Crushed

My dear friend Corrine put this montage together to remind me of my journey from relearning to walk to riding the Divide….thank you 🙏🏻

We got going around 8:30 with the intention of getting about 35-40 miles north towards Breckenridge- we had heard this was a very snobby area – a ski resort – so we thought we’d push through that tomorrow and get a place in Silverthorne, only 20 miles north of Breckenridge. But that meant getting most of the way up the Boreas Pass, the second highest point on the Trail.

Anyway, as is now customary on this ride our plans evaporated when we got to the Divide trail north of Hartsel. Washboard like I’d never seen before. It’s hard to describe it to anyone who has not ridden it – it’s like sitting on a jackhammer for hours at a time, with no respite. The bike gets thrown around and all you can do as the rider is try find a line through it which won’t throw you off. Going uphill is hideous, but downhill is 10 times worse, as you have to scrub off all your speed, as to let the bike loose is a short cut to a face plant. There was absolutely no let up in it for the 29 miles to a place called Como, situated at the bottom of the Pass. To be really honest I was utterly miserable and fed up. There is no enjoyment, no respite, no way you can even look up to admire the surroundings. You are glued to every inch of the road in an effort to stay upright. By the time we reached Como I was mentally, physically and emotionally done. And cranky as all hell.

Como is an odd place- brightly coloured wooden huts, no shops, really nothing to do or see….but we found the old post office which doubled as a sort of local arty place. We were welcomed in with a free iced coffee can and a place to sit and eat our food.

One of the very clear issues for me, as well as Jake, is that we simply cannot get enough food in. My stomach has shouted at me for food to the point that when I start to eat I start to reach, as my stomach rejects the food. I wake up hungry, I’m hungry all day, I eat rice or pasta in the evening and go to bed hungry! And of course, trying to push the body through exercise when hungry is somewhat contraindicated!

We stayed at the post office for an hour trying to get food and liquids in, as well as trying to decide what to do. The campsite we had earmarked was 8.5 miles up the Boreas Pass. It was 3o’clock and thunder clouds were rolling in. I was feeling like shite. After much discussion we decided to try get to the campground, and if that couldn’t be achieved we would wild camp where we could get shelter among the trees.

The ride up to the campsite was a real challenge- the trail was rocky as all hell, with a 4% incline rising to 15 %. But mile by mile we clawed our way upwards. And in to the snow line of the Boreas Pass. Eventually we saw the sign for the campsite, then realised it was a mile off the trail, downhill, in to a small valley…..which meant only one thing…a walk out of the valley in the morning before cresting the Pass about 5 miles further up. We were both suffering from the effects of altitude- we were at 10,400, with a 1000ft to climb tomorrow.

The campsite was deserted, but it had picnic tables, a drop toilet (luxury!) and fire pits. We set about pitching tents and collecting firewood. Within the hour we had a raging fire with our evening meals cooking on the griddle. The worst of the weather was sitting just to the north of us. It was scheduled to drop to freezing tonight so the fire was delightful. As we turned in the rains came but we were grateful that we had had the evening without getting soaked.

Today was crushing. It was physically punishing but also emotionally exhausting. The scenery is breathtaking, but the trail strips all the joy of the surroundings with its punishing surface. You need suspension and 2.5+ tyres to even begin to master this trail. It is simply brutal on a gravel bike, as this is not gravel, its rocks, washboards and insufferably tough terrain. We simply have the wrong machines for this trail. So hard decisions need to be made tomorrow onwards once we get off the mountain.

Luxury in Silverthorne
I slept really well last night despite it dipping to freezing. The rains were light enough and only lasted an hour tops. I got up around 5:30 and Jake was already up and about, getting wood for a fire which was duly lit. Breakfast was the usual oats and pitta bread but at least we could boil water. I was ready before Jake so I headed back up the valley from hence we had descended last night. It actually wasn’t too bad and I was able to ride to the main trail and wait for Jake. We headed ever upwards towards the Pass with the temperature dropping each mile and the air getting thinner. I hadn’t really struggled with altitude but was starting to get headaches as we ascended above the snow line. It was a 5 mile trail to the Pass which was stunningly beautiful and not overly challenging, though increasingly cold. By 9:30 we had hit the top. Incredibly this was an old railway line during the mining boom….the remnants of times past were very visible. It was an incredible vista that greeted us 360 degrees. After a while the cold was starting to bite down so hit the descent. And what a descent. It wasn’t too rocky so we were able to gather some speed all the way to Breckenridge, a ski resort for the well heeled! It was a very posh place, so we stood out like tramps as we tried to find a coffee shop which didn’t require the donation of a body part for purchase. It’s something we don’t tend to talk about but life on the trail means the usual social graces and norms quickly get abandoned-clothes are filthy, smelly, you’re covered in dirt and dust, hygiene is a luxury! Often I sleep in all my clothes other than my cycling shorts, there’s often no toilet so a digging implement and loo roll suffices! It’s a very unhygienic life!!

We quickly left the snobs of Breckenridge and headed to Silverthorne where I had booked us a room with bunk beds for the night. The ride to Silverthorne was sublime, along a dedicated bike path through lakes and scenic trails. We glided along and the 20 miles evaporated! We got to Silverthorne at 1:30. And it had a hot tub so we wasted no time in blocking up their cleaning filters 🤣🤣.

As for the next few days, well the plan is to get to Steamboat where Jake is heading south and I’ll head north. I’m not too far from the Wyoming border 😊. There are road options for me to take if I wanted a break from the tooth filling removal service of the Divide!

Thanks everyone for your continued support and encouragement-it REALLY helps!