Day Three of the Bicycle Tour of Colorado and new recipe, June 21, 2011

Happy Summer Solstice! After yesterday's wild blizzard in the mountains, the warmer, drier weather was a relief! We could have lived without the 20 mile an hour headwind, which lasted almost the entire 80 miles of today's ride. Ah well. We are in Steamboat Springs and happy to be here.

Here is Carl at Aid station number one, just past Byers Canyon on US Highway 40.

And Carl, as we look up the road towards Rabbit Ears Pass.

And looking back down the road. The views were spectacular!

Further up the road, Carl with the Rabbit Ears formation, for which the pass is named, behind him.

Carl hoisting his bike celebration after making it to the (first) summit of Rabbit Ears. If you haven't been up here, the road undulated for 8-10 miles at more or less the same altitude before it descends. So even though you are at the top, the climbing isn't quite done! There is a screamer descent on the other side though!

So today's new recipe is another one from Rick Bayless' Fiesta at Rick's: Chili Peanuts and Pumpkin Seeds. If I were going to do it again, I would used salted roasted peanuts and not add the salt later. The dry roasted nuts don't hold the salt veery well, and a little salt would benefit the overall flavors.

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