[Old Yeller has contracted hydrophobia and must be put down; Katie brings out the gun]

Travis Coates: No, Mama!

Katie Coates: There’s no hope for him now, Travis. He’s suffering. You know we’ve got to do it.

Travis Coates: Yes, Mama. But he was my dog. I’ll do it. -Old Yeller 1957

 

Ride to Kremmling, CO.

The reason for the Old Yeller quote is that I saw the movie when I was about 6 years old. I feel today about the same way as when they put Old Yeller down. One of our riders, Simo had a very bad spill coming off a steep decline and broke his femur, Steve came by shortly thereafter and flagged down a local government employee who transported Steve and Simo to the hospital. Simo was taken (yesterday) to Denver for an operation. Somehow, he persuaded the ambulance driver to take him by our campsite. We all wished him Godspeed, a quick recovery and bade him a tearful good-bye. He was to take a cruise with his wife soon after the Great Divide Ride and we all hope that he can make that. Simo’s spirits are high as he joked that he would be the only one sleeping in a real bed.

Simo the Finn- Australian who always wears a Crocodile Dundee style hat in camp, who is always quick of wit and a friendly smile will not finish with the riders he started with. We all lost something back on that mountain and the ride will not be the same. We did get word that the operation was a success and Ray went to see Simo in Denver. His spirits are high. Get well soon Simo!

This was a monster day of a ride. Four big climbs totally 7300 feet of climbing over 84 miles with 30% paved. The first climb was to lunch and I was under the impression that was the hardest part, I was wrong. Right after lunch it rained and got cold but then the sun came out. It was a pattern that would repeat throughout the day. The second climb was followed by a spectacular downhill that curved around sheer cliffs and picturesque views of the surrounding valleys. The downhill ended on the Colorado River.

After that we had two more tough climbs of over 2 miles and 5 miles. The last one never seemed to end. It was followed by a descent into the city of Kremmling. I was tired as I got in after 5 (7:30 start) and then heard the news about Simo. I have not crashed in a few days but did manage to trip over a landscaping timber and do a header into some gravel. I was sore from the ride and that trip was a painful reminder of some past crashes.

Ride to Frisco, CO.

The ride to Frisco was 60 miles with 4000 feet of climbing and 50% on paved roads / bike trails. Overall, this was a fun day with another big climb and some riding on bike trails from Silverthorne to Frisco. I took it easy and hoped that the lesser mileage would aid in my recovery from the prior day. I was riding with Mike, Ari, and Kris when we got hit by a tremendous wind and more rain in Silverthorne. We stopped for a coffee and let the storm blow through. I did get rained on earlier in the ride on the descent after lunch.

We also stayed at a hotel in Frisco and that was a treat. Many of us went to a Vietnamese restaurant for dinner. Nice to sleep in a real bed, but in all honesty, I sleep much better in my tent. It seems to help with sleep-related health issues. It is great except for getting up in the cold and needed to walk a hundred yards or more to the rest room.

Ride to Hartsel, CO.

It was near unanimous that today may have been the best riding day of the tour. We did 66 miles with 4400 feet of climbing with 30% paved. We started in Frisco and rode the bike path into Breckenridge. It was a warm morning but turned cooler as we rode into higher elevation. We rode up Boreas Pass and even though it was the highest elevation to date at 11,400 feet, the overall climb was easy because it was an old railroad line and the grade typically cannot be that great.

The aspens are all changing colors and it was vintage Indian Summer. Lots of cars going up as well but most were respectful. Spectacular views of valleys and lakes. The descent though was on a much rougher road and I had a bad stomach ache part of the way down. David gave me a Pepto and Avert gave me a banana and it was a miracle cure. Lots of folks passed me on the way down as I went very slow.

Lunch was in the small town of Como and from that point it seemed to get windy. I had a good day battling the headwinds over the rolling hills into Hartsel. I caught quite a few riders as the terrain was not too bad and I seemed to do better with the wind.  I caught Luca and Patrick about 6 miles from town and we battled the headwinds together. It was along a busy highway and was somewhat unnerving as there was little or no shoulder and the wind was tricky.

Staying at a cool ranch site but it is getting extremely cold. Steamboat is supposed to get snow this weekend. Typing in my tent trying to keep warm. Had a nice chat with Tim from Australia who is a sheep rancher. I asked him if he used dogs and he has a single border collie who controls thousands of sheep. Tim said he needs to close a gate now and then but his little dog does all the work of herding the sheep. I happen to lovb Border Collies so I was fascinated listening to him.

Thanks for Reading

Tailwinds

Chuck Hardesty – Riding for The Backstoppers.org

PS a little about my PC woes. I went to dinner and came back and the Microsoft Surface Pro was as hot as an oven. When the battery finally ran out and the system cooled, I was able to use it again. The only difference was that I put it on “sleep” when I went to dinner and will not make that mistake again. Drat and the Wifi signal was strong that evening.