This was a tough day as well. I woke up to the pouring rain pounding on the roof of my cabin. It was a loud sign that the road out of here was going to be muddy.
A little update video from the morning.
I ate like a king at breakfast again. I also took a little extra time to work on my bike. The front derailleur was stuck again and the bike was a mess from the day before. After getting everything going I headed off into the rain and mud.
A bear outside the Brush Mountain Lodge just as I was getting ready to leave.
I actually rode my bike fore the first half mile. Then it was hiking until I made it up and over the summit (which was about twenty miles). The mud became so deep on this road that was almost knee deep in places. It also became so thick that it would stick to my tires and clog the frame so bad the wheels wouldn't roll.
It was hard to clear the mud from my bike. I had to use sticks to clear out my frame, wheels and drive train about every 40 feet. I continued on like this for miles. Walk 40 feet, clear the frame, clear the tires, clear the drive train, walk 40 feet. I even had a stick collection going, each with a different shape that helped clear a specific part of the bike.
This continued for the better part of 15 or so miles. It was mentally exhausting. I became incredibly frustrated and I just really wanted to be home, in bed, snuggling with my wife.
Eventually I made it to the snow, which was a relief. At least I didn't have to clear mud as I hiked.
This video is from the pass above Brush Mountain Lodge. It was pretty deep snow. I look a bit demoralized.
I finally made it to the bottom of the snow and stopped to chat real quick with another northbounder. The trail got much better after the snow. After riding for a while I came to a small town general store. I stopped in for some quick food and continued on.
I eventually made it too Steamboat and I hit up Orange Peel Bikes. They worked on my bike while I got some new socks and some new liner gloves. My other liners had worn huge holes in almost every finger.
After my bike was done I went back to the part of town that I had come in at, about three miles away. I had inadvertently missed part of the course so I went back and picked it up. I realized my cassette was skipping while I re-rode back into town. I stopped back at Orange Peel (as I rode by AGAIN) to get a new cassette as well. After the cassette was installed I hit up the grocery store and resupplied. I also found an outdoor clothing place to get a base layer. I didn't want to add the weight to my kit but the elevation was only increasing and I wanted/needed to be able to sleep wherever the terrain dictated.
As I continued on out of town I came upon several washed out bridges, flooded parts of the route, and lots of confusion about where to go. Some parts of the course I rode even though they were closed. These flooded parts were over my knees as I rode through them. Some places I had to pick my way through marshy areas near the course but far enough from the over flow that I wouldn't be swept out into the main river. It was daunting but doable.
Eventually I made it to clear road and trial. As I was riding just out past the edge of town I smelled something delicious...... BBQ! I just had to stop. I ordered a full rack of ribs and a baked potato to go. I had them wrap the ribs and potato in tin foil. To carry it I put the entire rack in a jersey pocket. It must have looked pretty funny, a dirtbag bike racer riding down the road with a rack of ribs hanging out of his jersey.
As I road out of town the rain that had given me a slight reprieve started all over again. I continued riding emotionally feeling low but physically undeterred. It was just hard being alone and away from family and friends. At least the rain finally let up and gave me some sign that things would get better.
It was quite a sight for sore eyes.
I stopped to call Liz, but there was no answer so I kept riding. A few minutes later I stopped to call again. No dice. A few minutes later I stopped again. I stopped about ten times fearing that I would miss her before I lost cell signal. I decided to call a friend of mine Chuck. We chatted for a bit. After I hung up with Chuck I realized I only had one bar left of signal. I gave Liz one last call knowing I would loose signal around the next bend. She answered!!! After a chat with her I started feeling better and I continued on.
I rode for about twenty more miles before full dark. I came upon a fishing area with a parking lot and a forest service bathroom. I decided to camp in the bathroom (I used the girls side of the bathroom, even the outhouses are bigger for the ladies!). It was only a few minutes and I had; the bike prepped and cleaned, my bivy out and set up, and ribs in my tummy.
A check-in video from the floor of an outhouse.
Tomorrow the onslaught continues!
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