One thing I forgot to post last time was a comparison of family reunion photos. Below are photos from our first reunion in 1991 and the most recent one last month. You can see the growth of the family, and there were still several people missing.
Back on the road, I sped through northeast Colorado to Denver where the elevation increased to over 5000 feet. You can really notice that the sun is a lot closer and hotter. It was brutally hot one day where I biked directly into the sun for several hours in 90+ deg heat. I burned my lower lip again, despite copious amounts of sunscreen.
There was some great camping, though. Here is one site away from the road in a wide open space.
Typical dinner: baby carrots and ramen noodles.
The endless flats of eastern Colorado.
Getting into the mountains. Note the great bike trail I was on.
Google maps did a great job of getting me on some nice bike trails around Denver, so I did not have to fight traffic at all. But it failed me in the end, as it sent me to the Apex trail, a rough mountain biking/hiking trail that climbed 1000 feet. It was only three miles, but impossible to ride on with a fully loaded touring bike. After a brief effort, I gave up and called my sister to rescue me. It was the first time I had to hitch a ride this trip. Here is the Apex trail that stymied me.
Arriving at my sister’s house in Golden, we immediately left to a gorgeous location to watch the eclipse.
My Dad Steve felt a little dizzy due to the altitude (it was about 13,000 feet). His solution: sit down and have a beer!
Meanwhile, the rest of us ignored conventional wisdom and stared directly at the eclipse, with unfortunate results:
I performed some maintenance on my bike and saw that my chain and rear cassette were worn. I decided to take the bike to a shop to have a mechanic look it over. They recommended a new chain, new cassette and new front chainring. The front rim was also worn so that needs to be replaced. The rear wheel needs truing and some cables are frayed. So they will need several days to order parts and make the repairs.
With plenty of time on my hands I did some riding and hiking in the area. Here is a shot of Interstate 70 looking west over the Rockies.
Hiking around Lookout Mountain, here is a great shot of Denver. Can you see the deer in the foreground?
I should be leaving Denver in the next couple days, as soon as my bike gets out from the shop. The plan for the next two months is to continue west to Utah, then head south and east through Arizona and New Mexico, finishing up at the Mexcian border by November 1. The winter months will be spent in Mexico.
I joined Amazon Associates to promote products I use and recommend. If you like the product and want to buy it, just click on the link and it will take you to Amazon. If you buy it, I will get a small percentage. This will help me continue this adventure. I will add more items in the coming weeks.
When camping it really helps to be able to sit down somewhere rather than on the ground or just stand up. I use this stool every time I camp. It is rugged, lightweight, and compact.
I listen to a lot of music and audiobooks while riding. I’ve tried many different types of earbuds, but these Philips brand ones are great at blocking out road noise while providing a great sound.
Finally, I stored a bunch of videos on this 500 GB hard drive so I can watch them when stuck in my tent on a rainy day. It is built to withstand a beating and so far has held up. It is lightweight and easy to use.
Kev, all three of your products are good, but especially the camp stool. We need several of these for out next reunion campfires. Also, you might repost the original page with information on how we can make a donation to your effort. Your blog is better than a movie. If you’re still in Golden, say hello to all my family as well.
Don,
Still in Golden, waiting for parts for my bike. Will say hello to all the family.
The donate button was always there on the front page but you had to scroll down to see it. I revised the page to make it more visible. Got only one donation so far for $3.00!
I like the looks of that portable hard drive. Thanks, Kevie, for taking us along on your trip. What are your plans for Mexico during the winter months…and after that?
I will visit your donate page!
Jim
Jim, my plan is to travel down the east coast of Mexico to the Yucatan then back up the west coast between Nov-Mar. I will return to Denver in April then up to Seattle before flying to Japan for the summer. The fall of 2018 will be in southeast asia and the winter (summer) in Australia. Well, that’s the plan anyway. I will post a map soon.