The Great Divide Trail is covered by 7 maps in total, the Canada map and a series of 6 maps to cover the States. Each map, alongside the trail route and directions, provides elevation profiles. I have been awaiting USA map 4 with a sense of trepidation as it has the highest passes and steepest climbs. Boreas Pass is my highest crossing of the Continental Divide and the second highest point on the trail. And it was easy! Honestly, I'm not bragging, the altitude gain was steady, the track was in fairly decent condition and I was in the zone. It sounds counter-intuitive but sometimes the best time to tackle passes is at the end of the day when, far from being tired, often I'm in a really good rhythm and feel strangely energised. I also used my secret motivational weapon, my speaker to play a bit of Rolling Stones as encouragement. A great ride.
The cultural reference is somewhat lost on me but this is Como in South Park district of the eponymous TV show. According to the map I could camp here for free so I pitched up at dusk behind this building, out of sight of the prying eyes of village dwellers. It didn't feel terribly official or organised so I packed up camp early and sat on the steps reading for a while, warming my night-chilled bones in the early morning sun.
I really like eating in these kind of diners. They feel down to earth and friendly and you're guaranteed, if not haute cuisine, good portions and good service. As I move south the influence of Mexican cuisine in the menus is increasing and I'm hearing more and more Spanish. Not long before I'll need to start conversing in Spanish too, looking forward to breaking the rust off my long neglected linguistic skills. (skills used in the loosest sense of the term)
I came across this herd of buffalo, obviously farmed, while cycling against the wind between Hartsel and Salida. For a moment I had a glimpse of how the landscape must have looked before the pioneers - homesteaders and gold prospectors - settled and fenced off the land. In the local museums the stories of the hardships the early settlers faced are well documented but there is scant reference to the subjugation of the Native Americans. One display did show the area the Utes once roamed in Colorado and then the size of the reservations they were forced into. The reduction in territory was incredible, and incredibly saddening, to see.
This final picture shows the scene I was presented with along my descent into Salida this morning. The majestic peaks are known as the fourteeners as many of them stand taller than 14,000ft. Fortunately, the trail will not force me quite so high!
The Great Divide Trail is covered by 7 maps in total, the Canada map and a series of 6 maps to cover the States. Each map, alongside the trail route and directions, provides elevation profiles. I have been awaiting USA map 4 with a sense of trepidation as it has the highest passes and steepest climbs. Boreas Pass is my highest crossing of the Continental Divide and the second highest point on the trail. And it was easy! Honestly, I'm not bragging, the altitude gain was steady, the track was in fairly decent condition and I was in the zone. It sounds counter-intuitive but sometimes the best time to tackle passes is at the end of the day when, far from being tired, often I'm in a really good rhythm and feel strangely energised. I also used my secret motivational weapon, my speaker to play a bit of Rolling Stones as encouragement. A great ride.
The cultural reference is somewhat lost on me but this is Como in South Park district of the eponymous TV show. According to the map I could camp here for free so I pitched up at dusk behind this building, out of sight of the prying eyes of village dwellers. It didn't feel terribly official or organised so I packed up camp early and sat on the steps reading for a while, warming my night-chilled bones in the early morning sun.
I really like eating in these kind of diners. They feel down to earth and friendly and you're guaranteed, if not haute cuisine, good portions and good service. As I move south the influence of Mexican cuisine in the menus is increasing and I'm hearing more and more Spanish. Not long before I'll need to start conversing in Spanish too, looking forward to breaking the rust off my long neglected linguistic skills. (skills used in the loosest sense of the term)
I came across this herd of buffalo, obviously farmed, while cycling against the wind between Hartsel and Salida. For a moment I had a glimpse of how the landscape must have looked before the pioneers - homesteaders and gold prospectors - settled and fenced off the land. In the local museums the stories of the hardships the early settlers faced are well documented but there is scant reference to the subjugation of the Native Americans. One display did show the area the Utes once roamed in Colorado and then the size of the reservations they were forced into. The reduction in territory was incredible, and incredibly saddening, to see.
This final picture shows the scene I was presented with along my descent into Salida this morning. The majestic peaks are known as the fourteeners as many of them stand taller than 14,000ft. Fortunately, the trail will not force me quite so high!
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