DISTANCE TRAVELED: 31.30 Miles
AVERAGE SPEED: 7.94 MPH

          I woke up at 7:30 and rushed out of the tent to find that I missed a great breakfast of hot eggs. Although the eggs were cold, I had enough to fill me up before beginning to pack. We finally left camp at 9:00 and began to ride on dirt. The first few miles were easy and had only a slight incline. However, when we turned to start to reach our first crossing of the Continental Divide, we immediately faced an incline that was almost too steep to climb, even in my easiest gear! As we climbed this short stretch, I hoped that it would not continue like this for the next 4.4 miles to the top. Luckily, it flattened out a bit and we were able to ride more easily. We encountered four stream crossings, each of which was about 8 feet wide and a foot deep. (Picture27) I rode through them and although my feet got soaked, it was worth the cold. Later on, we stopped for lunch, which actually consisted of meat sandwiches. (Picture28) After lunch we began the final 2 mile steep stretch. Many areas were so steep that we had to stand in our easiest gear, which resulted in a loss of traction. To add to the difficulty, it was rocky and our tires slipped as the rocks spun under them. We climbed quickly and for a 1/4 mile I had to push my bike since the chain was being thrown into the spokes. My arms became very tired from this and I realized how much harder it is to walk than ride. I got the gears fixed and we climbed the rest of the way to the top of the Continental Divide Crossing #1. (Picture29) Once we reached the top, Marianne, who had already been there for over an hour was just packing up her sleeping bag that she had been sitting in while she read a book and soaked in the view. I saw a road that went further up the divide so I detached my BOB and pushed my bike up the steep incline. The view was great on both sides (Picture30) and the trip down was steep and fast. At the crossing, we slept in the flowers for a half hour before putting on Gore-Tex and heading down the cold hill. We flew down the initial part and then I heard a metal clicking noise. I stopped and found a two-inch nail that had gone through my tire and was hitting the rim. After a quick patch, I was ready to go again. The rest of the downhill was great and once again, we rested when we reached the bottom. I took off all the warm layers and then started the final 8 miles in a much hotter and more desert-like environment than on the other side of the divide. The final stretch began with a great tailwind but soon I turned to go in the opposite direction and once again had to climb. The map told us to turn and that in 1/2 mile we would be at the campsite. Fortunately, it was only 1/5 mile until we arrived! Everyone was completely exhausted and very hungry. I dug into the food and then set up my tent right next to a stream. (Picture31) Around 7:30, we ate dinner and then sat around the fire eating popcorn that Lou cooked over the stove. The night was cold so as the fire died down, I climbed in to my warm sleeping bag and went to bed at 10:00 with the sky still light.