Monday June 7 – Day 18 – Del Norte, CO

I made it into town, and I’m at a restaurant/hotel called the Country Family Inn. Last night the café had all you can eat meatloaf for $7. Good deal for me, bad deal for them. Pretty good meatloaf, too.

I was talking to the owner (Sheri Szatkowski – good Polish name if ever there was one). Turns out she’s from Wisconsin and has cousins named Korte in Clintonville. I don’t know them, but still – small world.

The ride from Conejos may have been both my toughest and best day on a bike ever. I started out at around 8500 feet, then went over three passes – a 10,000 footer, an 11,000 footer, and the highest point on the route at just under 12,000 feet. Not bad for a stinking flatlander. By the last one my legs were burning and my hammy felt like it was going to pop. And this morning I had all kinds of little aches and pains in my knees and elsewhere.

I met two bikers last night while I was trying to find a place to stay. They were two young kids – Mormons – who were biking across the country for their honeymoon. I told them if they still can look at each other by the time they make it to the Pacific, the rest will be downhill. (Downhill in the sense that it will be easier – downhills for bikers good.)

Day 18 stats:

65 miles
7000 feet up
two sore legs