6-9-09 ~ Today was the day we had been preparing for since California. Dan and Dietrich bared the burden of delivering the bob trailers to the base of the big climb. Than Bobby and Seth would pull the BOBs up the pass. We rode through the beautiful Curecanti National Recreation area which consisted of rocky hills and still pools of water. The ominous Monarch Pass was the route we planned to take over the Rocky Mountain range because even though it peaks at over 11,000 feat, it is considerably mild compared to other passes. It was ominous in the sense that we were told that it was a 17 mile ascent and that it was very steep in places. Our experience with mountains both in Nevada and Utah payed off when the pass turned out to actually be a mere 7.5 miles and the grade no worse than probably 7%. The main challenge turned out to be coping with thinner air and ridiculously cold temperatures at the summit. As we approached the top, we entered a cloud of snow where the moisture meets the cold mountain top. Cresting the summit at 11,312 feet, we took a break at a lodge before beginning a rewarding 20 mile descent down the other side into the town of Salida. Our first successful use of the internet to find a host via couchsurfer.com turned out to be extremely rewarding when "Uncle Bubba" offered us his entire vacation home even though he was out of town. His nephew Matt opened the house for us, where we enjoyed doing laundry, eating pancakes, seeing a breathtaking sunset on the rockies, and watching a movie before sleeping in our own beds for the first time.
stats: 88 miles , 1 flat , 1 broken spoke, first precipitation (snow)
Thanks, guys, for doing this extra work for the blog. Whichever ones are taking photographs and writing are doing a fantastic job! It's really enjoyable, even as a vicarious experience. I actually expected more exhaustion and confusion evident in the writing. Tell Seth that (June 9) night was the night that the old group met at Panera again, and we prayed for you (plural of course). Stay strong and unified.
ReplyDeleteUncle Bubba is now in Salida and is finally seeing the blog. Glad you enjoyed the house. The picture taken from the front porch with the smokestack in the distance is my favorite view. Matt says hello. I hope to meet you when we come up to State College in the fall. Good luck on the rest of the journey. We will also be praying for your trip.
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