Dreux's Great Divide Adventure

Nice high plain ride out of Hartsel to Salida Dropping into Salida was dramatic! Yea, a rest day in the cool town, Salida. Nice town with right “the vibe.”  Settled in the hostel that caters to hikers and bikers. IPA and records 😳

Spending some time in Breck. to resupply and check out town. They know how to move snow on the tracks Where the buffalo roam Found the town troll, so popular, they had to relocate. Leaving Breck in the early morning. Climb over Boreas Pass which was once a rail route, over 11k’ elevation.

Back on the grid after several days of primitive camping. CO has great views.  View of Colorado River.  CO is the state with lots of big climbs. Yesterday Lynx Pass, 9k’, today UTE Pass, 9.5k’ and tomorrow Boreas Pass, 11.4k’. 😳 The Quaking aspen really are a treat to see and hear.  Just like this rock formation. Could be an installation. 

Great day climbing over the Watershed Divide into Steamboat Springs. View at 10k’ of Steamboat Lake. Bike porn Tom, the flowers were popping on the mountainside. Stopped in to Orange Peel Bike Shop for some servicing, these guys are the best. GDMB riders get top priority and reasonable rates. Not all hard work out here, was given a pass to the Mountain Side Hot Springs facility, very nice.  Surprised to run into the gang, I thought we were separating. 

So nice to see those beautiful Aspens. So long Wyoming, hello Colorado. So glad to be at Brush Mountain Lodge in Colorado. Welcomed with a hug from Kirstin followed by pizza and beer. This is an oasis for Great Divide Riders and CDT hikers.

Great Basin sunset Obligatory feet shot out of tent.  The down side of using the Rawlings, Wyoming muni fairgrounds pavilion, sprinklers came on at 12:30, drove us into concession stand. I was sleeping on top of the picnic table.  Finally, we have trees again. When in the high desert there are no trees which means no shade.  My friends, Olin and Mark are even more excited, trees means they can use there hammocks. 

Met back up with the crew again. Fun time in Atlantic City, last real meal before entering the Great Divide Basin. Her’s the crew primitive camping the night before. Misquotes were out in full force.  Day one we were on the saddle by 6 am. Hot and windy. This morning, up at 3 am and riding by 4:00. Much better, cool and no wind. 60 miles by 9:00 am!  Landscape is surreal.  Only water source for most the Basin. 

Working out the route. A treat to camp with shower and washing machine ... way over due, day 3. Big crowds out this morning, mostly non-pulsed.  Hot day, made some shade for lunch on a cattle grate. Cheese and avocado on a bagel.    

Big climb up Union Pass, almost 9,800’ lots of flowers blooming. Wind speed had to be 45 mph. Easy 36 mile ride to Pinedale, time to get supplies for the Great Basin. This will be 2-3 days with no water access.  Info on the Great Basin -  https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/wyoming/continental-divide-basin-wy/ Photo from Google 

So long to Tetons Glad to have caught up with my Kiwi friends Andrew and Diana. They took a rest day in Coulter Bay.  Yea, new state, new map.  New state means new beer Big climb today. A big boy climb