Day 69: Walden to Hot Sulphur Springs, CO; Coyote Ugly & 8th Continental Divide Crossing

September 8, 2015

Notes:

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2.) Climbing Today: 2,534 ft -- Total So Far; 163,204 ft

3.) Average Speed While Biking Today: 9.4 mph

4.) Mechanical Issues Today: none

5.) Miles Remaining to Canon City: about 182

6.) Miles Traveled to Date on This Half of the Journey: 1,818

7.) Money Found Today: 0

8.) Total Money Found: $1.10 (Will I find enough to buy a cup of coffee?)

9.) Former BAR (Bicycle Altitude Record): 9584 Feet, Togwotee Pass

New BAR Set Today: 9,683 feet, Willow Creek Pass

The forecast was for 37 degrees this morn, and it sure felt like it. It's always the coldest right before the sunrise, so I was glad to see the sun pop up today.

My path today leads to and ascends the mountains ahead.

I'm Heading For Willow Creek Pass In The Mountains Ahead

The usual morning fog was hanging on to the tops of the mountain ridges as I cycled along. I think these guys are some sort of vulture. Does anyone know what they are? (Winnifred Homer Smith later identified them as being Greater Sage Grouses)

I Don't Know Western Birds Well - Is This A Vulture? (no - it was later identified as a Greater Sage Grouse)

Rolling up over a rise overlooking a small valley, I frightened off a coyote that was hunting in the valley below. Approaching the next rise with caution, I rolled slowly over it and was rewarded by catching 2 coyotes that were hunting field mice in the valley below.

Two Coyotes Were Hunting Field Mice In A Valley Below Me

Coyotes Hunting Field Mice Entertained Me For a Bit

I know they were hunting field mice because they would slowly creep up, leap into the air, and pounce down on their prey. My ACA map showed that the upcoming small town of Rand has a post office, and I was anxious to mail home the sockets I had found a couple of days ago. I wanted to ditch the excess weight before I climbed Hoosier Pass in 2 days hence. I wasn't certain if this was meant as a joke.

I Wasn't Sure If This Was Meant As A Joke; Rand Is A Very Small Town

But I was pretty sure this was meant as a joke;

The Post Office at Rand is a small operation.

The Rand Post Office Has Window Hours Only From 9 - 11; I Got Lucky

Window hours are from 9-11 am, and fortunately I had arrived at 9:05 am so there was someone present. I mailed home the sockets and rolled on, but not before the lady running the post office showed me lots of pictures of moose she had taken in her yard. Everybody had seen moose except for me - sigh...

I didn't need this sign to know the winds could be gusty.

Now You Tell Me! So That's What I've Felt The Last Several Days

My path this day rolled through the Routt National Forest.

My Path Went Through The Routt National Forest

It seemed that the aspen trees at the lower elevations weren't changing color as fast as those at higher elevations.

At Lower Elevations, The Aspen Were Just Beginning To Turn Yellow

At Higher Elevations, The Aspen Color Change Was More Advanced

Here are today's obligatory deer photos;

The Deer Were Cautious To Venture Out With Me Watching Down The Road

But Young Ones Haven't Learned Caution Yet

Willow Creek Pass was my 8th crossing of the Continental Divide and a new BAR.

Willow Creek Pass Was My 8th Continental Divide Crossing! I'm straddling the Divide and standing in 2 counties at once.

In the photo above, I'm not only straddling the Continental Divide, I'm also standing in 2 counties at once. I was now traveling in the Arapaho National Forest.

Now I Was Traveling Through The Arapaho National Forest

This igneous dike dominated the landscape;

My descent from Willow Creek Pass followed Willow Creek downstream. Here's a photo of Willow Creek;

I really thought I had spotted a moose as I was descending, and I braked quickly only to be disappointed as I discovered that the "moose" was actually a moose statute marking the entrance to a ranch. Other touring cyclists were now few and far between as the season was pretty much over. So it was great to meet Bill Cote.

Bill Cote, Traveling From Pueblo, CO To Missoula, MT

Bill was traveling from Pueblo, CO to Missoula, MT. Rolling on, I came upon a pile of sawdust near Grandby that was larger than the one I had seen earlier.

An Even Larger Pile Of Sawdust Near Granby

You could smell and taste the sawdust from this pile even from a distance away. Here's the view as I was finally approaching Hot Sulphur Springs, my destination this day;

I stayed at the Canyon Motel, and the clerk really wanted to give me a free pass to the hot sulphur springs. I had to decline because I knew there wouldn't be time. My only real meal of the day came after I cleaned up and walked down to "Grandma's" café and enjoyed some home cooking. I prepped things for tomorrow's ride, and that was it; bedtime y'all...

Today's ride: 61 miles (98 km)
Total: 4,115 miles (6,622 km)

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