When I arrived at Wamsutter, first, I went to a hotel. There was no one at the front desk, so I biked around the town and found a community park. The manager who works at the gas station was walking over, and I asked him if it was OK to camp in the park. He said, “Only 200 people live in this town, and it’s really safe. You’ll be fine.” It was right next to the I-80 and the fire department. There was a lot of noise and light, and I slept okay, surprisingly.

The next morning, I left before 7 AM, beginning Section 5 of the Tour Divide. The sunrise was beautiful. As the weather forecast predicted, it was windy, and I had a headwind all day. The Great Basin continued for an additional 28 miles until Highway 789. In the afternoon, there was a little bit of rain. Finally, I made it to the pass and descended to a small valley town called Savery. 

Once I was down in the valley, I rode 4 miles of pavement and crossed the Wyoming and Colorado border. I turned onto Slater Creek Road and made my way up hills to Brush Mountain Lodge in the evening golden light. 

When I called the lodge a month ago, they mentioned that they were closed for cyclists for the season and renting the entire lodge to hunters. “You can always get water, so stop by if you need it,” said the front desk person on the phone. So I stopped and asked for water. It turned out that the hunters left, and Lori, the lodge manager, said, “You can get a bunk bed for $50, if you would like to stay. You’re the only person in the bunk house, so the entire house will be yours.” She showed me the house, and I decided to take the deal. It was cozy, warm, and came with a kitchen, dining area, and bathroom. It was perfect after a long day of headwind, rain, and the sun. A couple of hours later, a thunderstorm came. Just like I was lucky to have a roof over my head when it rained heavily in Lima, I was lucky again to have a comfortable place for the night.

Well rested, the next morning, I started an uphill bike ride to a pass. I kept saying, “What a beautiful morning!” There were clouds in the sky, which kept the low, even light on the hills. Aspen, cottonwood, oak, and willow trees painted the mountains. The deer was foraging. A red-tailed hawk soared in the sky. I couldn’t get enough of the view. It was unreal. Soon, the sun shone through the clouds as a spotlight on a part of the hill, turning the aspen leaves golden. Compared to the day before, it was calm. The stretch following Slater Creek, Mill Creek, Elk River, to Steamboat Springs became one of my favorites of the Tour Divide due to its incredible fall colors.

I crossed the Routt National Forest boundary and continued cruising uphill along Slater Creek. The route went from Slater Creek Road to Meaden Peak Road and kept ascending on the beautiful hills covered with aspen trees. Not only were they stunning, but they also blocked the wind for me as the road became narrow toward the summit. The trees kept everything calm, except I heard the leaves whistling: the wind chime of the fall season.

The route got very steep with lots of rocks for the last mile and a half to the pass. It reminded me of the Lava Mountain in Montana, where I had to get off the bike and push it up the hill. Finally, I made it, and from there it was all downhill to Steamboat Springs. It was an epic descent, surrounded by all different kinds of colors: yellow, orange, red, purple, and brown mixed with conifers’ green, blue sky, and white and grey clouds. It was like a watercolor palette. I thought I had to come back and do this again and again and again!

When I was hiking the CDT, I hitched a ride into Steamboat Springs from the south on the highway, and I went to the library first. This time, I came from the north end, following the well-maintained bike path along the Yampa River. I passed the familiar-looking library, then went to the City Market for a late lunch and food for the next two days. At the City Market, I remember meeting Heidi, a woman who gave me a ride back to the trailhead when I was hiking the CDT. I wish I had her phone numbers so I could see her again. I hope she is doing well.

I left Steamboat Springs and petaled in the gorgeous evening light. There was no wind, and it made a huge difference. The hills on the east side were lit by the golden light, and I thought I could live in Steamboat Springs, and I would do this ride over and over again in the fall. During the thru-hiking and the tour divide season, I can be a trail angel for both hikers and bikers since both CDT hikers and tour divide bikers come through the town for resupply, and yet, there is no hiker or biker center in town. I remember Heidi mentioning that this town has a lot of resources, and I could work with the community to raise money to support the hikers and bikers. I have many dreams and ideas, and creating a support system in Steamboat became one of them!

I passed Lake Catamount and rode to Stagecoach State Park. There was a bike path that went along the reservoir. At sunset, I came to a trailhead with picnic tables and flat grounds to pitch my tent. I was hoping to have a camp under trees to avoid condensation in the tent and to stay warmer, and I was running out of daylight. I settled in at the spot and enjoyed watching the twilight over the water.

As I predicted, I woke up the next morning with a lot of condensation in the tent. I don’t like packing a wet tent, and alas, I did it anyway.

