Saratoga WY to Walden CO - 68 miles.
By David Hardy
Breakfast at a diner. Everyone loaded up-not many places to refuel today. Wind already blowing hard. Left the diner at 9:30 and had our first flat by 10. It would be that kind of day.
We climbed Needle Peak at 7700 feet and had a screaming descent. Alex claimed to hit 53mph.
And he probably did.
About an hour later, Ed pulled me aside.
"4:00?" Ed guessed. "Before we reach Walden?"
I was thinking 5 if we were lucky.
Then we fought our way through the last miles of Wyoming-battling the wind with every pedal.
At 2pm we crossed into Colorado and the road turned to crap.
More wind. We fought our way up another 1000 feet. We would climb, the group would get spread out, we'd gather at the top, descend, and repeat. We did this for over 50 miles.
I was toast. Even Max, the Night Train, was out of coal.
Then salvation. A grocery store off in the distance.
The boys dug deep and hammered to it. Then the pillaging began. Here's an example: Andrew bought a half gallon of chocolate milk and a raw tomato.
Ed showed up about ten minutes later-so fried he could barely speak.
We splayed out inside the grocery store-just to be out of the wind. Looking like matching rag dolls.
Finally at nearly 6, we limped into Walden, Colorado and pitched tents in the city park. A good campsite but another day without showers.
Dinner at some cowboy joint where Night Train (Max) was elected leader for the next few days.
Another long day tomorrow. Early rise.