Ok y'alls, Del Norte is the best town so far. All the shit I wanted out of Salida, but WAY more welcoming. Especially since I can sleep for free in the park!
Today's ride was 65 miles, with a bit over 5 hours on bike, riding from 8:30ish to 4ish. The ride was hard, the hardest so far.
The beginning was easy, a great 15 mile downhill with the last 5 on pavement. Snaphopper carved it up good! Then began a rather difficult 10 mile climb, but followed by a fun downhill. Partway down the hill I waited out a storm in an outhouse awning and ate lunch (same as yesterday, actually, the theme of this trip so far, and also quite lucky that the storms hit while I'm near outhouses). I thought I had only 30ish more easy miles to town, mostly downhill... I was wrong...
The next 10, following the storm, were downhill but muddy. Then came a long stretch of flat and uphill badly washboarded roads that let me into a bad storm (this time I waited in the middle of nowhere for awhile to let it pass, just me in the desert going "nope , not biking into that.") but the corner of the storm still caught me. Then it was a very rough double track run through washes with difficult route finding. Very fun, but much harder than I expected. I had to use full mountain bike skills for a good long while. Actually, some of the best riding on the whole divide, but not easy.
When I bought Snaphopper, my Surley Ogre, I told him that he was a lucky bike. That unlike many Ogres, he would go on grand adventures rather than sit in a garage. I made him a deal, if he gave me his all, I'd lead him to amazing places. Today's riding was certainly us both fulfilling our promises. I gave Snaphopper a taste of Ogre destiny, and in return he didn't break in half on the rough roads or rip a tire sidewall on the sharp rocks. Today we achieved great things together.
So now I'm at the Three Barrel Brewery having my second entry and third beer. I made friends with the owner who is super nice. Tomorrow I climb 4,000 feet through an area where the streams are undrinkable (Cynanide from Gold mining, I hear) and hit the highest point on the Divide as well as what is voted the hardest climb on the divide.
Oh boy... The ride is about to get real...
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