It was another beautiful, calm morning with crisp and clear fall sky. I started my morning, pedaling towards Lynx Pass. There was no headwind. The smooth, unpaved road made the uphill riding much easier. On the way up, quite a few cars were coming down. When I see oncoming traffic, I usually smile and/or wave at them. It’s free! Some of them give right back at me, which makes a moment of connection with people on the road. I learned the importance of active random kindness to people who have never met before. As a thru-hiker and biker, I am the recipient of this kindness most of the time. Smiling and waving to show that we’re all connected is one way that I could give back right now.

I followed the Morrison Creek, ascending a gradual slope surrounded by fall colors and the blue sky. I was getting low on water and considering getting water from Morrison Creek. However, the water looked murky. If I were thru-hiking, I would’ve probably gotten the water. Since I’m on the bike, I can cover so many miles a day that I know I will get to the drinking water at some point in the day. Another luxury of bike packing is moving faster and having much easier access to drinking water. 

As I gained elevation, I started seeing conifers, and they gave me additional protection from the south-west prevailing headwind. After three hours of slow and steady climb, I made it to the Lynx Pass. After descending from the pass, I crossed a highway and continued my way south along Moose Creek, then a surprise came. Creek ford! I remember many fords on the CDT, and for some reason, I didn’t think that I would have to do that on my bike trip. Since the Tour Divide goes through National Forest and BLM lands, of course, there are some fords! If I were hiking, I would have just walked through the water with my hiking shoes. Bike shoes take a long time to dry, and I learned that the hard way when I went through a pothole in Montana. I took time to put my Crocs on and pushed my bike through the creek to make the cross.

I went over another summit, and on the way there, I took the first glance of rugged mountains with snow on top. I exclaimed, “That’s Colorado, I know!” I kept my eyes on the mountains and continued my way to the top of the plateau, where I saw the Colorado River. I descended into the huge river canyon, seeing the vegetation change, and soon I was surrounded by red rocks and Juniper trees. I love the scent of Juniper. As I flew down the hills, I inhaled as much aroma of Juniper as possible. 

I made it down to the Colorado River. It was beautiful with all the fall colors, and I saw boaters and rafters enjoying the river. It was so warm that I was hot. I went down to where they put their boats, looking for water. I could’ve gotten water from the river, and when I asked one of the boaters, Rick, who was putting his raft away, if he had any extra water. “Of course, let me get you some water. It’s filtered,” said Rick. 

I said thank you to Rick and started climbing up the Canyon. I made it to the first pass, and the scenery completely changed from a conifer/aspen mixed forest to a sagebrush-and-juniper desert-like landscape with rocky terraces. The descent was exciting, and once I hit the bottom of the valley, there was another uphill to another pass. I went over four passes a day! That’s the most passes I climbed on the Tour Divide. There are many differences and similarities between CDT and GDMTB. In Colorado, I remember going over multiple passes a day on the CDT, and it kicked my butt. On my bike trip, it’s similar, except that the GDMTB is not as steep and high-elevation as the CDT, and there was no headwind on the well-maintained, wide roads. Even though I went up and over four passes a day, I didn’t feel as exhausted as I did when I crossed the Great Basin in Wyoming.

I passed the scenic by way of Cold Waters headwater and made it to the last pass. A long and steep descent followed, and it was exhilarating! A new landscape opened up with a completely new scenery! I hit the Colorado River again and rode to the William Fork Reservoir. The golden evening light was shining on the mountains. I watched horses running alongside me in the golden light. Another beautiful evening and sunset. I settled in at the reservoir’s campground. Again, no trees! I wanted to make it to the trees in the Arapahoe National Forest, and I ran out of daylight. As I pitched my wet tent, I thought that I would have another morning with lots of condensation. 

The next morning, I woke up with frost inside my tent! It felt like it was 25°F. I remember when I was going through the snow in the San Juan Mountains on the CDT, it took me a long time to get ready. Cold air sinks. Cold water is dense. Since we are made of air and water, it makes sense that I become slower when it’s cold. Still, I was able to get going before 7 am.

Within a few minutes of riding, my hands and feet got numb. Now it’s October, and I thought it might be a good indicator to start my day later when it gets warmer. My body is used to moving 12 to 14 hours a day, and now, it’s past fall equinox, it may be more natural for me to reduce hours as we shift towards wintertime: a time for rest and staying warm as a mammal.

