Distance: 61 miles Sargent, CO to Texas Creek, CO
Ride Time: 4:59
Average Speed: 12.1 mph
Maximum Speed: 34 mph
Altitude Gain: 3272 feet
Average Temperature: 80
Today we accomplished a big goal. We crossed the Continental Divide. This was done by leaving Sargent, CO and after climbing what seemed like forever, I was greeted by a sign that said “Uphill for the next 6 miles” In my mind it seemed like the sign said “next 8 miles” as the road went on forever. It was cold and windy at the summit. Kathie and I took some pictures at Monarch Pass – elevation 11,312. I decided to go ahead while she climbed the mountain behind the pass. There is a tram going up this portion of the mountain, but because of the Covid-19, it was not operating. She started out with a few other people, most of them on mountain bikes. None of the other hikers went to the summit. She placed a rock on the cairn at the top and took a video.
Because of traffic and cross winds, the descent was not nearly as fun as I thought it would be. The two lane road down the east side of the pass has no shoulder and the drivers would just keep passing three abreast, always cutting into my riding space. The drop offs were not always supported by guard rails. It was more of an aging ride than a fun ride.
At the end of the down hill, we went through a town that had posters up for a girl that went for a bike ride a few weeks ago and has never returned or been found. It makes me feel mighty glad for the blessings we enjoy. Colorado, for the most part, has the best shoulders on their roads and except for the gravel, the shoulders are a good place to ride. Once, just before I quit for the night, a guy with a utility trailer pulled too close and I had to take to the weeds off of the shoulder. I was blessed to have a good slope off the side of the road.
For the rest of the day we went down next to the Arkansas River. It was fun, when there wasn’t traffic, to watch the rafters and kyakers floating the river.
Since tomorrow is Sunday, we always try to find somewhere that I can work on the blog that has internet capabilities. The KOA campground did not have the a 30 amp plug-in, but recommended a place a little further down the road that worked out great for us. We made some good friends there. The next morning when we awoke, we found that they had left us with their table cloth. We also enjoyed walking a rope bridge across the river.
ThruUSA2 