Riding the Red Forest.
The forest for this entire ride was infected by bark beetles. Some stands of trees had a few red trees (an indication of bark beetle infestation) while other stands were entirely red. Then there were other stands of trees that were mixed - some trees were aspens while others were pines. These mixed forests had red pine trees and green aspen trees.
Bark beetles typically live in these trees, but a combination of drought conditions and mild winters have created conditions that are perfect for bark beetle infestation. If there is enough rain, the pine trees are healthier and are more able to defend against beetles. Also, if it gets cold enough during a winter, the cold kills the beetles and their eggs. But lately, it has been dry and mild. It could be a possible effect of global warming or just part of the weather cycle.
As for the ride, the wind at my back, the climbing was easy…what more is there to say?
I rode of Willow Creek Pass at 9,600 something feet. It was described as a lightly traveled route. In the 50 miles it took to get to Granby, I saw only 60 or so cars. Of course, the drivers sucked and there was no shoulder, but that’s all to be expected. The ride over and down Willow Creek Pass was relatively easy, which didn’t wear me out too much for the next day’s climb.
I started early, leaving Walden at 6 p.m. It was barely light outside. There were clouds over the mountains that I would climb this morning. Some rain streamers dropped from the clouds. In some places the rain was very heavy, but I mostly stayed dry. Over the mountains, there were a few stray bolts of lightning. This concerned me some, because I didn’t really want to play lightning rod with my body and bike. When I did finally begin my ascent, the clouds had dispersed. I was hopeful that there would not be any clouds over the mountains for the next day's ride.
I arrived very early in Granby. So this gave me a little time to rest and get a bite to eat. I was only planning on riding a few more miles, maybe to a private campground within the next 14 miles. In the back of my mind, I was considering riding another 25 miles to a National Park Service campground inside Rocky Mountain National Park. I was concerned about doing this. Although, it would get me much closer to tomorrow’s climb, it would probably wear me out. And the campsites were first-come first-serve. What if I had ridden those miles and had done that climbing and there was no campsite?
Before I entered the National Park, I stopped at a private campground. The campground host said that people had made reservations months ago. It was a Friday night after all. I was a little peeved. What if a tired bicyclist needed a site. No luck!
In Granby at 11:30 a.m., I had called the park ranger and asked about the Timber Creek Campground. The ranger said if I got going, I should be able to get a campsite. I was not so certain. Based on the distance and the climbing, I thought I wouldn’t get there until 4 p.m. and surely, by 4 p.m. on a Friday night, all of the campsites would be taken.
Nevertheless, I continued on to the Timber Creek Campground, determined to try my luck at finding a campsite. And if I didn’t, well, I’d just climb over the pass. It's only 12,000 feet high.
A quick stop at the information kiosk gave me some hope. The ranger said that at 11:30 a.m., there were 39 spaces available. It was now 1:30 p.m., so I wasn’t very confident. But I continued on. Basically, I sprinted the best I could the 10 miles to the campground. It was a slight uphill and instead of arriving at 4 p.m., as I had originally planned, I actually got here shortly after 2 p.m.
I was really happy to stay at the Timber Creek Campground. The Forest Service and National Park Service campgrounds are so much nicer than the private campgrounds. Sure there are less services - no wireless internet, no cell service, no showers, no laundry, but there are nice campsites surrounded by pine trees. From time to time, a moose or a bear saunters through your campsite. A very enjoyable experience!
Day 35 - Walden to Timber Creek - 83 Miles
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