Speaking of getting ready for winter, I also need to eat well! I’ve lost not just weight, but also my reserve that I had before my trip. I’m still recovering from the chronic calorie deficit from hiking the CDT. On the bike trip, I have much easier access to fresh food since I go through towns almost every day. I eat well, and therefore, I don’t feel the same hunger I felt on the CDT. I want to eat for nourishment, not just for calories.

I crossed the boundary to the Arapaho National Forest and began a gentle and long ascent to Ute Pass. The road was well-maintained and soon became paved. I passed a dam, and I wondered what it used to look like without it. Near the top of the pass, aspen leaves were lit by the morning light, bringing another magical morning with a deep blue sky.

When I made it to the top, I saw the massive mountains! There’s nothing like the Colorado Rockies soaring over 14,000 feet. I took my time and enjoyed the view. I made an exhilarating fast descent down to Highway 9. Once I made it to the highway, I rode gradually uphill to Silverthorne.

When I looked at these massive mountains, there was something different. It took me a while to figure it out. No snow! Although it was a lot of effort to travel through snow, post-holing, crawling, and sliding, when I look at mountains, I prefer snow-capped ridges. If someone asks me if I would ever try the San Juan Mountains in May again, I would say absolutely! I have a better idea of what it’s like, and I will change some gear choices to make it more enjoyable next time.

Highway 9 turned out to be a pretty busy road. Since I got used to riding quiet back roads, I was annoyed by the traffic. When the bike route deviated from the highway to the Blue River Bike Path in Silverthorne, I was relieved. From there, through Frisco to Breckenridge, the bike path was well-maintained, and I enjoyed the ride along Dillon Reservoir and Blue River. 

Dan and Liz, who gave me a ride at Twin Lakes on my CDT journey, introduced me to Katie and Adam, who live in Breckenridge. I headed over to their house and met their friend Sky, who joined us for dinner. It was very nice to have a good meal, company, and cozy home to relax and rest. The next day’s weather forecast predicted a chance of rain/snow, and Katie offered to take a rest day to wait out the weather to improve. I took a day off, going grocery shopping with Katie, repairing my gear, working on bike maintenance, spending some time at the library, and cooking dinner. As the forecast predicted, it rained and hailed heavily. I was glad to have a lovely home and stay warm. 

In Japan, there is a saying, “It gets colder with each rain.” After the rain from the previous day, it felt like the coldest morning since I began my bicycle tour. I waited until 9 AM to start my ride. Still, my hands and feet were cold until 10 AM! 

When I came to Breckenridge two days ago, there was no snow on the mountains. While it rained in town, it snowed in the mountains. As I began my ride, I saw the ridge line was covered with snow, and the mountains looked completely different. 

I started an ascent toward Boreas Pass, the highest point of Section 5 and so far on the tour at 11,482 feet. When I hiked through the Wind River Range in Wyoming in mid-July was the last time I was over 11,000 feet. The road up to the pass was a very gentle climb, and I didn’t feel much of the impact of high altitude. Since I switched to a mostly plant-based diet, one big difference I noticed was that my athletic performance improved at a high altitude. Now I could go from sea level all the way to 10,000 feet on the same day, and I have no problem.

I made it to the pass and enjoyed the incredible view. From there, I followed the Boreas Pass Road and soon took a turn onto Gold Dust Trail, the longest single-track mountain bike route so far on the Tour Divide. The trail went through the trees and crossed N. Tarryall Creek. The bridge had ice, and there were icicles on the edge of the creek. It was 6 miles long, and I saw one hiker and a mountain biker along the way. 

The trail merged with Boreal Pass Road and descended to a small town called Como. From there, it was all wide open fields just like the Great Basin in Wyoming. However, the headwind was not as strong as what I experienced in the Great Basin until I passed Harsel, another small town.

From Harsel, the headwind became strong, and I kept pushing through the wind. I went over the second pass of the day right before sunset. I continued after dark with the moonlight until I reached the trees. When I saw the trees, I was relieved and comforted. I pitched my tent under a giant pine tree, knowing that it would protect me from the wind and condensation from the cold air. It got more windy through the night, and I mentally prepared myself for another windy day ride the next day.

The windstorm died down around midnight, and it became very quiet. 
The giant pine tree and the overcast protected me from condensation and cold. I woke up warm and left my camp, going over one last pass before a long, fun descent down to Salida, the Gateway community of the CDT hikers. When I hiked the CDT, I didn’t come all the way down to Salida. I picked up my resupply at Monarch Crest Lodge and rode down to the Monarch Butterfly House to spend a night. On the way, I remember a steep descent from the pass. I knew it would be a steep ascent from here to begin Section 6 of the Tour Divide.

I’m ready!