Thursday, June 2, 2011

June 2, 2011: GGT Day 3, Breckenridge to Kremmling

Yesterday I woke with a sore throat and worsening 'allergy' symptoms that got worse through the day. As a result I got very little sleep last night. By this morning I was pretty sure that I have a cold. I am just trying to manage the symptoms in hope that it doesn't get much worse.

Today's ride was just the ticket under the circumstances -- a reasonable 60, mostly downhill miles, with a strong tailwind. In fact, there was only 1120 feet of climbing and the wind and down slope combined to give us relatively effortless speeds of up to 40 mph from time to time.

At about 21 miles we had to make an unscheduled visit to a bike shop in Silverthorne when Ray broke a drive-side rear spoke. We were very fortunate that we were in this fair-sized town and that a good shop (Mountain Sports) was in walking distance.

We are over-nighting at the historic Eastin Hotel. It is old but adequate, and very inexpensive. The town itself is one of many in this region that is just fighting to survive.

Me (Seth), Fred, Jean-Paul, and Ray in the lobby of the Eastin Hotel in Kremmling, CO.
While we were waiting at the door for the proprietor to return from lunch, a French gentleman walked up with a big smile and immediately drew us into a discussion of bicycling and touring in the US and France. Jean-Paul is in the midst of a planned two month solo bike tour, including many of the places on our own tour. In fact, he was in Fairplay the night after we were there, and he is staying the night in our hotel. Of course we invited him to join us for dinner. It turns out that the cold, windy conditions in the past month have taken their toll and he has decided to cut his trip short. When we head north in the morning, he will be heading to Denver to make arrangements for his return to Marseille. If you read French you can learn more about him and his adventures at http://patacycliste.over-blog.com.

Jean-Paul's dinner selection was.... chicken-fried steak! I guess all his travel in the backwoods of the US caused him to go native.

While we were at dinner, a plump, mentally-challenged young women surveyed the people in the restaurant and walked right up to our table to get help setting the time on her new digital watch. Ever the knight for damsels in distress, Fred quickly volunteered his services. Apparently this is one of his special talents, and her special talent is to pick the right person in a crowd to help her! He had her all set in just a few minutes.



2 comments:

  1. Hey Seth
    Do you remember Kremmling and the French guy?
    I have just found your business card in a bollom of a pocket.
    Nearly one year ago, I had the pleasure to spent my evening with you and your friends.
    I have seen from your blog the end of your trip and the following one.
    Curious, it was for Inverness. I have to say that I was also in a bike trip in the Inverness area. With my wife, but in Scotland. Really a wonderfull country and not only for the whisky.
    Have you planned other tours?
    On my side I will have a flight to San Francisco where is the beginning of my next bike tour in the US. Roughly 1500 miles to the East (Fairplay CO), then 1500 miles to the North (Wyoming, Montana, Banff, Jasper), then 1000miles to the West and Vancouver. If I survive.
    Very best regards, and I hope one day -or more- in Provence?
    jean-paul klein

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  2. Sure I remember you, Jean-Paul! It's good to know that you made it home ok. I'd love to tour in Scotland someday.

    Unless you REALLY get lost, we won't see you this summer. We are doing our missing middle piece: Colorado Springs to Little Rock, AR. While your gazing out over those beautiful mountains and forests, we will be fighting our way through the heat and wind on the flatlands of the American Plains.

    Your trip sounds great! Be sure to visit the little Italian restaurant, Millonzi's, a few doors from the Hand Hotel in Fairplay. We recommend both the hotel and restaurant highly.

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