Platoro to Del Norte over Indiana Pass
Strava: 78.1 km, 1278m, 5:17, 140 shifts, 59.4 kph max on gravel!
We had a luxurious sleep-in until 6:30, in comfortable beds in our cabin. We packed and our host Michael served breakfast at 7:30.
After that we headed up the trail, so much nicer than yesterday. For one thing my legs were much stronger, for another the wind had dropped, and the sky was pure blue. The air above 3000m is just so … Great! Up and up. The road was built in 1878, two years before Platoro. It was steep and sometimes slippery but not bad. There were a few jeeps driving around, very friendly.
We stopped at the first summit, over 3500m, our highest point so far. I shared a package of Trader Joe’s dried passion fruit that Katie gave me for my birthday. The guys were mildly impressed that I had carried it 1200 km!
Then some more down and up but eventually we made it to the summit of Indiana Pass, the highpoint of the whole Great Divide Mountain Bike Route! It’s 3630m / 11909′. We had some more snacks but there’s not even a sign. After that it was about 40 km of descent! Down and down the gravel road, no traffic whatsoever. I didn’t notice at the time but hit nearly 60 kph which feels faster on semi-rough gravel!
We each rode at our own pace, Daniel out in front; he had to get to the hotel for a conference call at 2pm. I was relaxing and very happy when suddenly with maybe 20 km to go, the road became paved! That last section took no effort, downhill with a strong tailwind the whole way. I pulled into town and coasted a few blocks to the hotel. We’re staying in the Windsor Hotel, the oldest hotel in Colorado, from 1874. It’s classic and restored very well. And it’s bike friendly, offering free laundry for bikers (and CDT hikers) and indoor bike parking.
Daniel was deep in his call so the rest of us showered and headed to the brewery leaving him to desk with the laundry. We had some appetizers and I had a giant salad. And of course beer and their homemade root beer. Around 4 Daniel showed up so we ordered more beer and pizza. Make sure you visit Three Barrel Brewing when you come to Del Norte.
We headed back and planned the route to our next big destination, Salida, about 250 km away. We decided on three stages, the first night camping and the second in a cabin or camping. Three of us walked to a great market and bought provisions.
All in all this was a fantastic day riding, 100% better than if we had tried to do it in one stage from Horca yesterday. Gotta stay flexible!
Nathan's Blog 