On The Road: Day 16 - Monday, March 24

Junction south of Wilderness Lodge to Kingston, NM - 54 miles - 830 total

Today it was all about climbing, although there was an incredible gradual downhill in the first couple of hours that went on forever. However, all that did was soften us up for the last big climb of the tour, over Emory Pass (8228 ft). It's actually the biggest climb, but not the most difficult.

The actual ascent was only about four miles long, but there were seven miles of run-up ascents followed by descents, all at about a 6% grade. One of the riders said we actually climbed over 5000 feet during the ride.

Although Greg and I were not the first to leave, we soon passed those who had preceded us, and blew down the long decline. At one point we re-crossed the Continental Divide, but there was no signage for a photo op, so you'll have to take my word for it. As a result, he and I were the first to begin and end the climb. Once again, I bottomed out my gears, and then just held on to a cadence that gave me 6 mph. The road seemed to go on forever; switchback following switchback, sometimes in the sun, then in the cooling shade.

I have to say I was more than happy to see the summit.

There was a woman, Chris, from Colorado parked in her van at the top. She introduced herself, and mentioned she had done the same tour, albeit with a women's-only group in 2001. She was on her way to Gila to visit with a woman who had done the ride with her. Anyhow, she was excited to see us, as it brought back great memories of her own ride. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and once I realized what I had accomplished, I couldn't stop grinning.

I had a difficult time catching my breath at first, altitude combined with exertion, but I did manage to ask her to take my picture in front of the summit sign for posterity. And when Greg arrived a few minutes later, we did a joint "King of the Mountain" pose.

The payback for conquering the climb was a 8-mile downhill to Kingston where we're overnighting. It was a chilly ride, especially after all the sweaty exertion, but a great way to finish the day.

We're still in the mountains, which means the mornings are chilly. Looking forward to that Texas heat later this week.