Section 4 Silverthorne, CO to Platoro, CO - D22

          07/01 Day 22 Colorado  Luder Creek Campground – Del Norte (62 miles)

I had changed into a Smartwool top before going to sleep so I was comfortable in my sleeping bag and bivy.  Getting out was another matter.  It was pretty cold and of course we’d camped at 10,000ft.  There was a campground farther away and at lower elevation but it was a primitive site.  It is all about trade offs. 

I’d slept with a partially filled water bottle in the bivy so I had coffee of at least body temperature with my peanut butter bread breakfast. 

Because we’d just crested a pass last night, we knew we’d have a screaming, freezing descent this morning.  The group was still packing up when we left.

The descent was eye-watering cold but beautiful.  At one point the road cut between rock formations that left a spire on one side. 

The route continued on dirt roads going over Carnero Pass (10,166ft).  I had learned during Primal Quest 2003, forgot, then re-learned during TD that I need to pay more attention to the map detail and be able to gear up psychologically for what’s coming.  I did not know about Carnero Pass and it made me grumpy.  Like it would make any difference if I knew beforehand anyway.  I still have to go that way, right? 

On decent of Cochetopa Pass

The lunch stop was at the La Garita store in well, La Garita.  A store/grill with a few tables and dry goods and it was crowded.  While we waited for our order, I was able to get some rags and did some triage cleaning and lubing of the bike.  A good use of time I thought. 

Continuing south to Del Norte.  More headwind.  More washboard.  But this is the Tour Divide so there is cool stuff too.  There was an amazing section of sort of trail?  Labeled FR 665, it was barely discernable double track - very west Texas, Terlingua like riding with sand traps and washed corners.  We were having a ball zipping through it and missed a turn.  But what luck!  At the time the error was realized, like some weird movie set-mirage, there was a school bus, shack and a stand of 4 fresh, not-been-used port-o-potties.  I would say we imagined it but STB used one.  Have no idea what that was about, but ok. 

My kinda road/trail!

TD version of a Marfa art installation

We found our way on track and after a while turned onto a fairly new gravel road that took us all the way around the Del Norte airport.  Some post-911 security I suppose that kept us from being able to just ride straight by.  As an aside, I learned the airport was built in the 1940s by American Airlines for service to Mexico.  

After the airport circumnavigation, we were on paved road and crossed the Rio Grande.  I just had to stop and look at it.  The Rio Grand is knee-deep and quiet by the time it reaches Big Bend in west Texas.  This was a fine looking river, swollen with snow melt.  I would have loved to trade in the bike for my boat right then. 

Rio Grande

Once in Del Norte, we made our way to the Organic Peddler.  Just the name made us smile and it was everything we needed – except a room.  We wanted to reach this Kevin Off guy.  Everyone knew him and could tell us where he lived and where his cyclist-only lodging was but we could never contact him.  We went to his house on the edge of town; an amazing, eclectic art compound, but no one home.  So, we retreated back to the Peddler to eat a healthy meal and make a new plan. 

Kevin's art house, Del Norte

Ahead was a 4000ft climb.  Do we just do it now and camp somewhere?  Kevin’s place was 1000ft up the climb and would have given us a good launch pad for the next day.  Not sure where we would stop if we kept going, we opted to stay and start the climb fresh in the morning.  The Peddler was booked and so were the other hotels we called, except the Country Family Inn.  Like Rawlins, don’t ever go there.  A filthy dump is kind. 

We at least got some sleep.  We saw that Kevin and Joel had arrived at the same hotel.  Reinhold had taken off alone after Luder Campground and was somewhere over the pass by now.  We’d seen Will and told him about Kevin’s place and our plans to tackle the pass in the morning.  He set off in pursuit of the German.  We did not know were the S. Africans were.