new mucksico: most rain, least water

Monsoon Mud Melee!

In related news, in just two days we expect to reach the Mexico border, and the next update will be written from California, with the comforts of a cushioned chair and full belly. So exciting!

Thoughts and prayers are appreciated as I combat eleven or more saddle sores during these two consecutive 60-plus-mile days to the finish line.

Rock 'n' roll!

Yours truly,
Team BLAZING Saddle Sores

the yin and the yang: unicycling is about balance

Fortunately, a pack-lightening campaign in Salida, Colorado left me with only 18.6 pounds to carry, including 3 days of food.
Unfortunately, I am left with no tent, no sleeping pad, and no extra riding shorts.
Fortunately, we successfully dodged the many bowhunters in the national forest.
Unfortunately, a bug bit me and left my leg itchy and swollen: a 6"x4" section of my quad was inflamed, itchy, and hard from liquid pressure.

["17": Marshall Pass (10,842')]

["18": Cochetopa Pass (10,067')]

[Matt, riding toward the "dramatic" Coolbroth Canyon opening of columnar basalt.]

[Matt kicks the speed up too many notches on the way into Del Norte, Colorado.]

[Delightful singletrack that paralleled our sandy, washed-out road.]

[Crossing the Rio Grande coming into Del Norte at sunset.]

Fortunately, Del Norte has free camping for cyclists in the city park.

Unfortunately, there is a one-night limit, and we had planned to stay two nights in town.

Fortunately, Heather and Bill Green adopted us, sharing their straw-bale home, excellent food, and the fantastic company of their family - truly a haven in the desert!

Unfortunately, the biggest climb of the trip, Indiana Pass, loomed over our heads.

Fortunately, Mike Tierney of Aspen, CO, joined us for the ride and amped us with good vibes, treats, and Hammer nutrition.

[Matt and Mike cranking up the pass.]

Fortunately, Indiana Pass was the highest point on our entire route: 11,910 feet.

Unfortunately, Indiana Pass does not even count as a Continental Divide crossing.

[Reaching the summit!... thanks, Mike, for snapping this one!]

[A trio of champions. All downhill to Mexico, right?

Matt would like to give a shout-out to fellow Hoosiers - there was no "Indiana Pass" sign at the top for a photo op.]

[Representing a fantastic state at the top of the pass, although maybe we should be holding an Indiana jersey for its namesake.]


[Doris "Paparazzi" and "Cowboy Jim" Garling]

Fortunately, Doris was kind enough to leak a few photos to the press.

Unfortunately, this 48-mile day, with three mountain passes and an EPA SuperFund site, included some of the rougher roads we've faced.

[photo courtesy of Doris Garling.]

Fortunately, the fire was warm and the lounge was comfortable at Skyline Lodge in Platoro, CO.

Unfortunately, we spent more time looking at the maps and counting miles when we should have been making progress riding in the rain.

Fortunately, the overcast skies made for cool riding.

Unfortunately, even brief showers turned the road to unrideable muck.

Fortunately, we learned of the mucky potential of the roads before entering New Mexico.

Unfortunately, most of the route through northern New Mexico is comprised of this soil.

Fortunately, Adventure Cycling Association recommends taking paved alternates when the weather is wet.

Unfortunately, we had daily thunderstorms and were slated for several days of hurricane rains during our time in New Mexico.

Fortunately, the paved alternate went closer to the Continental Divide, and past some very cool sites, including crossing the path of America's longest and highest steam-powered train.

[The Cumbres-Toltec railroad]

Unfortunately, the skies poured rain and large bits of slushy hail.

Fortunately, the weather served as confirmation of our route decision.

[The weather continues in the background.]

Unfortunately, a portion of the route south of Cuba, NM, has been closed because the road became private property.

Fortunately, Adventure Cycling provides an official alternate from Cuba to Grants, NM.

Unfortunately, the alternate is all paved.

Fortunately, we crossed the Continental Divide 4 additional times on the alternate, and rode through incredible mesas and canyons in the region of Chaco Canyon and through the Navajo Nation.

[A diesel "fill-up", in honor of my unicycle's name: "Diesel."]

Unfortunately, we had to negotiate more car traffic than we are accustomed to.

Fortunately, we had the opportunity to meet and talk with some very cool and excited Japanese folks, traveling the world after college.

["19"]

[With Harold Redhouse, who stopped to see if we needed help. He is Navajo and taught us a few basic words in his language.]

Unfortunately, unreasonably angry dogs chased us and tried to attack on several occasions.

Fortunately, we found large sticks to carry for self defense.

Unfortunately, we had a hankering to attempt a 100-mile riding day on our single-speed 29ers.

Fortunately, the moon was nearly full, and past experience had prepared us to interpret the road's shades of grey.

Unfortunately, we needed to take caffeine shots and pills to make it through the night.

Fortunately, they worked.

Unfortunately, they worked too well, and wreaked serious havoc on our digestive systems.

Fortunately, there were more howls of coyotes than barks of domesticated dogs throughout the night.

