60 miles, 5:24/7:30

We wake early to our first frost on the ground. It’s cold as we get out of the tent, and Dave starts making coffee right away while I take down the tent. Soon the sun comes over the ridge opposite our meadow and we are warmer than I could have imagined we’d be in just a few minutes.

After breakfast Dave does a little maintenance on the bikes. He’s always looking and poking at the bikes and stays on top of things so we don’t have any major problems. Soon we’re off, coasting several miles downhill in the shade of evergreens and aspens and it’s freezing. Good thing we have the right layers for all temperatures.

After about 25 miles of downhill, not all as steep as the first few but some on pavement, we turn onto a ranching road in a dry valley and see yaks in one fenced area, and a little later we see white reindeer! Dave actually names them, because I’m completely puzzled by them. We stop and take off some layers and put on more sunscreen for the ride through the warm, dry valley and the upcoming climb over Cochetopa pass, another 11,000-something pass that goes a little easier than we expected. Again, the roads were really nicely packed and the grade, if not railroad, wasn’t too steep. A couple miles over the pass we come to Luder’s Creek Campground, a quiet place with only one other couple staying.