Days 13-17

Sep. 12th, 2010:

Jensen, UT to Craig, CO

Today we had a sour start as both of the valve stem extenders that we had bought and were now using broke. Then as we crossed the Utah/Colorado border we found out that instead of only having the planned 47 miles left we really had 90 miles which was definitely demoralizing. Yet as the day wore on our spirits lifted and another flat tire didn’t phase us. The desert soon turned into rolling hills, we met an enthusiastic cyclist named Mel, and reach our destination as the sun was setting. So today we put another 110 miles under our belts and basked in the glory of the opportunity that we had to prove that it could be done fixed gear style.

Sep. 13th, 2010:

Craig, CO to Outside Kremmling, CO

Today we rode from Craig, CO and for the morning had a moderate head wind. We reached Steamboat  Springs, CO around 2:00 P.M.. After yet another flat tire we were able to eat lunch and restock on tubes with the correct valve stem length. Following this we crossed rabbit ears pass and muddy pass. The first was over 9,000 ft in elevation and the second was over 8,000 ft, both along the continental divide. After this we
realized we had gone slightly too far as there was no more national forest only private property, so tonight we are sleeping right off the road behind dirt mounds that hide us pretty well.

Sep. 14th, 2010:

Outside Kremmling, CO to Fraser, CO

Today we left our campsite behind the dirt and quickly found our way into Kremmling, CO where we were able to buy food for lunch and use the restrooms. From here it was a fairly easy ride to Granby, CO where we ate our lunch and continued the easy ride to Winterpark, CO where we had planned to camp for the night. However when we reached the campground it was closed for the season so we back-tracked and ended up meeting a man who offered to let us stay at his home, which we accepted. Tonight we are staying with Blair and his wife Rachel with much gratitude as other campspots in the area were non-existent. Tomorrow we will reach Denver, CO and leave the continental divide behind us for good.

Sep. 15th, 2010:

Fraser, CO to Denver, CO

Today was a great day. First we woke up early and watched the sun rise as we climbed up Berthoud pass with an elevation of 11,300 ft.  We made our descent out of the continental divide and we were able to follow bike paths or frontage roads most of the way to Denver, CO.  We rode past the Coors brewery, and are staying with Brady (the son of the people we met and stayed with in Fraser, CO). We went to the El Camino for dinner which is on 32nd and we would recommend to anyone. Overall it was a great day and we feel blessed to have met the people we did.

Sep. 16th, 2010:

Denver, CO to Cherry Creek S.P. Denver, CO

Today we tried to sleep in but could not sleep past 7:00 am, so we packed our bags and waved goodbye to Brady’s house as we navigated our way through Denver to the REI Flag Ship. Here we got more tubes and a more user-friendly bike pump. We then followed scenic Cherry Creek bike path all the way to Cherry Creek State Park. We set up our tent, removed our gear, and set out in search of food for the next couple of days. The rest of our day was spent peacefully doing nothing. Great rest day.