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| Rock wall near the summit of Grand Mesa |
Elevation gain: 7,631 feet
Time in saddle: 8 hours, 51 mins (about 11 hours total)
Total miles ridden: 146.6
Total elevation gain: 10,623 feet
Total time in saddle: 12 hours, 36 mins
Well, I learned some things today:
1) A 98 mile ride is a really, really long way. 7,631 feet is high!
2) All the training I did around the foothills in Denver did not prepare me for a day like today.
3) Never ride fast with your mouth open and big bugs flying around!
Leaving Grand Junction at 6:30 a.m. and getting into Hotchkiss close to 6:00 p.m. gave me a really long day. However the scenery was spectacular. The photos hardly do it justice.
At mile 17, I started to climb, gently for the first 18 miles, and then it was a hard and steep, but steady climb, all the way to the top of the Grand Mesa - 19 miles of UP!
A fast descent for 20 miles, hitting 40 mph at times, and then rolling hills for 23 miles into the small farming community of Hotchkiss.
At one point I called Steph almost weepy with exhaustion. Thankfully, the day ended with a 30 minute massage and a cold beer, rendering me ready for another long day tomorrow.
The extra protein from the insects can't hurt either!
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| At the summit - after 7,000 feet of climbing and still smiling! |
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| Farmhouse near Mesa |
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| Colorado River flowing near Grand Junction |
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| Early in the day on a bridge over the river |
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| Views from the ascent up Grand Mesa |
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| Views from the ascent up Grand Mesa |
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| Views from the ascent up Grand Mesa |
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| At the top of Grand Mesa |
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| Yup, that's a hill alright! |
2 comments:
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