DAY 18

ROUTE:Montrose,CO to Gunnison,CO	DISTANCE:63 miles	WINDS:Strong headwinds for the first 25 miles
WEATHER:Beeoootiful! Sunny and warm!	TERRAIN:Lots of UPS.	CLIMBING:4,790 feet...brutal!

Wednesday, June 23. It doesn't get any tougher than today. We were warned yesterday of the strong headwinds possible in the early morning along the canyon that we'd be riding through. John said it best..."Michelle didn't tell us it would be hurricane force winds!" Add to the winds a steep climb for the first 25 miles and you can only imagine. Those first 25 miles took me THREE HOURS. Grrr! Between the wind and the climb, the most I could muster was about 5-6mph. Every now and then the wind would subside just a bit and I could crank it up to a whopping 10mph. I was told later that today was the third hardest climbing day of the whole trip...the first wsa on day 4 and the second is yet to come on day 50. Oh boy! Although it was a hard riding day, it was by far the most beautiful scenery day we've had yet. The mountains are green with those really tall spruce trees, but they contain rock formations, too....an interesting contrast of colors. there was an optional side trip to Black Canyon Natl. Monument, but it added 9 miles of climbing and so it was a no-brainer for me! After climbing Cerro Summit and Blue Mesa Summit, we reached the SAG for a scrumptious PB&J sandwich. From that point on, the ride was pretty quick. The downhills from the summits were awesome....they definitely made the climb worth the effort...I hit nearly 40mph on most good downhills, and that's hanging on the brakes a little due to bad road. Fun,Fun! We rode through Sapinero, a town that no longer exists but has ghost buildings as a reminder of past days. Much of the afternoon was spent riding along Gunnison Lake where I stopped to read some information about the Dillon Pinnacles, rock formations in the cliffs by the lake. Because of some serious road work, Dennis and I were shuttled about 3 miles in the bed of a pickup with our bikes. I guess everyone had to get driven through that...it was a nice rest! I finally cruised into Gunnison and the Days Inn at 2pm. Instead of jumping right in the shower, I put my luggage in the room and then rode my bike into downtown Gunnison to explore. I stopped in a couple of shops, and maybe I picked up some little surprises. :) Route rap is in a few minutes, so I better close and get ready. I'll have to let you know who wins the Chicken in tomorrow's entry. Check in again!

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