Why do you think I have this outrageous accent?

We woke up and ate panederia pastries and pancakes that Linda had offered us in the kitchen, as well as another round of hot chocolate for all. We said goodbye and thank you to Linda and Nathan and began climbing straight out of the gate. Colorado has been good to us so far, nothing as steep as back in the Appalachians. Up, up, up, grinding higher. There was some hotshot mountain biker who passed us on the climb but he was unloaded and struggled to get by us. We all wanted to show him who was boss but the sensible thing was to just keep it mellow, steady, and constant. There were a couple of false finishes but we eventually crested the Dallas Divide at 8,970 feet. We took a mandatory break at the top for some road construction and then began a spectacular descent. Any time you can go downhill, fast, for more than five miles at a time is a good reward for the slog up.

Our first food break was in Placerville where we picked up some peaches, and cookies, and ginger ales, and made conversation with a very good-looking cashier at the general store. We met a guy outside who had ridden the circumference of the United States a few years ago and was on his way to Yosemite to go hang gliding. His rig was strapped to the top of his car and we talked about the ins and outs of the pursuit as well as compared notes on the destinations ahead. He drove off and we began some gradual climbing along the San Miguel River. The scenery today was incredible. Single most beautiful day of the tour. The mountains swallow you up as you ride next to a crisply running stream or a sturdy band of trees. We arrived at the junction for Telluride but left that for another trip. We knew we couldn't do it justice without finishing the day deep into the night.

Just at the fork in the road was the best stocked gas station we have ever been to. It was like being inside of Henry's or Whole Foods. Organic this. Natural that. Granola and Clif Bars along with the usual Gatorade and chips. Selection, though, has its price – about double. We started climbing again, headed toward our second pass of the day. This one was segmented. Where Monarch was unwavering, today we had plateaus and short downhills and a variety of steepness to break up the climb. It was difficult to even match your place on the elevation profile you were so mixed up. We got to the top of Lizard Head Pass at 10,222 feet without even knowing it. This is it!? We're done? OK. We scoffed at the so-called pass with a variety of Monty Python one-liners and decided people in Colorado don't know what steep is.

Then we descended into a town called Rico and dropped in at a coffee shack and sandwich stand. The girl working there was kind enough to keep it open past their usual hours and we ate handsomely. We listened to good music and as it turned out, she had graduated from Rancho Bernardo High so we talked San Diego a bit. She gave us word that the campground we intended to stay at might be closed. We decided that it might be best to press on to Dolores, a town another 15 miles on. Thankfully we had downhill terrain to help us along and we made it 37 miles in just about two hours. I'll also attribute it to our impressive riding skills. We made it in just before six and attempted to visit the bike shop but it was closed. Jordan stopped in at a vintage stuff place next door and then we rode over to the grocery store.

Final stop of the day was the Cozy Comfort RV Park. We've grown wary of those establishments but we arrived in Dolores later than usual and they're a reliable place to bed down. We spoke to an older British gentleman who seemed to run the place and got some Tour recaps. We thought dropping names like Cavendish and Farrar might have led to some bonding but we were charged too much as usual. I plugged the laptop into an outlet next to a fish pond and we connected to the internet and played music over the speakers and cooked our dinners and set up our tents. Then, as we so often do, we went to sleep. Two passes, 97 miles, the men sorted from the boys.

Nathan, Linda, and the crew. Thank you again to the Ridgway Community Church.

Top of Dallas Divide.

Good to get it out of the way early.

I'm smiling because I know there's more climbing to enjoy.

Colorado.

Is pretty.

Purple Haze.

Matterhorn.

Pfffft. Silly english pigdogs.