Silverthorn to Hartsel

60ish miles. With 8 that don't count.

This morning gifted us the worlds most confusing bike path from Silverthorn to Breckenridge. The path itself was a lovely change from traffic, but the signage was poor, so we ended up going 4 miles in the wrong direction. So we lost a bit of time, but music made things better.

As we zipped down the path, I noticed a few people with ultra light packs on; they were CDT hikers! I stopped to talk to GI Joe and Dove Bar, and was able to give some trail magic in the form of a banana. We chatted a bit, and then McKinley and I continued down the confusing path to Breckenridge.

News flash: we conquered Hoosier Pass, the highest point on the TransAm! The climb wasn't as rough as I had expected, but I froze my ass off until the sleet and wind stopped

Towards the top of the pass, the switchbacks got tighter and steeper, and the trucks seemed to give us less room. Once I arrived at the top, McKinley and Bill were standing there with smiling faces. McKinley was so overjoyed; summiting Hoosier Pass means no more climbs until Missouri. Hooray! Admittedly, I was grouchy from being cold and wet, but I sure was excited to have ridden my bike up and over the Rocky Mountains. There haven't been many grouchy moments out here, but when there are, it's always weather-related.

Well, a goal of coasting down Hoosier was beating my max speed. Check. I clicked into the big ring, tucked in tight, and cranked on the pedals with everything I had to give; I watched my computer hit 44.6 mph! It was a long downhill, and I think I only touched my breaks 3 times around a few curves. McKinley hit a whopping 46.5, dang!

It's been a long day. We are sharing a dinner table with Doug and Jen, Great Divide riders, and calling it a day. I'm whooped!