When I woke up this morning I was hoping to make it to Hot Sulphur Springs but on the ride I learned that the camp ground that I wanted to stay in was closed. I needed a new plan, but that would come. This day involved a slow and gentle climb up Willow Creek Pass at 9621 feet above sea level. (Often the passes have different elevations on a map or a sign and it is based on how it is measured). Walden is at 8100 feet above sea level so a climb of 1500 feet is not much. One the way up I met two guys going downhill. We stopped and chatted and learned that one of the two gentlemen, at one time lived less than 1/2 mile from where we currently live. He now lives in Salt Lake City. The world is getting smaller.
At the top of the pass I now re-entered the pacific drainage area. In think this is the 6th time I have crossed the continental divide.
Going downhill was a blast and not too many crosswinds. As I started my descent downhill a road cyclist was nearing the top. He must have been out for a day ride. On the way downhill he flew by me when my bike computer said I was doing 31 mph. I never saw him again. The difference with the downhill versus the uphill was the terrain. On uphill side there were lots of trees as you can see in the picture above, but on the downhill side, it was devastated by forest fires last year. For most of the 12 miles downhill it was standing burned trees, no understory and exposed ground. This is all from a forest fire from October 2020. This road is going to have trouble with mud slides in the future if it ever starts raining again. There was a mud slide 4 days before I arrived that closed the road for 2 days. It will be a mess.
At one time on the downhill I stopped to take pictures and coming uphill were 3 guys. All of them were graduates of the University of Virginia and had DC ties included one guy that currently lived in Cleveland Park. The world is really closing in on me now. They reaffirmed that the campground was closed at Hot Sulphur Springs and recommended a hostel in Granby, CO. When I got into cell phone service I was able to score the last bed in the hostel.
The hostel was good but hot for sleeping even though it cooled off considerable at night. That night I went to the bar and got into an interesting conversation with two guys on their hunting exploits and their love of hunting. One guy reminded me of an uncle that liked to hunt but would hunt by tracking and following the game animal and not waiting for it pass by. That is hunting.
Today’s stats: total mileage 56.37 miles; average speed 13.5 mph; max speed 36.9 mph; elevation gain 2165 feet; and elevation loss 2503 feet.