Day Four: Friday, September 9, 2016 - Columbine Hut to Graham Ranch Hut

Total Mileage - 36.6 miles
Starting Elevation - 9,205'
Ending Elevation - 8,300'
Elevation Change - 1,863'

https://www.strava.com/activities/712076819

All our bikes have been holding up well. The only problem yesterday was a bolt on one of Stuart's panniers broke off due to all the bouncing on the Parallel Trail. Mark and Stuart did a quick fix with zip ties on the trail, and later on, Stuart just replaced the broken bolt with a bolt holding one of his water bottle cages. I've been very happy with the Seven Sola, particularly its shifting when I need to downshift.

Are we having fun yet?

I'm writing this on the next day since I was so tired after yesterday's ride. The ride today spent much of its time along the Divide Road with scenic views of the La Sal Mountains in the distance. It was nice riding alone at times at my own pace so that I could quietly relax and appreciate the moment. Near the end of the ride was a great single track through aspen groves and a small areas of sandstone. At one part I turned left to take the easier route versus the steep drop option on the right and my front tire washed out. I landed in a prickly bush, and it ripped the side of my Stanford Voler shorts leaving a large hole. I decided to throw away the shorts since I still have my Specialized shorts, and I wanted to save on some weight and space. The Stanford Voler shorts were also over fifteen years old, and it was time to retire them.

Love the Aspens

The hut we're staying at tonight has a building close by with three hot showers! It was very nice to really wash off today. We met Tam, the owner of the land we were staying on, and it was nice of him to give us advice on the rest of the trip, particularly the long downhill the next day and the long uphill the day after. He had a very enthusiastic and beautiful cattle dog named Zip. The night was very cold, and I ended up putting on all my extra clothes halfway through the night.