Monarch Pass, a dream comes true

Saturday, Sandi and I drove to Buena Vista, about 25 miles north of Salida.  There we enjoyed a two and a half hour yoga class which my body well needed.  The TV Sucks / Ride Your Bike sticker on my water-bottle sparked a conversation between Alicia and myself.  Turns out, she’s married to Pat who was on the Independence Pass ride.  Small world.

Feeling tall, healthy and fit, we then met our dear friend Ali who is visiting Colorado from back home in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada!  Afforded plenty of time to catch-up by the rather slow service at the local Thai restaurant, we chatted and laughed and ate tasty meals.  Returning to Salida after a few errands, I finally rolled out for a ride just before 6pm.  A dream was about to come true.

Since my first trip to Colorado in the fall of 2011, I’ve driven up and down route #50 to Monarch Pass many times.  There, we’d park and ride the Monarch Crest Trail, truly and epic ride.  It’s also the route used to get to Gunnison and other towns west of Salida.  Every time we’d drive that stretch of road I’d say aloud “man, I SO want to ride this route on my road bike, it would be fantastic!”  Well, Saturday would be the day.

Leaving the house a 5:50pm, I knew I’d be fighting the setting-sun on the way home.  Riding through Poncha Springs the wind was blowing right in my face.  “Ugh, how long will this last” I thought to myself.  Fortunately, it lasted only about 30mins; once I was in the cover of the mountains, there was only that big ole climb to deal with.  For the next 90mins I plodded along, smooth and steady, slow but determined.  The grades varied from 6-9% and I was thankful for having that new lowest gear recently installed.

Cars would pass in both directions, the drivers seemingly unaware of my suffering and joy.  With the South Arkansas River on my left, rock faces on my right, I was surrounded by evergreen-coated mountains scattered with veins of Aspen, the blue sky peppered with the occasional puffy white cloud.  The road was smooth, the sun was peaking over the mountain-tops and the temperature dropping as I climbed and climbed and climbed.  A few miles from the summit, I spied a volunteer EMS ambulance parked at the side of the road, the driver outside chatting on his phone.  He yelped something or other as I seemed to startle him.  I touched wood [tapped my helmet for luck; it’s a little thing I do to ward off potential flats, mechanicals and crashes] to ensure I’d not need his services on my return trip.

Two hours after I had began, I had reached Monarch Pass, elevation 11,312 feet[3448m].  The temperature had dropped from 28C to about 11C and the sun was getting very low above the mountains.  I spent just enough time at the summit to take a couple of pics, have a nature break and send a text message to my girlfriend confirming I’d arrived and anticipated being home in about an hour.  Putting on my long-sleeve wind-shell, I turned around and began the best part of the ride; the descent!!

For the next 40 mins I hurtled down that hill, hands clenched around the drops, my head low and knees tucked tight against the top-tube.  Passing that same ambulance I hollered with glee and continued to blast down that hill at speeds between 60-70kph.  At that speed, it was about 10miles before a car finally rolled passed me; I was virtually alone on that road.  Because of the cold temperatures as I hurtled downhill, my fingers nearly froze tight around the bars and my toes began to go numb.  The speed and exhilaration of that descent made any discomfort a distant thought; I was in my element and loving it.

Bottoming out a bit past Maysville, I was again exposed to the wind, now a gusty cross that forced me to work hard to keep a straight line.  Again, it was irrelevant.  I was having such a good time.  Exactly three hours after I’d left the house, I was home just as the last drop of sun disappeared.

In just three short hours I had realised a dream; to ride my bike and up down that road, to the Monarch Pass and back.  And to think, all I had to do was turn my legs in little circles.   Damn I love cycling.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/325230679

At the Pass.

The sun sets on the mountains, held by the clouds.

Risk Factors Aggressive or awkward sexual positions can increase the risk of penile cialis 5 mg downtownsault.org fracture, so think twice before trying something new. The brand viagra australia male organism reacts to a weaker erection for stress, fatigue, lack of sleep or tension caused by a difficult situation. There are ways buy viagra in canada downtownsault.org to help a woman to conceive and to be mother of a baby. Essentially the most competent individual to suggestions about erectile buy viagra prescription dysfunction Erectile dysfunction is basically a disorder that is regularly neglected.

Descending at about 50kph.