My hut to hut mountain bike trip!
I don't know if i was ready for this or not. We started out in Durango Colorado. Neat town wish i had had more time to hang out there! Our day started out with a 5,ooo foot 18 mile climb into the mountains. With all the rain this year there were a lot of gullies and exposed rock I had to dodge while climbing up this steep mountain. I walked a bit of it. We had 7 people with us, 5 guys and 2 women ( me and my best friend). My friend was not in shape for this at all. And she had a year to get ready. But what are you going to say?
It took all day to get where we were going! The hut's were so cool! Fully stocked with all kinds of foods! We had a lot of fun figuring out each dinner and breakfast. We even had eggs and bacon at some huts. The bunk beds had about 5 inch thick pads to sleep on. And I have to say the out houses were some of the best. They are composting out houses. Never smelled a thing.
The secound day took us down a very steep trail with lot's of big rock on gravel. That was about 5 miles of that. My girlfriend hurt herself pretty bad on that trail. I was very happy with myself that I didn't fall. Every time I went over something and almost lost it but didn't I would say out loud "Oh my". Said that alot. when we got to the bottom of that trail my girlfriend was ready to bail. But my husband talked her out of it (oh yea my husband was with us too). The rest of the day was 25 miles of climbing gravel fire roads. By this time the altitude was bugging a couple of us. But we kept moving. That nights hut was again in the forest. Really amazing views!
The 2nd day took us through another rocky trail about 10 miles of it. By now I have gotten the hang of this rock thing and don't seem to have to walk as much. Which my dh has commented on how well I am doing but how my friend was really not having a good time!
We seemed to fly after the rocky part. Stopped in one spot where we all seemed to have cell phone service. Everyone called loved one's to let them know we were good. Next we road another 10 miles when we came upon a lake. We took atvantage of this and all of us bathed, washed stuff and had a nice lunch.
We motored on after that another 15 miles to our desert hut! This hut was a lot different in land scape then the other's. We were on top of this Mesa. Very south west feel to it (the land scape that is) there was the cannon below our hut that my husband went down to explore. He yelled up that there were animal skeletons all over the place. Elk, cow maybe some deer. It really added to the feel of this place let me tell you.
The next day was another 27 mile day of gravel road as well as some desert washed away dirt roads. My girlfriend is now saying things like "I am never going to see my kids again"! She has crashed to many times and has turned into a giant bruise. I on the other hand have been doing pretty good except for the fact that my best friend is hateing it all and bringing me down with her. My husband is sweet and hangs back a lot to wait for us. All the other guys just go and go. Animals they are!
The next day is rough desert floor biking! Lot's of work and a lot of walking here and there cause of washed out trails. We counted 6 falls within the first 2 hours. This was the worst day for me and my girlfriend. I fell but got right back up my friend fell twice. The 2nd time I was trying to guide her cause there were a lot of rain slashes. I yell back "Stay to your right"! Then I hear it a crash. I sigh and turn around to see her twitching on the ground then going limp! I run over to her! She is out! Then wakes up and asks "where are we?" "What happend?" She has blood dripping down her head. I am trying to keep it together! The guys are way ahead of us and all I can think is "We gotta get out of here"! I give her a few minutes and check her over. She has dirt everywhere. And her face looks messed up. I get her up and on her bike again. This time I stay even closer to her. We get to this climb that is gravel on rock again. I yelled back' Better walk it". I start climbing that's when the rattle snake goes in front of me and stops in the middle of the trail. I am thinking "No way!" That's when my friend yell's up to me "couldn't get any worse right?". "ahhhh, I think it just did" I yell back. All I know is my friend was so dazed from her fall that if I had not been there to guide her around this snake she would have been bit.
We made it through and met up with the guys. Two of the guys are Dr's so they examned my friend to make sure she was ok. We finished the last 20 miles of the trip ending at a general store before we got to our next hut. That is were I found a ride for my friend to Moab where the trip was to end. The lady in the store was really nice. This store was out of an old western movie. It was way cool! When I asked if she knew how I could get my friend to Moab she said there might be this lady? Then this guy came in and she asked him if he knew of any body? He said he was going the next day and would be happy to help. I was so relieved. He even took her the last 5 miles to the hut while we waited for three of the guys who took different route then us. Oh the lady in the store vouched for this guy. She said he was the nicest guy on the town. So that was good!
The guys where happy that i would get a couple days to enjoy myself without worry about my friend. The next morning I woke with a sinus infection! And that day we were supposed to climb 7,000 feet straight up a mountain. And it was pouring rain!I struggled with going. This was my only chance to get out or go on and finish the trip. I was really stuffed up and blowing green gooey stuff. The Dr's said it would not be a good idea. So any way i went to Moab with my girlfriend and we got a hotel. Oh my girlfriend got a black eye and bruised the whole side of her face from the fall when she blacked out.
The next day when the guys rolled into town they said it was the best thing we could have done. It was a 10 hour ride in the rain and mudd. They went 10 miles out of the way cause they got lost. But the 7,000 foot ride all down hill into moab was way cool! I am sorry i missed that part but not sorry about the part before it. My head was so clogged then went into my chest.
It was an awsome bike trip. We saw amazing things that most people would not or ever see. the views were amazing. We stayed at this one hut that was surrounded by old abandoned uranium mine's. We found this 1940's car just sitting on this mesa. I am sure there was a road at one time but it was gone. We found the dump where all the miners threw their trash. We found coors cans that were opened with church key's. We found old button's, coins etc... It was really neat. And these were places people couldn't ruin really cause they were so out there in the middle of nowhere. It felt a little haunted there too. We could look down into the valley from our hut onto the dolores river. Amazing. It looked alot like the Grand cannon but greener.
I never cried! I wanted to but I didn't. I really enjoyed all of it! The bad and the good. When I finally looked at myself in a mirror when we got back , I looked different I am not sure how or in what way just different. I know it sounds maybe a bit like it wasn't fun. But with every climb there was great reward for your effort. Either a great down hill ride or beautiful view. If anyone does this ride please do alot of training! I could have done more but it turned out I did pretty good. It was truely a great adventure that I will always remember fondly! I will post pictures here as soon as I can! Please excuse any spelling error's I am not the best.
A note for all considering to do this. One of the guys who was with us, he is a road bike racer. He was #1 in colorado for recumbent (sorry about that spelling if it was wrong) racing as well as he has already logged over 3,000 miles this year. He said this was one of the hardest biking adventures he has ever done. And this was my first!
