Post 21, Monday 18 July, from Riverside, Wyoming

Hi all

A whole week without a Post. But a very full and happy week it has been.

On Monday afternoon I took a shuttle minibus from Breckenridge (leaving my bike and panniers in my B&B) down to Denver International Airport. 'Twas very strange to be going so fast, on an Interstate, and in a minibus where no-one spoke to each other. I am more and more convinced that cycling speed is the best for seeing the scenery and surroundings. And waiting for Julia and Ben at DIA felt bizarre too - all those busy-looking and travel-worn people pouring off their flights!

Anyway, J & B arrived safely and seemed remarkably fresh after a long journey. We set off next morning for the Rocky Mountain National Park, and had two nights/three amazing days there. We drove the spectacular 'Trail Ridge Road' - the highest continuous paved road in the US, topping 12,200ft. The first day we were up there it was raining, and the mountains looked wild and majestic. On the second day we had a great hike in sunshine above the tree line in the tundra. In the Park we saw lots of wild life - elk, moose (huge beasts, they are), deer, marmot, prairie dogs, one snake.

Julia and Ben at Bear Lake Rocky Mountain National Park

Grand Lake, where we stayed two nights

Grand Lake was a lovely place to stay. I asked our motel manager about winter there. The Lake is frozen 7 months of the year, up to 6ft thick! And this year they have had much more snow than usual, 500 inches instead of the usual 300. (I can't get my head around 500 inches - I think it's about 12 metres!) They had snow as late as June in Colorado.....




One consequence of all the snow this winter and spring is the rivers are incredibly full, making some of the valley floors very marshy. And the wildflowers are amazingly beautiful. (I wish I knew their names; one, though, is delightfully called "Indian Paintbrush".)

So many wild flowers

With Julia -best cycling buddy

Dillon Lake

The Blue River near Dillon Lake

We were back in Breckenridge on Thursday evening, and on Friday I was on the bike again, 58 miles to Kremmling, then on Saturday 78 miles (plus 3000ft of climbing over Willow Creek Pass) to Walden.

Taken by my support crew, Julia and Ben

Relaxing in the Walden motel hot tub after a hard day's ride

I confess I found both days hard, especially the second; perhaps the body had enjoyed too much the four days of rest!






I met lots of leisure cyclists out on Saturday, on the approach to Willow Creek Pass. One told me he was training for 'the Copper Triangle', a day ride (we would call it a 'sportive') of 80 miles, with over 7500 feet of climbing. It's on 6 August. Any takers? - Andy, Giles, Ed?

But yesterday was much better (body beaten into submission again??) and I found I could cycle properly.

Green valleys and hills

The scenery these last few days has been incredibly beautiful. Between Breckenridge and Kremmling there were a number of lakes. Walden is in North Park, geographically similar to South Park which so captivated me south of Fairplay.


It's a huge, mountain-ringed basin, maybe 30 miles in diameter, with lush green pasture. But - and it was a big 'but' - unlike South Park, North Park was swarming with mosquitoes. Every time I stopped to take a photo (too often!) I was mobbed, and they even stayed on the back of my cycling shorts and bit me as I was riding. Not kind. (Happily I left them behind yesterday when I left the N Park area...)

Byers Gorge

Now in Wyoming, state no 7! It is just as beautiful as lovely Colorado, though I am slowly dropping altitude (7300ft here in Riverside) so snow is rarer on the mountains.

State No.7

2nd crossing of the Continental Divide

A wide and empty view in Wyoming

I worry that I am becoming blase about the breathtaking and awesome beauty all around me. But I do still say "wow" pretty often - and get the camera out! Then the dilemma is, do I stay and savour it all, or do I cycle on, knowing there is yet more amazing scenery to see round the next curve or over the next ridge?

It does feel, though, like frontier country. And I am reminded - and surprised - from time to time, that guns are part of life here. A few evenings ago a notice outside a bar said "No firearms". And yesterday as I approached Riverside, a group were practising with their rifles on a range close to the road; their shots reverberated loudly and, to me, frighteningly....

Meeting up with the support crew

Today we are staying in Riverside for Julia's and Ben's last day with me. They head back to Denver tomorrow, and the UK on Wednesday. Their visit to join me has been just wonderful...

To close, a few more enchanting names, of ranches this time: "Drowsy Water Ranch", "Quaking Creek Ranch", and "Ginger Quill Ranch".

And for the railway enthusiasts.... I saw a freight (coal?) train with five locomotives at the front, and two at the back! Necessary, I suppose, for the gradients around here.

Best wishes to all of you wonderful supporters,

Ken