What an incredible day! Craig got to experience the amazing climb up the Big Horns and the titillating descents down them. We were treated to an eight mile and a ten mile descent, the last with "many hairpin turns". There was a tremendous amount of climbing today as you can see in the stats below. So, there will be more pics than posts. I still have to massage my legs with "the stick" and work out a shoulder blade spasm....plus sleep! One doesn't get to sleep in on a PAC Tour!! ;-) Thankfully, there were no flats today! Yeay!
Stats:
Craig:
Mileage- 122.0
Climbing-7,300 ft
Vikki:
Mileage- 84.8
Climbing-6,010 ft
As I mentioned, it is The Big Horns Day, so......why not be a little festive? My colleague, Stephanie, had a party for her daughter and when I saw the head gear, I had to have it for this trip. Needless to say, some found it refreshing and funny, others well....I don't get called weird for nothing! Veronica even commented, that no wonder my bag is heavy, "Wardrobe, changes!" Haha!! Although, my back is less than 35lbs, so I don't have that many! ;-)
Gulp!!
Lon and John sagged me up to the start of the climb, so I could be in with the group, not an hour behind. So, to 'reward' them, I had to get a snap!!
Heading up and into the mountains, this is a 2% grade and since I was going so slow I was followed and eaten by three different types of biting flies and wasps - yeay!!
This is the view as you approach the climb.
Craig passed me as I stopped to stretch my back out. This was approximately mile 13 of an 18 mile climb and the start of the 14% grade. (see the pic below of the mileage and grades, pink route card)
Lon and John's stop at 7,820' elevation - complete with watermelon!!
Thora - looking out over the valley below after her efforts of carting me up the mountain
I had Chip pose with me as my surrogate, "Craig" (who was long passed me)
This was along the route up......whooaaaa!
Beautiful views!
Made it to the very chilly top! Yes, my horn stayed the whole day!!
That sign that indicates a very sharp downhill for the NEXT EIGHT MILES!!! The good thing was, it was a very nice descent, with a good shoulder, only one cattle grate and a gorgeous valley, even though when I took this - I was scared!
Craig at the top
View of the start of the eight mile drop.
The next descent wasn't so friendly, lots of hairpin curves and although there were guard rails it was 1000s of feet drops!!!
At the start of the first downhill, so lush and green! Who wants to roll down that hill with me!?
The ten mile down hill, with hairpin turns, see those waaaaaay down there? Yes, I still have to make it to those!! Yikes!!!
This one's for my Uncle Al - it's an antique wagon with a buck board seat!
Haha!!! For Sure!!
Big Horn
My cool horn and Craig's amazing calf muscle! :-)
So many beautiful wild flowers, lupine, asters, fire seed/Indian paint brush, sigh! We also saw a mule deer and baby and another osprey. Barb saw a moose and her calf! Amazing!!
Looking back down the Big Horns from where we came from!
The climb and the grades.
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