Colorado Trail Day 3: Notes on riding into foreverland

Day 3: Silverton to Bolam Pass.

I did NOT get up early to start day 3. I lounged in bed ... counting calories, and recalling maps, contour lines, and the CT line running through it all.
I was also thinking about my girls, LW, EZ, and Cat... I just could not get their awesomeness out of my psyche. I was glad for their company ;)




The 6ish mile section of road out of Silverton and to Molas Pass was a nice way to warm up. The trucks were terrifying, and I actually got off the road and off my bike to watch a few of the big rigs fly by. It made me shudder every time.

Once onto the CT again, all of our spirits got spritely -- and we enjoyed our sweet morning singletrack dose. I was SOOOO happy to be back on dirt.

True to form, Ed took off like a bat out of hell. I could feel his flow and SS-bikepacking Mojo even from WAY behind him.



LW and I had just settled into a continuing of a warm up... when I realized that I had a solid flat tire. UGH!
So I unpacked ALL my gear.
I cleaned the Stans Snot Goop out of my tire. I booted it up, put in a tube, and got back to the business of blissing out on high country single track. 45 minutes. Dang.


Of course, Ed didn't know that I had a little mechanical. While LW and I tended to the tire, Ed was lured by the singletrack siren's song... and he just kept flying along.

If it hadn't taken me 45 minutes to fix the ffin' tire, we would not have been so far behind. But alas....




We finally caught up with Ed because he turned around to come back to look for us. Such a Sweetie.

After a few explanations, we all just kept rollin'...




and I had to take a lot of view breaks to compose my rather chaotic self;)


LW took a turn at the front, and spunn her way up into the heavens. Ed and I leap-frogged and caught a few pictures.







And then we caught back up to LW who had a smile the size of the sky beaming across her face.





We  made it to Bolam Pass... and set up camp.


I crashed early this night. I was tired. I put on some tunes and zoned out and completely disappeared from the planet.

Once again the day found me having to push hard just to barely keep up - but still so happy to be right where we were, doing what we were doing. Eat Drink Eat Drink. Ride Ride Ride. Ed and LW pulled strong turns off the front, and kept the motivation on a HIGH. There was nothing to do but ride and smile and know the trail ... the trail that seemed to just lead on and on and on into foreverland.

jj

Colorado Trail Day 2: Notes on Happiness

We woke up from our rain sleep to an overwhelmingly FRESH morning at Cataract Lake.
The ponies were patiently awaiting the sunshine to crest the ridge and warm them up.
Lynda's Leaf Tarp had a fresh coat of ice all over it. Personally, I was glad she was cozied in with us for the night.



Cataract Lake. Source of Fresh Water and a Fresh Mind.
Fresh Legs? Not so much. Not for me, anyway.
But my spirit was soaring, wings spread wide, spearing through the fresh morning light.


Leaf Tarp Frosting!


The trail from Cataract Lake is nothing short of mind-blowing and Stellar. (These words pale so sadly!!!) Which means it's just like the rest of the trail: STUNNING in a SOUL-SENSE. One would think that it'd be easy to "get used to" such views, such True Grandeur -- such, jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring views and space-sense!


\ Not so. All it makes you do is WANT to BE in the space and time roll bliss of that beyond-comprehension physical, spiritual state; that dirt and tundra and rock and sky and cloud .. and ohmyGAWDness.


\ Truly, all you can do is... roll with it. IN it.





And Be Happy. Happier than you thought possible.
Because it's BIG out there. Bigger than you can possibly fit in your little brain;)



Day 2 found me tired, but over excited, as usual.
Ed was ON CRACK.
And so was LW. (duh).


MMmmmmm..... yyuuuummmmyyyyygggooodddnnneesssssss.


LW's spirit was high. She did her normal morning spinn-up. She was grinning every inch of the way.


Ed took off.


See - he's THAT far ahead -- without even trying.
If you ask me: I think bikepacking suits ed SO well ;) I dare say we've converted him.



Ed, on the ridgeline, looking back at his companions, thinking: 'wth is taking them so long!!??'




This day caught me in an emotional ... riddle.
I was blissfully happy.
And struggling greatly.
Physical and Emotional.



I was HONORED as could be to be riding with LW, and EDE. I thought often: how the hell did I get so lucky? These people blow my mind as much as these views and this route. I am constantly stunned at how much Love I have for both of them. It as a fitting place for such friendship and honor.



I had one flat on Day 2. Big tear in the wall -- for some reason, we just aired it up and kept rolling... OOPS. It held for the day!!!!!


In this picture below (can you spot LW and I?), I am crying from happiness. I was so intensely happy and grateful -- so satisfied at finally being able to roll through a place I'd only watched my cracked-out-friends roll through (via blue dots).


I cried, thinking about Eszter rolling through here 2 times in he CTR race ... and I cried thinking about CAT rolling through here on her SS -- freaking BADASS.


