Almost 90 miles and 4000 feet of climbing. The good news! Except for 22 miles, this is a really flat or downhill day. In fact, after mile 22, you can put your bike on cruise control and watch the scenery fly by. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your level of sanity), the first 22 miles will be challenging. You will have 13-14 miles of shallow 2% to 3% climbing through mist shrouded green valleys at the start. As you head toward the pass, you really develop an impending sense of foreboding. As you head north, all you see is this massive rock face in front of you with no apparent way around it or over it. By mile 14 you are starting to feel the forces of nature turn against you, and the transition from 2% to 7%+ is all too quick and you start piling on the elevation gains. The hardest part of this side is at the base. Before you is a double switchback and a climb exceeding 8%. The view to the south is spectacular… but don’t stop on the road to look… too much traffic. There is a scenic overlook off the edge of the road that you’ll want to stop at for the view. After the switchbacks, then grade moderates to a steady 6% to 7 %. It’s unrelenting and there are precious few points that back off or level out. Around mid-mountain you get your one small break as the grade backs down into the 5.5% range. It’s strange how 5% feels like a slice of heaven after a prolonged stint at 7%+. It can rival what you saw in the San Juan’s. Once at the top, it’s almost 70 miles downhill to Alamosa. Note, however, the ride into the San Luis Valley can be hot and windy. If you are graced by a headwind, with will more than negate the advantage of the shallow 1% downhill. May the appropriate sacrifices to the wind gods so the trip to Alamosa does not become a windblown nightmare.
The author of the description got it exactly right. As we approached the pass I started to wonder if there was a way over that seeming wall of mountains. On the switchbacks near the bottom, where the road is as steep as it gets, we saw this semi that overturned. The driver should find the inventor of Jersey barriers because they probably saved his life (you can see how the truck knocked them over). You can see the driver (I think at least) sitting behind the truck with his head in his hands.
The road kept going up and up. There wasn't much relief from the climb. Some of the locals said that there were sections of the road that had a grade of greater than 10%. I can believe it for sure.
The views were wonderful although I didn't get to see them much. Luke stopped to take some pictures looking backwards. You can see the road way down in valley.
We made it to the top (death before sag).
The aid station at the top was a welcome site. There was a line to take pictures win the Continental Divide sign, so we just stood back and took this picture to prove we were really there.
You can see from the way Luke is dressed, once we stopped pedaling, it was pretty cool at nearly 11,000 feet. We also knew that once we started going down hill it would get chilly for the first bit so we got on some wind breaking material. On the way down, we need to stop to shed clothes so we found this pull out and took off our wind breaking clothes and took this picture. It wasn't a great hair day for either of us.
While we were stopped there we were joined by another cyclist who was clearly shaken. She describing seeing a cyclist in the middle of the road who was seriously injured. In fact, the way she described it, the injuries might have been fatal. We found later that a cyclist had been using a car to draft on and on one of the curves a cross wind made him lose control and he went down at high speed. We had been pretty cautious on the way down, because of the cross winds, and we were doing 35+ mph. If you were using a car to draft, 50 mph is not out of the question. He was airlifted to Denver where he had serious injuries, but not life threatening.
From here on, it was a long gradual downhill in Alamosa. In Monte Vista, the local potato growers association provided baked potatoes with green chile. It was a little slice of heaven and provided a wonderful break with 20+ miles to go. The potato I had was a purple majesty. It was wonderful. They are commonly available, but if you see them in the store, try them.
On the roads into Alamosa, we noticed a forest fire. At first, it was just a plume of smoke. As we rode on, the first went up the ridge and getting bigger. A few days later, it was still not completely out.
Part of the fire was in the Sand Dunes National Park. The linked web site says that part of the Park is still closed due to the fire.
Alamosa rolled out the red carpet for us. Luke and I set up camp and then rode back into town looking for food. We ended up at a brew pub where we had a sausage appetizer (three full sausages with kraut and mustards)--we split that. Then we both had huge hamburgers and fries and didn't leave anything on our plates. That was the first time we had really pigged out. In fact, we had eaten lasagna three nights in a row and one thing we were not going to eat in Alamosa was Italian food. Our diet might have been a mistake, because it didn't sit all that well with me or with Luke.
It was a gorgeous night in Alamosa.
8% grade! That's unbelievable. You and my brother look like a couple of Colorado hippies. :)
ReplyDeleteHey, Chuck, all that training you and Lukas did really paid off. When I tell people you did this ride, they can't imagine even attempting it.....as a matter of fact, neither can I!! Good job husband. Caroline
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