Well, the heat finally caught up with us. It was well over 90 today. Heat introduces additional challenges when cycling ... you need more electrolytes, more water, there is more stress on the body as it has to use extra energy to cool itself. While everyone in our group did OK, riding in heat generally gets folks in trouble faster than anything else.
We've been lucky so far. Usually it's 100 degrees in many of the areas we've been cycling through. At most places so far when I've talked to the locals they've been complaining about the rain and unseasonably cool weather. In Green River they are famous for their watermelons, (I was told the sweetest and best in the world and too bad for me that I missed it) and the talk was that this year they would be lucky to have them ripe by the end of August instead of July as usual.
But despite being hot, the ride over was beautiful. All of this country is on the Colorado (river) Plateau, part of the Rocky Mountains. I've always thought of the Rockies as being in Colorado and North and South, but our friendly ranger yesterday pointed out that they actually start with the Wasatch mountains near Salt Lake and end east of Denver. The Plateau with it's buttes are technically part of the Rockies.
Today's ride was mostly desert range with canyonlands to the north and south. White sand, sagebrush and red and pink bluffs in the distance. We did a bit of climbing today ... over 4000 feet. A lot of it was in the first 30 miles in very slight grade climbs that went forever. I kept forgetting I was actually climbing and kept thinking I was just tired and wondered what was wrong with me for feeling so draggy. Then the terrain turned to rollers with relatively gentle climbs and descents and our pace picked up as we rode through range lands. Lots of gophers and saw another antelope. When we crossed the state line to Colorado, the terrain changed quickly. A long climb and then we entered another plateau. We biked along the Colorado river which was muddy brown and the dark red cliffs rose behind the river. The land was green with more grass and trees and red with the dramatic cliffs and canyons. I'm going to like Colorado.
Tons of our riders have had a lot of trouble with flats ... Chris who I ride with often had 3 and others have had multiple flats. I feel badly for them - it's no fun changing a flat in the hot sun. Cross my fingers that my luck holds - I've only had one so far. Now I've probably jinxed it ...
Tomorrow we bike to Montrose and we'll cross paths with Ride Colorado where there are several thousand riders on the same course. Should be fun to talk with other riders and swap stories ... and chaotic with a lot of cyclists on the road.
Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016!!
9 years ago
