9700 feet and climbing

      Sixty-four miles, over the Continental Divide again at 9700 feet and a soak in the hot sulphur springs of Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado.  Keeping up with Nigel and Derek has pushed me a little over the top.  They headed for Granby this afternoon so we part company after having a real fun together.  Despite the pace, Colorado is just a masterpiece of snow covered mountains and green Valleys of  grazing land.  This morning we rode 30 miles in pretty much a never ending straight road. We climbed 9700 over another continental divide pass. Four other bicyclists going the other direction met us at the top. Pictures, stories and plenty of laughs between us all was a real treat for us hardened cyclists.  With the exception of a one mile climb, it was twenty miles of flying downhill at speeds of over thirty mph once on the other side of the pass!

      I arrived in Hot Sulphur Springs to find a dot on the map with a partially flooded camping park.  Days of rain have swelled the Colorado River to flood stage. I made do, set up my tent in a thunder storm and head out for a dinner and a thorough soaking in the hot springs. The hot springs comprised many different pools ranging in temperature from 97-112 degrees.  At present, I am putty trying to write this update.  Tomorrow I am backing off the throttle after having driven myself to keep up with the boys.