["20"]

["21"]

["22"]

[Just to prevent our souls from becoming as sleepy as our eyes....]

102 miles in less than 24 hours!!

Onward and southward...

Rock n roll!

Yours truly,

Team Blazing Saddle Sores

Salida... like "saliva," but 23 times Awesomer.

Can we say "THANK YOU" enough? What more could we need besides full bellies, good rest, fun folks, dinner parties, post office runs, cycling companions, and good-night hugs?? Really, all that and more from the Hendens. Thanks, Arnie and Shelly!!

[Shelly & Arnie escorted us out of Frisco, through Breckenridge, and up toward Boreas Pass.]

[Scotty Bondo, KCMV Radio Morning Show host, interviewed us in the morning, and then rode out of town with us on his 36" unicycle! Thanks, Scotty - it was a real treat!]

["16" - Boreas Pass (11,482'), highest elevation so far]

[Matt, riding down from Boreas Pass through South Park (yes, the region after which the cartoon is named!)... oh yeah, and "park" is Coloradoan for "meadow."]

[Incredible. Seriously. Aspen and spruce lined the way... and photogenic powerlines. Some of the aspen leaves have started to change color - fall is coming, and so is snow!
This was taken just 12 miles above Salida.]

[The Sawatch Range, a line of "14ers" (peaks over 14,000 feet), a section known as the "Collegiate Peaks," named for some well-known universities.]

The above picture was our view descending the watershed divide into Salida this morning. We will spend a few hours here in Salida revamping our equipment to minimize weight, and maximize efficiency - trying to finish September 16! It will certainly be a test of willpower and pain tolerance, but so goes unicycle touring.

Until next time!

Yours truly,
Team Blazing Saddle Sores

rocky mountain high

Greetings from Frisco, Colorado! The past week has taken us from a treeless, deserted expanse, into a lush, grand landscape. I am grateful for more frequent water availability, though I still battle perpetual dehydration.

Local passers-by have taken the time to warn us of things like bears and fast drivers (though neither want to hurt us), but the warning that takes the cake began like this: "You two know what you have to look forward to?" Wait, let me guess.... a hill? A steep hill? A hill that is so steep that even though I've pedaled here from Canada, I should probably just stop and go home? On my coast-to-coast journey in 2006, even the people in Kansas cautioned me against the treacherous local incline. Perhaps there is an amount of pride found in one's local terrain, or maybe these people just really like to be discouraging - I haven't yet figured out the intent of these cautionary statements.

["Into the great, wide open..."]

[Matt, climbing up Middlewood Hill out of Rawlins]

["15" - Roman crappy numerals X and V. Okay, we were really tired. And the camera was really crooked.

Middlewood Hill = 7,965']

Aspen trees are my favorite. Thankfully, Colorado is full of them, and it makes rolling south that much more appealing - some are even starting to change color! The flutter of the leaves often sounds like the rushing of a nearby creek, both of which are sounds that I have become accustomed to hearing more frequently than car engines - what a treat.

[Aspen Alley]

Good fortune has followed us, showing up mostly in the people along the way who have inconvenienced themselves just to spoil us. Among them is Jon Wade, who gave us a complimentary hotel room in Steamboat Springs, just as darkness and hopes for a place to stay descended. Colorado has brought hard-packed (read: easy-to-ride) roads, beautiful vistas, unique wildlife sightings (porcupine and beaver), and even more appetite. Since entering the state, which had no welcome sign (alas, what is a blogger to do?), we have seen less of the "high grade" or "well maintained roads," which make us cringe knowing that it means probable washboard, gravel, and motorized traffic. However, we have enjoyed more hard-packed dirt, often coming in the form of "lower grade" or "primitive" roads: worse for cars, but great for unicycles!

[Matt claims that tooth brushing is more fun at 6 mph.]

In 2006, I met Arnie and Shelly Henden of Frisco, Colorado, when I rode through on a unicycle with my dad on a bike. Arnie offered their hospitality and we have kept in touch since. They are an amazing couple, active in the outdoors and in their community. Arnie braved a very wet storm on his bicycle to find us on Highway 9 and provided a personal escort to their home in Frisco, where we are recovering for the day. The below picture shows Arnie's mad skills on a unicycle in front of Dillon Reservoir, at the location where I left my camera behind on my coast-to-coast trip (later to be recovered by their efforts). This time around, I decided to take my camera with me instead of leaving it on a bench. What a novel concept.

[Arnie's a natural.]

After a shower and some well needed down-time, the party commenced, with a bunch of their friends coming over to celebrate - because life's a party (right, Fred?). :-) The crew was a blast, and it was great to re-meet a handful of folks that I had met in 2006.

[Party animals.]

So freakin' excited to be here! The last couple of weeks have really worn me down. Receiving the Hendens' kindness is more than we could ever ask for. I am feeling challenged by so much sun exposure, saddle sore pain, and sleep deprivation, so receptions such as these really boost my morale and I am so grateful. 

