On the Road from Denver, CO 3/23/10

Friend (Joe) - Way to go Peace Rider, you made it to "Big D!"

PR - Yeah, but not without some help. It was a bit of a slog over parts of the route after I left Provo, Utah and reported in.

F - How so?

PR - Outside Vernal, Utah I stopped at Pizza Hut for water with the added "bonus" of getting slugged in the chest with a cold. I'm over the worst of it now.

After crossing into Colorado on my way to Maybell I had one day of just a little over 30 miles that seemed like twice that. I was hit with really strong cross winds, veering to a headwind in some of the highway cuts. It was probably 20 mph gusting higher, pushing me sideways, plus a lot of hills. I was on the verge of just saying to heck with it more than once but kept going. Not sure quite how I would have set up a tent in that kind of wind.

It was a weather front stirring up the wind. Fortunately, the temperature was above freezing. The last few miles into Maybell were downhill. One of the highlights was seeing gaggles of mule deer bounding off through the sage by the road, not quite sure what to make of the contraption speeding downhill at them. All were antlerless this time of year.

The other was a stop at Lou's Restaurant in Maybell, where a hot bowl of broccoli, cheddar soup with croissants was served up to warm these cold soaked bones. The bread was compliments of the ladies of the community who left assorted Safeway breads on a table in the entrance, free to anyone who needed it. It was a really nice touch. Lou, perhaps, I didn't get the cook's name, also filled my water jug.

Next door at the Sinclair gas station/old style market, a bag of hot atomic ball candy filled out the grocery list. The lady at the register said they stocked the old candies I'd found hard to find in other places.

F - So how was it after Maybell on your way into Craig?

PR - Great, for the most part! The wind was nearly calm the next morning, a slight headwind but what a relief after the slog of the day before. There was a sad note to this transit however.

F - How so?

PR - The carnage on the road was incredible. Between Maybell and Craig I counted 21 deer, two elk and a coyote carcass. I'm sure I missed some as well. The saddest was approaching Mile 66.9 (from the CO/UT border). I saw up ahead a dark shape lying in the road. Pulling even with it I could see it was a golden eagle, still alive but unable to move. It had evidently been feeding on a nearby deer carcass at the road edge and was hit by a passing vehicle.

Mindful of that powerful looking beak I put my loose sweater over its head, picked it up and set it down next to the deer carcass off the road. It was still alive when I left but it couldn't move at all and may have been too badly injured to survive.

F - Did you report it?

PR - Yeah, when I got to Craig a few hours later I did. Said they'd send a wildlife officer out to check on it.

F - So you don't know how it turned out then?

PR - No, and it's sad no one had stopped earlier.

F - So you took to the ski slopes when you hit Steamboat Springs, right?

PR - I took to the hills alright but it was trying to get over Rabbit Ears pass before dark.

F - Did you make it?

PR - Not quite. It was all uphill for eight miles, probably the longest grade I'd tackled on the trip topping out at over 9,000 feet.

F - How did you manage to do it?

PR - Well, head down and keep at it, dogged persistence I guess. I recite a mantra and keep cranking, my goal just the next reflector post up the hill. I'm not doing this totally under my own steam you know. I'm given strength to persevere. I recognize and honor that.

Oily king salmon strips, Cliff Bars and dried fruits and nuts fuel the "furnace." It was also a warm, sunny day with gorgeous views of the valley dropping away behind me. Hard work, but just a fine day to be alive on the road.

F - Where did you end up camping for the night?

PR On the West summit. But that was okay. I camped in a pullout for skiers just as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Three miles back I stopped to ask how far it was to the top. It was a Routt County Sheriff patrol car. Officer Tommie Belz was checking for speeders coming off the pass. She was interested in what I was doing and I told her.

You know, it made my day when she asked if she could put me on her prayer list. I said yes, please do, many people are praying for me and I really appreciate that. I gave her my blog address so she could follow my journey.

F - It must have been cold camped that high up eh?

PR - Well, it froze overnight but it wasn't subzero or anything like that. I found enough dry wood nearby. I was able to have a fire and cook on my tent stove. It was warm and comfortable inside.

