FRIDAY July 25 - Kremmling toto YMCA at the Rockies, Snow Mountain Ranch

Today was a lovely short ride, just under 60 k to the next town.

As lovely and short as it was, it took us to after 3 to get to our next destination.

Jenna, Annette, Kaitlyn, Stefanie, Jody, Lawrence, Theo, Marty... and I got ready for the day and then headed back into Kremmling to go for breakfast. We had so much fun just relaxing and knowing that we didn't have to pedal extremely hard to get to where we were going.

WE left breakfast around 9:30 and continued on our way.

TODAY'S CHALLENGE : today we were challenged to ride the ride in one gear only. To pick a gear we thought we could ride in for it was being assimilated to how people are stuck in the cycle of poverty and thusly, if we were in one gear we would be challenged by the fact that we were unable to get out of it. I declined this challenge, for a many reasons.

The ride to Hot Sulfur Springs went suprisingly quick and by the time we got there, there was a crew who had stopped there for breakfast and we joined in for some conversation. We were about to head out when Katrina's tire blew, just while we were standing there....and once it was fixed, it blew again. This changing of tire tubes is what takes time. Just a block down the road was this wonderful little candy shop, which we needed to stop at for a chocolate fix and 'sweets' need, it also was filled with trinkets and do-dads....when leaving Steph noticed she had a flat, so we pulled off to the side of the road, and that is when I took the following picture. This wagon was just at the side by a motel.

On our way again, after 3 tubes...we headed on to Granby. In Granby, because we can, we stopped at Java Cafe, and had a little break with a bunch of other sea to sea-ers. Tour de France was on, so many were just enjoying some of the clips and shots of what was going on.

While in the coffee shop we handed out some cards, and put them in the clear napkin holders which had 'advertising space' - so i just stuck some of the sea to sea cards...

ONWARDS to Snow Mountain Ranch, little did we know that the climb was going to increase....we had had it pretty easy all morning.

the last climb of the day was a doozie, down to my last gear to get to the right turn into the camp...along the way we have seen many many dead pine trees due to a beetle that has been killing them (eating them until they die). This cycle usually happens every 500 years.

In camp, we set up on the most uneven ground, filled with pinecones, debris of all sorts from the woods and stumps from the dead trees they have cut down. Snow Mountain Ranch is a beautiful place, and has a lot of acreage. After getting in we went swimming in the pool and were at the same time multi-tasking by doing laundry in a building one over from the pool. Swim, laundry, swim, dryer, swim...fold...then supper. Friday night, sweep team 'f' was on duty...that means me.

Serving supper was fun, this purell deal is getting quite funny.

The evening peleton was dedicated to those who were leaving the group, as well as communion. It was a very nice service and there was a lot of nice comments made about the group members who have been with us thus far.