Today was the best day of cycling I've ever experienced. In my whole life. If anyone from now on asks me "what was your favorite day on the bike", I now can say the stretch from Gunnison to Montrpse, CO. Why did I get to that point? Well, first of all it was a net downhill day. I like climbing, but I don't think my favorite days are ever going to be all day climbs. But there were two big hills to challenge us. The first was a climb up a canyon along a narrow winding road. The second was a broad flat climb with wide shoulders but a fierce headwind to challenge us. The weather was amazing; about a high 70 or low 80s with a bright blue sky and brilliant sun, but not so hot that it sapped my energy.
And did I mention it was drop-dead gorgeous? Coming out of Gunnison we rode along the Blue Mesa reservoir. The piercing blues of the lakes and streams were topped with the brilliant green of forest through which shone red rocks under a gorgeous blue sky with fluffy white clouds. Halfway through we stopped at a quaint dumpy little shop and ran into two older Irish women who were riding west to east and had an awesome conversation. And then at the end was a victory lap downhill into a strong crosswind for a bit of technical challenge, into the city of Montrose with all the comforts of a midsize town. It was a challenging day but not too challenging. Everything on my bike and my body worked perfectly.
The perfect day.