Off to do errands, meet up with friends in the area, and who knows - maybe another dinner party tonight? Why not? :-)

Rock n roll!

Yours truly,

Team Blazing Saddle Sores

"we made it half-way"

You'll never guess the meaning of the blog post title, so all I ask is that you type the title phrase into the search box at yahoo.com.

Moving on:

current location: Rawlins, Wyoming

# of miles ridden, total: 1,379 (over half-way!!)

average miles per day, not including "zero"/rest days: 33.6

# of days of riding: 41

# of "zero" days: 6

# of Continental Divide crossings: 14

# of horned toad sightings: 3

# of Wal-Mart sightings: 0

most # of saddle sores at one time: 6 (currently I have "only" 5)

favorite trail foods lately: Cheetos, Oreos, Kit-Kats, and water.
estimated date of completion: 9/17/09

After getting creative with how to rig multiple water bottles onto one slender and simple unicycle frame (oh, how we love long water carries), we ventured into the seemingly neverending desert landscape beyond Pinedale, Wyoming. Banking on a rumor that we were out of grizzly country, and because I always seek to eliminate as much weight as possible from my pack, it was time to do what I had wanted to do since the beginning: empty the can of bear spray. Not to make anyone jealous (because of course you all want to know what it is like), but seriously, it was fantastic. I shot it into Wyoming's vast emptiness, downwind, and with eye and face protection.

[Wyoming state bear spray testing grounds.]

[Heavy traffic.]

[Continental Divide crossing #"10" of the journey.]

Wyoming has been a lot of emptiness since passing its northwestern National Parks. But I am dearly fond of desert skies, which are ever changing with the constant wind, so I don't mind a bit.

[Where does this road go? I dunno - Mexico?]

["11"]

Just after the above picture and below video were taken, a storm caught up to us on the Divide, whipping us with gusts of sand and blistering wind. Matt's map blew away, sand found its way into the video camera, and it was difficult to even walk. Although mostly a tailwind, it was strong enough that I could barely ride; and the times that it decided to add a crosswind component, I was leaned over as far as my torso could bend, backpack on, atop my wheel, just to stay balanced. Completely exposed to the desert elements, any exposed skin was brutally sandblasted.

["12"ish.]

Cool sights along the way also included two- or three-track ruts through the sagebrush from the various historical trails winding through the expanse: Oregon Trail, California Trail, Mormon Pioneer Trail, and the Pony Express. Dang!

["Riders on the Storm"... my favorite part of this sky is the series of cloud layers on the right.]

[Nobody likes a closed candy store.]

In Atlantic City, Wyoming (where still stands the now-closed former whorehouse of Calamity Jane), we stayed the night with a fellow unicyclist who had met us on the road a day before (many thanks, Craig!!). The next morning, we awoke to solid gray skies and windy rain. After procrastinating our ride for the day, we ventured out into the elements, only to be beaten down at the top of a hill with stinging, 35-degree rain, slippery roads, and sinking mud. We made the only sane decision: to get hot chocolate and hole-up in Atlantic City for the night, hoping for better weather tomorrow. Verdict? Most excellent. After a 2.5-hour late-afternoon nap, I slept for a solid 9 hours that night. I guess 6 weeks of sleep deprivation can catch up with me, even at my zippy 6-mph pace.

We always feel bad for the bikers behind us, who hear statements like, "You think that's hard, there are a guy and a gal doing it on unicycles!" We hear from bikers along the way that they have heard about us for weeks, even months. How annoying that must be: we apologize... kinda (please, bikers, take comfort knowing you are in less pain). However, the joy of being unique on this route is that unicycle graffiti means special signs of love and encouragement - we know it was done just for us. Two signs at this junction boosted our spirits this particular day... I think I know who did it, but to tell would ruin all the fun.

[My affinity for donuts preceeds me, apparently. Yes, we found this written on the sign.]

[Overall, the road conditions from Pinedale to Rawlins were some of the best of the trip. More, please!]

[Just another day in the office.]

["13," on the divide between the east slope and the Great Divide Basin.]

[We are treated to such sunsets nearly every night. No joke.

However, desert + sun does not always equal warm. Several mornings we have awoken to ice lining our tents and sleeping bags; the temperature had dipped to well below freezing.]

[We saw more wild horses than people this particular day, not to mention the countless herds of pronghorns. A lively group of horses were "horsing around" chasing herds of cows. Go figure. We also pet a few horned toads scampering across the road, but I don't think they were as fond of us. The horses, unlike the pronghorns and horned toads, created gigantic "studpiles" sporadically along the road, marking their territory. When I say "gigantic," I mean dimensions of 2 ft. x 2 ft. x 1 ft stacks of poop. Who needs a home security system when you could just make piles of poop around your yard?]

[Posing on fellow travelers' bikes, dreaming of what it would be like to get to Mexico today!]

[Half-way!]

[Yeah, that's sudoku.]

[Watching where I'm going.]

[Matt and his piece of flare.]

["14"]

Southward, ho!

Yours truly,

Team Blazing Saddle Sores