78 miles
The Walden city park looked like a tent city in the morning due to all the fire fighters that were camped out. This also meant that the city turned off the sprinklers from hell that I had heard so much about from other cyclists.
Rand, CO, about 20 miles into my ride consisted of nothing more than a post office (which closes for the day at 11 A.M.) and the building in the picture below. I stopped at the post office and shipped a camera that I have not been using back home, refilled my water bottles and hid out from the mosquitoes for about 30 minutes.
The mosquitoes have been insane the last few days. They are out all hours of the day in huge numbers. The locals I have spoken with say it is not typical and blame a longer than usual spring. About 10 miles into my ride I was getting eaten alive and pulled over and doused myself with some deet based spray.
Pulling back onto the road, with a swarm still hovering around me, I discovered I had a flat rear tire. It was another flat caused by rubbing between the tube and the Tuffy tube protectors I was running. Horrible product which has since gone in the trash. They might help with thorns on otherwise smooth roads but on bumpy, cracked roads they cause flats.
The next 10 miles past Rand included the climb over Willow Creek Pass.
View just past the top.
Images taken on the way down the back side appear below. Right around where the 2nd picture was taken I met a couple from the Netherlands who were headed the opposite way and we talked for a bit.
A large thunderstorm came through as I reached the turn-off to Granby and I hid out in a rest stop for about 30 minutes until it passed.
This was the view about 10 minutes later in the opposite direction.
Following the Colorado River, just past the town of Hot Sulfer Springs.
The engineers and mathemeticians bar in Parshall.
Just before Kremmling, where I spent the night.
Wow! Looks like you missed a good downpour. Beautiful sights.
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