TransAm Day #33 Alma,CO - Breckenridge, CO
TransAm Day #33
June 27, 2018
Alma, CO - Breckenridge, CO
16 Miles
Ride Time 1:20 Hours
Tour Total Miles 2416
I slept well last night in my tent under the pavilion in the city park in Alma. The river water was too cold, so I neither bathed nor washed my clothes. I woke up a little before 6am, and packed up my tent, air mattress, and gear. Thanks to my extension cord I had the luxury of electric power inside my tent last night. There was an email this morning from ATT about my having gone over my data limit. That’s confusing, because I have an unlimited data plan. I must not have read the small print.
First thing out of Alma, I began the climb up Hoosier Pass. It was about a six mile gradual uphill with a crappy two inch wide shoulder with a six inch drop off to the right. Cars wizzed by at fifty-five miles an hour. Come on Colorado- you could do better, really. Adding to the frustration, I had to keep pulling up my leg warmers. I need those things in the morning, but they never stay up.
The Hoosier pass has an altitude of 11,539’ and is the highest point on the TransAm. The pass is located on the Continental Divide, and marks the headwaters of the South Platte to the south and Blue River to the north. It’s name is derived from the many Indiana pioneers who flocked here in the 1860’s.
At the top, Steve and I celebrated with a photo shoot and Cliff bars. From there it was a screaming downhill all the way into Breckenridge. I saw a moose alongside the road, but I was flying and didn’t want to stop to take a photo.
Riding into Breckenridge, I spotted a bike shop adjacent to a breakfast place. Steve was ahead of me, and had found another breakfast place next to a bike shop. I got a lovely outdoor table at the Blue Moose cafe, where I ordered blueberry pancakes and eggs. I sat there a long time writing post cards and drinking coffee. My server was from Fairplay, on the other side of the pass. I reckon a lot of the people who work in Breckenridge live on the other side of the mountain.
Afterwards I went next door to Avalanche Sports bike shop. I asked them if I could use their outdoor bike stand work on my bike. The first thing I did was to rotate my tires- switch the front and rear. The rear carries more weight and wears faster. What I discovered startled me. My rear tire had completely worn through the tread. I needed a new tire. A friendly mechanic looked things over and straightened out my warped chain ring with a sledge hammer. Before I left, I cleaned all the dust off my bike. I rode over to the hotel where I was spending the night.
I’m taking the day off today. I’m dealing with pesky stuff like lubricating my Leatherman, which had components completely frozen shut. I’m gonna nap and hit the hot tub. Steve texted that the trail up ahead is really nice. He caught up with the ontheleeway couple, whom I’ve been following on Instagram. I got word from my New York team that my Missouri Pacific glass insulators have arrived intact.
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