received my confirmation packet yesterday.
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Day 2: 98 very difficult miles and about 7,500 feet of climbing. Oh boy. This is a monster day. Plan on it being long, hard, and hot. The first 20 miles is little more than rolling farm land. We may even have a nice tailwind as we head up a small climb to Rogers Mesa. But, around mile 20, a few miles short of Delta, everything changes.
You are now faced with a 5,200 foot 25 mile climb. No matter where you’re from, that’s a monster climb. Only Evergreen to Mt Evans gives you a bigger climb. The good news, this is the easier side as far as grade goes. The grade maxes out at 6% and averages in the 5% range for the last 15 miles of the climb. Bring lots of water as services are few and far between. You won’t believe that you are on the western slope of the Rockies. The trees and lakes are awesome. Both the uphill and downhill sides have a few switchbacks near the top. They aren’t too bad, but will lose momentum on the climb and have to watch speed on the descents.
The downhill is steep and massive. You lose all of the 5000 feet you picked up on the climb and have a nice downhill coast for some 20+ miles. The balance of the ride is getting into Grand Junction and will likely be quite warm.
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i better start training.
later.