(Day 23 – September 12) Kremmling to Fairplay

odometer: 1406 – 1482 ( 76 miles, 122 kilometers )
elevation: 2300 – 3023 meters

Kremmling was likely the first town where I ate three meals; lunch at 3pm at a Mexican place, supper at Rockies Bar and Grill and breakfast at the Moose Cafe. All of these places were recommended to me by people who lived in Kremmling. And all of the restaurants served me well with a personal touch. They spoke highly of the other hardworking residents of Kremmling without reserve.

I stayed in the Eaton Hotel. It was an old hotel – likely over 100 years old. The proprietor and his wife purchased the place not so long ago and tended it with love and care. He reminded me of Santa Claus – his voice, mannerisms, genuine hospitality and strong work ethic – all the good that comes to mind when you think of the old fellow. If his beard was whiter I could have been convinced it was St. Nick.

The waitress at the Moose Cafe said that he and his wife were the hardest working folks around. And always ready for a kind talk without politics.

I left Kremmling refreshed. I did nothing but eat and sleep from 3pm on Sunday to about 7am on Monday (today). I was even happy to “sleep in” after being awakened at 4:30am.

I made my way to Silverthorn/Dillon and arrived in good time – just after noon – and had a solid lunch. Silverthorn and Dillon are ski resort towns. There are plenty of restaurants and places to stay along with other touristy trappings.

From my perspective there were two outstanding things the communities provided. One, there a number of bike shops along the route. No detour was necessary. I stopped at one and replaced my chain. My chain had accumulated about 1600 miles and although it hadn’t stretched too much I figured changing it was prudent as a precaution. I didn’t know when I would see another bike shop.

The second outstanding thing about the communities were the bike paths. They were top quality paved paths without the annoying bumps and unevenness often associated with lesser quality paths. They connected the two towns and ran much of the way up toward the Hoosier Pass to the south. (see pictures)

Since it was still early I figured I could make the town of Fairplay in the day. The Hoosier Pass at over 11,542 feet (3,518 meters) was in my way. (BTW – I apologize for mixing units especially to Ann. All my elevation contour lines and GPS readings are in meters. From now on I will attempt to post the net elevation for each day.)

The ascent was tough but satisfying. The scenery was striking. I made the summit by 5pm. From there it was a relatively easy 400 meter descent to Fairplay were I am staying tonight.