really smoothly, despite one sore knee, and I had another stunningly
beautiful day.
Montrose is a relatively large town for what's usually along the bike
route - 12,000 people - and is below 6,000 feet. I slowly gained
elevation during the morning and climbed the Dallas Divide which is at
8,970 feet. At the top, I felt a few rain drops from the sagging gray
clouds overhead and tried to beat the storm to the bottom, 13 miles
below in Placerville. I somehow avoided the storms all day until the
last ten miles up to Telluride. The climb turned out to be steeper
than I expected, and I was riding out of a pretty, sunny valley
straight up into a black sky. But, there was nowhere else to go. I had
seen the weather forecast, predicting isolated thunderstorms after
3pm, but only a thirty percent chance. I have learned that often, the
Weather Channel just likes to predict rain. However, at 3:04pm as I
pedaled the last mile into Telluride, the cold, cold rain started
coming down.
Telluride is gorgeous and small, with quite a lot of means to provide
municipal services, such as a free gondola up to the top of a nearby
peak. The stores are funky, the people are hip, and the whole place
seems a little too perfect.
I am beginning to really love road biking in the mountains (in these
mountains, at least, where the grades are manageable). Today I rode
along the Uncompahgre River (don't ask me how to pronounce that),
pumped up mountains and flew down the other side. It's incredible to
slowly ascend and see the mountains from so many vantages. Then, at
the top, there is relief and a sense of accomplishment, quickly
followed by glee as the bike starts rolling slowly over the summit.
Coming down is dream-like, with completely new scenery previously
hidden by the peaks, appearing and disappearing around curves so fast
it doesn't seem real.
I think I will come back some day.
1 comment:
"I think I will come back some day."
I've been saying that ever since I left. =)
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