Day 20: Salida, CO to Pueblo, CO

Day 20: 22 June 2007

Salida, CO (7038 ft) to Pueblo, CO (4690 ft). 
102 Miles.

Blog Address:
http://bikeboyglovach.blogspot.com
Friends – feel free to encourage or make fun of me on this blog.

Videos on the WWW
http://public.box.net//greg98266
Friends – access this link to view some videos I am making with my digital camera.  Not advised while riding, but, at least I have a helmet on…..
 
New Videos:
 

Day’s Theme:
Adios Rockies!  Hello weather!

Weather/Terrain:
With the mountains behind us, the day’s mileages will increase.  Largely a downhill ride, EXCEPT if you take the trip to The Royal Gorge (I did!).  The morning was perfect, cool temps, smooth roads, tailwinds, and a beautiful downhill ride through a canyon.  The afternoon brought mid-west weather – thunder and lightening with riders taking cover!! 

How I feel:
Tough day for yours truly!  My left shoe cleat STOPED clicking into the pedal at 35 miles – still had 67 miles to pedal.  I could pedal OK on the flats as the front of the clip was in the pedal, but, could not spin well, and could only pedal while sitting.  Since the Rocket & I decided to do the extra loop to the Royal Gorge, I had to climb probably our steepest climb while seating!  That coupled with a mushroom or something growing on my left ass cheek made for a tough day……………..

Notable Events:
The side trip to The Royal Gorge was notable – this is the highest suspension bridge in the world, and, I think, was the way across these lands at one point.
Also, the introduction to “stormy weather” is apparent now that we are out of the mountains.

Pictures:
What’s Happening:



The morning was perfect, and we saw perhaps our last views of the beautiful Rocky Mountain Panorama.
That mountain on the left looked like a perfect pyramid from an earlier view (which I didn’t take for some reason….).
 
 




This was a grand view.






For about 40 miles, we rolled along a road which snaked along with the Arkansas River Headwaters through a rugged canyon. 
All along were a train tracks, birds, and this fast moving river.
 










Sag I was along the river at this water rafting spot.











After the incredibly difficult climb up to the Royal Gorge (especially with one foot), we hung around here for about 90 minutes.
Rocket wanted to take a picture of me by the Massachusetts flag, but, I corrected him.  Freak.
 








This is the Arkansas River which cut steeply through this canyon.  This is the same river we travelled along all morning.
 






From the suspension bridge, we noticed the white water rafters.
 
 

The Royal Gorge was spectacular and the suspended, wooded plank bridge was something unique.  Cars and trucks were crossing it while we were!!
The bridge was built in 1929 by Lon P. Piper, and is 1053 feet above the Arkansas River.
Pretty cool.




Brian spent two hours in the Gorge, including doing the canyon slingshot swing with Angie!
On the way out, we photographed him with his home flag.
Bloody brilliant!
You ladies out there would probably like to see Brian’s pose at the “Half Moon Ranch” we went by earlier, but, you will need to find other Internet sources for that – I DON’T operate that kind of website!!






The weather was starting to turn in the Royal Gorge, and we still had over 50 miles to Pueblo.
This storm got ahead of me, and there was lightening to my left, right, and straight ahead.
Many of us had to find temporary cover – this isn’t always easy in the west………..