On Tuesday we had our longest Colorado ride - a 96-mile ride between Dillon and Salida. Dillon sits at an elevation of just over 9,000 feet so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when we woke up to sub-40 degree temperatures. We could definitely see our breath as we were getting our bikes ready for the ride and bundled up in as many layers as we could before setting off.
The first 15 miles of the ride were definitely a bit chilly since we set off around 6:30 am, but they were all on the most incredible bike trails I've ever been on. The first stretch along Dillon Lake, which is completely surrounded by the mountains, made for a beautiful morning ride with the rising sun causing the lake to glisten.
After a quick coffee stop in Frisco we hooked up with another trail that took as along forests, mountains, rivers, and lakes for another beautiful and relaxing 7 miles. We even saw a herd of mountain goats with two adorable little babies! It was hard to leave that trail - partially because it was so beautiful, partially because the next road took us over Fremont Pass - our second 11,000+ foot peak.
Although the ride up was difficult, it was also incredibly scenic the whole way. We passed by some huge mountains that seemed to be towering over us even though we were already so high. Our ~26 mile climb to start the day was also greatly rewarded by having the remaining 70 miles be primarily downhill. Not always a significant downhill, but downhill nonetheless.
Those last 70 miles took us by some of the most impressive views of the trip thus far. I swear every 10 minutes I thought to myself, "This must be it, this is the prettiest part of the ride". But alas, every 10 minutes I was surprised. It's crazy knowing that one week ago I was riding down flat, straight roads where I could only see corn for miles and miles. Now every turn is full of anticipation of the unknown beauty that lies ahead. It's incredible to see this Colorado land at the pace of a bicycle. I feel like I have all the time in the world to soak up the prominence of mountains, watch as the rivers slowly grow wider, and just enjoy a full sensory experience across this wonderful state.
But anyways, back to those 70 miles. The downhill part of the ride was a definitely a gift, but was mildly overshadowed at times by intense winds that had us noticeably leaning left to keep from being pushed into the traffic lane. It was kind of stressful on a short part of the road with really narrow shoulders, but usually we were too distracted by the scenery to really care.
For most of the ride we had the luxury of viewing some of the most iconic "14ers" (mountains over 14,000 feet) in the Rockies - Mt. Elbert, Mt. Massive, the Collegiate Peaks, etc - to our right, while simultaneously passing by the Arkansas River and San Isabel National Forest to the left. It was remarkable to be constantly surrounded by such beauty. I feel like I spent most of the ride mouth agape, in complete disbelief that this is my life right now, and incredibly thankful that it is.