TransAm 2012 - Cycle across America

Tuesday 10th July 2012
Day 52 - Sulphur Springs to Walden

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A lot of climbing but amazing scenery, lots of wildlife too. Proper wildwest.

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Start time: 07.42
Start location: Hot Sulphur Springs
Start State: Colorado
Start weather: Warm
Total millage so far: 2643.63

Finish time: 13.33
Finish location: Walden
Finish State: Colorado
Finish weather: Hot
Miles today: 63.88
Total millage so far: 2707.51
Today's top speed: 36.4
Today's average speed: 13.5
Today’s ride time: 4hr 43min 53sec
Punctures - 2 (slow back wheel), (staple in back wheel)

Music played:
Visage - Fade To Gray-The Best Of Visage
Wham! - If You Were There - The Best Of Wham!
Wings and Paul McCartney - Wingspan - Hits And History

Blog for the day (Tuesday, 10 July 2012):
Official, Colorado has broken my bum! It also has the worst roads on the TransAm – so far! Last night we were kinda playing State Super Trumps, you know the card game where certain items, such as the Millennium Falcon has more speed then a X-wing, so will win that card? Well, it seems from what we were saying last night, that Virginia wins hands down on everything. It’s the super trump. Best quality roads, best drivers who wait behind you for ages, best weather, best scenery. Where as Kentucky kinda looses on all points. Colorado, where we are now, the scenery is effing amazing, but the roads, damn those roads! Some are great, while others seem to be made of cement slabs where gaps between each of the slaps have increased, so that its bump bump bump bump for like 30miles! Ouch my bum! Kansas the people were very nice, so they score highly too lol. Not sure if I mentioned yesterday about the UPS driver who left his back doors swinging open! Not sure how many packets he lost out the back! In Kremmling I also spotted a Welsh flag on the back of a motorbike! Dam taff’s get everywhere lol.

I wonder if I should just copy and paste what I write each day because the scenery keeps changing and continues to amaze me. Loads of cheeky chipmunks about all day long on the roads. So sweet. The rivers ran alongside the road we were cycling along today making the trip very enjoyable in the early stages. I spotted a deer in the creak, perfect picture, but too far for my camera, then not that far further up stood two deer in the river with huge antlers. By the time Ublad saw them and got his camera out, they knew we were there and were off, shame as it would have made an amazing photo. A couple of miles along the route, beavers had bridged the river, making a dam so they could catch the fish. No sign of the beavers though, shame. There was another dam further up too. No sign of any bears or moose though.

We climbed to 9683ft to reach the Continental Divide – Again! So I am now back on the Atlantic side! We got our photo’s while cars drove past with people hanging out the window getting a snap of the sign, lazy gits. It reminded me of The Griswold's trip across America. The ride down the other side of the mountain was ok, not too fast. It’s funny how 30mph is slow now. We got to Rand, I wanted to do a “Y” after Rand, but couldn’t find a place to do it. After that the ride seemed to take forever! I’m not sure if it was the road or what, but dam it dragged on. It was hot, but with great views. I ended up in Walden, on entering it I thought it had been hit by a nuke! Lol. The main high street is pretty enough. I am now in a bar writing my blog, a real American bar with only Bud and Bud light on tap! I went for a bottle of Corona. It reminds me a bit of Mo’s Tavern in The Simpsons. The pool where I showered was good too, they actually played some good music and not the usual rock junk that usually blasts out from the tiny speakers. This was some good dance music. Not much else to report, just hard work with thirty days to go before the end. nice words for what I have seen today