odometer: 1350 – 1406 ( 56 miles, 90 kilometers )

I was happy to get out of Steamboat. The busy tourist town. In spite of it making a lot of money from the hospitality industry it left an impression that it cared less about customers and people than a lot of other towns I’ve been through.

I set off with either Kremmling or Silverthorn/Dillon as my object. Kremmling was at about the halfway point. Generally if I make the first objective by 3:30pm I continue on to the next town knowing I can make it before dark.

I took highway 40 south out of Steamboat. For the first 6 miles there was a continuous climb  through Rabbit Ears Pass. From there the road followed large rolling hills with a southwest wind which grew to 34 kilometers per hour by the time I reached Kremmling.

I saw several cyclists getting their exercise riding up to the top of the pass and flying back down to Steamboat.

Highway 40 had a very generous shoulder until about 30 miles before Kremmling where it all but disappeared. The traffic was heavy. That along with a strong cross wind made the ride especially stressful and tiring.

I made Kremmling before 3pm. This was good time; time enough to cover the distance to Silverthorn but I was hungry and exhausted. After having lunch I decided to stay the night in Kremmling. It was a quaint town with a quaint hotel; much more to my liking.