuming too much food in the mornings makes my stomach ache, so I guzzled a Gatorade, ate a Clif bar and headed out. Soon enough I would be engaged in the climb of my life.
As I started out on the road, everything just felt slow. It seemed that I was being held back by elastic cords. It was a chilly morning and I stopped briefly to don my arm warmers. I couldn't figure out why I was moving so slow. I got enough sleep, I actively hydrated the night before, my tires looked alright, nothing was dragging behind me... What could be causing this overwhelming absence of energy? I never quite figured it out, but I spent the first 10 miles of my ride hovering around 10 mph.
It wasn't even up hill yet, but I could do nothing to accelerate and in the back of my mind I convinced myself that it was better to take it slow and conserve energy for later. So I plugged along at a stiff and still somewhat difficult 10mph. Soon I realized that I had begun the actual climb. There were no signs or indicators, but I could see on the map that I had entered the zone of constant ascent toward the summit.
I didn't feel so bad about exerting effort once I knew that it was contributing to the cause. The road would slightly bend upward and then level off a bit, and it continued it this manner for the entire length. At one point, I saw a sign indicating that the summit was 6 miles from that point. I had already been working for a couple hours, and at my pace, six miles would take just over another hour. With a few short breaks for water, I figured I'd be at the top by 11:00. I rolled out at 7:15 and got off to a pretty slow start, so that seemed like pretty good time with all things considered.
The mountain scenery was very dramatic and at times extremely dangerous. There were few guard rails and most times the road just dropped off. It was that way in the Appalachians, but the cliff off the side of the road was usually less than fifty feet which would probably still mean certain death for a biker, but out here, a spill off the side would result in a plummet of about 1,000 feet. As the road winded up the side of the mountain range, looking over the edge revealed the steep and unforgiving slope to the base of the mountain. I certainly did not want to discover what peril would be in store for one unfortunate enough to take a wrong turn.
I pushed onward up the mountain, enduring thousands of passing RV's and trucks. There were moments of total silence in which I was alone to enjoy the sound of my tires rolling along the pavement and the ever-stunning view in all directions. The vehicles seemed to come in waves. I would notice a truck approaching in my mirror and it would almost always be followed by a procession of smaller vehicles limited by it's speed. The road usually provided little shoulder room, so I was often precariously balancing just inside of the gravel at roads edge. Once the bike goes into the gravel, it can be quite difficult to get it back up onto the pavement, so it usually requires a full stop and reset.
Obviously, I made it up alive. Seeing the gift shop as I rounded the final twist energized my legs anew and I experienced a slight boost in velocity toward the summit. At the peak sat a gift shop and cafe which having heard about previously was one of my greatest motivators to reach the top. The thought of an ice-cold Gatorade and maybe an Orange Juice kept my legs pushing up those ten arduous miles. What a sight. To know that I had reached the summit brought a smile to my face.
I stopped to snap a picture of the altitude sign and with great haste steered directly for the cafe. The food choices were a little disappointing, but all I really desired was that sweet, salty, colored water.
Just what I needed. A few drinks and some headphone time really hit the spot. I put on my favorite opera duet and repeated it a few times as I sat in relaxation for about an hour and a half.
The only thing more satisfying than conquering a 5,000 foot climb is a 5,000 foot descent. This is really the moment I have been waiting for. In the Appalachians, you climb for fifteen minutes and descend for fifteen seconds and start it all over again. Out here, you climb for ten miles, and you get ten miles of payoff. It's actually enough time to rest the legs and enjoy the speed.
With great eagerness, I mounted the bike and prepared for the best ten miles of the route. Within a few seconds of starting down the mountain, I had reached 33mph. The speed limit was 35, so I felt absolutely no shame in taking up the entire lane. I cruised with ease for about two miles before I saw a sign for upcoming road work. Soon enough, I saw a line of cars formed about a quarter mile ahead. I applied the brakes and tried not to get disappointed by my glorious descent coming to an abrupt end.
I ended up stopping completely and waiting for about five minutes behind an enourmous truck. Once we finally started moving, it was only slowly and with frequent pauses. I rode the brake for the next five miles with nothing to look at but the back of this truck. It really put a damper on what was supposed to be not only my big payoff, but also imporatant mileage that I had planned to cover in no time at all.
Eventually, the traffic eased up and I was able to cruise again, but only for another couple miles. It was still fun, but it would have been nice to enjoy the entire ten miles.
Once the terrain levelled off at the base of the mountain, I figured I'd be able to move at a pretty good clip since the elevation was still generally downhill. Naturally, after about two satisfying minutes of 20mph, I got a huge headwind which took me right back down to 9mph. It never let up.
My goal was to do 110 today, but I only did 78. I don't feel too bad, but I really wanted to make that happen. If it weren't for the wind, I have no doubt that I would have reached it, but alas, I made it to Gunnison and decided to wrap it up.
I found another really cool hostel full of outdoorsy people. It seems like everyone in Colorado is active. One guy even described obese people as an endangered species in this state. Every single house has multiple bikes out front, most have some other type of sporting equipment visible, and presumably others have equipment stored out of sight. Everything from kayaks, rafts and canoes to mountain bikes, skis and snowboards. That doesn't even cover the immense popularity of hiking and trail running out here.
Every town I have been to is full of inviting, active, and progressive people. Everyone "gets it". No one looks at me with confused glances because in Colorado, everyone is involved in some sort of wild activity. This state is great enough to cancel out the rest that I have been through.
Colorado has it's flaws, but overwhelmingly it is a peaceful and easy-going place.
Location:Gunnison, CO
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