July 7, 2001.
Pueblo to Canon City, Colorado. (36 mi.) Mile 2353
High
plains drifters
We
are now on the high plains at the eastern base of the Rockies, an arid
landscape with scrubby juniper. This morning was another dash to the next spot
with shade. For many miles along Highway
50, the shoulder was dotted with
thousands of grasshoppers in all sizes and color variations, hopping erratically
out of, or into, our way at the approach of our wheels. Boing.... boing...
crunch... pop... crunch..
Riding to Canon
City
Along Highway 50,
closer to the Rockies
The temperature was already well
above 90 when we reached Canon City a little after 10 am. Another cyclist
advised us not to try to ride to the next destination today, due to the heat
and elevation gain, but we had already planned on stopping here. We used what
was left of the day to have my bike tuned up for good measure. Except for gunk
on the drive train and a little brake and shifter adjustment, my BLT is doing
great. I need to rotate the tires but they still have some miles left in them.
Canon City (population 12,000) is
easier to navigate by bicycle than Pueblo, but with no shortage of chain
stores and Western Colorado character. While my bike was in the shop, we went
to an art festival at the city park to enjoy the food and music. Then, as if
we hadn't ridden our bikes in the heat enough, we unloaded the panniers at a
motel and rode our bikes around town to explore the area. Again, our bikes felt
incredibly light and fast without the load. We also bicycled the city's
bike trail along the Arkansas River, where people were cooling off by rafting,
inner tubing, or jumping off Black Bridge into the river. Our efforts to
photograph them motivated many stunts not caught by the camera.
Locals jump off Black Bridge, a
railroad trestle, into the Arkansas River to show off for the camera.
At the end of our explorations, we
brought the makings for a feast back to our air conditioned room and rested up
for the next few days of climbing. This is the life!
The Arkansas
River from the Canon City RiverWalk Trail