By the time I left in the morning the sun was out and warming things up. There were just a few dips before I got to the East Summit. From there it was a long downhill to Kremmling and beyond.

F - Where did you end up hanging your hat for the night?

PR - That was special too, as it turned out. I'm days out of clean clothes and a shower mind you and nursing a cold.

An hour or so from quitting time and daylight fading fast I'm pedalling up a hill. Up ahead I see a flatbed truck parked on the opposite side of the road. A man gets out, waiting for me to draw even. I stop and he asks where I'm going to stay for the night. I don't know I said. He tells me where I can find a campground in the near vicinity. I usually don't camp in campgrounds but it was helpful information. I was near the south end of Green Mtn. reservoir south of Kremmling at the time.

He tells me that if I get another ten miles down the road I could stay at his place. He had a basement I could use . Whew, another ten miles! I wasn't sure I had that kind of mileage left in me at that point. I asked him if was pretty flat the rest of the way. I didn't have much up left in my "motor." He said it was and gave me directions to his place on Longs Road in case I made it. "Look for the flat bed truck parked in the yard," he said. Okay!

F - Well?

PR - You know a warm shower is like a spring to a desert traveler, motivation for the thirsty and dirty. I made it but probably wouldn't if Tim's report of a flat road hadn't been accurate. I was beat by the time I got to his place, a 60 mile plus day.

F - So you made some more friends?

PR - I did. That's one of the real joys of being on the road, the kindness of strangers and making new friends. Tim Bicknell is an out of work mason. He was still recovering from recent shoulder surgery. Laura his wife, teaches English as a second language in Frisco 10 miles or so down the road from their place. Laura and Melissa his teenage daughter came home later. Tim set me up in their downstairs basement, got a dinner going for me and put my dirty clothes in the washing machine, beforehand. It was wonderful to be cared for.

The wall hangings were pretty interesting inside Tim's place.

F - How so?

PR - Tim is an antiques collector. Over 20 years or so he had acquired a lot of Roy Rogers memorabilia and more. There was an original RR jacket, a couple of RR posters, and unrelated full length bear skin coat, saddles, guitars, an old style dial up telephone, a feast for the eyes, too much to take in at once.

He had expanded his home from the original, doing all the brick work. It was still a modest sized home compared to others nearby. He had two big dogs outside, as he called his horses which he hadn't ridden in awhile. Neby, the golden retriever, was part of the family and allowed inside, several cats remained outside.

F - Did you hang out there awhile?

PR - No, I left mid-morning the next day. Tim offered to carry my trailer south but with mostly flat terrain between his place and Dillon, I could manage. Laura had made calls on my behalf to see if there was media interest in Dillon for doing a story.

There was. Her calling set the stage. On my way into town Mark Fox caught me and took photos for an article in the Summit Daily News. I also met up with Bob Berwyn at Wendy's in Silverthorne. He interviewed me outside the Mountain Public Radio Station. An article he wrote that came out afterward was a good one. His site is www.summitvoice.org. Murray with MPR did a radio interview for later broadcast the same day.

It was a good day.

F - Did you make it over Hoosier Pass?

PR - I did, with help from my friend Eddie Kochman. He came up from Denver stopping at his cabin in Fairplay on the way. He dropped some things there first then drove over the pass to meet me in Silverthorne. He carried my trailer over the Pass to Alma. He also suggested we not linger in South Park after I got there with a big snow storm on its way. We didn't and that's how I ended up at his place in Denver.

F - What are your plans now?

PR - If the weather cooperates I'll start my bike trip from Alma where I left off before the last snow storm. As it happens Tim is going to Kansas City said he could pick me up in Denver and drop me off in Alma on his way home. If that works out, I'll do it but if not I'll continue on east from Denver. I don't want to have a break in the bike ride if there is no good reason for it. I didn't want anyone to make a special trip just so I could fill in a blank spot. Will see how it works out.

At the moment another snow storm has descended upon Denver so we'll see. The snow does go quick here once the weather breaks. It is forecast to improve by Thursday when Tim is supposed to return.

F - Any thing else to report?

PR - No, just a couple of big thank yous to Chris Crosby and my friends Eddie and Babbie Kochman for all their help on my behalf.

See you down to the road.