Half way home

"Well we finally made it out of the boring, straight ahead, wash-boarded, 400 mile dirt road that someone named Wyoming" - Nat

Well we are pleased to let everyone know that we have made it to Steamboat Springs, CO and the weather is beautiful! We are very excited to be here and wait anxiously as Uncle John bikes his way up to meet us!

Well after we left Rawlins, we immediately were placed back in the desert and fell into kind of a 'funk'. We didn't want to ride and we just wanted to be lazy. It was so hard though when its 100+ degrees with no shade. So we continued on and fell way short of our mileage goal for the day. It was still a 46 mile day but it meant we would have a 60+ mile day the following day. It was our last night in Wyoming and we were glad to see it go!

As we walked and pedaled to our camp destination for the night, Nat and I discussed all the things we missed about home and all the things we wanted to do when we get back. I think that is kind of what helped us get through the day. That and we met up with a few groups of hikers going South-North on the Continental Divide Trail. We have seen a few people riding the divide on motorcycle touring bikes and they say that we are their heroes. To us, our heroes are the people who take 6 months off and hike the same trail we are doing. It is really am amazing feat and we applaud them.

We pulled into camp around 8 and got setup for the night. This was probably one of the more beautiful campsites we had as we were alone for miles and miles and there were 4-5 thunderstorms going on around us but never directly over us. As we headed to bed, thoughts of Colorado danced in our heads.

We awoke to another scorcher and were on the bikes by 8:15. We knew it would be a long day and we wanted to get a good jump on it. We met some cows on the side of the road that decided they wanted to run beside us for a few miles and that kept our minds off the crappy roads for a little bit. Around noon we pulled into an area that locals call 'Aspen Alley'. Looking at the picture above, its easy to see why.

Next was lunch and we sat in the shade full on knowing we had 35+ miles to go. It was relaxing as we ate our PB&J and dreamed about laying on the couch at home and watching a Red Sox game and enjoying a cold Long Trail. We were quickly snapped out of our fantasy by a crack of thunder in the distance. Climbing back on the bikes, we pedaled into a brisk headwind as the journey continued on.

Large ranches dotted the scenery as we finally passed the Wyoming/Colorado state line. It was quite overcast but never rained as we pedaled through the hills leading to Steamboat Spring Lake. It was quite a tiring day and to top it off, the general store was closed when we got there. Luckily, Nat's friend Laura had sent us out some home-made baked goods to Rawlins and we were able to have a sweet treat before bed.

We set our sights on Steamboat and meeting John and blasted. We rode like the wind and made it the 35+ miles in just under 3 hours. It was a nice mix of downhill and pavement and made for some very fast riding. The ski mountain came into view on the horizon and we just pedaled harder. As we made our way into town, people started stopping us and asking were we are heading. Everyone here has been super friendly in the 2 hours we have been here. We are excited to have made it this far and can't wait to see the rest of Colorado!

A few thank you's have gone way overdue and I just wanted to post them so that the people know we love them for what they have done!

First, a huge thank you to the Cunnigham family for getting care packages out to us at every stop and for keeping the food and goodies coming. We appreciate all your help and I love you!

Next a special thank you to Nat's friend Laura Damon. She recently sent Nat a care package of homemade cookies and brownies that definitely brightened up both our days!

Herb and Bob at Revolution Cyclery back in Concord have helped us out as well. They helped us out with our pre-trip bike needs and really got the ball rolling on nutrition for Nat and I. Thanks!

The Morgan family back in Concord as well for getting us some goodies and care packages. Thanks also to Kit for keeping us updated on how the Sox are doing.

Also our friends at Nuun and EMS for all their help getting stuff to us before the trip. Without them, the trip would not have been successful as it has been!