Before I'd gotten even three miles I got stopped for quite some little while waiting for the boys with their trains to move their toys out of the way and clear the road...
... Thennnnn... as soon as I entered the canyon... six and a half miles of chip and seal road work. I was getting a lil' nervous how this ride was starting out!
Buuuut once I broke out past those obstacles it was open road!
I crossed over six good tall passes on the 750 some miles I rolled in the four days... starting at the west end of Poudre canyon with the often crossed Cameron Pass...
Rolled down the west side of the pass which brought me down into North Park and Walden...
I do believe North Park might be one of the nicest bits of cow country in Colorado... even if the winters are brutal... and the summers... at maybe 46 growing days is damned short!
I was coming near to my planned camp for the night about the time the clouds were piling up fast.
I raced over Muddy Pass and a few seconds later... Rabbit ears trying to beat the threatening storm.
I wasted no time and had my camp set in under ten minutes. ;) The thunder was booming and the lightning flashing as I hustled to get a dry camp set... and then with only a light shower it passed on by.
Climbed back on the scooter to run on the last 19 miles into Steamboat to pick up the fixin's for supper... and a brew to wash it down.
Now... I'm no cook so I've come up with some quick and easy ways to have a decent meal at the end of day... cook or not.
The best and easiest to have some tasty and good food I've found is this; I stop at the last town, if there is one! (Walden ain't got a grocery any more, hence the run into Steamboat from my camp east of town) ... anyway...
I stop and pick up a "Healthy Choice" Cafe Steamer!
Yeah they're made for the microwave or a regular oven... buuuuut...
I just open 'em up, and peel that celophane stuff off. Scrape the sauce out of the bowl into my pan... often it's still froze even if it's been in a saddlebag for a couple hours!...
... and then dump in the rest of the goodies... and heat it up on my stove. one pan... they provide the bowl so fewer dishes to do! ... or I often just eat it right out of my pan...
When you've been on the road, especially if conditions are tough, either cold or real hot, windy, rainy... anything that saps your strength and energy...
... it's critical that you take care of yourself. Decent food, not gas station coffee and three muskateers bars is a gotta have.
This makes it quick and easy for a non-cook to eat well.
and simple as hell for the guy on a bike with limited places to carry hardware. Eat supper and doing the dishes is largely... throwing them away! :)
It also deals with the problem of riding through BIG bear country up north. You pick up your food just before you eat it... and it's that much less to deal with for safety... Bear Bags hung in trees and such...
Anyhoo, after supper, while you savor that fancy brew you just kick back and contemplate the nice country you rode through and into.
 |
| *Dumont lake east of Steamboat* |
... To have your supper in the sunshine that came along after that second storm passed!
Got up to a soft and quiet sunrise...
... and then dawdled around and visited with some folks in the camp... while I waited for last nights rain and the HEAVY morning dew to dry off enough to pack up camp.
It's kinda nice to not be in a rush to get somewhere.
My plan for the day was to head south on U.S. 40 past Kremmling turn onto Hwy 9, cross Hoosier Pass and on to Fairplay.
I'd choose my direction once I'd got there... and when I did... that lil' voice inside my head said; Swing around and turn back north on U.S. 24 To Buena Vista...
City Market in Buena Vista supplied my second nights Cafe steamer and another fine brew... That I enjoyed at the Diamond Point Campground near Twin Lakes... Just below the eastern approach to Independence Pass...
You can't see it in these... but there was a pretty constant breeze across that like... that kept the skeeters blown away... and made for a pleasant camp... just soaking up Far Country.
It was fairly cool... and that rectangular $29 walmart Coleman Bag I recently got because I can't stand the confines of a high dollar North Face mummy bag any more did an awesome job of keeping me toasty along with plenty of room to wiggle around. ;)
Shortly after the sun set... I crawled into my bag and zoned out for the night... though I left the door open so I could see the moonlight on the lake when I'd wake during the night. :)
In the morning I headed west again on Hwy 82, to climb Independence Pass... but that's another post.
Grab Your Handles and Ride
Brian
1 comment:
Beautiful pictures. Love the wildflowers and everything else too.
Great idea about the cafe steamers. We carry a Jetboil and usually pack along a dry soup cup or two.
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