Last day on the Mickelson

We knew today would be a doozy and both of us woke before 5:00 and so we just got up and took our time getting stuff ready for the day’s ride.

At 6:30 we were at the hotel’s breakfast and loaded up with biscuits/gravy, eggs, and sausage. A good breakfast helps get the day started on the right track. By 7:30 we were on our bikes and on our way.

The first 8 miles were a steady uphill climb. We averaged about 7 mph which seemed slow but it was manageable and we just kept grinding it out. We took necessary breaks and crested at about 5700 ft and immediately dropped 750 ft before we started a 20 mile grueling climb which seemed to never end. We took a break every 2 miles, during the last 6 miles of that climb, just to give our legs time to recoup. We finally crested after 20 miles of climbing at 6300 feet. The top never looked so good. We started the downhill ride and for the next 13 miles we had mostly downhill and only pedaled several time.

We passed through some absolutely gorgeous scenery. We also went through 4 short tunnels, rode along a beautiful creek, saw several deer, a bunch of cattle and a lot of chipmunks.

We were grateful to arrive and finish this trail. We will spend several nights here and then figure out what we do then.Read more