Steve's TransAm Adventure

66.6 miles, 2100 ft ascent / 3377 ft descent, max grade 7.5%, Max elevation 8129, min elevation 6799 ft. Today Brian, Bill and I meet for breakfast at 0630 and were on the road by 0730.  We knew we had a long day ahead, so we wanted to get an early start.  The wind picks up during the day (and changes direction), so it is wise to start early.  Today, however, the route was downhill with a tailwind for the first 50 miles!  We lost 2700 ft of elevation between Willow Creek Pass and Saratoga.  We rode through a wide open valley with the Rockies in the distance. Riding away from the snow capped peaks After awhile we could no longer see the snow capped peaks.  I didn’t take many photos today because I didn’t want to stop on a good downhill, of which there were many!  Also, the surrounding pastures and mountains are of such a scale that it is hard to capture them in a photo.  Even a panorama doesn’t quite capture it; you have to see it.   We crosse...

60.7 miles, 3094 ft ascent, 10.6% max grade, 5:45 saddle time, 8099 ft final elevation, max elevation 9683 ft Today Brian and I got a late start (0915) because the breakfast restaurant did not open until 0800.  We had a charming waitress and the food was good.  We headed east following the river until the route turned north and followed Coyote Creek up into a beautiful valley. View East from Hot Sulphur Springs There was an extensive fire in the area we were riding through 4 years ago, so we rode through about 22 miles of burned area as we made our way up to the headwaters of the creek.  It was very encouraging to see how the trees and shrubs were coming back. Burned trees and new growth Regeneration of the forest The grades leading up to Willow Creek Summit were gradual (5 to 7%) with flat areas in between, which made for an enjoyable ride (until the last couple miles where the grade kicked up).  On the way up I came across this interesting rock formation…it almost ...

60.2 miles, 1881 ft ascent/ 2946 ft descent, max grade 5.9%, 4:21 saddle time, elevation: max = 8729, min = 7368, current 7689 ft. Brian and I started the day with breakfast at the Mountian Lyon, and then proceeded NW away from Silverthorne and the snow-capped Rockies. Leaving Silverthorne Brian is a really smart guy from Chicago with a PhD in PoliSci.  He is easy to talk to and we had another great conversation over breakfast.   Our journey today was largely downhill as we rode out into the valley.   Today’s Route The route started out on a highway, but then left the main road to go around the Gren Mountain reservoir.  Once again, I was struck by the effects of the low snowfall last winter, and the corresponding water shortage. The reservoir was practically empty.  It had a hydroelectric generating station, but it did not look like it would be able to continue generating power much longer. Green Mountain reservoir We were following the Blue River all day. ...

Today I spent another rest day in Frisco.  Before recounting my day, I want to tell you about the rather unique hotel I am staying in.  I am told The Block Hotel & Commons is modeled after a European Hostel.  I recognized bathroom fixtures of the same type as ones I saw at my daughter’s apartment in Zurich Switzerland.  It is built out of stacked shipping containers, although you only see evidence of that in some rooms and spaces.  The hostel model consists of small rooms with bunk beds and shared bathroom, or with an in-room bathroom, and numerous large common spaces and a common kitchen. The main common area in the lobby An upstairs common area Some of the guests that are here for extended stays store groceries and cook in the common kitchen.  The hotel is adjacent to the Blue River and there are recreation paths on both sides.   I walked back to Enza’s for breakfast along the path and sat out by the river as I ate my breakfast.   The path w...

I spent the first half of the day resting and recovering.  Brian and I went to a Enza’s Deli & Market for breakfast.  The food was good (and plentiful) and we had an excellent conversation.  I then did some shopping for food and essentials to prepare for the next leg to Hot Sulphur Springs, and I did some bike maintenance.  In the afternoon Curtis and Ellen picked me up and I went to their house to do some laundry and we spent some time catching up before walking to dinner in Frisco.  They live in a small town where the downtown area is within walking distance from their condo.  If I were to assign a theme to my TransAm experience from Newton KS to here, it would be “HOW THE NEED FOR WATER HAS SHAPED THE WEST”.  Riding past vast seas of grain in Kansas, it is easy to miss the competing forces that make that possible.  It wasn’t until I learned about the fate of Sugar City CO that I began to understand.  The farmers were dependent on a sin...

39.4 miles, 2098 ft ascent, 9% max grade, 3:06 saddle time, current elevation 9075 ft. Today I crossed over the dreaded Hoosier Pass.  At 11542 ft, it is the highest point on theTransAm route.  My day started with my old friends, Curtis and Ellen from the Annapolis Bicycle Club coming to join me for breakfast.  Afterward Ellen drove back over the Pass to Frisco and Curtis accompanied me on my endeavor.  Coming right out of FairPlay there was a climb of 171 ft in 0.6 mile.  What a way to start!  I like to start out easy, but there was none of that today.  We quickly climbed up above 10,000 ft, which is a new personal record for me.  I found myself breathing heavily in response to the exertion and the altitude.  We proceeded to climb 1,589 ft in 11 miles.  Of that, 1,037 was in the last 3.6 miles.  The cumulative effect of riding 11 days in a row and the altitude made the summit of Hoosier Pass very challenging for me…but I did it! ...