So…since my last posting I have conquered the Rocky Mountains (an amazing experience) and am now in the desert of the American Southwest. The Rockies were amazing, and well worth all the hard pedaling it took to get to (and over) them. And the desert is simply indescribable. I will try to give a breakdown of events.

Buena Vista to Gunnison – 85 miles

This day saw us over the Monarch Pass, which at 11,300 feet was our highest elevation of the trip. We climbed nearly 4,000 feet to get there, and the climb (specifically the beginning of the climb) was the worst I had ever felt on a bicycle. I nearly was to the point that I couldn’t handle it – I felt sick and utterly destroyed. Luckily, I stopped at a sketchy campsite partways up and refilled my water bottles and added some Nuun (an electrolyte supplement). It’s amazing what that did to me, and I finished the climb at my normal pace. It wasn’t slow from that point, but it was agonizing.

On the descent, it started raining hard as I was about two thirds of the way down (afternoon thunderstorms are commonplace in the Rockies). It was extremely sketchy descending in the rain – I couldn’t slow down enough. But we got (slowly) to the bottom and stopped in a gas station to warm up. For the last thirty miles, I rode alone, quite fast, with a tailwind. That stretch was amazing.

Looking back (East) from the summit of Monarch Pass

Gunnison to Ouray – 104 miles

Another century in the Rockies. We started off with a light rain, which thankfully soon cleared. We then found ourself riding alongside the Blue Mesa Reservoir (an amazing vista). The ride was incredibly pretty through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and finally, about 50 miles later, into Ouray. Ouray is known as the “Alps of the Rockies” because it is at 7,500 feet or so and surrounded by sheer cliffs and 14,000 foot mountains. The place is indescribable, but it surpassed all of my expectations.

The Blue Mesa Reservoir

Ouray to Durango – 78 miles

We climbed over 3,000 feet out of Ouray on the steep, winding road through Red Mountain Pass. The crest of the climb was at over 11,000 feet. We also climbed two more mountain passes that day, and saw some of the most beautiful views I have ever experienced. The descents were amazing too – safe roads with long sight lines and smooth pavement. I reached 46 miles per hour, shattering my previous speed records. All in all, though, I was simply in awe of the mountains for the entire day.

Looking down on Silverton after beginning our second climb.

Building in Durango

We built with Habitat for a day in Durango. The city was awesome – very outdoorsy. Unfortunately, the church that we stayed at was a reluctant host at best. We were lucky we got to stay indoors. But the build site was fun, and I had Indian food. I also was lucky enough to meet Cole’s friend John, who works in a Durango bike shop and owns the largest collection of bikes I had ever seen. Even more remarkable, most of them were pulled from the trash and fixed up impressively. A great day.

Durango to Cortez – 45 miles

Finally, a really short day. We started with a climb out of Durango – never had 2,000 feet of climbing passed so quickly. Even though John Bailey (Cole’s friend), and Samuel for that matter, smoked me impressively, I still thought I had gone pretty fast. We got in to Cortez early, and had a much needed rest day.

Cortez to Red Mesa, AZ – 65 miles

We were definitely in the desert for this day, wihich included heat and spectacular views of mesas on the horizon. We stopped off at Four Corners and some of us decided to climb a smallish mesa. There were some spectacular views at the top. Even with all that, we arrived at Red Mesa (a high school on the side of the road, and little else) at 1:45, and proceeded to nap all afternoon. I hadn’t realized how tired the Rockies had made me.

Red Mesa to Kayenta – 54 miles

A somewhat short day, but beautiful desert scenery, and not overly hot. It is remarkable how little there actually is here on the Navajo Indian Reservation. After arriving, the group went on a tour of Monument Valley, which was nothing short of spectacular. These are the vistas that are always associated with the Southwest, but seeing them in pictures does not do them justice. The scale of the buttes and mesas was immense…it was something I did not even know existed on planet Earth.

After dinner, a few of us decided to climb the hill overlooking town. Scales can be decieving out west, we found out – it was much bigger than it looked. Still, we were treated to impressive views at the top. The experience was immensely worth it. Only a few days to the Grand Canyon – I am loving Arizona.