BTC Recap

Let me start a little before the Bicycle Tour of Colorado (BTC)....

A few weeks ago I went down to J-Fo's wedding in Hilton Head. He was kind enough to invite me to his special day and I felt honored to be able to attend. I must also admit I had a $10 bet with Double D that J-Fo would go sleeveless since it was a beach wedding. Turns out I was wrong, he was in a suit. It was a really nice weeding and a beautiful event. The couple was wonderful.

The interesting part is the my beloved Isuzu Trooper gave out on me just before I got onto Hilton Head Island. I was bitter...the truck got nothing but the best from me and this is the payback I get. I called J-Fo so see if he could pick me up but we had some challenges there. With my truck not moving and only a bit of time to spare, I stuffed my wedding clothes in my backpack and rode my bike to J-Fo's wedding . I even made it in time to catch the end of the USA vs. England Game and have a beer. It was quite amusing to Josh and the rest of the people at his wedding. The Trooper has been replaced, last I saw it it looked like this. It is still in Hilton Head but I hope to get it back this way soon (and sell it).

The Marriott in Hilton Head was fantastic. It was waterfront, well equipped with restaurants, had a bar, and was very clean. Nothing like the the trip I'm about to describe.

Just to start, I drove the 26 hours to Gunnison in a rental car. The trip was very quiet. Driving is relaxing for me and I'm so tired of airlines. It took 2 days with a nice nights rest in Limon, CO on the last mattress I'd see for a while. My future looked like this.


The rest of this post will be in an abbreviated fashion so I can get on to seeing "The Decision". That is the ESPN special on the future of Lebron James...sad but true.


Gunnison to Creede (106 miles)
-Brutal Climb over Slumgullion (11,361 ft) then Spring Creek (10,901 ft.). Toughest climb I can remember in a while. Depression and giving up cycling was going through my head. I messed up and didn't eat much for some reason. I was chin down and worn out about 6 hours into the ride. Feebs and I were talking about how whipped we were. "Didn't eat enough" was the conclusion. I had 1 GU and half a PB&J. I also swore that my next bike would have a compact crank.

-I met the toughest man I'd ever met in Creede, CO (Population 337). Feebs and I were chatting with him when he mentioned that he hunted Mountain Lions in the area. Feebs asked him what he used to shoot Mountain Lion and the guy said Long Bow...um he was a badass.

-Just 7 days ago I was in a beautiful resort room on Hilton Head. The morning I woke in Creede, there was frost on my tent as we broke camp. I found myself shivering with numb hands in a well used Port-O-John. This is vacation!

Creede to Alamosa (80 miles)
-It was supposed to be a quick down hill ride to Alamosa but we had a head wind all day, the only reprieve was that we found this coffee shop at the end of the day. Seating for 2 MRC(am).


-Alamosa Brewery for dinner, Feebs and I both got the Sampler. Stay away from the Wheat but they have a nice Chili Pepper Lager. Good burger too.

Alamosa to Chama (77 miles)
-Riding was some up, some down but most importantly I got the New Mexico border sprint sign. Later in the week, I would fall for the old "hey look at the buffalo" distraction as Feebs got a city limit sprint sign.

-Chama was a quaint little town. It seems to be known for some trains or something. We had dinner at a little tavern with an old local crooner. I got a CD he was giving away for being the "most enthusiastic fan". We later got to ride the elk. This really had nothing to do with the beers at the tavern. This just seemed like the thing to do in Chama.


Chama to Pagosa Springs (51 miles)
-Feebs headed for Pagosa Spring early to catch the USA World Cup game. He therefore won the CO border sprint sign. I took a really leisurely ride that day. No pushing. We were fortunate to get to the Laundry Mat early to beat the rush and get some clean clothes.

-We had a big Mexican dinner overlooking Pagosa Springs Spa. The city of Pagosa Springs had a concert in the park that evening with a wine tasting, some live bands and good food. It was a great way to welcome in tomorrow's rest day.


Rest Day in Pagosa Springs (20 miles)
-We slept in a bit in due to the later night of activity. I took a little ride out of town and did a trail run. Feebs had to catch up on some work. We grabbed some lunch and spent the afternoon at Pagosa Springs Spa to even out the cycling tan.


Pagosa Spring to Center (75 miles)
-Wolfe Creek Pass (10,890 ft) was tough. Feebs put on an early push but I caught back on and edged him out at the summit. We had a quick down hill into Center, Colorado. Don't go to Center unless you have a real good reason. There isn't much to do there. Fortunately, Bike Tour of Colorado brings its own Beer Garden to every stop. That's right, every night. The tour organizers roll out a big tent, a local musician, and a beer truck.

Center to Gunnison (97 miles)
-Feebs had to get to work the following morning so he left early. I rolled up North Cochetopa Pass (10,149 ft) quite well and really put a hard effort to the finish in Gunnison. Feebs had already headed to Phoenix by the time I arrived so I grabbed the rental car and headed East.

Drive Home
-I drove a few hours that afternoon and finished up the next day. Oddly, I heard "Tiny Dancer" on the radio 3 times in one day. I sang along twice.

Total: 607 miles.