Veronica
06-24-2012, 08:07 PM
This was a hard, hard ride. Until we got to Moab, most days were spent up above 8,500 feet. It was HOT, but it was a dry heat!
The first day out of Telluride we climbed to Last Dollar Pass at 10,600. Well, I made it to 10,400 and then climbed into the truck, right here.
http://tandemhearts.smugmug.com/Travel/Telluride-to-Moab/i-gKhp6Fd/2/L/WRT-07-L.jpg
Day 2 would have been fine, if I had worn shorts that fit. I am no longer large. :rolleyes: I gave in to the saddle sore after 32 miles - just two shy of the campground. Rolling through the aspens was very cool though. The shorts promptly went into the garbage!
http://tandemhearts.smugmug.com/Travel/Telluride-to-Moab/i-RbttvWD/2/L/WRT-10-L.jpg
Day 3 was suppose to be a 54 mile day. I rode 28 miles to lunch, with the saddle sore. The last climb I HAD to stand on.
http://tandemhearts.smugmug.com/Travel/Telluride-to-Moab/i-rBfvVkx/2/L/WRT-12-L.jpg
Day 4 was the easy day - 17 miles. I rode in the truck, in an attempt to heal. I hadn't "earned" the appetizer, but I ate some anyway. :D
http://tandemhearts.smugmug.com/Travel/Telluride-to-Moab/i-zBCjnXG/2/L/WRT-22-L.jpg
Day 5 had the hardest climb of all - John Brown Canyon and I REALLY wanted to ride it - hence the day off. It was tough, with sustained sections of 13% and some sections of 20%. I made it to the top of the canyon, but my butt was done. Only one rider actually rode all the way to camp. But while waiting for the bikes to go on the truck, this guy decided the water in my Cool Wings was pretty nice.
http://tandemhearts.smugmug.com/Travel/Telluride-to-Moab/i-pVRKFJT/2/L/WRT-29-L.jpg
Day 6 was an interesting day with a road descent and a tough road climb up La Sal Loop road. We then descended about 3,000 feet into Moab. We also got to see these.
http://tandemhearts.smugmug.com/Travel/Telluride-to-Moab/i-bj6FttQ/2/L/WRT-30-L.jpg
I'm glad I wasn't around when dinosaurs ruled the world.
All in all, we had a great trip. I slept 11 hours when we got back to the hotel after pizza for dinner. It was a wicked hard ride. I have never climbed anything as difficult as John Brown Canyon and to follow it up with the La Sal Loop Road the very next day - ouch! Oh, I forgot to mention the headwind on the first half of the climb up La Sal. I worried I might get blown off the bike at times.
Our guides were the absolutely wonderful, the food was superb, the views were incredible.
We took 147 pictures over the 6 days and narrowed it down to 32. You can check out the others here (http://tandemhearts.smugmug.com/Travel/Telluride-to-Moab/23765341_2LnMSr#!i=1924957371&k=r4ZF2GH).
Veronica
The first day out of Telluride we climbed to Last Dollar Pass at 10,600. Well, I made it to 10,400 and then climbed into the truck, right here.
http://tandemhearts.smugmug.com/Travel/Telluride-to-Moab/i-gKhp6Fd/2/L/WRT-07-L.jpg
Day 2 would have been fine, if I had worn shorts that fit. I am no longer large. :rolleyes: I gave in to the saddle sore after 32 miles - just two shy of the campground. Rolling through the aspens was very cool though. The shorts promptly went into the garbage!
http://tandemhearts.smugmug.com/Travel/Telluride-to-Moab/i-RbttvWD/2/L/WRT-10-L.jpg
Day 3 was suppose to be a 54 mile day. I rode 28 miles to lunch, with the saddle sore. The last climb I HAD to stand on.
http://tandemhearts.smugmug.com/Travel/Telluride-to-Moab/i-rBfvVkx/2/L/WRT-12-L.jpg
Day 4 was the easy day - 17 miles. I rode in the truck, in an attempt to heal. I hadn't "earned" the appetizer, but I ate some anyway. :D
http://tandemhearts.smugmug.com/Travel/Telluride-to-Moab/i-zBCjnXG/2/L/WRT-22-L.jpg
Day 5 had the hardest climb of all - John Brown Canyon and I REALLY wanted to ride it - hence the day off. It was tough, with sustained sections of 13% and some sections of 20%. I made it to the top of the canyon, but my butt was done. Only one rider actually rode all the way to camp. But while waiting for the bikes to go on the truck, this guy decided the water in my Cool Wings was pretty nice.
http://tandemhearts.smugmug.com/Travel/Telluride-to-Moab/i-pVRKFJT/2/L/WRT-29-L.jpg
Day 6 was an interesting day with a road descent and a tough road climb up La Sal Loop road. We then descended about 3,000 feet into Moab. We also got to see these.
http://tandemhearts.smugmug.com/Travel/Telluride-to-Moab/i-bj6FttQ/2/L/WRT-30-L.jpg
I'm glad I wasn't around when dinosaurs ruled the world.
All in all, we had a great trip. I slept 11 hours when we got back to the hotel after pizza for dinner. It was a wicked hard ride. I have never climbed anything as difficult as John Brown Canyon and to follow it up with the La Sal Loop Road the very next day - ouch! Oh, I forgot to mention the headwind on the first half of the climb up La Sal. I worried I might get blown off the bike at times.
Our guides were the absolutely wonderful, the food was superb, the views were incredible.
We took 147 pictures over the 6 days and narrowed it down to 32. You can check out the others here (http://tandemhearts.smugmug.com/Travel/Telluride-to-Moab/23765341_2LnMSr#!i=1924957371&k=r4ZF2GH).
Veronica