Day 1 - up and yes OVER Rabbit Ears Pass

The key to this day was the fact that a rabbit has TWO ears, so like a flaming crazy woman I was hooping and making happy sounds when I got to the top of the FIRST ear. hummmm.

what I felt like today:

What I looked like today:

But dang if it wasn't the best day yet this year on the bike. I started out in Kremmling because, well it was down hill to Kremmling AND the entire day was 99 miles long and reason got the better of me and I made the unusual decision to be wise today (how strange!)

So I packed up in Frisco, grabbed a seriously strong Starbucks (can we just all say NO to corporate coffee?) and headed out on CO 9. I make no bones about saying I'm a complete sap and when I saw those snow-covered mountains in the early (as in 6:30am) sun, I started to cry - it was that stunning. I was also on the cusp of realizing my goal and knowing that as long as I got ON the bike, I would make it. I drove through the blinding morning sun to Kremmling, and dropped off the car for my friends who were doing the first 47 miles of the day.

I was on the side of the road with no where to go so I changed into my cycling clothes in the car - not a pretty endeavor as I'm pretty sure I dislocated at least one joint doing so.

Packed up, bottles filled adn ready to roll.

Out of Kremmling was a gentle road where I saw more prarie dogs than I knew existed on the planet - they were everywhere! No photos though because I was too busy trying to get myself adjusted to the bike while riding it.

Then about 22 miles into the ride I felt like I was being watched. So I looked over my shoulder and damn near rode off the road. Up high maybe about 1/4 mile up on the hill above the road was what sure as heck looked like a mountain lion and I was not going to go up and ask him if he was indeed a mountain lion. Another rider came up to me and asked why I was looking over my shoulder, and he too thought it sure looked like a mountain lion - needless to say, we both stepped it up and rode out of that area at a clip neigther of us could have managed without the addition of adrenaline.

Rabbit Ears pass began at mile 72 (for me, at mile 30). There were very few riders ahead of me since I did my little sling-shot maneuver - so I was feeling ok with my pace, not fast, not slow, just what I could do. Apparently I was doing better than I thought as I came up and passed some biker dude that looked to be in much better condition than I, but the smug was wiped away when I realized, it was his 74th mile and only my 32nd - damn.

We hit the top of Rabbit Ears together and the wind came screaming up and over the mountain. Have you ever heard wind scream, not pretty I'm telling you - we had sustained winds of over 40 mph adn gusts up to 60 mph. I made the next few miles going over the second Ear just suck. When you are thinking you're going to rip it up adn fly down a mountain, it's a cruel joke to be hit with that kind of wind. I was pedeling like a fiend just to go down the mountain at 20 mph to the second Ear (which thankfully is lower than the first).

I was running low in water and almost out of resolve when I crested the second summit of the Ear and realized it was all down hill to Steamboat - yes, I let out a bit of a whoop!

The wind was still gusting so badly that I passed a few racer-guys down the mountain - here's to being a little girl! Because my center of mass is so low and my bike is also made to have a lower than normal bottom bracket I was able to get down the mountain without becoming airborne - it was way cool and a great way to end a ride - 14 miles down a mountain. But the winds slowed me significantly - I was only able to do about 42mph max - but what a way to Ride the Rockies.

Over and out until tomorrow -