July 10, 2001.
Fairplay to Frisco, Colorado. (36 mi.) Mile 2468
Rocky
Mountain Highest
We couldn't have hit a better weather
window to pedal up over Hoosier Pass. The only minor wrinkle in the ride was our
second flat of the trip about 1/2 mile from the summit, but we had a wide
shoulder at that point, and a gorgeous view. What an exhilarating ride down the
other side of Hoosier - a nearly traffic-free 10 miles of sunshine and alpine
air into Breckenridge. This was one of the trip's best memories, both for the scenery and
for the impact of finally crossing the Rockies at the trip's highest point.
1) 
2) 
1) Heading up the 6 mile bike path from Fairplay
to Hoosier Pass and the Continental Divide
2) Flat tire just east of 11,000+ ft Hoosier Pass
We had been to
Breckenridge before, but were shocked at the development of high rise condos and
tourism that have been engulfing what was once a quaint little ski town just a
few years ago. It was not a welcome surprise.
A break in the SUV traffic in Breckenridge
Mike decided to have his
rear wheel completely re-spoked by Jared at Great Adventures bike shop, since the
"Internationally Famous Bike Surgeon of Carbondale" had used the old
spokes on the new rim, and we think that has been part of our problem. I also
bought a new Conti Top Touring tire. We left our bikes at the shop and headed to
lunch at a sports bar, Downstairs at Eric's.*
*About 8 years ago, Mike and I
were bicycle touring around the Big Island of Hawaii. We had rented a cabin
at Volcano which had more room than we needed. Late in the day we noticed a lone
bicycle tourist pedaling up to Volcano and, knowing there was no place left to
stay in Volcano, and also, knowing the rule of thumb about hosting bicycle
tourists, we invited the cyclist to share our cabin. Lucky for us, he was not a
homicidal, psychomaniac, but Ian Hamilton, a nice
guy, good company, and part
owner of Downstairs at Eric's in Breckenridge. It was good to see
Ian again, and he treated us to lunch.
By the time our bikes
were ready, we had figured out that Breckenridge didn't have a thing we couldn't
live without so we gladly hit the paved bike trail out of town and sailed
downhill with a tailwind for 7 miles to Frisco, where the afternoon thunderstorms finally caught us. While we were
huddled over a pay phone trying
to stay dry and find a place to stay, another couple, who also knew the rule
of thumb about hosting bicycle tourists, noticed our plight and invited us to
share their condo with them. It was Mike
and Jan Lewallen from Denver, returning the hospitality shown to them when
they spent 10 months bicycle touring around the southern U.S. years ago.
Lucky for us, Mike and
Jan weren't homicidal psychomaniacs either, because we took them up on their
offer. They went out of their way to make us comfortable, and we thoroughly
enjoyed their company, staying up late to talk about bicycle trips.
Marilyn's infatuation with a particular chainsaw bear
