Getting an early morning start on my adventure. Day one from my home in Berthoud, CO to Fort Morgan, CO.
As I rode through rural eastern Colorado, I was a bit entranced by how much the old still existed. Farms probably close to 100 years old next to new mega-farms.
But now a bit more about my ride. A wonderful 6:07 am start with my sweetheart Diane and brother Gary there to help send me off. It was a crisp morning at 39 degrees. I think my years of cycling in Summit County prepared me for the chill. As mentioned with the pictures, I enjoyed the mix of old and new. A fairly uneventful ride to Kersey, CO where I stopped for a sandwich and water bottle re-fill.
I then learned of two of my bicycle banes: wind and rollers. Upon leaving Kersey, the wind picked up big time from the south-east. Exactly the direction of my travels. My nice average speed of about 12 mph dropped to an average of about 8 and a half for the last 50 miles – ugh. Making what I thought would be about an 8-hour ride into a ride of 11 hours. And then the rollers for about 15 miles. I would much rather climb 2,000 feet up 8 miles to the summit of a pass than ride 15 miles on rollers. For me, it is darn near impossible to get into a rhythm. Both simply added to the first day of my adventure.
As I approached Ft. Morgan though, even though I was riding west to east, I could not help but think of my riding on a bus from New York Port Authority to Colorado for college. It was about 10 in the morning and crystal clear. The bus came over a rise and there they were, the purple mountains majesties backdropped with deep blue skies. Although just wind and haze to the west today, it was fun to grasp onto that memory from so many years ago.
Tomorrow’s ride will be from Ft. Morgan to Yuma, CO. Weather might present itself with another less than desired escapade.