It was sad to leave Glenwood Springs, especially because we were giving up our opportunity to truly experience the hot springs. My group of Rob and Amy were excited for the day though, knowing there was a day off at the end of it. The first twenty miles were nice and flat, with farm lands on either side of the road. I got a kick out of seeing a tractor-crossing sign on the road with the snow-capped mountains in the background.
Before any real climbing, we came upon a beautiful waterfall. Of course, the team stopped and found the energy to hike up the hillside and get a spectacular view of the water from the top. It also gave us time to be off the bike, and also tell the other tourists about our trip. Like always, we got some great reactions.
Finally (maybe not happily) we reached McClure Pass, a challenging three miles straight up the mountain. It posed a good challenge to the team, and even the groups that got rained on still felt great getting up it. The reward for the climb was a great downhill to a nice lunch stop on a ledge overlooking a beautiful valley. We were told the rest of the day would be nice and easy into Paonia, making us all excited.
It was going great until we reached a side road with several railroad crossings. Knowing me, I of course had to take one at just the wrong angle to get my tire stuck. I was thrown to the ground, with the battle scars to prove it, and Rob, who was right behind me, ran right into me. There is nothing like a good fall, however, to motivate you to finish the day.
It was the annual Cherry Days Festival in Paonia, so our day off was filled with fun things to do. It was great walking around the town, exploring the stores, eating free food and cherry ice cream, and buying awsomely-ugly t-shirts for three bucks. It is small communities like Paonia, who open up their arms to our group and cause, that make long and mountainous days worth it.
-Dan
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