Day 6 Profile
The night before the Rocky Mountain weather showed its force. After 5 days of clear and sunny skies we had a storm come in with very high winds. I double checked my tent stakes to make sure it would not blow away but it did not matter in the beer garden. The winds were so strong they closed it down early. And as expected after the tents were packed-up the winds died down..........
We had rain during the night and at about 5:30am give or take it started to rain again..........bummer.....as this meant rain gear and cold weather clothing.........
I met Rick as usual for a 7:15 roll out and he said "let's hold off for a bit and let this rain go through" so we sipped coffee in the cafeteria and this is where I snapped the pic of the two weary riders below.
These two riders only smiled when I pulled out the camera
Rick and I headed out of town towards Winter Park and our last long climb of the RtR up Berthoud Pass. It was cold, clammy, and thank goodness not raining, but we were dressed for the bad weather anyway.
The ride pace was efficient and social with the goal of keeping warm and enjoying the last 50 miles and we were able to see Steve and Mark with whom we rode on Day 1 at the first aid station. After a loo break, some refuel we started our long climb up Berthoud pass. This was a 4%-9% climb of approximately 14 miles.
Heading in to Winter Park |
This is what we were riding in to at Berthoud Pass
These gems are part of the real estate bubble bursting
Great Shot of where we are headed by Rick
After the Winter Park stop we began the efficient and long climb up Berthoud Pass. Rick and I rode together the entire way (yeah baby, I did not get dropped) and were efficient and at time fast. I was beginning to acclimatize and was able to keep up with Rick when we climbed up beyond 10000' and snaked our way up the switch backs to the summit. Even with all the climbing I was still cold and my core temps were maintained but I was definitely not sweating much and did not take a drink the last 6-7 miles.
Rick leading the way!
Made it!
After about 2.5 hours of riding we were at the top and no matter how many long climbs I have done I always have those thoughts of "will I make it" as the discomfort of climbing can create doubts. In the end the climb was a challenge and rewarding just the same and when at the top I ran in to one of the Father/Son teams on a tandem and I asked the young buck, about 11 or 12 years old, "I will give you $10 to do it again" and he said "no" so I said how about $20 if you do it alone and he said "no" and was too busy eating his fajita!
Aid Station 3 at the top
We did not dawdle at the top because of the cold so after about 5 min we headed down.....wheeeeeeeeeee...and about 18 miles of hair-raising descent. Well, needless to say we were moving fast and I was chilled to my bones with numb fingers and toes but as we went lower, down from 11,300' to 8,000 or so the temps climbed a bit.
Rick in good spirits as we are 1mi from the finish in Georgetown
The arrival to Georgetown was festive with hundreds of people in the center of town. After a few pics I went back to the parking area, showered, locked up the bike, and headed back to the beer garden. I was able to link up with Eric the Diesel and a few other displaced New Englanders and we shared a few of Odell's finest.
JOCMO: Okay, this brings an end to a wonderful cycling experience over 6 days and 400+ miles. Riding with Rick Oshlo was a real treat as he is one of the best all around riders I have had the joy of sharing a road with. He taught me how to descend like a "roadie" and kept me in line when my testosterone would interfere with cycling etiquette. Thanks Rick for the memories!
Finish Line! |
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