Today’s Date: June 22, 2024

Today’s Start Point: Cañon City, Colorado

Today’s End Point: Pueblo, Colorado

Today’s Miles: 51.0 Miles

Cumulative Miles: 2,088.78 Miles

The weather called for a high of 94 degrees at my endpoint for today, Pueblo, Colorado. Therefore, my plan was, which will probably be my routine for the next few weeks, to leave as early as possible and finish up before it becomes too hot.

The route today would be a 50 mile trip broken down into three segments: ten miles slightly downhill and southeast to Florence, Colorado, then ten miles uphill to Wetmore, Colorado, and finally about 30 miles due east to Pueblo.

I left at about 5:30 am and the skies were cloudy and the wind seemed to be at my back. There was no traffic and I left Cañon City behind. The road gently descended and I was returned to surroundings filled with dry riverbeds and rocky outcroppings.

The first ten miles went by quickly, and I was able to keep a speed of about 20 mph, much faster than I have typically been able to get my big machine moving. The scenery was a little barren until I came across a Federal prison in Florence, Colorado. According to Wikipedia:

“ADX Florence was commissioned when the Federal Bureau of Prisons needed a unit designed specifically for the secure housing of those prisoners most capable of extreme violence toward staff or other inmates, as well as inmates deemed too high-profile or too great of a security risk for even a maximum security prison. The inmates are confined for the most part of the day in single cells with facilities made of poured, reinforced concrete to deter self-harm, and are under 24-hour supervision, carried out intensively with high staff–inmate ratios.”

Luckily, no hitchhikers were spotted along the way.

After Florence, the road went ten miles gently uphill to Wetmore, with a few steeper sections along the way. Every once in a while I would look back at the hills and mountains and then look forward at the flat earth and realize this would be the scenery for the near future. The good news is that I will not have to stop as much for pictures.

At Wetmore, the road peaked and I started a rolling descent down to Pueblo. I was making much better time than I expected, and realized that I would be in Pueblo well before noon.

As I approached Pueblo, traffic increased and the road surface worsened. The route eventually took me off the main highway onto a more relaxed scenic byway into the city.

At about this point, I stopped to talk with a couple of Brits following my route but going east to west. We spoke for a while and traded stories and tips. I was saddened to hear that one of them had been bitten by a dog in eastern Kentucky, they said that eastern Kentucky was the worse. I did not envy them reversing my route between Cañon City and Fairplay, Colorado, where my enjoyable long descent would become a long uphill slog for them. I also warned them about the long empty patch of 125 miles that I ignorantly tried to cross in one day in Wyoming. As with most of these encounters, we each had places to go and said our farewells.

I continued to follow the byway into Pueblo and I wound through a large municipal park that had a zoo, golf course, and multiple fountains and kids area. After the small towns that I have been going through (which could generally fit within the size of this park), I was starting to realize that Pueblo was an actual city.

I continued on into the downtown area and I could see that the city is upgrading its public spaces and infrastructure. I passed over a lovely riverwalk and went to my hotel, which was near a large convention center. I don’t think it is a city I would seek out to visit, but it is one I am glad I came across.

I checked into my hotel at 10:30, having travelled about 50 miles in record time. When booking my hotel, I finally selected a nice one. Luckily, my room was ready and it feels extremely luxurious after some of the places I have stayed in. I know it might sound trivial, but it felt great and I know that for at least the next two weeks I will be heading across no-man’s land with city parks and dive motels.

After going through my post-ride routine (which has become pretty structured), I went out to explore the city. First, I went to a local bike shop trying to find a lighter weight jersey for the hot and sticky days ahead (no luck). I then wandered down to the Riverwalk which was very nice, with fountains and benches lining the walk, as well as some good restaurants.

I went to a brewhouse for a very good lunch and even had a Moscow Mule (in order to help with my anticipated nap). With the weather in the 90s, I went to my hotel to hydrate and sleep. I will go back to the Riverwalk tonight for dinner and then leave bright and early tomorrow.