Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 30-June-11
Mileage: 64 miles
Climbing: 510’ (Climbing? Really??)
Weather: Hot. Sunny. Hot. Few clouds. Hot. Windy all day. Hot. Primarily right rear quartering, so sorta tailwind-ish. Did I say hot? Temps started at a balmy 75 in the morning and ramped up quickly to over 100. I believe the high for the day was 108.
Highlights of the day:
This was a short, simple day, as will be this blog entry. Terrain was mostly flat with a few rollers (see climbing numbers above). The complicated directions included a right out of the motel on Highway 56 and ride 26.8 miles to SAG stop at rest area on the right. Ride ~38 more miles and then take a left into the motel. Or, even better, stop on the right at our second Braums. Today was another cappuccino chocolate chip shake. Sa-weet!
Last but certainly not least. We all learned that there is no ‘fear’ in McPherson. It is pronounced mic-FIR-son. (Or would that be fur or fer? Hmmm…) Very adamant are these locals on the pronunciation of the town. Gee, unlike any of several towns I can name in Massachusetts?? Ah well, new things to learn.
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 29-June-11
Mileage: 87 miles
Climbing: 280’
Weather: Sunny, windy, and hot. Winds mostly out of the SSW.
Highlights of the day:
We started the day by “Getting outta Dodge!” Not exactly original but it’s what they do around here. So we jumped back on Rte 50 and headed east.
I’d like to take a moment to say “Thank you Mother Nature!” A little tailwind to speed the day along. Ok, a lot of tailwind. 20-30 mph tailwind. It definitely helped get riders in early which was warmly (??) welcomed with the heat wave that’s found us.
Temperatures are in and will continue to be in the 100-110 range for the next few days. Lots of talk about staying hydrated, not riding alone, finding shade, and all things related to riding safely in this heat.
We enjoyed more stockyard overlooks. Heard (herd?) from locals that the two stockyards in Dodge City process over 8 million head of cattle a year and 10,000 a day. That’s a lot of beef.
Edwards County Sod House & Museum was our first SAG stop of the day. This location marks the halfway point between New York & San Francisco. Not halfway on our ride yet – that’s in two days. The museum has a house made of sod and a bicycle used back in the 1800s to ride from New York City to Kinsley, KS.
Many riders ended their ride at Braums. Ice cream. Milk shakes. A Cappuccino Chunky Chocolate Yogurt Shake for me. Need I say more??
Gettin’ outta Dodge.
Hay!
Lower back stretch or greeting ritual from the UK. Not sure.
Braums!
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 28-June-11
Mileage: 51 miles
Climbing: 650’
Weather: Sunny and hot. Temps in the mid 70s worked their way up into the mid 90s.
Highlights of the day:
We have now entered the working part of the tour. The mountains have given way to the wide open spaces of the high plains. Temperatures are going up. Days are getting longer. And riders are realizing that riding day after day is a real challenge. Hey, we don’t call it the Cross Country Easy! 
While today’s route was a welcomed and well-earned short 50 miler, Mother Nature thought it would be more enjoyable with a 20+ mph headwind. Refer to the notes above re: the working part of the tour.
Scenery consisted of wheat fields, silos, and enormous feedlots. One feedlot even rated a scenic overlook. The locals refer to the, um, aroma of feedlots as the smell of money. Seems these feedlots were cranking out a fair amount of cash! Historic Markers pointed out non-cattle related sights today where, if you looked very, very closely, you could see wagon ruts on the Sante Fe Trail. They also offered amazing views of the high plains that just go on and on and on. A continuous carpet of lush green plains grass dotted with cows.
The Clark Pharmacy in Cimarron provided a tasty midway point. Some riders enjoyed a smoothie Cimarron style, blended soda and ice cream at the soda fountain. Others dug into the thick milkshakes with blueberries or key lime. It’s safe to say that the soda fountain made a pretty penny off of this tour today. We do try to support local businesses!
Gerard held a basic training camp or Bicycle Rodeo for the riders. Skills such as emergency stops & turns, rock dodging, and safely looking over the shoulder were covered.
Our day ended in Dodge City. “The Wickedest City in the West” or “Cowboy Capital of the World.” Some riders enjoyed a little entertainment, old West style, at the Boot Hill Museum. They were treated the gen-u-ine gunfight and the World Famous Long Branch Variety Show featuring Miss Kitty and her Can-Can dancers. When in the Rome???
