Sunny day, but started @ 35 degrees

Monday, June 15  Day 9   Lake City to Gunnison, CO    56 miles

As with yesterday, my favorite part of the ride was the beginning as we rode for many miles next to a rushing, scenic river. That's Craig zooming past me, next to the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River. More photos of this river farther down.

The day began for me at 5:30 as I got dressed warmly and walked my computer to down by the lodge office, in hopes of connecting to the Internet (my room was about 50 yds away). It worked, but it was sure cold as I sat outside there. Later, when we assembled in the van to drive to breakfast, Sue announced that it was 35 degrees. Yikes! But getting on the Internet to send Janet an e-mail, look at photos of my grandson Liam, and check out Facebook postings from others on this ride made it worthwhile.

We drove back into Lake City's downtown to the Mocha Moose Coffee House. With our lodge being named the Alpine Moose, and then with this coffee house, I've never seen so many moose photos and moose doo-dads (moose stuff all over my room the night before, and all over in the coffee house). I just wanted to see a live one.

 Here's downtown Lake City, and that bank had inscribed on its side: "Miners Merchants Bank."

We returned to the lodge and I got ready with my arm warmers, leg warmers, vest, and full-fingered gloves. The temp had risen from 35 degrees, but it was still cold. Our ride out of the lodge began up a hill and I had a fleeting thought that I'd over-dressed, but then we descended and I was darned glad I had on all my warm garb. Here are some more photos of that rushing, beautiful river and its gorge:

You can see what a nice sunny day it was. It warmed up quickly, so the van stopped after 13 miles and we could shed some clothes. Except for my undershirt, I got rid of all my extras, for which I was thankful because we had a 3.5-mile hill ahead of us. After our first rest stop at its summit, we continued down and then up another long climb to 9016 feet elevation.

We had another rest stop at the 33-mile summit, where Rod took my picture:

All through Colorado, we have views of snow-covered peaks off in the distance. So pretty! It's daunting to know that we will be ascending many high peaks ourselves in the next few days into Winter Park on Thursday (and then we get a rest day!).

Jack and Ella took a walk farther down the road, and returned exclaiming they'd seen three moose. I excitedly hopped on my bike and rode down to see and photograph them. I zoomed in with my camera, and...they were cows! It had not been a joke, but from a distance, I guess the kids just thought they were moose.

From that point, it was all a moderate downhill and then flat on Hwy 50 into Gunnison.

That 10-mile downhill was nice (after our 5200 feet of climbing). We finally reached the largest lake in Colorado:

This is the Blue Mesa Reservoir, and once we turned east on Hwy 50 toward Gunnison, we continued along the lake for many miles, and then along a rushing river flowing into it. Thus, I loved this scenery along our bike route.

Riding on Hwy 50 gave me a special feeling because I have a "history" with it. As a kid, our family visited my uncle, aunt, and cousins at their mountain cabin along Hwy 50 below Lake Tahoe, and we would play in the South Fork of the American River flowing next to it. I didn't know until much later that it was a national highway, and that I would be on it just outside of Washington, D.C. on visits there for Carnation Co. and Nestle. More recently, I have ridden my bike on sections of it near Cincinnati. And here I was now in Colorado on it, and we will continue on it all day tomorrow into Salida.

Once in Gunnison, I stopped at the Safeway to buy more sun block (I use tons every day), and then I received a group text from Bob saying that he and Corey were at the Gunnisack Grill for beer and lunch. I just "happened" to see it (I actually went hunting for it), so I stopped and joined them for a juicy jalapeño burger and Fat Tire beer (a Colorado product of course).  At our motel, I did laundry and some other chores, and during a brief shut-eye, it began to rain hard. We were all glad the rain arrived after we were done riding for the day.

Mario's Pizza & Pasta for dinner, and then working on these two blogs. Time for bed.

Tomorrow we will attack Monarch Pass at 11,240 feet. It's our only climb of the day, but it's 9 miles and 3000 feet up, and then a 25-mile descent of 4200 feet into Salida. Check out the map and profile - you'll be amazed at the profile:  http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7807103

To give you a sense of how difficult some of our climbs have been and will be, here is a little quote from Wayfaring Stranger, by James Lee Burke:

“Are you visiting?” the librarian asked.  Her reading glasses hung from a velvet ribbon around her neck.

“We thought we might look around,” I replied.  “Is it very difficult to drive out in the San Juan Mountains?”

“It can be.  Up high, at least,” she said.  “This time of year you have to be careful.  The bad passes are Wolf Creek and Monarch.  You're not going there, are you?”    

Hahaha. Well, the answer is Yes. Wolf Creek the other day, and Monarch tomorrow. And just wait til Thursday!