Me pretending to be happy at 12,000ft in a thunderstorm

Day one of the Rocky Mountains bore little resemblance to the horrors I had imagined. I started the day's ride to Hot Sulfur Springs, CO with my legs feeling like jello, not because I was sore - we had just taken a day off to enjoy Steamboat Springs - but because of the months I had spent contemplating the pain and suffering I would endure in crossing the Rockies.

Our chore for the day was Rabbit Ears Pass. At 9246ft, it is our crossing point of the continental divide. That day happened to be the day a 200 mile relay race was coming down the mountain. It turned out to be a great distraction from the ride, cheering on and being cheered on by runners. Personally I think they're crazy, I can bike all day, but running is a different story... at 210lbs with a broken ankle that never healed properly, I can think of no worse torture than running up a mountain.

Upon reaching the summit I felt surprisingly good. I realized I had not even used my smallest set of gears. I pulled out the camera to brag about the wonderful shape I had gotten myself in, and decided I would roll down the first section of the decline holding the camera for some b-roll footage. I made it maybe 200yards before the road hit a turn and started to climb again... I was nowhere near the top. After a few minutes cursing monologue, an hour of eating my words, and 6 agonizingly slow miles, I hit the real summit. Here, as usual Abby had been waiting for a half hour. I am going to start hiding bricks in her dry bag.

After the climb we were essentially done for the day. All that was left was 35 miles of downhill to Hot Sulfur Springs. It is funny, a couple hundred foot of rolling hill during a long downhill seems to take more work than a whole day of climbing. I was holding out hope after Steamboat Springs that we would remain in the cradle of civilization through the Rockies, but Hot Sulfur Springs is a tiny little town, much like the ones I have become accustomed to in crossing Utah and Nevada.

Note: Interview/itinerary suggestions for the trip can be emailed to me.

Ride To Sustain will pass through the following cities: San Francisco, CA – Sacramento, CA – Reno, NV – Salt Lake City, UT – Denver, CO – Omaha, NB – Des Moines, IA – Chicago, IL – Detroit, MI – Cleveland, OH – Pittsburgh, PA – Washington, DC – Philadelphia, PA – New York City, NY – Hartford, CT – Boston, MA