Where there is ice cream…
There are bicycles…
And happy cyclists eating ice cream!
You can almost see the curve of the earth. Yes?
Gettin’ inta Dodge.
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 27-June-11
Mileage: 104 miles
Climbing: 1000′
Weather: Sunny and warm. Lots of wind. Temps rose in the afternoon to the lower 90s.
Highlights of the day:
The riders completed their second back-to-back century days with 120 miles yesterday and “only” 104 miles today. Mother Nature stepped up to make it a bit more challenging with the strongest winds of the tour to date or at least the strongest non-favorable winds to date. Heavy cross and headwinds. Mostly of the front quartering from the left type with some in your face tossed in for the last 20 miles.
We crossed our 4th border into our 5th state of the tour when we entered Kansas. I now think I know what inspired Emerald City’s skyline. Silos from a distance. Paint them green. Add a few poppies and we’re off to see the wizard! After several days in the mountains of Colorado, the endless skies and horizons were quite the change. We couldn’t quite see the curve of the earth but it was easy to imagine. And rollers. A new type of climbing for this group that became accustomed to long gradual hills. It’s a different type of pace that takes a different type of planning. A skill that they will find very useful in Missouri!
Tomorrow will be a shorter day with a slightly later start. Talk of sleeping in until 6:00am. Luxurious!
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 26-June-11
Mileage: 120 miles
Climbing: 1100’
Weather: Cool 60s to start. Hot 100s to end.
Highlights of the day:
After a day off in Pueblo, no time was spent ramping the intensity back up with a 120 mile ride into Lamar. Mother Nature helped in one respect with a bit of a tailwind but also really challenged us with temperatures up into the low 100s. With very few climbs and an overall drop in elevation, many riders came in with some of their fastest 100+ mile rides to date. Nice!
We said our final good-byes to the mountains of the west. They did loom in the background for a few miles but they were quickly replaced by unending fields of wheat and corn. After 75 miles, the view was flat to the horizon in all four directions. We’re not in Kansas yet but it’s sure starting to feel like it. Riders experienced their first major stockyards of the tour, with all the sights and smells.
We have another 100+ mile route tomorrow. Time to restock our energy stores (aka EAT!) and get some rest. G’night!
CCC Day 21: Pueblo, CO
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 25-June-11
Mileage: 0
Weather: Sunny and hot, near 100.
Highlights of the day:
Our second day off. A well earned day off. The riders are again on their own today. Talk is of visiting local bike shops, seeing the NSRA’s Rocky Mountain Street Rod Nationals, doing laundry, and exploring the sights of Pueblo. The staff is busy to sending off departing riders, greeting new riders, and getting the vehicles cleaned & prepped for the next segment.
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 24-June-11
Mileage: 94 miles
Climbing: 2500’
Weather: Sunny and warm in the morning. Edged up towards 100 in the afternoon.
Highlights of the day:
After two challenging days of climbing, this morning was a welcomed gift to the riders. Our day started with a ride along the Arkansas River through the Big Horn Sheep Canyon. The scenery was, again, absolutely beautiful. Every rider said something with lots of superlatives about the route as he or she came into the first SAG stop. Downhill. A tailwind. Sunny. And just stunning.
Our first SAG stop was at the Five Points Recreation Area. A wide spot in the road with a great view of the Arkansas River and the smiling, giggling, and screaming white water rafters. This year seems to be record breaking all over the West in terms of water flow on the rivers, including the Arkansas River and local rafting companies are loving it!
Every mile can’t be downhill, so about 8 miles after the first SAG stop, the riders had the ‘big climb’ of the day. A gradual 3-mile climb that culminated with a non-technical, wide-shouldered descent into Cañon City (pronounced Canyon). It was fast and fun. Some riders opted for the optional trip to Royal Gorge just before heading into Canon City. It boasts one of the highest suspension bridges in the world. A double-digit grade to get to the gorge was rewarded with some spectacular views and another descent back on to the route.
On exiting Canon City, we were welcomed to the high plains with wide-open spaces and rollers that just don’t quit. Mother Nature tossed in two things to make these last 30+ miles a real challenge. First, she sent summer our way. The unseasonably cool temperatures of the past few weeks are gone for now. Temperatures reached towards 100 and it seems they will stay there for the next few days. Second, she tossed in a nice head to front-quartering wind. Riders came into the hotel looking a little spent from their efforts. All seemed to be excited about that fact that tomorrow is a non-riding day.
