Day 19: Gunnison to Salida

Today’s Highlights:
We had a fabulous ride today, with great scenery, some very easy cruising, one very challenging climb to new heights, and ending with a great downhill.

Herb and Rick joined us today for the sixty-four mile ride on US 50 from Gunnison to Salida Colorado. It was an invigorating 39 degrees when we departed at 7:00 am, and the sky was clear and deep blue. We started with a 30-mile gradual climb, so after a couple miles of warm up, the cool temperature was ideal. We rode through a bucolic valley where the Tomichi Creek meanders. It stretched for thirty miles, all the way from Gunnison to Sargents, like a ribbon of heaven laid down on the valley floor. Large farms and ranches were spread out like patchwork one after another. Rolling hills and mountains created a magnificent backdrop. The ride was easy, peaceful, and immensely enjoyable.

We had a rest stop at mile thirty one. From there, we started the big climb of the day – a nine mile climb to the 11,000 foot summit of Monarch Pass. The road was a constant grade, since it is a state highway that trucks depend on. There were no flat or downhill breaks, just a steady seven percent. It took me about 1.5 hours. At some curves in the road, there were views far down into the valley. There was a dense forest of tall pines for the entire climb, and occasional aspen groves. The scent of pine filled the air. The mountain air was clear and crisp. Best of all, it was free, so I sucked it in like a glutton at an all-you-can-eat salad bar.

At the summit, we had our final rest stop for the day, and briefly celebrated with some photos at the landmark. Then we were rewarded with a big, long descent of similar grade, winding for about ten miles. Traffic was light, so it was fun to get some speed and just enjoy the ride. I only stopped a few times for photo ops. The next fifteen miles into Salida were also downhill, but not as steep or winding. It was a very easy finish.

I got to town around 1:00 and joined a few other riders at Subway. The weather was still nice, and in the eighties and clear. However, a couple hours later, the air filled with smoke and some ash from the fires to the east. We are hoping it clears tomorrow for our ride out.

Day 19

Statistics: Zoom and pan the map to explore the route.

Time: 6/20/2013, 5:49:5

Duration: 06:07:31

Ascent/Descent: 4180 ft 4787 ft

Distance: 64.33 M