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Published: July 12th 2018
After a very restless night in Hot Sulphur Springs, I got on the road early after a chocolate milk and a sweet roll.
The only restaurant in town didn’t open until 8, and I didn’t want to wait that long to start my ride,
(Perhaps that was a poor choice because I am really dragging!)
Tha wind pattern seems to be favorable early and then strong out of the Northwest in the afternoon.
Today’s ride can be divided into two parts.
The first 29 miles was a gradual uphill along Colorado 125 following Willow Creek up a beautiful valley until crossing over the Continental Divide at Willow Creek Pass. 9683feet. ( I’m now back on the East side of the Divide.)
It was a beautiful climb and once again I took a lot of pictures.
After crossing the Divide it was a gradual downhill to a high valley 30 miles in diameter known as North Park.
Although it is starkly different than the Alpine Meadows where I started the day, the grass is lush green with abundant water provided by the Illinois River.
A brochure here says moose, antelope, deer, elk, big
horn sheep, and black bear abound in North Park.
I did see several deer today, but nothing else.
In one case however, I was treated to watching two deer bound across a meadow for several hundred yards.
They can really fly and each leap is probably 20-30 feet in length!
The last 20 miles were on a very irritating chip seal road with cracks every 10 feet or so creating a bump! bump! bump! ride all the way to Walden. It gave me a headache and the head winds didn’t help!
Walden is known as the Moose Capital of Colorado!
This is my last night in Colorado as I will enter Wyoming tomorrow.
It has been a joy.
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Burt Reiff
non-member comment
General Plan?
Hi Bob, You are gettin 'er done and in fine style! I have been semi-trapped in Reykjavik for a week with crummy, cloudy, cold, wet weather waiting for my flight to Halifax, Nova Scotia. I was curious...it seems like you are heading pretty far north. Are you heading for Portland or Seattle or will you angle south further on? Whichever way, you are doing great!