One to go…..

Dateline: Del Norte, Colorado.

We have arrived at our last rest day in Colorado. The town of Del Norte.

Rest day at the oldest hotel in Colorado. The Windsor in Del Norte.

On Saturday we make the move over Indiana Pass (highest pass of the ride @ 11,913 ft) and onto the final stages to the Mexican border thru New Mexico. The only state left!

The last two days have been some serious climbing with back to back to back 19 mile, 9 mile and 11 mile climbs all to over 10,000 feet.

Lots of work….some great views!

Renee from Amsterdam doing some “Cowboy Bikeherding” cows seem to love him.

Butch Cassidy by my side! 🤗Probably won’t jump off a cliff with him though. 😂

Yes, that is my water bottle in the road. Jarred out of its holder by some epic washboard 😳

Kind of in my “Rock phase” now. Not a lot of water around here

AND….Coveted cabin #6 in Sargents, Co. Just sayin….”if you are looking for the perfect get away spot” 😎

Off to Blaze to the border!

Yours,

Butternuts

I Started Doping Today….

Well, it finally happened.

After over 1600 miles of back roads, approximently 424 cattle crossing gates,

If I don’t ride over at least 20 of these a day, I must be off course.

countless jarring interactions with large rocks and washboards that cast shadows

I finally succumbed to the cyclists most joyous dope……

Butt Butter!

My dope of choice…..

As we like to say…..its like crack for your…..😳😎

I had been a holdout for a long, long time because I’d heard, like many of you I’m sure, that this is considered a Gateway Drug and once you start…….

Bet it all started with Butt Butter!!

There is no going back!! (yet another funny “back there” innuendo 😂)

Anyway, I purposely chose the more refined “Her” version because I know women are smarter and tougher than the heathens I ride with.

Yeah…..Jim Heath…you know who you are!

How is it everyone knows?????

Quality is number 1 and they would never fall for the type of street crack butter that features a cracked out squirrel!!

Okay, okay!!!! Yes, I was so desperate I would have spread most anything down there.

It was the extreme thoughtfulness of my wife Katie, who packed my first aid kit that afforded me the luxury of a PREMIUM BUTTER!

Mucho Crackias!

Yours truly

EASTY

Still Blazin w/ Butter

🎱 meets 9 and 1 😎

A SHORT STORY.

The 🎱 had quite a day coming out of Frisco the other day.

We began the day by leaving our 5🌟 accommodations at…..The Snowshoe Motor Lodge Resort.

Ahhhh….The Snowshoe 😳HB..NO!

and cycling up to Breckenridge to begin our assault on Boreas Pass.

Important information!

The Boreas Pass route is the former rail line for the Union Pacific Railroad and served as the major southern entrance to Breckenridge.

During the gold rush era it was a wagon trail and originally named Breckenridge Pass. It was renamed Boreas, in honor of the Ancient Greek God of the North Wind, by the Union Pacific Company when they constructed the rail line in 1882 along the former trail.

Somebody paid attention in Greek Lit class 👀

Several train lines used the pass until it was abandoned in 1937 by the Colorado and Southern Rail Company.

C&S really did abandon this box car at the very top of the pass.

A winter view of the restored water tank about halfway up the pass.

About now you are saying. Ok????

Well, the mechanical stars of the era were the steam engines that could actually climb the pass and they are on display at the Breckenridge base area.

Those of you that know me well……know I absolutely LOVED the book The Little Engine That Could. I still have a copy in my home office.

(Wierd….I know)

Done with words now.

I think the following pictures sum up this post.

Made it…..Still Blazin. 😎🎱🚂

The last 3 days

Whew!!! The last 3 days have been very busy!

Our agenda was Kremmling to Frisco, then on to Hartsel and finally Salida. Where we will enjoy a rest day tomorrow

Leaving Kremmling we bolted (ok, our usual pace really) to Frisco on another typical 60 plus mile day with 5k of climbs.

Just outside Kremmling. I must like having my picture taken with water as a background.

Descending into Frisco. Love those downhills!