LW pulled over in this field. The trail was dropping along the last bit of trail for the day -- the last piece that contours some big wall of a mountain to the West. She pulled over, and promptly laid down in the flowers to take them all in at a better level. I love my LW ;)


I found a little bit of "more" energy on that last bit of trail. Then we hit Stony pass, we climbed up, and flew down the other side. That is one hell of a long, descent. I was pretty sure I was going through the break pads a little TOO fast....


We landed in Silverton mid-day. High-tourist hours. yeesh! Ed and I checked into the hotel, and LW checked herself into her hotel. We showered -- and I put on my robe and promptly laid down in the big bed and thought: "there is no way in hell I'm getting an early morning start tomorrow" ;)

We unpacked, dried out, and completely stunk up our beautiful room. We ate, and we retired.

And I went to bed with a feeling of satisfaction, happiness, and as always: a little bit of fear of being able to "make it" the next day.

I fell asleep thinking about how truly unbelievably talented and strong Ez, Cat, LW,Ede are (and of course others)... but these 4 were at the tip of my mind.

And my heart opened more.

jj

Colorado Trail Day 1: Notes From a Daydream Come True

As summer vacations go, we shot for the moon -- and ended up flying across the galaxy.
Only problem is, it was so mind-blowing and spectacular, that words just aren't going to do it any justice, and I already know they will fail to convey the depth and expansiveness of our adventure.

The plan was to meet up with RockStar: LW, and ride the Colorado Trail from Spring Creek Pass to Durango. We succeeded on both accounts.

Day 1: Spring Creek Pass to Cataract Lake
Day 2: Cataract Lake to Silverton
Day 3: Silverton to Bolam Pass
Day 4: Bolam Pass into Durango (not by plan, but due to getting HAILED off of Indian Ridge and soaked out off Taylor Lake, we had to gun-it for town).


Day 1: Spring Creek Pass to Cataract Lake



We started at Spring Creek Pass on a Sunday morning -- post rain, in heavy fog. It was delicious. We were all giddy in anticipation of our adventure. I was, as usual, completely out of my mind and body over-excited. Ed and LW dealt with it beautifully, and just let me bounce off the walls of the universe as needed. Only issue: Little did I know that I would need every ounce of that over-excited energy that I was spending! Of course, I didn't KNOW IT then... but yeah, all that energy-spend bit me in the ass for 4 days straight ;) WOOHOO!


Bags and bikes packed -- onward and upward -- across the big sky. Ed took off straight out of the gate, LW enjoyed her wide range of gears, and I stuck myself somewhere in the middle -- pedaling my 1x9 with a heaver push and grunt that I was expecting. DOH!



But the CT is magical. It's BIG magical. And as tough as I had to get to BE there, I felt incredibly lucky to be rolling along in such a truly SWEET and beautiful world, and with two megaFantastic beautiful people!

The first day brought with it eye-popping views in all directions. Little did I know that truthfully, the trail and the views just get better and bigger and wider and more jaw-dropping as the miles tore on.







There were a handful of sections of hike-a-bike. I got really good at this... and it completely beat the hell out of me. ;) A weighted bike is no kite in the high-country. We were HIGH. And I was hauling luxury items. Yes ... yes, I was hauling luxury items.


Can't you tell?




LW, was truly soaring along. Her uber-granny gears put to use constantly. I was SO psyched for her that the altitude wasn't messing with her as she had expected -- and that she was able to literally FLOAT up the steepest of sections.

Throughout the first day, I found myself begging the universe to keep the rain at bay -- or, at least, elsewhere. This stream of thought became quite consistent as the day wore on.



Near the high-point of the day, it finally occurred to me that truly and honestly: I'm afraid of having to spend the night out in the rain, with potentially no warm, dry clothing, shelter or warmth. The depth of this sank in deeper and deeper with every passing mile.


I was shocked that we spent the majority of the day in dry and warm weather.



We stopped and ate at the high point. LW pointed off in far-away directions. I huddled over the maps. And Ed danced around in complete giddiness.


We bombed off the top. Wound our way down the confusing part. And dropped ourselves into a long, wide valley.



We found our way up the hill -- riding, hiking, riding, hiking...



And enjoyed ourselves and our world completely.


We summitted the last pass of the day -- and it promptly started POURING! YIPPIIIEEE!!!



We landed at Cataract Lake. We set up camp in a break in the storm, and we moved into our home for the night.

Home SWEET Home!!!!



The rain was consistent and strong enough -- and the temperature cold enough -- that we decided to all move into the same tent house for the night. And good thing, too -- as LW's Leaf Tarp was covered in a bit of ICE in the morning. We unfurled our packs and dried up as best as we could. We compared dinners, ate, and promptly settled in for a rather soaking (but dry and safe) night of sleep.

The day wound up to be quite eye-opening for me. It was the tip of the ice-berg in perspective-changes on bikepacking, adventuring, confidence, skills and strengths. It opened up my heart in many ways. And this was only Day 1.

So grateful for Day 1 -- and my Comrades in Adventure.

jj