Luv Shack

July 9, 2017

Day 16: Poncha Springs, Colorado to Sapinero, Colorado

I felt much better this morning; it was probably a combination of yesterday's shorter day, a couple of good meals, and a comfortable bed. Possibly the removal last night of the horrible beard also played a role in my improved mood and energy level this morning.

I was up at 5:30 and riding by 6:15, although I stopped after a few hundred feet to get an enormous cookie and a Diet Pepsi at the convenience store just down the road. The cafe where I had lunch and dinner yesterday was not open for breakfast, sadly.

I was on US 50 now, and the first 18 miles were a climb to Monarch Pass. Traffic was much, much lighter than yesterday, and there was a wide shoulder. On the way up to the pass I rode through a few small communities, but there were no services; the few businesses I saw were closed, and most had "for sale" signs. Traffic did pick up after the first hour, but it was nothing like yesterday morning's fiasco. The combination of a good shoulder and occasional passing lanes made this the most relaxed climb to a mountain pass yet.

So far, the mountain passes I've ridden up to have featured a sign announcing the elevation, and nothing more. Monarch Pass, improbably enough, contained a large, super-nice gift shop and snack bar. I've never seen anything like it; there should be something like this at the top of every mountain. I had breakfast there, idly looked through some of the clothing and books, and acknowledged a couple of people's compliments on my climb; "Nice Job!" wasn't equal to the favorite thing I've heard so far ("You got it, Baby!"), but I'll gladly accept it.

The descent was as fun as these things can be for me; I'm always nervous doing this. Am I the only cyclist in the world who prefers climbing to descending? Probably.

After that, it was a mostly flat ride in a valley for a long stretch with almost no services. Traffic was annoyingly heavy at times, but the shoulder on US 50 remained very wide and rideable. During this part of the ride, things started looking much more dry, and there were few trees. It was looking more like Utah.

After the long stretch of nothing much, I stopped in the tiny community of Parlin, which had a post office open a couple of hours a day, and the QT Store, where I had a few cold drinks and talked to the owner for a while. He was a nice guy.

Eleven miles down the road, Gunnison (pop. 5,854) was the cleanest, nicest-looking western town I've seen on this trip. I stopped at McDonald's for lunch, then found the bike shop, where I purchased some chain lube and a new water bottle to replace the old one that had finally cracked after eight years of loyal service.

Gunnison would have been a nice place to stop for the day - it really is an appealing town - but I wanted to get more than eighty miles in, so I could maintain my schedule and get to San Francisco on or before the day Joy flies there. So, I rode out of town into what was now at least 90F heat. US 50 goes through the Curecanti National Recreation Area, which contains the Blue Mesa Reservoir. Based on the number of trucks pulling boats that passed me, this is clearly a popular place for fishermen.

After 86 miles I reached Sapinero. This is a small village with a permanent population of two: Jim Murphy and Jeri Tharp, the older couple who own the store, bar, and campground that cater to fishermen. The campground doesn't currently offer tent camping, but they have "rough" cabins that cost only a few dollars more than the tent camping at the government campground two miles down the road. I opted for one of the cabins, "The Luv Shack", which was rough indeed, but still easier than setting up the tent. Dinner was a frozen pizza heated up in the microwave at the store. I hung around the store for a while, drinking Gatorade and listening to the locals' conversations, then visited the shower house and retired to the "Luv Shack", which I do not believe I will revisit with Joy on a future anniversary or romantic getaway, due to the very primitive nature of its "charm."

Today's ride: 87 miles (140 km)
Total: 1,344 miles (2,163 km)

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