A 6:30 a.m. shot of downtown Frisco with a full moon. Super cute mountain town.

Frisco to Hartsel was a big climbing day as we broke the 11,000 foot barrier for the first time on the trip

when we passed over the top of Boreas Pass.

It was all downhill from there to Hartsel. Population 20?😳

And we didn’t even stay in town. We would have doubled the population!

Nope, we were miles outside of town at an abandoned (still not sure about the back story) lodge that was basically mothballed. Another “bush camp” holiday!!!

Cabins at site where we camped at Hartsel that we couldn’t use.

The one bathroom that 20 of us shared at our campsite in Hartsel. Ice cold shower unit available for your pleasure.

PS. Secret to ice cold shower is to start the water slowly. No full force until you are completely numb!

From Hartsel we headed for a rest day in Salida. But first we had a Blazin Saddles moment when a herd of Bison blocked our exit from bush camp.

Yours truly was not about to engage with Bison. My bike was pointed the other way 👇

The elevation change from Hartsel to Salida was significant as we climbed above 9600 feet and then descended down to just over 7000.

Obligatory high altitude cow photo for the day. 😎

Modern day “wagons in a circle” on the high plains.

Starting the descent into Salida

Our dinner spot on the Arkansas River.

A rest day tomorrow (I am ready!) and then we head for the southern border of Colorado and into New Mexico.

More soon!

Bison Boy.

A Steamboat Kind of Rest Day!

Steamboat Springs did not disappoint as a rest day venue for sure!

We managed to tour the home of Moots Bicycles (good Ole 42’s homecoming!) courtesy of Tim and Ryan at Pedal in Kazoo!

Best Cycling Places to go to for sure!

We had a dinner for 4 riders who were departing at the halfway point. Mark from Spokane, Gary from Australia and Juste and Kobe from Belgium all bid farewell.

Farewell dinner! Who is that guy at the end of the table picking his nose? 😂

The next day we enjoyed some fine Italian cuisine, our cozy rooms in the very old school Hotel Bristol and some sights of Steamboat

Yep! Hotel B has a second floor hot tub overlooking Main Street! Can you say 5 star???!!!

Just too cute! 🤗

Seems alot of people come here for this.

Bike shop where 42 got a new chain (mechanic said old chain was stretched way beyond normal tolerances. Too much power 💪😂)

Our rollout this morning was the chilliest I have experienced at 31 degrees. Needless to say I was VERY bundled up for the first 20 miles or so. Brrrrrrrrrr!

Yes, that is frost on my seat!

The ride today took us 70 plus miles to the metropolis of Kremmling, Colorado. It was one of the most scenic days on the trail so far as we navigated a variety of landscapes.

Early light in Steamboat

Pedaling up the valley.

Early morning totally still and beautiful

THE Big valley

More cows! 🤗

Made it to the reservoir. 😎

Starting at around elev. 6700 ft. in Steamboat we climbed 2 mountain passes during our ride.

Total climbing for the day was 5000 feet and we reached a high point of 9524 feet at Gore Pass.

Ready for some DOWNHILL!

We were rewarded with a silky smooth descent into Kremmling (elev. 7300). Our downhill speeds frequently exceeded 40 plus mph

Kremmling. Don’t Blink.

A downtown store ……with 2 of the 1000 pickup trucks we see daily.

Tomorrow takes us to Frisco and also marks one week to go in Colorado…….already! What????

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!!!

Yours truly,

Steveboat

Colorado Happy Hump Day!

Today is the day!

Officially halfway!!

3 weeks into the journey and today is the day we arrive in Steamboat Springs,Colorado….the official halfway point!

It has been an incredible journey so far for sure. A first half top ten list seems appropriate:

1) Tent camping

Still not over it. 😂

2) Sleeping Bag.

Figuring out my sleeping bag. Apparently I slept with it upside down the first few times and could not figure out why I was so cold.

3) Garmin

It is a super critical aspect because we are on some of the most remote trails ever. Definitely helpful to have some kind of advanced technology degree plus more talented thumbs than I possess.

A typical day with my Garmin

4) Lunch on the trail.

Simply cannot imagine how wonderful it is to see that white van beside the trail.

Same lunch every day but that is ok!!!!

5) Bush Camping

A technical term which means…..nobody else ever really wants to camp here so there are no facilities except for this pit toilet we dug for your pleasure. Everybody’s welcome!

6) Weather!

Holy cow does it get windy out here! Proverbial “blow the dog off the chain”

And with high velocity wind comes???? Rapid weather changes! You must be prepared for most anything. I have been unbelievably hot, sunburned, frozen, drenched, hailed on and blown off the road. All in one day.

7) Hills

75,000 feet of climbing and descending already…..Nough said.

8) Scenery

Where it all started with the bears. Me being “bearish” at the top of Grizzly Basin. Maybe too much?

AND! Who doesn’t love a picture of a cow?

9)Bike

Yeah……we spend a lot of time together for sure. And 42 is very very dependable and sturdy steed.

Good ole 42…..Like a homing pigeon returns with a friend.

10) APPRECIATION/GRATITUDE

If you haven’t taken the time recently to reflect on those aspects…..might want to make some time. Just sayin.

There are so many of you to thank and appreciate!. I think about you all the time.

All my best,

Steve

Bears are stalking me??😳

The last few days have taken us from Lava Mountain to Pinedale to Atlantic City and finally Rawlins, Wy. We are now almost 400 miles from the Bear Scare situation at Grand Teton. I thought we must be in the clear for sure.

It has been a super busy few days with no connectivity as we were crossing the Great Basin (aka Total Nowheresville). Not sure what you might do out there but it would be a good spot to practice moon landings.

Anyway, along the route, one of the fruits of our labors was recognized when we landed at….

The OLDEST SALOON in Wyoming (Atlantic City pop. 57)……….as described by what appeared to be the oldest barkeep in Wyoming.

So, I took a selfie to commemorate my visit to this auspicious place. It was intended to show the Live Piano Player but when I reviewed it later look what I saw!

THERE ARE FRICKIN BEARS EVERYWHERE!!!!! Where is FELTCH when I need him??!!

I immediately realized they must be stalking me so I decided to take evasive measures.

When we finally landed in Rawlins, Wyoming on Sunday night, in a hotel room, I took immediate action and….

Completely changed my appearance to throw them off my trail!

How clever.

So far so good! No bear sightings in last 12 hours.

This experience has certainly taught me some important lessons…..

KEEP YOUR KNIFE HANDY!!!!

AND…

Most importantly, I have come to realize that these bears are extremely crafty and connected. I must assume they are all surfing the Internet and tapped into our every move.

So, I would like to offer them an appetizing alternative to chasing me:

This guy is obviously totally clueless and highly recognizable.

Appetizing? That may be a stretch.

BUT….

There is a win/win situation here for sure! 😂

Yours Truly,

Bear Whisperer

Any Culvert in a Storm!

The Great Basin of southwestern Wyoming was on our agenda for today with a final destination of Rawlins, Wy.

It is a long, long slog (132 plus miles) and required a early start (4:30 am wake-up and 5:30 breakfast) because of the length of the ride and the predicted unstable weather.

We were camping in Atlantic City for the evening after our 90 mile ride from Pinedale.

Yep….population about 57. AND our campsite just HAD to be an additional mile and 500 foot climb beyond. Must have a Birdseye view of this beauty!

Our 4:30 wake up took everything I had to climb from my snuggly sleeping bag and then attempt my first ever “dark tent takedown”.

This is what 4:30 a.m. wake up looks like after a 90 mile ride the day before.

I set a personal and first ever record for getting my tent taken down in pitch black dark without stumbling over my own two feet and not losing anything…..to the best of my knowledge.

I also experienced my first headlamp breakfast action in 47 degree weather.

An interesting early morning breakfast. Don’t really want to start conversations as people turn to chat and blast you with their headlamp. Lesson learned.

So, that started the day.

The overall route to Rawlins, Wy. was 132 miles split over the next two days with some shuttling involved.

