Day 39 – Rail Trails, Wind Battles, and a Night in Leadville The day started with a short 500 foot climb out of the riverside campground and back onto Highway 285. Traffic was much lighter than the day before and the shoulder was decent for most of it, with only a few tighter sections. About 20 miles later I rolled into Buena Vista and stopped for lunch at The Simple Eatery and Gear Store. Great food, and perfect weather to take my time eating it. I lingered for a while, enjoying the sunshine and letting my legs recover before the next stretch. After lunch, I followed a route suggested by my new friend Nick Watson from Veterans Expeditions. The road was called "Railroad Tunnel River Road" and it was easily one of the best parts of the day's ride. About 18 miles of scenic, easy rail grade pedaling with beautiful views the entire way. Riding through the old railroad tunnels was a treat. If you're ever in the area, I can’t recommend it enough. Eventually the trail ended and I was back on the highway. That’s when the headwinds started. The climb up to the Twin Lakes area was tough with the wind in my face. I stopped for a short break near the lakes, Nick and his doggo were passing by with his adventure van and offered me a water refill and sun break. After the short break I pushed on. But just before reaching Leadville the winds picked up again. I could see a storm pouring out over the nearby mountains and I was definitely catching the outflow. My pace slowed to a crawl, but I kept grinding away. I finally rolled into Leadville and decided to save Tennessee Pass for the morning. I grabbed a room for the night and wrapped up the evening with an excellent pizza from High Mountain Pies. Solid end to a great day on the bike.