Day 34 - Riverside, WY to Walden, CO (August 9)

Welcome to North Park…leave your Beef Behind.

I didn’t know how much work the ride would be, so I wanted to get started early. This ride rises out of Wyoming and into what is called North Park. Before the North Park is a large valley that never seemed to end. In this valley, I entered the Red Forest (see more about it on Day 35).

As I was climbing out of Wyoming, I saw another touring cyclist going the other way. Because he was going the other way, I told him about Sheryl (Day 33). But he was only doing a 7-day tour starting in Steamboat Springs and traveling around a mountain range north of Steamboat.

So back to North Park. North Park is a large high altitude Park. It is like a “Hole”, like the Big Hole that had cycled in Montana. I don’t know what the difference is between a Park and a Hole, but I think they are both high valleys that are surrounded on all sides by mountains. The Big Hole River flows out of the Big Hole in Montana and the North Platte River flows out or through North Park.

North Park was significantly wetter than the country I had been riding in Wyoming. I know this because it was wet enough to be fly habitat. Where there are flies, there are flies that follow me as I ride.

North Park, you might ask yourself, “is that the inspiration for the show called “South Park.” Well, not exactly. There are a few parks in Colorado. From north to south: North Park (Walden, CO), Central Park (Granby, CO), and…South Park. Don’t forget Estes Park.

In Walden, I rode to my first lodging choice that night - the city park. I met the caterer for a group of college-aged cyclists from Missoula, Montana. They were doing physiological testing for the Center for Work Physiology and Excercise Metabolism at the University of Montana. They were riding long and hard and each day to see how their bodies held up. Their blood was drawn, tissue samples were taken. They were basically guinea pigs, but the if they completed the program - 2,000 miles in 22 days of riding - they would get a nice $7,000 bicycle - The Orbea Opal. Sounds like a good bargain. Where do I sign up? - oops, I’m too old or too slow or carrying too much weight.

But instead of the campsite, I decided to get a hotel room. I did this so I could rest. The next two days would consist of riding over the continental divide once each day. The first day, I would ride over the third highest pass to date and on the second date, I would ride over the highest elevation for the entire ride at more than 12,000 feet. So I wanted to be well rested for the next two days.

Day 34 - Riverside to Walden - 55 Miles