2010 BTC - Days 0 & 1

Our BTC journey started with a Road trip to Gunnison, CO. One of the appealing things about this bike tour was that it was going to take me to places in the state I usually don't visit. On our way to Gunnison, we took a friend's recommendation and stopped by Eddyline Restaurant and Brewery for some lunch and beers.


From there, we made our way through some beautiful scenery to Gunnison and checked in for our week of fun. We got a packet of stuff with information on the route, some numbers for our bikes, bags, and wrists.

Day 1 Gunnison - Creede
Go-time was 7:30. We met at the starting line, tossed our bags onto the baggage truck, and prepared to leave. 7:30 feels early for a ride, but we were close to the last people leaving (a theme that would continue throughout the week).

The crew - Christine, Ryan, Bryan, Andy, Angela, Katie
The tour starts out with a bang - 100+ miles with almost 9000 feet of climbing. I started the day with our group of 6 and then rode off on my own after a half hour. At the first aid station, I hooked up with some other friends and rode with them for a while. It was great to have that group of strong, safe riders to work with. We were fighting a bit of wind, but we were passing other groups of people like they were standing still. The main event of the day was a climb up Slumgullion Pass. That was a tiring climb that seemed to go on and on (and on). Not knowing how long a climb is makes it seem endless and you start to wonder if there actually *is* a summit. Rest assured, I finally found the summit and took a break for some snacks at the aid station. I enjoyed the descent for a while, and then we started getting hit with some strong wind. Me and wind don't get along. The lightness that makes me fast uphill, causes me to get blown around in wind. I was elated when we took a turn towards Creede and picked up a tail wind.

Each night the tour riders would set up camp in a field (or dirt lot), generally at a school. I arrived in the small town of Creede and started the process of setting up camp. The first goal was to find my bags, especially the one with my shoes so I could get out of the bike shoes I'd been wearing for 100 miles. I dragged our 4 bags over to a campsite and proceeded to set up. By the time Christine arrived, I was showered, fed, and had our tent set up complete with sleeping bags. Sometimes it pays to be slow. :)

Day 1:
Miles: 103.96
Ride Time: 6:18:27
Out Time: 7:29:32
Climbing: 8918
Calories: 3481