Day 37

Up and away by 07:00 ... Oh it's lovely and cool up here in the mountains and the sun is out too. We took a small cycle path that runs parallel to the noisy


Interstate 70. The towns along this route were started by gold miners ... nowadays tourist stream here to go on the trains!


Beautiful cycle path climbs ...


Climbing up the pass leaving the valley far below.


Made it ... this is the great continental divide. Water flowing to the east ends up in the Gulf of Mexico ... water flowing to the west gets to the Pacific Ocean. The climb wasn't as hard as I was expecting it to be.


The views in all directions are breathtaking. The freewheeling run down the other side to Dillon was speedy ... very steep ... with hairpin bends. I have 2 YouTube videos here: First one is this: Loveland Pass 1 Second one is this: Loveland Pass 2 Weather is overcast and threatening to rain, but it's neither too warm or too cool. Will push on a bit further west ... Didier is heading north so we have parted now ... interesting couple of days but would much prefer to be on my own. Spent an hour or so in the library and that included a power nap ... you're always tired, hungry and thirsty on tour. Tried to charge up the iPhone but there wasn't any convenient outlet. Anyway started to make tracks out of town, westwards to Frisco ... the obvious exit route is the I70 and I get myself established on a very dirty hard shoulder ... the traffic is quite heavy and I'm paying attention .... 'Bee-baw-Bee-baw-Bee-baw' ... Oh no! What's this? A big unmarked police muscle car pulls up behind me and two very well dressed Storm Troopers ...er, I mean ... State Troopers get out and approach me. They have something on their mind. I kind of guess what this is all about! We exchange the customary niceties and have a chit-chat but the bottom line is that I've got to get off the Interstate, it's not allowed here ... for my own safety. They suggest that I get onto a local paved bike path which together with suitable frontage roads will take me all the way to Grand Junction. Perfect! ... "Thanks Officers ... you have been most helpful." Give credit where credit is due ... the police, like everyone else I meet have been courteous, friendly and helpful. Pass through the lovely town of Frisco and continue on the scenic bike path out of town. It's starting to rain now, quite heavy, and the sky is looking very threatening. It all adds to this very dramatic and powerful scenery ... it's beautiful country and I'm very, very impressed.


Just before coming into Coppermine (typical mining town name) the rain stops and there is a blink of Sun ... that's 51 miles on the clock and there's a nice little place to pitch the tent at the side of the trail beside this little lake ... that will do nicely, thank you! I'm tired and I've had another fantastic day. Wonder how Didier is doing? Bon Nuit!