July 6, 2018
Meeker-Rangely, CO
I didn't sleep well at all, thinking about the "oh, no's, and what if's". It was horrible. Waking up didn't make it any better. Honestly? I called my doctor and asked for a prescription to take the edge off of my anxiety. I cannot believe it's come to that. I really need to settle my nerves so I can enjoy this trip. If I don't tour, I lose a huge piece of my identity. I want, need to enjoy this tour. I need to get back in the saddle.
Downhill along the river, with 1,400 feet of climbing. It was 57 degrees when I left town and felt a little chilly on the initial downhill. I remembered riding last year on this piece with Joe Valenzi. It wasn't too far before we got to the turn to Maybell, I stayed straight on Highway 64 to Rangely.
There were a surprising number of rollers for a downhill ride. I only used the granny gear on the biggest climb, at about mile 35. There was very little traffic again today. I guess everyone is up on Highway 40. Few semi's, RV's, anything. I did consider that if I needed to thumb a ride, it might be a long wait.
We originally had reservations at the Budget Host. When I was calling to confirm reservations, their phone did not ring. After several phone calls, I had the bright idea to check with the Subway next door. Google said the Subway was closed. Hmmm, we knew from previous visits that they were owned by the same person. What to do? We certainly didn't want to arrive out in the middle of nowhere without a reservation. We ended up reserving a room at the Blue Mountain Inn. It was a very nice surprise for Rangely. My expectations were much lower. They had a swimming pool and a laundry area, etc. Cookies and coffee in the lobby.
The room was huge, with a king size bed. Unfortunately, they had horrible wi-fi and an old TV. I can forgive a lot in a motel if it has good wi-fi.
Jacinto and I walked to the Mexican restaurant closest to the motel. We hadn't heard from Wayne. He had a long 80 mile day over Douglas Pass. That's a tough road because of the wind. I thought of him many times during the day, hoping the wind was friendly.
As we were leaving the restaurant, here came Wayne down the street. He was hungry and said he wanted to check in the room, then eat. Off he went.
Today's ride: 59 miles (95 km)
Total: 101 miles (163 km)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 1 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |