Hot and Cold

Alot to recap here but I'm just about to head out on the road so I'm going to make this quick. It's been a little over a week since I reported last and It's been tough. The most difficult yet... I've been fighting extreme weather and difficult terrain. Lately it's been hard mentally to overcome some obstacles and challenges that stand in my way. Usually at the end of the day when your body is numb and your legs are sleepy. You just want to set up camp and stop for the day, especially if there is a big climb you have to make. I wake up everyday earlier and earlier to try and beat the heat but last week I was waking up later and later to avoid the cold..


I would like to share May 12th with you to get an idea of my last week. I was leaving from a town called Salida, CO where I had met some nice people, and was kinda procrastinating my day. I started off good getting some good minor climbs and riding strong. Meeting some other cyclists riding with a support vehicle. Secretly I was kinda jealous, but then thought about it and knew that wouldn't be my style. ANYWAYS, the day went on and I was having a hard time of motivating my self to push to the next destination. I stopped in a diner and talked to the woman there. We talked, talked and talked and then next thing I knew it was about 4:30ish. I had one more climb to do Cerro Summit and then make it to the black canyon (this was optional) So, I was debating on staying in this town with this lady (easiest) or pushing to Montrose (semi-easiest) or going to black canyon (nearly impossible) The wind was not in my favour all day and it seemed relentless in slowing me down. My only defence against the wind was trash talk. All the years of trash talking my friends in basketball seemed to have helped. Which actually didn't do anything but bring peace of my mind.

I decided to make a push towards Cerro Summit and then take it from there. As soon as I left, Cerro Summit was really beating me up. It was 5 mile climb and zig-zagged it's way around the mountain so I could never know when or where it was finishing. Also, the clouds were started to form into nasty looking things. I pondered to myself if this was the right decision. Anyway, I got to the top of Cerro and felt good about time and progress to make it to the Canyon.

All of sudden though the weather changed very quickly and it dropped to what it felt like way below freezing. I was wearing shorts and a long sleeve shirt. I quickly dismounted and pulled out all layers and warmer clothes on the side of the road and started putting my armour on for the upcoming weather. Cars drove by and looked on in amusement as they saw a crazy cyclist throwing on all these clothes.

Again the weather changed again and started getting alot warmer. But by this time I was at the base of the road to the top of the Black Canyon of Gunnison. I sat there for a minute and looked at the skies... they didn't look too bad. The road up to the canyon didn't look so bad either. I decided to go for it because I may regret not seeing this natural beauty if I just ride by it. The road at first impression that didn't look so bad, turned into a six mile intense climb. It was a another zig-zagging road so I couldn't have made a good assessment and I didn't study my maps carefully enough to know the topography of the this climb. I had to start walking my bike up the road because I was soooooooooooo tired. As I walked my bike up the road it would switchback around each steep section. Now these 3 deer popped out and watched me as I walked past them. They did not run but just stared and looked puzzled as I walked my bike up this hill. When I walked by them the distance between us was only about 4 or 5ft. They did not run but just stood and looked dumbfounded. At every single corner that I would walk up, they were their staring at me. They would rush up to the next corner and wait for me. It was almost as if they were their as encouragement.

When I finally got to the top I realized I was now walking within the clouds I was over 8000ft a sign said as I entered the park. The clouds were cold and thick, I was kinda upset by this because I couldn't see the canyon! But it was getting late and I had to set up camp and cook dinner. I hurried to a spot and cooked dinner and set up my tent. As soon as I started cooking the snow started to fall, I hurried and got settled for the night. At about 3am I heard a loud crashing at the sides of my tent. It was the snow.... I opened up the sides and realized that about half a foot had accumulated outside by now. When I woke in the morning over a foot had fallen covering everything. When I left my tent who was sleeping outside of my tent with more friends. It was those 3 deer. I'm obviously not sure if they were the same ones but three were sleeping really close to my tent while the others were all safe distance from me. I got to see the canyon and it was magnificent... I felt I had made the right decision. ;)

The next days I encountered more snow and big climbs but spectacular views were always surrounding me. As for the last two days I have been in the desert and there has been spans of over 100 km's with no running or drinking water available. It's been great though because I have the most gorgeous beach on both sides of me.... just lacking the ocean. I have also rode some pretty rough land that looks like it was in some westerns and is so interesting the way the rock formations are. If you know Butch Cassidy this is where he did all his outlawing.

Thanks again to the amazing generosity of people along the trip. Especially in Telluride :)

Godspeed
Matthew