Day 40 – Tennessee Pass, a Campground Slip-Up, and a Surprise Town Stop I left Leadville after a solid night of sleep, looking forward to a short and chill day in the saddle. The plan was simple, ride over Tennessee Pass and make camp near Camp Hale National Monument. The morning weather was perfect and traffic was light. Just one of those quiet, easy starts that sets a good tone. The ride up the pass was mellow and beautiful. I soaked in the views and rolled into the campground feeling relaxed and ready to enjoy the rest of the day. I spent a while setting up camp, looking forward to a peaceful afternoon and settling into a slow rhythm. Then I realized I had made a pretty frustrating oversight, I forgot to grab cash for the campground fee back in Leadville🤦. Without cell reception to pay the fee online, I walked over to the campground host for an awkward conversation... I chatted with the campground host, who was understandably not thrilled. Rather than try to talk my way around it, I packed up the tent and rolled out, deciding to continue on down the valley. Along the way I passed through Red Cliff and chatted with the locals, a town I’ve driven by plenty of times but never taken the time to visit. Pedaling through it was a reminder of one of the best parts of bike travel, getting to stop in places you’d normally miss. I really encourage everyone to go for a ride, even if it’s just out the door and down the road. You never know what small, beautiful moments or new, interesting people you might run into. I wrapped up the day in Minturn with a brew and dinner at one of my go-to spots, Magusto's Pizza & Burger Pub. Tomorrow I’ll roll into Vail to check out the Mountain Games and spend the weekend off the bike. After that, I’ll be heading toward Boulder for a few days of rest and time with my incredible girlfriend and friends. The tour continues next week. Keep on pedaling.