Day Three: Missed Connections

Start: Grand Lake, Colorado
Lunch: Grubsteak in Estes Park, Colorado
Dinner: Sports Station in Loveland, Colorado
End: Super 8 in Loveland, Colorado
Today's biking distance: 77 miles
Total biking distance: 195 miles
Today's elevation gain: ~4,000 feet

Total biking elevation gain: ~10,334 feet

While Brennan and Jason had perhaps their most impressive day of riding ever, I was not on my game. I missed Jason on our first break at the top of Trail Ridge Road. I missed both of the guys when I was supposed to meet them just below the tree line to take their extra layers. Thankfully, I was able to meet them at the stop for the night, a Super 8 in Loveland, Colorado.

Today's grueling trek up the highest paved road in the US is much better left to Jason, who rode it and tells the tale here. Otherwise, enjoy a few snapshots along the way, as well as a 3-minute video that shows my perspective of the breath-taking views from the support vehicle's dash cam:

lunch stop in Estes Park

Day Two: JC Can Save America!

That GIF you see above you may be the greatest accomplishment I've had on a Moustache Ride to date. Sure, Brennan and Jason are climbing mountains in record time, but I took about 7 minutes to master the art of the GIF. You're all welcome!

Start: Empire, Colorado
Lunch: Sharky's Eatery in Fraser, Colorado
Dinner: Sagebrush BBQ in Grand Lake, Colorado
End: Bighorn Lodge in Grand Lake, Colorado
Today's biking distance: 60 miles
Total biking distance: 118 miles
Today's elevation: ~3,000 feet

Total biking elevation: ~6,334 feet

The guys started their day knowing that the first 12 miles would be the toughest, as they'd have to climb most of their elevation in that section. They triumphantly got to the top, where the Continental Divide presents numerous photo ops (such as that GIF I'm overly proud of).

Our lunch stop found us in Fraser, Colorado, home of the Chocolate Festival on June 22nd (we just missed it, though it would have conflicted with Empire's Frog Rodeo anyway). Sharky's Eatery was our lunch stop, and also the place where we were finally asked what the deal was with our moustaches. We think the nation has gotten used to this tradition. Anyway, our waitress asked no follow-up questions we explained our facial hair, so we took that as a sign that she was less than impressed. Regardless, a fine lunch was had.

 

We saw this on the road to Grand Lake. We're not alone!

Our end point was Grand Lake, CO. It has a grand lake. It's really grand. See how grand it is?!

Grand Lake is one of those old mountain towns settled in the 1880s and currently home to an inordinate amount of ice cream shops. We're not complaining, mind you. Just stating the facts. After getting cleaned up we walked down to the main strip of town, and found another outstanding watering hole, the Lariat Saloon (our 2nd saloon of the trip!). Most of the patrons, clearly regulars, had sweet 'staches, so we fit right in. It's one of those bars that's covered from wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling in beer signs, local t-shirts, and a large variety of taxidermied animals, including a horse's ass. But the hightlight was seeing on the ceiling an old campaign poster. I'll let it speak for itself:

We ended with dinner at Sagebrush BBQ, which was outstanding. So much so that I got a pint glass to add to our home collection (which you can see here, if you're curious). We sat in window seats, and overhead two high school girls laughing at our moustaches. The nerve!

And so we rest up at the Bighorn Lodge, preparing for tomorrow. Tomorrow is the beast. Trail Ridge Road. We ain't messin' around this year!