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Saturday, July 26, 2008, Sargents RV Campground, Colorado
All of us rode today, which was great. Becky rode Willie’s bike with Sarah behind. We rode next to the beautiful big Blue Mesa Reservoir for 30 miles, most of the way to the large town of Gunnison, population 5,000+. The weather was perfect for summer riding, calm breeze, and cloud cover from the scorching sun. We had only one summit to climb today, leaving only two left for the Rockies. We arrived in Gunnison around 2:00 pm and went to Safeway for food: rotisserie chicken and turkey, lettuce, Arizona teas (the big ones, 44 oz. for only $1.00), cheese, ham, bananas, granola bars, carrots, an onion, and liter sodas (only $.79). Then we rode in the right direction until we found a shady grassy area to picnic – this time a park. We planned to eat our fill then begin riding again another 32 miles to the town of Sargents, at the foot of the highest summit of the trip – Monarch Pass, 11,312 feet. Everyone was hungry and it was great to feast on everything we had. Afterwards we stopped at a McDonalds for a sundae to top it off. It was 5:15 pm before we finally left, so we had to make good time. The conditions were perfect – almost no wind, cool, and we felt well-fed and strong. My chain fell off a few times; maybe the derailer needs adjusting again. For the last five miles, it sprinkled and the wind started blowing against us, but Adriana and I made it at 8:00 pm, right before the store closed. The guy running the place let us in on a special treat – He let us stay in one of the teepees which was great, not only for the novelty, but because we wouldn’t have to set up and take down our tent in the rain. Gloria arrived about 15 minutes later, worried about the rest of the group riding so late and against the wind, 5 miles back, so we drove the van back to them and put on the hazard lights and drove in front of them and let them draft off the van at 13 mph. It was starting to get dark, but they made good time this way and before long, they were there and were so thrilled when they saw the teepee. We had showers and snacks before we went to sleep. The teepee had electrical plugs to charge our cameras and cell phones too. It even had a propane fire pit in the center which we used to keep us entertained during our Bible time (something about watching a mesmerizing flame) and warm in our sleeping bags during the cold night at that high altitude. It was after midnight when most of us finally hit the sack. Very nice day. I like arranging our day with a big meal in the middle, followed by more evening riding. It enables us to ride at the best times of the day and also alleviates hunger in the evening after a long day’s ride. 78 miles.