The weather in the morning was cold and not promising so I jumped the shuttle with intent to get out at a planned lunch stop and roll from there.

Ole “42” took a van ride today! We both loved it!

After mounting up when weather cleared we hoped to make a run for Rawlins and get to a hotel room for a well deserved real shower!

But, Mother Nature decided other excitement was in store for us. About 20 miles outside of the town we were greeted by a fast moving thunderstorm with mucho lightning and 40 mph plus wind gusts. Storm approaching.

It literally blew us off the road and with lightning flashing all around we sought shelter in a ditch. 

On TV tonight they described the lightning storms as epic. Yours truly finding a culvert to dive into 😳.

The storm was powerful, lowered the temp precipitously and we spent another 90 minutes huddled up awaiting the shuttle to arrive. Turns out our hotel had lost power in the storm along with large parts of the city.

Emerging from my storm shelter. I honestly kept looking behind me the whole time expecting some critter companion to join me at any time. Had my knife ready! Lucky I didn’t hurt myself!

Enough excitement for one day.

Yours truly,

Lightning

Real Wyoming…Who Knew?

Who knew that Wyoming was the first state to recognize the right of women to vote, had the first female justice of the peace in the country AND elected the first female governor in the country?!

Well, I sure didn’t!!!

Many, many other forward thinking ideas from this state with an official state motto of “Equal Rights”.

After a couple days of cycling thru it’s natural beauty. I propose we slightly amend the motto to

“EQUAL RIGHTS….ENORMOUS HEIGHTS!”

Following are some shots from today as we navigated around the peaks of southwestern Wyoming.

For those of you that have been to Yellowstone, or anywhere in this area, you can certainly attest to the feeling of enormous scale and space.

I can’t believe I actually took this picture.

WAY in the background are some HUGE mountains we did not climb. 😎

We did climb this. I was hungry after.

A lot of hills around this place!

Tonight I rest my head in Lava Mountain ,Wy. Off the beaten path for sure.

I do have a room (no tent) for this evening which is fabulous! I love the opportunity to shower up and sleep in a real bed any chance I can get.

PLUS!

Apparently, we are back in rejuvenated Grizzly country. It seems there’s been a concerted effort in Yellowstone and surrounding areas to nurture the Grizzly population and it has reportedly doubled in this area over the past few years.

JIM FELTCH told me ALL about his Bear experiences. Don’t want any of my own. 😳😂

The Grizzly situation was brought to my attention as I checked into a cabin at Grand Teton National Park.

About a five minute discussion/instruction to keep doors shut AT ALL TIMES because the bears had been wandering thru cabins.

IT WAS AT THAT MOMENT I REALIZED MY TENT HAS NO DOOR! 😬

The visual of my nightmares from the last 2 nights. I can BARELY 🐻sleep.

My thoughtful son in law Shawn Obi did provide me with a very sharp “bear” knife prior to embarking on this trip.

I assume it is to put myself out of misery should a bear attack. 😳

Thanks for bearing with me.

Yours,

The Blaze

They Call it WYDAHO???

Just when you thought you knew your U.S. geography. 🤔

Tom (from Milwaukee) and I about to hear we had just entered WYDAHO??

When we crossed into what I thought was Wyoming yesterday……I was informed that I was “officially” in WYDAHO. I can’t reveal the source but they seemed reliable.

Some 24 hours later I am still not sure why the area is called that but I am definitely in search of a WYDAHO T-Shirt. 😂

Anyway, it is beautiful here even if people seem confused about the name. Maybe its the altitude? More likely the attitude?I am not convinced there is a correlation.

I Am Convinced That My Theory On Why They Want To Call It “WYDAHO” Is Correct.

Today is a rest day and I am comfortably relaxing outside a cabin in Grand Teton Park, Wydaho.

Some views of Colter Bay where we are staying.

Grand Teton Park for sure.

May be in Area 51 for all I know.

Tomorrow starts “Beast Week” (my term which I have shared with nobody) as we go 7 days straight with three back to back to back 90 mile ride days in the middle.

Should be interesting.

Steamboat here I come!!!

Yours truly,

Easty.