Day 41
July 11, 2005
Today I slayed the Hoosier dragon. It was the highlight of the day. The rest of the “downhill” ride to Canon City would be a tougher test than anticipated.
I woke up and had a great Fireside breakfast with the other guests. It was one of the best breakfasts of the trip, and Nicki prepared it all, with love, for us in her family-sized kitchen. I exchanged goodbyes with everyone and headed for Hoosier.
The ride up Hoosier was one of the best climbs of the trip. I felt great going into it and it was perfectly manageable for where I’m at physically right now. The first six or seven miles of the ten mile climb were nice and steady, then it decided to get a little mean and steep toward the top. The first increase in grade came with a pair of switchbacks about two and a half miles from the summit. The road swung around to my right and then quickly hung another u-turn to my left. Unwilling to succumb to the beast that is Hoosier, I dropped my head, got out of the saddle, and powered my way around the turns – felt like Lance Linthicum…
That was only the first of maybe four nice little surges up to the summit, but I felt great going in and out of each one. It took me less than an hour and a half to scale the ten miles to the summit; I had allotted two hours. I reached the summit and felt I also earned the right refer to the hill by its new name: Hoosier-Daddy Pass! I read Chris & Chaz’ journal where they referred to the pass as such and thought it was perfect.
Once I reached the summit, I went hunting for the little gift left by the guys. It was right where they said it’d be. It was great finding it; a note of encouragement left days earlier by two of the many new friends I’ve made in the trip. After I found the note I made my way over to the sign for the traditional photo session. As I was making my way over, I saw Temple, a guy I met briefly in Silverthorne, making his way up the pass. We chatted for a while, with four additional cyclists on day trips up and down the hill, and fired off a few pictures. Temple and I finished the ride together down to Canon City.
The rest of the day was supposed to be cake after Hoosier-Daddy, but it wasn’t. At all.
The down off the summit was nice, the next 30 miles to Hartsel were relatively nice as well. It was coming out of Hartsel that we met our doom. There is a 4,000-foot drop in elevation in the 55 miles or so from Hartsel to Canon City, you would expect that to be an enjoyable ride, we did… We knew there was one final pass coming out of Hartsel, but as we rode, we weren’t sure when that would come. There ended up being what seemed four “final passes;” it never ended. And then, once we finally scaled the last of the hills, there was a headwind that wouldn’t quit. We had to pedal our way down most of the 4,000-foot drop in elevation. I’m not doing a very good job of painting the picture, just know I was spent each time we went up and over a hill – only to find another one waiting for us. It was the hardest I have worked the entire trip. I told Temple, McKenzie was rough, and there will never be another like it, but I didn’t work to get up it, I survived it. The ride into Canon City whipped me. I was dead when we finally got there. And there was one final hill as we came within a mile of the town. Now, almost angry with the never-ending tests, a new resolve not to be beaten washed over me and I dug real deep for the last bit of energy to muscle my way up the hill in a fashion I could look back on the conquered road and know it didn’t win. It was a small victory, but it meant everything to know I survived all the lessons of learning I’m not so done when I think I am.
We went to the first restaurant we found, ate, and headed to the KOA, where I felt ripped off by the $25 camping fee for the less than $25 accommodations.
Today: 91.81 Total: 1,920.86
Today I slayed the Hoosier dragon. It was the highlight of the day. The rest of the “downhill” ride to Canon City would be a tougher test than anticipated.
I woke up and had a great Fireside breakfast with the other guests. It was one of the best breakfasts of the trip, and Nicki prepared it all, with love, for us in her family-sized kitchen. I exchanged goodbyes with everyone and headed for Hoosier.
The ride up Hoosier was one of the best climbs of the trip. I felt great going into it and it was perfectly manageable for where I’m at physically right now. The first six or seven miles of the ten mile climb were nice and steady, then it decided to get a little mean and steep toward the top. The first increase in grade came with a pair of switchbacks about two and a half miles from the summit. The road swung around to my right and then quickly hung another u-turn to my left. Unwilling to succumb to the beast that is Hoosier, I dropped my head, got out of the saddle, and powered my way around the turns – felt like Lance Linthicum…
That was only the first of maybe four nice little surges up to the summit, but I felt great going in and out of each one. It took me less than an hour and a half to scale the ten miles to the summit; I had allotted two hours. I reached the summit and felt I also earned the right refer to the hill by its new name: Hoosier-Daddy Pass! I read Chris & Chaz’ journal where they referred to the pass as such and thought it was perfect.
Once I reached the summit, I went hunting for the little gift left by the guys. It was right where they said it’d be. It was great finding it; a note of encouragement left days earlier by two of the many new friends I’ve made in the trip. After I found the note I made my way over to the sign for the traditional photo session. As I was making my way over, I saw Temple, a guy I met briefly in Silverthorne, making his way up the pass. We chatted for a while, with four additional cyclists on day trips up and down the hill, and fired off a few pictures. Temple and I finished the ride together down to Canon City.
The rest of the day was supposed to be cake after Hoosier-Daddy, but it wasn’t. At all.
The down off the summit was nice, the next 30 miles to Hartsel were relatively nice as well. It was coming out of Hartsel that we met our doom. There is a 4,000-foot drop in elevation in the 55 miles or so from Hartsel to Canon City, you would expect that to be an enjoyable ride, we did… We knew there was one final pass coming out of Hartsel, but as we rode, we weren’t sure when that would come. There ended up being what seemed four “final passes;” it never ended. And then, once we finally scaled the last of the hills, there was a headwind that wouldn’t quit. We had to pedal our way down most of the 4,000-foot drop in elevation. I’m not doing a very good job of painting the picture, just know I was spent each time we went up and over a hill – only to find another one waiting for us. It was the hardest I have worked the entire trip. I told Temple, McKenzie was rough, and there will never be another like it, but I didn’t work to get up it, I survived it. The ride into Canon City whipped me. I was dead when we finally got there. And there was one final hill as we came within a mile of the town. Now, almost angry with the never-ending tests, a new resolve not to be beaten washed over me and I dug real deep for the last bit of energy to muscle my way up the hill in a fashion I could look back on the conquered road and know it didn’t win. It was a small victory, but it meant everything to know I survived all the lessons of learning I’m not so done when I think I am.
We went to the first restaurant we found, ate, and headed to the KOA, where I felt ripped off by the $25 camping fee for the less than $25 accommodations.
Today: 91.81 Total: 1,920.86
posted by SuperByron3000 at 7/13/2005
1 Comments:
softey, ours was 12,800ft.
nah, seriously nice work. jealous, England ain't as good!
Hugs,
H and J
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