June 10, 2010 – 17 miles
Today, we woke up later and broke camp slower than usual. Platoro, only 17 miles away, was our target. We originally planned to have a full rest day there, but we could not manage the distance yesterday. This short day would substitute as a rest day.
Platoro is 1,000 feet higher than our campsite. Over 17 miles, we didn’t think it would be too hard. The gravel road followed a stream all the way to Platoro, which mane for nice scenery. Unfortunately, loose gravel made it a slow grind for me. The last miles were also straight into a fierce headwind.
When I made it to Platoro, Mathieu told me his altimeter device counted 2,000 feet of climbing. This it typical for the roads we ride on. There are so many short ups and downs that the total ascent is far greater than the net ascent.
Mathieu and Auke already rented a cabin for the evening – and it looked fantastic. It had 4 beds, an open second floor, full kitchen, common room, indoor plumbing, and a porch with an amazing view.
I cleaned and tuned my bike and patched some punctured tubes on the porch. At 10,000 feet, the wind was brisk but the sun warmed us well.
The Texans arrived in the afternoon and hung out with us for a while. A little later, a solo cyclist w/ a BOB rode into town. Nadia White is tracing her great grandmother’s westward journey as a pioneer. She keeps a blog at travelswithjosie.com.
The three BOB-pulling cyclists decided to put more mileage in for the day and rode out of Platoro into some strong headwinds. I was glad not to have to ride any further today.
For dinner, we had homemade burgers, fries, and a dessert of pie – slightly overpriced, but very good.
Back in the cabin, we started discussing long term plans/goals for the trip. Auke really wants to see the Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park – spending multiple days in each. Our place would not accommodate that, so we might need to take shortcuts off route, increase mileage, or both. We all have different goals and abilities, which causes some tensions within our group.