This last week was essentially our transition from the Midwest to the West west, across the plains and farmland of Nebraska and the eastern part of Colorado, which (who knew?) was actually flatter than Kansas.
The stark beauty of the plains continued to unroll before us as we said goodbye to Kansas and set out for Red Cloud, NE. The ride to Red Cloud (named for an old Native American chief) was notable for two big reasons: we hit 1) the world's biggest ball of twine, which I thought was an urban legend, and 2) the geographic center of the US, just before the Nebraska border. The ball of twine was cool just because it is one of those things you joke about seeing when doing a cross-country trip. Who knew we'd actually get to see it (I didn't until that morning). The ball itself was kind of what you'd expect. The best part of the stop was the nap I took next to it in someone's portable hammock- Bike and Build has converted me to a devout napper. Then there was the center of the continental US, about a half mile detour off our main road. There was a little memorial arch, a flag pole, and a mini chapel. Very cool, very symbolic. Took a nap there too. Oh, and we camped out in Red Cloud in a little public park next to a swimming pool in our brand new five person tents.
The ride to Alma the next day was short mileage-wise but long time-wise. Chris, one of the leaders, surprised us with a scavenger hunt at the morning meeting, so most of the day was spent finding/doing weird stuff ('climb a tree, 'take a nap in a weird place', 'draw some chalk art on the side of the road', etc.). My team, the Autobots, comprised of Rae, Ami, and myself, was an absolute supergroup and took second place with our unparalleled hay bale dance. McCook, where we rode the next day, was a nice little town with a nice little public pool we got to swim in, but I remember next to nothing about the ride there.
On the day into Holyoke, CO, we almost got caught in a rainstorm and took cover in a nice farmer's barn, a farmer who it just so happened had helped to host our trip in previous years- how 'bout that? The state sign for Colorado was cool, but I was disappointed that the corn didn't instantly give way to mountains (which is totally how it should work).
We finally saw those towering peaks as a haze in the distance on the ride to Loveland, a bigger town at the foot of the mountains. It was intimidating and awe-inspiring to see their huge forms gradually materializing, all the while knowing that we were going to have to pedal ourselves up there. And man, are these mountains beautiful. I've been to Colorado once before to ski, but I don't remember the Rockies being anything like this.
Loveland was a build day- landscaping, to be precise. We did edging, put in a rock bed and Planted some little pine trees for two houses, and it looked pretty darn professional when we were done. I also managed to get to a bike shop with some really competent mechanics who finally fixed this maddening click in my bottom bracket. This click had been driving me nuts, maybe a little unnecessarily, but not having to hear the sound of toe nail clippers with every pedal stroke while climbing in the heat made me a happy camper.
Speaking of climbing, the next day was the ride into Estes Park, a breezy thirty-miler that brought us up a few thousand feet into this touristy, happening town nestled between the mountains. The climbing wasn't too bad- the grades (measure of steepness) here are actually more gradual than those in the Appalachians because they use switchbacks, as opposed to roads straight up the slope. I definitely began to feel the altitude though- as the air got thinner, it felt like someone had latched an extra thirty pounds on to my bike. In any case, it was a beautiful ride through a gorge and up into Estes, where we stopped for lunch at a burger joint built into the hillside.
The next day (to Granby) was the biggest climb of the trip. Trail Ridge
Road is the highest continuous paved road in the US, reaching elevations of over twelve thousand feet, and we rode it. We started at around seven thousand in Estes, so it was about five thousand feet up over twenty miles. What made it hard for me wasn't really the climbing, it was the elevation. My muscles just fatigued very easily in the thin air. But it was truly beautiful, and so cool to just think about what we were doing. Oh, and another thing- it gets cold when you go so high up. It got down below sixty at one point, about a fifty degree difference from what we were dealing with on the plains. At the top there was a miraculous info station/cafe/gift shop where we ate warm food, blew money on trinkets and trophies and waited to cheer everyone in. The descent back down was crazy fun, whipping around switchbacks way too fast.
It's been two days since Trail Ridge, the first to Breckenridge and then (today) to Salida. The postcard scenery just keeps coming: huge blue lakes and reservoirs, scrubby slopes dotted with yellow and purple flowers, crystalline streams cutting through reedy fields, and the ever-present mountains in all shapes and sizes. I'm not doing this justice... maybe the pictures will help.
Before I finish up I just want to say a big thank you again to all of you who are reading this. Your support made this awesome trip possible, and your continued interest means a lot. Unfortunately, and obviously, I can't pack every little thing into this blog; what has made this summer life changing are the little in-between moments as much as the grand adventurous ones. But hopefully I'm giving people (all ten of you) a good idea. Pictures below, as usual in no particular order. Cheers.
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