Previous : Day 14 – Radium to Frisco (77 miles)
Boreas Pass at 11,480ft was the climb of the day . Given Frisco was at 9000ft it was a decent >2000ft climb to the top and a cracking decent on the other side to Como.
Pictures on the way up.
Bakers Tank on the way up to the summit.
The wide open plain on the descent of Boreas Pass. Once at the bottom it felt like I was back in Wyoming!
Approaching Como. Notice the wash boarded road. This is very common on the divide and I read somewhere that another divide rider commented that he felt like he needed to have all his fillings replaced!
It was on this exact section of road just outside Como where I pulled over and decided that I no longer wanted to cycle the divide route. My original plan was to cycle to Mexico, but for me the ride had become monotonous and I was beginning to feel like I was riding because I felt obliged too. The scenery on the ride had been breathtaking, but I had become tired of the wash boarded roads and constant nothingness.
The ominous sign of rain clouds soon meant it was time to pull over and get out the wet weather gear. Good job I did as it chucked it down for the last 10 miles to Hertsel. For some reason I was under the impression that Hertsel (population 677) was a full services town. The reality was very different, it basically had a gas station and a bar. Given my decision to call it a day on the ride, I was in the mood for a few beers and Charlie the barman was great company and more than willing to assist me in my endeavor!
In fact, he also saved me $20 by allowing me to camp across the road on a scrap piece of land, rather than heading down the road a mile to the nearest campsite. Ok, there was no shower for the day, but I was able to use the $20 for a couple more beers and to buy breakfast the next morning.
Exploits of one man and his bike travelling adventures 