Today is the last day of our second leg. We said good-bye to the 3 riders who have been with us since San Francisco. Tomorrow is a day to rest up and prep for the next leg that will take us into and across the state of Kansas.
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 23-June-11
Mileage: 66 miles
Climbing: 4650’
Weather: Cool in the 40s to start. Warmed to the upper 80s in the afternoon in the lower elevations.
Highlights of the day:
To start today’s blog entry, we’d like to send out a big thank you to the families of our riders who have sent yummy baked goods to extend and improve our SAG food selection. Martha & Sarah Collins and Cindy & Robin Goerke added their home-baked touch to our SAG stops into Montrose and Salida. A little slice of home is always a welcome addition. Thank you!!
And now for the rest of the day…
The route started out with a 30-mile warm-up through lush green ranch land with meandering rivers surrounded by mountains. The climb was relatively gradual, going up about 1000’ over 30 miles. After 32 miles, the gentle climb quickly morphed into our big climb of the day, up and over Monarch Pass. The riders climbed nearly 3000’ in 9 miles to reach an elevation of 11,312’.
The summit of Monarch Pass brought us to our highest point in the ride and the crossing of the Continental Divide. For those who needed a little more elevation and an even more stunning view, an aerial tram took them to the top of Monarch Ridge (~12,000’) to see an even wider view of the surrounding peaks.
After all that climbing, it was time to reap the rewards with a beautiful, 6-mile 6% descent on a relatively non-technical course. WAAAA-HOOOOOO!!!!!!! This was followed by 17 more miles downhill all the way to the hotel with a tailwind. Thank you Mother Nature!
A little re-shoeing at the SAG stop.
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 22-June-11
Mileage: 63 miles
Climbing: 5100’
Weather: Mid-70s and sunny.
Highlights of the day:
Today was just gorgeous. Scenery. Weather. Road conditions. Everything. Only little complaint is the nasty headwind with the climb up to Cerro Summit but that’s a daily occurrence in these parts. Canyon + AM Winds + Venturi Effect = a real challenge. Other than starting to ride at 11, we get a head wind going up this climb every year.
A descent followed that was just AWESOME! 5-6% down. Nice shoulders with just a little bit of construction but not enough to ruin this downhill. Gorgeous scenery. At the bottom of the descent we went through Cimarron and visited the Pleasant Valley General Store. Featured item = pie. Peach pie. Cherry Pie. Pecan Pie. Lots of pie. All fresh baked. Our riders cleared them out of a good chunk of their inventory. Fueled on pie, add a few more climbs with more great downhills and you get a total climb for the day of 5100’.
The efforts did not go unrewarded. Views of the San Juan Mountains, the Curecanti Recreational Area and, the Blue Mesa Reservoir were absolute stunners. Riders cycled up over high hills, through tall craggy canyons, and along mountain lakes that reflected the hills to either side. I did try to take photos to capture the scenery but they just did not do the vistas justice! Depth or color or whatever – it’s just not the same. Memory will have to fill in the details.
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 21-June-11
Mileage: 74 miles
Climbing: 2700’
Weather: Sunny. A bit of a head wind for parts but nothing to really complain about. Started in the upper 50s and warmed up to the low 80s. Pinch me??
Highlights of the day:
Today’s route primarily followed what will become our new best friend for many, many miles, US 50. Our scenery was high desert vistas with very few trees and some low vegetation. Lots of buttes or mesas. Several discussions about which is which and what, if any, the differences are. A butte is a flat-topped rock with steep sides where as a mesa is a land formation with a flat top and steep sides. Huh? My guess, it’s a French (butte) vs Spanish (mesa) thing. But that’s just a guess. Anyone??
A little past mid-way the riders went through Delta and had the opportunity to sample local wares at a bakery, a deli, and a few cafes. We also found a few murals with an ordinary (it’s a bike, see below) just begging for a picture or two.
Riding into Montrose, we had a peek of the peaks that will be our companions for the next two days. We are increasing in altitude and will continue to do so until we get to Salida. A definite challenge for those of us used to thicker air. Time to keep hydrated and rest up. We head off early to some of the first “real” climbs since Mount Rose in Nevada.
