What a crazy night last night was – rain and wind lashed at my tent and kept waking me up – but everything held fast and survived the storm. The skies were still cloudy and the wind was whistling as I packed up and go on the road and I had the feeling that my luck with beautiful sunny weather had run out. While all day long the wind was swirling around, I did enjoy a tailwind for several hours, which I was very happy to have.
The climb out of Cimarron doesn’t even have a name, but it was a solid 4 mile climb. It was on this climb that I was able to give out my first “Complete Dumbass” award. I was about halfway up the climb when I heard several truck horns sounding behind me. I thought that maybe a wide load truck or something else was coming up so I was extra vigilant. But then here comes a pickup truck with a fire blazing in it’s bed! It goes a few hundred yards past me and pulls over, and then the two 18 wheelers that were behind it also pull over. The truck drivers come out of their cabs with fire extinguishers and put the fire out. Right about then I ride up. What had caused the fire? The guys in the truck had gone camping and in the morning there were still logs in their camp fire so they threw them in the back of their truck for the next time…..and you guessed it. The fire was not out, and driving fast down the highway re-ignited their campfire so that this huge blaze was burning. Luckily no one was hurt. I wish I had taken a photo, but it all happened so fast and I was climbing – so sorry. As I reached the top of the climb traffic was stopped. There had been signs along the way warning of construction, but I wasn’t sure how it would affect my traveling. I stayed on the shoulder and went right to the front to talk to the flag man in charge. They were re-paving several miles of the highway and were letting one lane through at a time…..but, no bikes allowed. He told me that the only way I could get through the construction was to find someone with a truck who would haul me and my bike. So I turned around and started walking back up the road in search of a truck with an empty bed. I knocked on the window of the first one I came to and Mike was happy to help. We hoisted my bike up into the truck (no easy task!) and Mike and I got to know each other as we first waited to go through and then navigated the paving job. Mike was a very interesting guy and is himself a cyclist who has toured Viet Nam by bike. Originally from NY state, he retired young from a career in healthcare and now explores the country and visits family in his fifth wheel – lucky for me he had dropped off his RV at a friends and so had room for my bike. We were still jabbering away when we came out of the construction and found a spot for me to get dropped off. I feel bad because we got bike grease on his jeans as we were lifting the bike out of the truck – Mike, I hope it comes out in the wash!
The wind and the rain returned off and on as I cycled towards Gunnison. The wind continued to alternate head, side, tail in big bursts and while it never rained that hard, it rained off and on. When I rode into Gunnison I was conflicted – I really wanted to get another 15-20 miles down the road, but the rain, cold and wind were moving me towards getting a hotel in town. Setting up camp in these conditions just sounded miserable. So, I ended up getting a nice little room in a local hotel. The family that owns the hotel is originally from Nepal and are very nice. When I inquired about the nearest laundromat, they directed me to an extended stay hotel they own that was right across the street that had laundry facilities and even gave me detergent! While I was doing my laundry these two guys came in who were speaking Spanish. Of course I had to ask where they were from and what do you know – they were Colombian. Miguel from Barranquilla and Pedro from Santa Marta. Nice young guys – they are in Gunnison on work visas provided by a local company that recruits in Colombia. Miguel is also studying at Western Colorado University.
With my laundry done I figured I should check out the local brewery. Kind of embarrassed that I am a month in on this journey and I have yet to check one out. There is only one brewery here in Gunnison – High Alpine Brewing Co. – and it was just a short walk from the hotel. It was hopping (ha) when I arrived, but I got a place at the bar. Met Homer on my right, a local carpenter with dreams of starting a farm in Ecuador, and Jonathon on my left, an ex-Iowa Hawkeye football player now ops manager with a trucking company who is working remotely from Denver because he can live wherever he wants. You meet the most interesting people when you introduce yourself to those right next to you! Plus the Kolsch was refreshing, the IPA was smooth and hoppy, and the Espresso Stout was bold and delicious. And my pizza hit the spot too – figs and prosciutto. What a day!!
Jeff and Carmenza's Adventures 