What a great day this was! Slept in till 7, left at 9, and feel much better after a good night's sleep, though I'm still a bit light headed due to the altitude. It is really cold at night here in the mountains at 8,750 feet. The sleeping bag I brought is still from Africa and not up to even 5C, but it is very compact, which is its main advantage. So I'm sleeping wearing all the warm stuff I brought in layers!
Today's route was a short, very scenic road winding along the Colorado river. Saw many flyfishermen. Going through the Byers canyon, on the left there were the most magnificent rock faces! I got so enchanted by the raw rugged beauty of the rock faces that I drove off the road, fortunately not crashing. I surely have a thing for magnificent mountains! Colourful Colorado is .....for sure!! Many people call Colorado "God's country", because one can so clearly see His handiwork in these majestic mountains and landscapes that would inspire any painter to greatest heights! The landscapes are incredibly beautiful, wide, free and open, with mountain ranges in different hues of blue, with huge white bellowing cumulus clouds contrasting against the deep blue sky...funny that I never noticed that in the dusty semi desert conditions. There the sunsets were very stricking. Maybe the lush green accentuates the other colours sharper.
Just after the canyon we stopped at the hot springs, just to look, (though some of us did swim at the special rate of $11) and a candy store where they sell candy looking exactly like smoothed river pebbles. The next town was Granby, where the rodeo cowboys were practicing for a roping and cutting contest tomorrow.This part of the world focuses much on "cowboying" and rodeos, and along the roads we see herds of beautiful horses. One gruffy no nonsense cowboy sells antlers, in all shapes and forms and applications (chandeliers) as well as stuffed animal heads at the entrance to Granby. He put together the most funny looking animal: A rabbit with antlers, and the wings and tail of a pheasant! (Photo coming).
The YMCA ranch we are staying at is really beautiful! It is high on a mountain and the views all
are breathtaking! Distant mountain ranges and forests aplenty. So sad that millions of fir trees are brown and dying because of an overwhelming beetle infestation. The green foliage looks red-brown due to the dying trees. I wonder how these landscapes will look without these fabulous trees?
We have a whole pavillion to use, and we could use the lovely swimming pool for free. There is also large laundromat which we used gladly. There is a huge rustic looking cafeteria with wireless internet and a big flatscreen TV where I got to watch the only stage (19) summary of the whole Tour de France! This year is the first in many years that I could not follow the TDF, but that's with me- we have our own exciting tour on the go, and awesomely so! Our managing and support team are top notch people, very capable and well respected and appreciated by all the cyclists. We feel very blessed by the way it is all coming together!
Our tents are pitched where a forest was taken down so we will have to find a symbiotic relationship with all the humps and logs under the tent floor. I hope my air matress survives the test!
This day was unhurried, relaxed and laid back, lots of laughs and playfulness....no pacelines and scurrying around, no apprehention of huge climbs....a real nice recovery day. I can't believe we've been on the tour almost a month. Time just flew by, since we were so active and busy all the time. Sometimes it feels almost unreal to be on the tour... and that we are actually cycling through the Rockies, in such great weather surrounded by this awesomeness of God's creation. Tomorrow the reality will surely hit home again when we have to scale that Berthoud's mountain pass up to 11,500 feet...... 3,000 feet in about 18 miles!
Everyone is in a happy mood tonight. We had a scrumtuous dinner again. Some parents and spouses came to visit. A few couples on the tour rented rooms in the lodge just for the feel of luxury, but the rest of us are happy to camp.
A lovely nineteen year old girl from Quebec City, Audrey, joined us yesterday for a couple
of days. She is touring the States all on her own, unsupported, with huge panniers on her bike. Her outfit weighs 80pounds! Concerned about her safety, I asked if she had some close calls. She said she keeps a spray can of mace to fend off bears and guys! Wow! (she had on occasion needed to sleep in her tent at the side of the road..... ???!!!)
Tonight at peloton meeting we had communion, and Dave de Ridder blessed us with a beautiful message) and said in a very speacial way to the 15 that are leaving us in Denver.
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