Day 27 - This was meant to be a 'short' ride of 64 miles but it turned into a scorcher and trial of endurance as we cycled high up in the mountains through the desert to arrive in Colorado and reach our destination of Dinosaur. Some of the scenery was spectacular but this was my first experience of real heat in the air. Drinking to ensure hydration was essential and my purchase of a CamelBak water carrier became essential as the water bottles were in almost constant use. As a result, we eventually rolled in Dinosaur, much to the delight of the local mosquitoes.
Based on my experieince in Dinosaur, I would like to put forward another reason for the extinction of the dinosaurs: I think they were sucked dry by mosquitoes!! English blood suddenly became an overnight delicacy on the 1st and 2nd July 2019 in Dinosaur. By the morning my entire body was covered with bites but my buttocks seemed to be a particular target!! I think a major part of the mosquito population of Dinosaur wanted to savour the English blood I brought to the town. I'm sure they used facebook, twitter or the internet to let everyone know I was about so they could enjoy the feast.
A number the riders were somewhat shocked at the number of bites on my legs, but I thought better on showing them other parts of my anatomy!!
Day 28 - The ride to Craig from Dinosaur brought with it the first experience of views of endless roads where the road ahead seemed to reach for the horizon. The concerning fact was that you knew you needed to ride to that speck on the horizon to find what happens next, only to find that when to got there, a similar vista greeted you again and again.
These were not flat roads but undulating hills where the road seemed to disappear. So you tended to excellerate down the hills in the hope that the climb on the otherside was not a steep as it appeared when you started the descent. Thankfully some were easier than you anticpated but occasionally the climbs were vicious and quite sapping. To make matters worse my back was playing up and eventually it became so bad I climbed into a support vehicle to be transferred to our eventual destination, Craig. I thought with a 'Build Day' due to take place the following day, it was more important to be fit for that than cause an injury and miss out. Disappointing but probably the right decision.
You will never guess what I bought when I arrived in Craig? Yes, insect repellant and something for the bites. Thankfully, Craig did not have such a problem with mosquitoes as they were banned from public places, as I was to find out the next day!