Day 42

We woke up and got ready to go across the street for breakfast. The hotel, most expensive of the trip so far, offered us a $5 voucher for the cafe across the street. We stepped outside and was hit in the face with smoke. We knew the wild fires are raging in California, and the are a few smaller ones close by in Canada but this smelt like we were standing at the camp fire. We walked across the street talking about what this may mean for our day. 

The cafe was a hipster kind of place with fancy breakfast names and smoothes. However looking over the counter we could see piles of remade eggs and other bad hotel breakfast foods at $14 dollars a plate. For $9… including the voucher we can get a plate of pre-made eggs, or a waffle, A waffle. We were less then thrilled. 

After breakfast back to the room to finish getting ready. I re-looked at the map, now having smelled outside, double checking our route was not on fire. 

We checked out and headed on our way. Again a few quick turns and it was as if the town never was. 

The road, and as such, we meandered along the river westward. The river looked smaller today. Was this just new eyes? Things change with a day but we rode along the huge lake for almost the entire day, then the river for rest. When we rode along the river it almost looked like we were now on the other side of the lake. Now the river looks, well like a river. 

We crossed the river two more times and passed a dam. The rive felt like it would never end but a turn or two and we were climbing away. The road went up, and up. There wasn’t much fan fair, just climbing. We marveled at the signs requiring snow tires and chains from September through March. Where are we heading in the smokey hills? The air was crisp, in the cool the smoke was less apparent. There were turns and climbs, snaking their way up the mountain side.  

As we made our way to the crest there was another turn, leading to another crest, to another turn. We wanted to climb the Rockies, now we have a climb. It wasn’t the craziest thing ever but it felt unrelenting. Just when it wouldn’t be too steep, the shoulder would turn to shit. When the shoulder was nice there was a big turn in the road. I don’t want to complain, and it’s still a day out on the bike but it was a lot.

When we finally got to the real crest it was clear that this was the top. It was cold. We put on our jackets and got ready for the drop. We rode ahead to another climb. While stopped it was comfortable, maybe little cool, while climbing it was hot, but in any down it was cold… not cool, cold. Mid August and it is cold! I can’t imagine February. 

We rode ahead to find what must be the finally drop. Though we have been tricked before, this really looks like it. We ride ahead, seeing signs for test breaks and 8% down grade… This must be it. And voom! This is it we are flying down this mountain pass. Twists and turns with a just retaining wall between us and the mountain side. It was still smokey leaving the views a different kind of beauty… with mystery. As we bombed this hill my hands were grew colder and colder. I soon started to loos feeling in my left hand. I needed to look to see if I was in fact breaking because I couldn’t tell what my hand was doing! August! There was a plato with a bridge where we stopped to chat about the drop and I could pull out the full finger gloves Jerry gave me early on in the trip that I thought… I’ll never need these. 

After adding gloves and a quick chat we proceed to the next drop. Only 6%. All of the time we lost on the up, we are now making up. Luckily the shoulder was good. Having to navigate the twists and turns at speed while needing to avoid cracks or gravel. The views were amazing, despite being covered in smoke. Actually they might have been little scary, had there been a clear view of how far the fall could be. 

It was so nice and pretty fun to have that long of a down hill. We earned it but a nice long down hill like that was a nice way to end the day. 

As we made our way toward town we were still on some steep hills. At one point I saw a turn off with a steep hill down to a small lake side town… Is that our town?!?!? JERRY!!!! JEEEERRRRRYYYY!!!! At 30 miles + / hour on a windy hill… Why can’t he hear me? I just hope I can catch up, and get us to stop to check the map before we get too far down the hill, and have to climb back up. We stop and I check the map, luckily our town is still ahead. Now, while I’m checking the map I hope I can remember the name of the hotel I called this morning. I can’t. I look at my call log for the number and go to the hotel list I was working off of to find the number of the hotel I spoke to. 4 miles ahead on the left. 

We ride into town. This looks much more like where the hotels would be then when I was afraid we missed our turn. We ride up to the hotel and see the no vacancy sign thankful we called ahead. While we dis-mounted a man approached us asking where we were coming from, and asking if we had a reservation. I said, yes, I spoke to you, this morning? He said I don’t really answer the phones, maybe my wife. DO I say, no this was a man I spoke to? I’ll just go inside and ask. She asks if the reservation could be under a different name. I ask if they number is ….. 85. She says ….85, thats the Park Lane down the road a mile. You have their number memorized? Well when your both hotels and you phone numbers are 85 or 58 you get a lot of over lap. So back one mile, but of all the things 1 mile back isn’t the worst. 

Week 6

Total Distance      : 2,919.15

Average Speed     : 11 MPH

Maximum Speed  : 37 MPH 

Elevation Gain      : 97,051  Feet

Max Elevation      : 5,081 Feet

( All stats were obtained using Map My Ride) 

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MikeDiazTheFirst

Mike was born in Queen, New York to a blue collar family. An avid self educator, artist, and traveler he’s traveled around the globe three times while immersing himself in the culture of 48 different countries and counting.  Read about his journeys and musings here.

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