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Day 16
HOT, HOT, HOT 

ROUTE: Green River UT to Grand Junction CO DISTANCE: 95 Miles WINDS: Headwinds on departure, light winds in the middle, and tailwinds the last 30 miles
WEATHER: Hot and dry, 60 at departure and 99 at destination.  TERRAIN: Large rolling terrain TOTAL CLIMBING: 3600 feet

DAILY DOINGS: Today we entered my favorite state on this ride...Colorado.  Almost our entire route today was on Interstate 70 with varying degrees of smoothness in the shoulder...early rough, middle smooth as a baby's bottom, and finishing with good to very good shoulder conditions.  No matter what the shoulder, however, we still had more than our fair share of flats to contend with.  In '99 the last time I did this ride, we had 135 flats as a group on this day.  We didn't have that many today, but I changed a few more than normal throughout the day. 

Our terrain today was stark, dry, and barren in most areas but the mountains surrounding our route were beautiful all day long and made for unique photo ops throughout the day.  It's a shame we don't have more expensive photo equipment with the proper filters to filter out the bright light shining off the slopes.  It's hard to capture the raw beauty of this area...it's so light brown that when the sun shines, it bleaches out the color.  In the early morning the low sun creates shadows that accentuate the contours...it's just too hard to describe. 

We woke early to beat the heat and get an early start.  We were on the road as the sun crept up over the mountains (left) but it was already past the "cool" part of the morning.  The riders were met with a pretty brisk head wind for the first 30 miles of the ride and that portion also presented a rise of about a 1000 feet in the terrain.  To add to the struggle, the road surface was also on the rough side...nothing too good for our group.  I know the words I told them in orientation were bouncing off their brains as they struggled to get over the mesa..."Anyone can ride across the country with tailwinds."  Or maybe they were just cussing me for saying it.

Our first challenge beyond the elements was a construction zone before the first SAG.  Most times on the interstate, when we meet with construction, it causes us to have to shuttle through the work areas.  But this morning the shoulder was extra wide and we were still able to have room to ride through the work area.  What's more, the shoulder got smoooooooth...a welcomed fact we all enjoyed. 

After the first SAG the heat started to set in...a dry, 6% humidity, 98 degree day.  The wind luckily had died down a bit and seemed to be trying to get behind us a bit.  When we got a breath of air in our face, it was like riding into a hair dryer...dry, throat parching air that singed the lungs if you put out hard efforts.  For those who are used to humidity, it is a much different type of heat.  You don't seem to sweat at all as it evaporates as fast as you lose it which could be dangerous if you don't keep up with fluids and get over heated.  We only had a couple folks that got a bit hot and had to bag it before the day was over.  They showed good judgment in not going over the line before they became an emergency.  Everyone else seemed to get through it OK and were none the worse for wear...but all were glad to get in out of the heat...all were off the road by 2:15.  We expect a few more days of this intense heat, but our days are not as long as today...for awhile anyway.  We also start going up after tomorrow which will help a little.  We'll even see snow in two days...what's with that?

Well, it's time to put it down for tonight...Welcome to Colorado.  Tomorrow we head to Montrose...hopefully we can get in before the heat gets too high.  What ever we get though, we'll push on to our goal...pedal to the next meal...a day at a time.  See you tomorrow.  I'll be here.  M

 

DAILY DISCERNING DIALOGUE: 

"If breakfast wasn't done enough for you, just throw it out on the highway."

I stopped everyone along the side of the road for a mandatory water stop at one point out in the middle of nowhere.  Lisa, Tom, Rick, and Mary stopped and filled bottles and I got to fix a flat for Rick while Lisa used the "facilities." 
"Lisa, did you use the bushes?"
"No, I'm afraid of snakes, I just hid in front of the van."
"Lisa, didn't you know that snakes like to lay under the warm engine when a vehicle stops on the side of the road?"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

 

 DAILY DUH:

Today I've got to pick on Linda.  Seems she was in her own little world riding along behind Greg while enjoying the colorful Utah country side...now that the wind wasn't pelting her face, she had time to look around.  Seems she rode right by our first SAG which was at interstate exit 227.  She thought she saw Greg go down the ramp, but before she got there, she saw someone riding up the other side getting back on the interstate and thought, this must not be our exit, there goes Greg getting back on the interstate...but it wasn't Greg.  How to solve that?  Look at your route sheet and see where it says the SAG stop is...that would be too easy.

Anyway, she just kept pedaling...la te da, nice day, nice to be alive.  Then after about 4 miles it started to dawn on her that she had missed the SAG...it's hot, I'm about out of water...what to do?  Call the van...that's it.  What's the van number?  How can I call the van, I don't know the number...Oh, look at the route sheet and get the home office number (which was located right below the van number on the route sheet) and call them, they'll know what the van number is...GREAT IDEA!  Not brain dead yet!  Ring...hello...I'm on Cross Country Challenge and need to know the number of the van so I can call them...No problem, xxx-xxxx...thanks...who are you...I'm Linda O...OK...have a good day...good bye...click. 

After the cheerful conversation with the voice at the office, Linda had totally forgotten the number he gave her...now what?  Luckily, we were already looking for her and when Barbara drove up to where she was, she was standing there with a puzzled look on her face studying her phone for some divine intervention.  "Boy am I glad to see you," She said, as Barb pulled up.  "I was about to call you but I don't have coverage out here."

DAILY DIGITAL DELIGHTS

Debbie hasn't been on staff too long, but she's already picked up new skills.  Here she serves as "wheel rack" while I help folks change tires.  She would have helped them fix their tires except she put her right hand on backwards this morning and couldn't do a thing with it all day.

Bill, when you pick your helmet off the ground, be sure to pull out all the grassy things that are sticking to it before putting it on your head.  Plus, you don't want all that wind drag in the headwinds.

Tonight's rinse cycle provided by the West Gate Inn.

When does the next bus leave for Grand Junction?

Grand Junction resident and prior ABB rider and staff, Susan Dickson, set up a much appreciated water stop about 15 miles out of town.  The water was great, but the popsicle treats were a big hit.

Bruce wore his Navy jersey today anticipating a water shoreline somewhere along the route.  He was only about 2 million years late getting here...there used to be water everywhere.  The only water out here today was in our bottles.

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