Today's ride started in Steamboat, and yes there was a hot air balloon, though I didn't get a picture. We headed south along highway 131. After you climb out of Steamboat, there is a beautiful high mountain valley dotted with ranches and little towns. Here is Carl near Yampa.
The views along this road were spectacular
The original plan was to climb from Steamboat along 131, and then head south and west toward Glenwood Canyon, finishing with a ride on the path in the Canyon, for a little over 100 miles. The water has been so high this year that the path is under water in many places, and has been completely washed out in others. So plan B was to head more south and east toward Wolcott, and then west to Gypsum, where our bikes are in storage in the high school, and we got shuttled by bus into Glenwood. That route was even on the map. But what they didn't do was include the elevation plot for the alternate route. Instead of a gentle downhill all the way, the new route took us down to the Colorado River at State Bridge, and added a steep climb of at least 1500 feet over to Wolcott. And it was still over 90 miles. Let's just say it was a surprise to many of us! Here is Carl along the beautiful Colorado. Hard to tell, but the water is very high!
But we did make it, and here we are at the top.
We did, by the way, get a lot of bad postal jokes. Guess that will teach us to wear older jerseys! Tomorrow is a day off in Glenwood Springs, and we are both glad to have a day not sitting on the bike. A trip to the hot springs and a trip to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park are on the agenda. Then two more days of riding. Tomorrow from Gypsum to Frisco over Vail Pass, and Saturday from Frisco over Loveland Pass and back to Central City.
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