Pueblo, CO to Royal Gorge, CO
Friendly horn taps: 1
Miles: 56
Total so far: 2,712
Last year Sallie wanted me to join her in Colorado and do an event called Ride the Rockies. When we were discussing this, I suggested that we also do a ride called the Triple Bypass. Ride the Rockies is in June and the Triple Bypass takes place in July. We entered both and were successful in a drawing slots for both rides.
The Rockies were not visible until we got almost all the way to Pueblo. There has been a lot of haze in the sky from wildfires in Colorado and Arizona.
As it turned out, 2010 was the 25th anniversary of Ride the Rockies and to commemorate the occasion, they put together a route through the southwest corner of the state that covered seven days of some of the toughest riding imaginable. At the conclusion of the ride, the staff apologized, and made an announcement to everyone that they wanted everybody to come back again next year and, “…it will be a long time before we attempt anything like this again.”
Coming to the fence to talk...
Having a visit
The Triple Bypass is nothing to sneeze at either. It’s a one day ride of 120 miles over three very tough mountain passes. We began the ride at 4:30 in the morning outside of Evergreen, Colorado, and concluded our efforts in Avon, Colorado after riding some ten hours. We are now proud owners of the jerseys from those rides (that’s the equivalent of a trophy in the cycling world). After all of that mountain riding, we also concluded that grinding it out on steep inclines for hours on end really doesn’t excite us too much.
Smoke from a new fire on the other side of the ridge from our camp. The evening winds are up, and that is not a help.
I thought a lot about that today as we were again grinding it out on some steep ascents back into the Rockies. The difference this time is we have a destination, a purpose, and we’ve already proven ourselves for the task. Yes, we’ll grind out some inclines, but this won’t be for some twisted reasons associated with entertainment and athletic achievement like last year…or will it?
Our camp for the evening. Welcome back to the Rocky Mountains!
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Tomorrow’s ride is dedicated to Susan Kay Allen
Susan Kay Allen
Susan Kay Allen died at the age of 25 returning from a trip to get a Christmas tree on December 5, 1984. Susan’s hometown was Breckenridge, Colorado.
In Memory of Warmer Summers 
Carl, you touch my heart every day, but moreso today, because I see you are traveling through the Royal Gorge. That tells me you will no doubt travel through Howard tomorrow, a tiny town named after my great grandfather. My maiden name is Howard. My great grandparents traveled west in a covered wagon and homesteaded on land by the Arkansas River. Years later, my grandparents raised 5 boys, one daughter, and a huge herd of cattle. My father was the youngest, telling stories of herding cattle out of the mountains in deep snow.
My mother is from the neighboring town of Salida, and I spent every summer climbing their apple tree or rocking on the front porch swing. It is a peaceful place – a place I go in my heart when I need to quiet my soul. Colorado is my home, but when I do return, I don’t feel like I’m home until I smell the mountain pine trees.
Alisa is buried in Colorado at the Air Force Academy, with her daddy and brother. So, when you ride tomorrow, know I am with you in spirit – as I am every day. I send my gratitude to you and Sallie. You touch so many lives as you make this journey.
Warmly, Jan
Dear Carl,
These pictures are so beautiful! Thank you and I cannot wait to see more – especially from Silverthorne area, where we will be in a few days! 🙂 Enjoy the majesty.
Your friend,
Amber
Hi Siblings,
Keeping up with your adventuring rolling in the Rockies, from up here in Anchorage…if I could only be in two places at once, I’d surely love to capture a moment with you over by Frisco, with Lee & Palmer.
Took a walk with Shina, Guy and dogs this AM in the Far North Bicentennial Park, a trailhead just a couple of blocks from their house. The mosquitos loved our presence. Even so, the woods are magical, and the sweetness of the air intoxicating.
The cleaning and unpacking tasks are moving along very well – making their house a home. Tomorrow we hope to take a break & go play – see some sights to make one delight in being in this amazing state. Maybe even get to Homer and do some whale-watching this weekend. Shina starts work on Thursday, and is looking forward to getting back into a schedule. She may likely ride her bike in – it’s about 7 miles, and this city has great biking paths.
That’s about all for now – be safe out there. Loving your words, Carl. Susie