Day 18: Montrose to Gunnison

Today’s Highlights:
Today we had some of the best scenery since leaving the Sierra Nevada Mountains two weeks ago. We are in the heart of the Rocky Mountains and it is just beautiful. The price of admission for today’s visual feast was high though. We started the morning with a stronger headwind than yesterday. I did not think that was possible. The first nine miles were flat or slight inclines, and I could only ride between six and eight mph. For the first time ever I used my granny gear on a flat road. Then we hit a four mile climb up to Cerro Summit, and I worked very hard to go 4 mph. It took one hour, fifty minutes to cover the first 13 miles. That was quite tiring and we still had fifty three more miles to go. Once at the summit, the day improved dramatically. The wind was very light and we even had a tailwind for the last thirty miles. Temperatures were comfortable throughout the day – a little cool at the start and a little hot at the finish, but nothing extreme.

Leaving Montrose at 7:00, there was a thick haze in the distance, presumably from the fires on the eastern side of the Rockies. We rode passed many farms and ranches, and it was nice to see the tall grass, aspen trees, and all the shades of green. Once over our first summit, layers of mountains and cliffs spread out before us. We had an enjoyable descend off Cerro and coasted into the little town of Cimarron. We followed the crystal clear Cimarron River for a while. Ranches were common in this area, although they are so large it could have been a mile or more between each house I saw.

We had our next big climb starting at mile twenty, and climbed for seven miles. I made better progress on this climb since there was no wind to contend with. Just before the summit, there was construction that we had to stop for. I had about a ten minute rest there. Just over the summit, our rest stop looked down into one of the most peaceful valleys I have seen. It had a small lake, a single ranch, and acres of lush pasture land. One of the workers there said he saw 300 head of elk down there when he arrived at 5:30 in the morning. Another great descent took us snaking through a canyon, and when we popped out the other side, it opened up into another large valley with more cliffs and mountains layered one after another. Aspen trees became more prevalent. A long stretch of gentle downhill then brought us to the Gunnison Lake, created by a dam on the Gunnison River. We followed the lake shore for nearly twenty miles, crossing over it at one point. The entire area was quite beautiful with its blue water, grassy and sandy shoreline, and colorful cliffs and mountains rising out of the lake.

After we passed the lake, the terrain continued to be relatively flat, and an easy ride. We passed more ranches and a resort or two. Then we had another nice treat, cycling through the Gunnison River Canyon. The road hugged the river and tall cliffs rose from each side. I found it very peaceful to ride through. I met up with Dave and Chris on this section and finally got some pictures of them riding.

Once out of the canyon, we entered more lush farmland. It was a pleasant easy cruise into Gunnison. The town looks very nice, with wide streets, and a real western feel.

Two ABB alumni met up with us today. Herb and Rick, who I rode with last year on the Ride-the-West tour, will be riding with us for a couple days, then going on the Tour of Colorado bike trip. It is great to see them again. Herb is 81 years old and is everyone’s bike hero. I hope I enjoy cycling as long as he has.

Pictures Of The Day: Click any thumbnail to see the photos in full screen mode.

Day 18