Hoosier Daddy – Day 24

Date: Monday 30th August   

Route: Kremmling, Colorado – Alma, Colorado 

Distance:  73 miles 

Total climb: 5983ft

Net climb: 2983ft

Our start from Kremmling was delayed by a trip to the town bike shop to get the bikes tuned up.  They had to be in good shape before our climb over the Hoosier Pass – at 11, 542ft the highest point on our route.  The bike shop was owned and run by a top guy who also happened to be the spitting image of Garth from Wayne’s World.  We left the bikes at the shop while having breakfast and getting ready in the RV, then picked them up and headed out on the road. 

The first twelve miles of the ride was the least enjoyable cycling that I have ever done.  We cycled into ferociously strong winds along a very narrow road with never ending traffic which included its fair share of trucks.  It also served to showcase some of the less able drivers that we have encountered on the route.  At times it was difficult just too keep the bikes upright and moving forward.  Fortunately, the section only lasted about an hour and a half before we turned off towards the town of Heeney.  From this point onwards the day was great; the route into Heeney led us on a cracking road around the Green Mountain Reservoir.  Sadly Heeney Marina was somewhat lacking in amenities, but we stopped to eat some of the snacks we were carrying at the ”Master Bates and Tackle Shop”.  No comment.

After Heeney we rejoined SR 9, the road we had been on earlier in the day, but from this point onwards the architects of the road had decided to include a proper hard shoulder which made it a far less intimidating ride.  We made good progress into Silverthorne and met Team Heagney and the RV. 

A quick stop for gas station pizzas and we were back out on the road attempting to find the bike path out of Silverthorne.  A couple of wrong turns and a quick enquiry in a sports shop and we were finally riding switchbacks up to the banks of the Dillon Reservoir.  From here we were on excellent bike paths all of the way into the popular ski resort of Breckenridge.  This section of the route was one of the highlights of the ride to date and a perfect example of how bikes routes should be engineered.

At Breckenridge we had another quick meet-up with the RV and made the executive decision that although it was late we would take on the Hoosier Pass.  We had only 12 miles to the summit and two thousand feet to climb.  As it turned out the climb was not too bad at all, fairly gradual throughout and we had no issues until we were about 500m from the summit, at which point I got a touch of the vapours and became dizzy – presumably because of the altitude.  After a quick foot-down break we pushed on the final few peal strokes to the top, where Team Heagney were waiting with cups of tea and biscuits.  It was a very English way of crossing a mountain.  Silly photographs ensued, followed by a freewheel in the dark to the town of Alma where John had managed to negotiate and electric hook-up for the RV at “Alma’s Only Bar” on the basis that we ate dinner there.  The food was excellent and although we were told that a bear had been turning over the “trash cans” next to where the RV was parked, given the time and distinct lack of heat outside of the RV, on balance it was a pretty good deal.

So, Hoosier passed, it should be downhill all the way from here….

Other notes:

–           We clocked our slowest sustained speed on the ride to date, climbing one of the early hills at a speed of 3.9mph

–           A lengthy debate started after we overtook a 2 year old child learning to ride a bike – did this count as a valid overtake for the race to Yorktown?

–           The town of Alma – population 179 bizarrely has a Carhartt clothing superstore which is open until 9pm every night.

JBS