Simon's TransAmerica cycle ride - 2012: Day 48

Start time:07.43
Start location:Royal Gorge
Start State: Colorado
Start weather: warm
Total millage so far: 2468.64

Finish time: 13.51
Finish location: Hartsel
Finish State: Colorado
Finish weather: warm
Miles today: 53.73
Total millage so far: 2522.37
Today's top speed: 46.4
Today's average speed:12.4
Today's ride time: 4hrs 18mins 02
Punctures - 2 (slow back wheel), (staple in back wheel)

Music played:
The Human League - Greatest Hits
The Killers - Hot Fuss
The Smiths - ...Best I
The Spice Girls - Spice
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses

Blog for this day:

Lost all my notes for today, just at the end, oh well. Lets see what I can remember then.

Wow, Colorado has turned 180degrees into an amazing State. The scenery is just awesome, it is so hard to describe how beautiful is really is out here. Proper cowboy country, high bluffs and cliffs, plains and prairies, mountains and river creaks. So, I was still feeling rough from being ill and I wasn't sure if I would complete today or not. Pretty much all the day was spent climbing, but with some great downhill runs too. I think we have gone up to 9000ft now and the air is pretty thin already. Just taking a sip of water leaves you breathless. I had to leave Buster behind at the campsite though, he looked sad as I cycled off, poor thing.

Not only was the scenery pretty dam good, I also lots of animals too, chipmunks and prairie dog things, deer sitting under trees and antelope in the fields, then there were the bison. I will call them buffalo though as Bison Bill doesn't sound right, so buffalo it is going to be. There were several small herds dotted about this great expanse, and you can see why they were nearly hunted to extinction as they are so god dam big! You can see them from miles away. Fantastic to see and really made my day. One of the few things I remember from school was being taught about the Indians and how they lived, so it was great to see them in the wild still.

Even though we had a tailwind most of the day, it was still hard going, the roads were busy in places with some more crumby drivers. On the road a car/Humvee type thing passed me, I'm not sure if it was one of those survivalist type people or some kinda government vehicle as it was kitted out with extra water or fuel strapped to the sides and with what looked like a satellite phone ariel on top, there were about 5 other plain looking cars with it in a convoy too. Ah this makes sense, just heard that it's Senetor Bennete is here fishing now, Senetor for Colorado or something lol

We are staying about half a mile down from South Park at the moment, no sign of Kenny, but I guess he is dead. I can't remember much more of today, it was just fantastic. Lightning in the distance as we came into camp. Off to feed the buffalo now.

Wow that was great, more video and pics on another page