58.77 miles (Total: 2480.08) Avg Speed: 11.7mph Max Speed: 38mph

After leaving the nice lodge we continued on a busy SR9, it was a cool morning so the wind-breakers were donned. I glided past a really sweet looking knife on the side of the road and wished I had picked it up for bear protection. I then realised Terry would DEFINITELY pick it up when he went by. Sure enough I stopped a little further down the road and waited for him, when he caught up he brandished it. The knife was etched with ‘Ozark Trail’, appropriate, it should be useful around camp.

At one point SR9 left the route although it seemed to make sense to stay on it. The country road the maps directed us onto seemed to go up into the hills and right around the lake. After deciding not to dissobey the map in fear of missing something special we crawled up hill after hill looking down on the cars flying along the nice and flat SR9. There were some nice views of the reseviour but nothing that could have been had from SR9, thanks Adventure cycling for adding 3 miles and unnecessary hills.

We did get to ride across the dam, although when I stopped in the middle of it to take a picture the security guy rolled up straight away and told me to move. I guess he had nothing better to do seen as how there wasn’t a car went past on this road. I said OK before proceeding to take the picture I felt the extra leg work was worth anyway. He didn’t look impressed.

Once we arrived in Kremmling I opted straight for a Shake ‘n’ Burger. Calories stocked, I felt good to push onto the next town and so did Terry. So we set out once again this time for Hot Sulphur Springs. I was absolutely cruising around 17mph when a women pulled up slowly alongside me and asked for directions to Denver! I said I didn’t have a clue but she continued to ask me if the current road went towards Denver, I don’t no! The ride then took us alongside the Colorado River before bending into a stunning and rather unexpected canyon. I rolled through the last 10 miles amazed at the fascinating rock face I was housed between.

After reaching Hot Sulpher springs we scouted out the city park that offered free camping. It was a nice place resembling more of a private campground than a free one, with individual tree shaded sites alongside the river. They have hot springs here which they charge you $18 to use which seems crazy for a natural phenomenon, so we passed and settled for the river. Mosquito’s were out in force, the first time its been noticable on the trip at least. After lathering myself in Terry’s tropical strength repellent I got the fire going to smoke them out of the place. Terry had went to the shop and asked when my birthday was, I said November. He handed me the shopping bag and said “that’s your early birthday present then”. It was a pack of Newcastle Brown Ale to sup over dinner. We cooked up some pasta and sat by the roaring fire until dark.

I went to bed in a t-shirt and boxers neglecting the fact this is the highest elevation we had camped at. The fire had fooled me into thinking it was a warm night, I could soon see my own breath and began to shake. I put a few more layers on then zipped myself up to the throat in my sleeping bag and pull the hood over my head. It was like being back at Uni with heating strictly turned off in the Newcastle winter, I can deal with this.